Pitch-ure diary

With a hazy dawn beckoning, the camera was packed for an early morning ride out on Pitch Hill with Rich and Andy. The climb up from CP3 ended in some atmospheric shots against the rising sun, before heading down the topmost "Rat-run" trail.

The going was surprisingly good - despite the mid-week downpour. Encouraged, it was backup to session the gully jumps that "Dave the spade" has been fettling over recent weeks. A few action shots, and a chance to revisit the jump where I smashed my bike up last week

- a quick look, nothing more!

Andy demonstrating Zen like poise, whilst Rich takes the opportunity to surreptitiously straighten up a wonky tree!

...just slightly more focussed than the camera. The landing was not as stylish.!

Rich checks out the launch pad....

...before take off through the trees.

After larking about for a bit, it was just a few short steps up from the gullies to the familiar "log jump" trail.

With the landing zones sorted (does this Dave character ever sleep..?) there's certainly plenty of fun to be had.

After our fill of jumping around, it was one more slog to the top and back down the last and most direct route - a root-fest that Rich has dubbed "the bridle path!"

The Pitch-to-Windmill trails now exhausted (not to mention me) we headed over to the other side of Pitch to a fantastic two-stager (ask Rich the name - "Smooth... something??").

The lower section had seen some recent rehab, (probably Dave again..?) including some fantastic kickers and berms - we had to go back for a second run.

Rich, with the afterburners on...

Getting some lean on for the camera...

Making mountains out of molehills... The 'Scrub' is still some way off!

"Look Ma...no gloves!" Rich getting back to basics.

Andy sends it down the trail.

Last stop was over to "Huggy Bear" for a final blast. Though with legs and brains a little tired the inevitable spill just had to happen.

Rich eventually doing the honors, and proving you do not need to fall far, to proper hurt yourself. Taking a gouge out of his shin and adding a final flourish of claret to the rusts and greens of the morning.

This shot really does NOT do justice to what was a nasty hole in the leg. Note to self - leave the blood running!

Hope it heals up quickly mate!

Until next time,

D.

Nukeproof Mega 2012

It's ordered!! Delivery estimate 26th January 2012!

Klunkerz

Ok, I dont want to show off but I've been restoring this little gem and I might be prepared to take it down deliverance!

Tom

Klunkerz

In case you haven't heard we're starting a Klunker movement - not good news for the local bike shops or Chain Reaction. Here's Mark2 and my offerings. I took my '94 Marin up and down the road having replaced the rear brake pads - I'm sure you'd like me to wax lyrical about old skool values and how 6 inches of travel in the Surrey Hills is ridiculous - but frankly it was terrifying!

Let's see yours!

Catch of the Day

Here are some screen captures of today's riding... some cool.... and some not so cool =)

Just the two of us...

Date : 12th November 2011
Location : Leith Hill
Riders : Dunnie, Grievous Andy

So winter has really arrived!! :( The trails are wet and muddy. The two of us met at Coldharbour and took in the top section of Summer Lightning, and the downhill section of Summer Lightning, before heading up to the tower. Trip down Donny Darco and then the long push back up followed by Windy Willows. All trails are now wet, slippy, muddy and holding us back - not the lovely flowing summer trails we have been used to.

Back to the tower and a quick tea stop - then down Personal Hygiene up to No Cycles - to find it blocked at the end - ruined the flow really!! Bomb holes and then Deliverance. We had to do Deliverance.... there were about 10 bikers waiting at the top, looking, deciding, thinking that they wouldn't do it on a hard tail... so Dunnie and I arrived.... and bombed straight down it - without looking back! Sorted!!

Regurgitator.... and back to Coldharbour! A nice jaunt, if filthy!!

Dubstep Mountain Biking

I was getting a bit low on enthusiasm with all the rain we've been having in the last two weeks.

So here's a drummed up video of our last ride, enjoy!

Mmmm Zesty.....

