Guided Ride, Sherwood Pines Sun 20th Oct

[Hinett]

I know it's not on the list but I'll have "let down" as I cant make it now ☹. I've got my house up for sale and have now got 2 viewings booked in for sunday.

 

[118]

I think with eight you just have to go Disney ...

Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, and Dopey

Steve can be the Handsome Prince. I suppose you can shorten that to "Prince" "Handsome" or "HP" ..

Snow White can be the backup name for a late arrival ..

First come first served .. grab your name peeps !!

@myapes
@118
@JetSetDemo
@Tunny
@Hinett
@jonnie brads
@ilsonmd12

May I have 'Bashful' please?

 

[steve_sordy]

I'm still struggling to get some pink and gold pony tail bar ends!

 

[118]

Kids Boy Girl Bicycle Bike Handlebar Streamers Tassles Decoration | eBay

@steve_sordy Wont be able to get them here for this weekend though, sadly..

 

[steve_sordy]

Kids Boy Girl Bicycle Bike Handlebar Streamers Tassles Decoration | eBay

@steve_sordy Wont be able to get them here for this weekend though, sadly..

I'm on hols in Mid-Wales with my extended family right now, intermittent and low speed internet connection. I can't even find a simple brush to clean my bike with, but I could have bought a Soviet great coat and hat, or a US woodland pattern camouflage uniform, trench diggers, plastic spades in a variety of colours, Welsh gin.............. and the misery goes on, but the rain is warm and I've seen some bottle-nosed dolphins! . And today I bought a new folding saw because my others are blunt. I'm now happy.

PS: The natives are friendly.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Kids Boy Girl Bicycle Bike Handlebar Streamers Tassles Decoration | eBay

@steve_sordy Wont be able to get them here for this weekend though, sadly..

If only @Doomanic was coming, he could bring some of his personal stock..

 

[Zimmerframe]

PS: The natives are friendly

And today I bought a new folding saw because my others are blunt

So the ones that are left are..

 

[steve_sordy]

Attention, weather forecast!
@myapes
@118
@JetSetDemo
@Tunny
@Hinett
@jonnie brads
@ilsonmd12

Sat 19th may have some showers in the afternoon (30%), but Sunday 20th will be "mostly cloudy" (that icon with the sun peaking out from behind a cloud), but with 10% precipitation at 11degC. In other words a lovely day out for a ride!

 

[Doomanic]

Kids Boy Girl Bicycle Bike Handlebar Streamers Tassles Decoration | eBay

@steve_sordy Wont be able to get them here for this weekend though, sadly..

If only @Doomanic was coming, he could bring some of his personal stock..

They’re only for my friends...

 

[Zimmerframe]

They’re only for my friends...

Tassel teaser ?

 

[Hinett]

Just a heads up guys, sherwood pines has there forestry 100 10k race on tomorrow, car park will be very busy and don't know if it will impact on any of the planned off piste routes.

 

[steve_sordy]

Just a heads up guys, sherwood pines has there forestry 100 10k race on tomorrow, car park will be very busy and don't know if it will impact on any of the planned off piste routes.

Well spotted Hinett: I never remember to look. Yes the car park will be busier than usual, but I doubt it will be full, so there will still be plenty of space to park, maybe not as close as you would like, but we have a bike!!!

Occasionally, the race marshalls block the trail we want but there is always a way around. When I've been before on race days, we are usually setting off before the race commences, so we seldom get held up.

The worst days are car rally days, every single road I want to cross or ride up has high speed lunatics tearing up the gravel. That is when I don't bother going.

 

[jonnie brads]

I'm sure I will be ridiculed on the next ride out but I'm afraid I can't make tomorrow neither. No I haven't been shouted out through the CCTV again ? but it's bike drama this time ? speed sensor could be toast ?. I really am sorry boys and can only hope I have not burnt my bridges with @steve_sordy and he lets me join the next one. Take care tomorrow stay safe

 

[steve_sordy]

No bridges burnt with anyone here!
All are welcome.

 

[billwarwick]

After a late fitness test on my dodgy shoulder, I will be joining the band of merry men in the forest. Someone once told me that if you get lost in Sherwood, just follow the arrows......

 

[118]

After a late fitness test on my dodgy shoulder, I will be joining the band of merry men in the forest. Someone once told me that if you get lost in Sherwood, just follow the arrows......

Top job..

 

[steve_sordy]

We are eight once more!
That is a perfect number
Me on a stretcher, two stretcher bearers, three to push back two bikes each, and two spare stretcher bearers!

 

[Hugo Last]

@118 asked me for another one! I will deffo be riding with him on Sun 20th Oct, meeting at the cafe veranda ready to ride at 10am. You are all welcome to join in. Especially @Tunny and @jonnie brads who couldn't make the last one.