I recently sold my Transition frame and forks, having decided that at 43 and a half I probably wasn't ever going to do the kind of dirt jump and slopestyle riding the bike was built for. Obviously this created a problem as I was down to 2 Nicolais, a part built hardtail and lots of nice components. Resourceful as ever I hit upon a fiendish plan - I'd buy another frame and build up a winter XCish bike. My choice would depend on being able to get hold of a used frame which would match my 150mm Revelation forks. I considered the Trek EX8 (couldn't find one), The Orange 5 (a touch too industrial for my liking - sorry Tom), The Santa Cruz Blur or Butcher (too expensive) or a Lapierre Zesty. Luckily for me a warranty replacement unused Zesty 514 frame (the one with the carbon rear end) came up on Singletrackworld. A weak negotiation from me followed and a few days later here she is!
Obviously my build is geared towards some "wheels off the ground" riding - 710mm bars, a 50mm stem, 1x9 gearing with a chain device and heavy Mavic downhill rims.
First impressions are great, the geometry is nice and slack, the bike is light and snappy and easy to pop - everything they say in those silly magazines in fact.

Aptos, CA

Sounds like I missed the Indian Summer but I'm not too bummed as I've just had an amazing fortnight in California..
I checked out the Post Office jumps at Aptos, Santa Cruz but unfortunately it was a friday lunchtime and no one was riding, check out the new Anthill Films Strength in Numbers trailer to see them being filmed Matrix style....

http://www.bikeradar.com/mtb/news/article/video-anthill-films-strength-in-numbers-trailer-31302/

R.I.P GA and Cwncarn Hightlights

Ok, loads a happenin' but not much postin'....

First off, during a quick ride up to session GA the other day, Rich and I found it had been partially dismantled by landowners or wardens. Not irreparable but I don't think it would be worth making an attempt to fix for at least a few months, let the dust settle a bit and all.

Secondly I've punched out a very short video of our trip to Cwncarn, the length mainly driven by the short audio sequence I used, but also I'm starting to find long sequences of GoPro footage a chore for me to watch... god only knows what others must think.

It feels like an age since we've all been out for a proper ride, I've stuck some knarly winter tyres on my bike and looking forward to a good muddy hack... enjoy the video and see you out on the trails soon.

Mark2

The Nukeproof Mega

Date : 3rd September 2011
Riders : Grievous Andy, Bish
Location : Leith Hill


So.... after a few weeks of humming and harring over whether or not I really should get another bike and go All Mountain, I eventually tracked down a Nukeproof Mega Demo from our very own local bike store Nirvana Cycles in Westcott!!

Having emailed them on Thursday, got a response Friday, I phoned them up Friday morning to see if it was available Saturday. Thursday they'd just finished building it, Friday it was being taken out for it's first ride, but Saturday was free.... Wow... fantastic - I get to be the second rider on the Nukeproof, even before the shop owner got his hands on it!!

So Saturday morning I arrive at Nirvana ready and willing. Met Bish, and off we went..... WOW!!! To say I liked it would be an understatement... I want one! So much so, I've decided to sell the Stumpy to put funds toward it. Probably only cover the cost of the frame, but hey.... this is love!!

We had a good 4 hours of riding, taking in Leith Hill - wolverns lane, summer lightning, the bomb holes, donny darco, windy willlows, the quarry, personal hygiene, no cycles, regurgitator.... phew - longest piece of riding we'd done in a long time.

We shot some pics and some video - not as polished as Mark Gs produced masterpieces, but they do show me catching some phat air!!!

Only thing to decide now is the colour scheme. Black and yellow? or Black and red? Maybe I could put it to the vote?

Enjoy...... although probably not as much as I did on Saturday!!! :)

Flat Run

Another short video from house of TMT (Too Much Time). This one of a fast flat jump Rich found on the hill. Last of the nice dry conditions... enjoy.

Mark2

Hitler joins Friends of the Hurtwood

Not my doing but very funny...



Mark2

Comedy Central

Mark G’s Excellent Joke

Seeing Rich Hall next week at the Edinburgh Festival will be a real come-down after this topical piece of well crafted humour…..

Mark 2 - Oliver Stone and Andy Best are pleased now they have a Winehouse... Boom Boom...Too soon....?

Mark D - Explain the 'funny bit' of this - I must be missing it....

Mark 2 - I'll stick to my day job then, shall I.

Mark D - Who's Andy Best? And how does he know Oliver Stone? Are they in Hell or Heaven? Do they have lots of loose bottles of wine in need of organised storage? What the freck is this joke ABOUT????? Dude, you are so lucky you bombed on email and not face to face on this one....

Mark G - I'm really sorry I wasted 5 seconds of you're life on this light humoured joke at a slightly inappropriate time for the Winehouse family. Both Ollie and Andrew would of appreciated it and most importantly got it, God bless their souls.
Thanks for ruining my morning.

Bish (ref trailbuilding) – Dude - are you going to come along to this with me? - time-wise if it's a choice between this and riding I'd rather ride!

Mark G - Nah! I'm sulking all weekend after you and Mark didn't get the simple shit joke I sent you. Mark gave me a right rollicking about it and I think he wants to beat me up he's pissed off about it hahahaha

Bish - can you explain it? Don't sulk, it will only increase your gay rep :-)

Mark G - No, I've seen this trap before, you get me to explain it to you, which just gives you more ammo to rip the piss! F**k, sometimes you wish you never got out of bed in the morning!!

Bish - ok up to you if you won't explain, I guess I'll never know...

Mark 2 - OK, Ollie Stone and Andy Best dead actor and footballer, liked a drink or two, Amy Winehouse also now dead and liked a drink! Irrelevant. All on the other side. Ollie and Andy, a bit dry now happy a WineHouse (a place that serves wine maybe?) has appeared!!
Laters

Bish - OK - you mean Ollie Reed and George Best - no wonder I didn't f***in get it!!!!!

Mark G - Oh yeah, Oliver Stone is the director, and Andy Best is a guy I work with. I'm losing it!

Bish - you see now why it doesn't work?

Mark G - Yup, *hangs head in shame* Mark, sorry for my f**k up. I have no excuse. You can verbally abuse me next time we meet.

Mark D - Mate, this chain of mishap and ineptitude is even funnier than the joke would have been had you got it right first time…. The only person I am aware of to have so utterly stuffed a joke up is my mother…Excellent.

UFO update...

In the words of Kiss "I was made for lovin' you baby, Huuuahhh!"
Here it is weighing in at...errr..lots, slacker than a Kevin Smith movie convention and dripping with more attitude than a teenage gang on the corner of a council estate.

Coming to a downhill trail near you soon...

Forest of Dean Video

Aghhh typical, you wait a month for a new blog post, and then 3 come along all at once!

Well, here is a short video of our Forest of Dean trip, attended by Me, Mark, Richard and some top riders from "Head for the Hills" shop.

As Richard mentioned in his last post, an awesome day, and it certainly pushed my limits to the edge.

Enjoy the video.

Mark

Invasion!

Today, out of the haze, this landed in Richards’s driveway! Should we be worried? It hasn't tried to make contact yet! I will monitor the situation closely and report!

Nocolai UFO-ST

Going Downhill Faster

Yesterday, along with Mark's 1 & 2, we headed west on the hottest day of the year to the Forest of Dean to sample the delights of their FlyUp downhill tracks. We met Rog, Dunc and Sam there and a few other Surrey Hills riders were also along for the day.

The trails are superb: steep, fast, rooty, technical and with plenty of variation. Some bits are like our own trails, some much more like Cwm Carn and the "trail centre" has a really nice vibe, no doubt helped by the superb weather.

Plenty of crashes, plenty of mechanicals, plenty of laughs - I can't wait to go back. I'm sure Mark2 will be posting a YouTube highlights sensation soon enough but here's a couple of photos of Sam's spectacular crash to whet your appetite in the meantime....

Going downhill fast

Last saturday, following an unsociably early start I ventured along the M4 to Cwm Carn with the Head for the Hills posse (well Rog & Dunc). It turned out to be an awesome uplift day, dry conditions (until near the end) and 9 or 10 uplifts. I'd like to think I'm starting to get my lines dialled there but the reality is there's a long way to go...still bring on FOD and the next uplift - this is how to do it!

Oh yes there was a pro photographer there, hence the proliferation of action shots...

Ouch

The lure of the big one proved too much... I was ready, I was confident, I was practised, I crashed!!!!! :(

Can you dig it?

A wet friday night meant this morning would be ideal to do a little trail improvement at Milton Gore, so armed with new spade, bucket and rake I drove up to Coldharbour.

I had in mind a rebuild of an old jump with a sweet landing transition. Unfortunately some trail pixies had rebuilt it be ridden the wrong way. Two hours of hard manual labour later and I may have created something useful - or maybe not!

I also found a natural hip across the road which I just tidied up with the rake but you'll have to ride with me to find where that is!

Rich

The Beast

It was big as a house with teeth the size of cars, I could feel it's roar, like hot breath on the back of neck and could hear the clatter of a thousand claws on the road as it chased me... all I could do was pedal faster in the vain hope of out running it and make a feeble attempt to defend myself...

But I had no hope that day, my time was near, luck was my only saviour............



Mark2

Aston Hill - for a change

Date : 10th April 2011
Location : Aston Hill
Riders : Grievous Andy, Simon and his mates!

The weather today was awesome - nice and sunny and dry, meaning the trails were spot on. For a change, I joined Simon and his mates at Aston Hill for a little jaunt and a trek around a new park, which none of the guys had ridden.

We set off from the car park at around 1030, and followed the XC loop which contained some nice flowing single track and a decent downhill section. Hitting the lowest part of the hill meant a big climb to come - and boy was it a climb. Tom would enjoy that one, lots of twists and turns.

Next we decided on a proper downhill track and hit a medium difficulty trail. Challenging it was!! Nice and quick at the top section and about half way down a drop onto a rooty section. I was leading and there was no rolling this drop - this was a drop!! I had no choice but to push the bars out and go for it.... made it..... only to hear a yell and crash behind me. Mick following close was not going fast enough at the drop and the front wheel dropped over (a la me on Grievous Angel!!!), straight over the handle bars and landed on his head. Slightly concussed, he eventually made it to the bottom of the trail.

Next came the Four cross track, rolling into the green DH3 trail, which was a nice flowing downhill. After which a number of the guys bailed and so left around 9 of us. We enjoyed that so much we decided the next route would be the full green DH3. Fun!!

3 more bailed at that point and the remaining 6 hit the red route down. Nice and technical without being too tricky.

A good day out, and a good alternative to try for the over the hill crowd. There are a number of other downhill routes which I think we'd all enjoy. Sufficiently technical and challenging for us - definitely worth a day trip - or at least a good 4 to 5 hours.

Check out the website :- http://www.rideastonhill.co.uk/

GoPro

I couldn't wait any longer for Andy's video of Dunnie crashing into the tree on Milton Gore to appear on "You've Been Framed". And then for us to be £250 better off. The money I hoped to put towards a helmet cam that we could film more comedy crashes on, but too many are slipping though the net now.

So I bit the bullet and bought a GoPro helmet cam. A bit bulky, looks like a small brick on your head. Everyone gives you that "What a prick!" look as you ride by... (I have proof on video funnily enough!)


Me, I don't really care... I'm use to the "What a prick!" look... I've been getting ever since I took up mountain biking.. what I do care about is the awesome footage I'm getting off this little gem of a brick stuck to my head.

Check it out below!



This is the first video from the GoPro of a new trail (I'll leave it unnamed for now) and snippets from the rest of the days riding.

If you haven't checked out my last video "Kick Gap Drop" where I put my crappy filming skills with the Cannon 550D to test and my crappy jumping skills, go to my YouTube Channel and check it out.

Laters

Mark2

Shocking!

Just thought I'd post a quick pic of my recent Nicolai pimping...It's now fitted with a CCDB (Cane Creek Double Barrel) coil shock, 1 x 10 XTR transmission (including a slightly ridiculous 11-36 cassette), PointOne podium pedals, Race Face SixC 740mm bars and a 50mm stem. It rocks!

Peaslake Drop

Note: I've re-edited the video from the original post, to add in some more stuff. Watch again if you've already seen it.

As per Richards post below, here is a quick video of last weekend. We did a load more stuff but I'm working with a new camera, so a little behind... more to come.



Mark2

PS I've now also got a GoPro head cam and the footage off it looks awesome... get ready for some new videos soon.

Big Bikes Rule

This weekend I've been mostly riding with Mark2. We managed to get out on both days and have been stoked by (generally) dry trails and spring-like temperatures. Whilst the rest of the OTHers have been notable only by their absence in the last month I've been reacquainting myself with my Nicolai and Mark2 has been getting used to his Scratch.
It really is amazing how much pilot error can be compensated for by 7 inches of travel!
We've been hitting a few choice features as well as plenty of new trails, hopefully Mark will be along soon to post some video highlights.
Maybe see you guys out there some time?
Rich

One down from riding - Fettling

There is only one thing better than spending a warm sunny spring morning stripping down your bike, digging out the grime from the deepest depths of the bottom bracket, cleaning everything with copious amounts of GT80 (Not the brakes Dave) applying fresh grease and rebuilding the bike to within an inch of its life....


.....and that's riding your bike on a warm sunny spring morning!