I may be up visiting relatives in Lincoln that week end, is Sherwood Pine worth the hours drive over?

 

[steve_sordy]

It is better than anything you may find near Lincoln. And if you do find something, let me know!

The red trail at Sherwood Pines is 10 miles from carpark and back. The Blue trail is 7 miles long and gets very close to the red at key points, so you can cross over half way and do both.

They both require a lot of pedalling because the elevation difference is not high, no more than 100m for the red. But you will do that 100m many times! The red is better the faster you go. It meets the definition of a red (the trail designer will give you a bloody good argument on that one), but it is one of the easier reds technically.

Make sure that when you get to post 11 on the red that you divert to the Bike Park and the Dirt Jump area. They are next to each other. When you get to the picnic table (smashed!), the DJ is left and the BP is right. When you have had enough of those, return to the picnic table and turn left up the gravel road. About 300 yards further on there is a X-roads, about 30 yards after that on the left is a sign for Tornado Alley. You have rejoined the red and only lost a few hundred yards.

There is an amazing amount of good off-piste hidden away at Sherwood Pines, but you are unlikely to find it on a day trip.

 

[Zimmerframe]

More importantly .. how did today go ??? I know we're all curious to know how @Hinett got on with his house viewings !

 

[Hinett]

Thanks for the interest @Zimmerframe, they went quite well, hopefully one of them buys ? but still gutted on missing out on a ride

 

[Zimmerframe]

Thanks for the interest @Zimmerframe, they went quite well, hopefully one of them buys ? but still gutted on missing out on a ride

Fingers crossed !

I'm sure it won't be the last time that the Handsome Prince organises a Fairy Tale rideout.

 

[steve_sordy]

Here we go!
Some dropped out and some stepped up, but still ending up with eight riders! Yey!

The weather was almost fairytale for October. Blue sky and sunshine! We got very slightly rained on at about 2pm but not for long.

I'm sorry I can't remember your name but we all know who you are! The guy with the beard dressed in black with a red backpack. You did the most amazing recovery from a potentially serious fall that I have ever seen. Steep descent, going over the bars - with a certain 12'-15' vertical drop ahead of you. Then you just straightened up and let the bike pass between your legs. With the bike tumbling its way down the slope, scattering the watchers as it went, you landed upright on a steep slope with one leg straight out in front and one leg bent under you and coasted down to the bottom! Astonishing! We all saw it but no photos!!!!!!!!!!

I did just over 18 miles and ended with 1 mile of range left in Eco. I know that many rode further because of the sessioning they did in the Bike Park, the Dirt Jump area and the Four Gulleys.
Team pic at the Fishbowl: (MyApes is behind the camera)

If you look carefully, you can see my fairy princess ponytail bar ends! (Imported from Wales, so they are the real deal).

I won't show the team in the same places as last time, to give a bit of variety. This descent is about 40' down a loose angled slope into the old rail bed. It has two sandstone ledges, the first one generates a 2' drop, the last one is 9' (I measured it) if you go the wrong side of the birch tree. That is best avoided as the drop is full of brambles, although the signs are still there from the last outing where one guy (118 I think) did his best to ride it out ................and succeeded! I gave lots of warnings about this descent because it is harder than it looks, you can't see the worst bits from the top.
Here is Tunny , making it look easy! I claim the credit because I gave the briefing!

And MyApes, also making it look easy! I had trained him up on previous outings.

The rest of us, not so much! Here is one example: That first ledge caught him out.

And another: Ditto.

We also called in at the Dirt Jump area. Here is Tunny succeeding at a gap jump, although mid way he was so convinced he was not going to make it I definitely heard him squeak!

Great day out, great bunch of guys!

 

[billwarwick]

It was a cracking day out , thanks Steve. So much better than selling houses.?

 

[steve_sordy]

Any pics from the other riders? Links to videos?

 

[ilsonmd12]

Had a great day. Nice to meet you all. I need to practice more. Still out of shape.


Steve’s tumble.

 

[118]

Thanks again Steve, thoroughly enjoyed the day again, and it was nice to see some new faces. Not that the 'missing' other ones were that bad..

Rob was the balletic rider whose stunning dismount, was missing by everyones cameras, however some things never leave you do they..

@ilsonmd12 - Your fitness will improve for sure. Good to see you riding today fella..

 

[JetSetDemo]

Had a blast today guys, great ridding and great company ??

 

[billwarwick]

How do I attach photos?

 

[steve_sordy]

Yikes! I had stricken that from my mind! That is the first time I have ridden the top bit, previously I had bottled it. Many thanks to Tunny for spotting a better line than I had been considering. It was still hard to get going as it was so steep. Even with the saddle right down I couldn't just sit on it and go. I had to rise up on the pedals and then sit, all in the fraction of a second before the bike went over the drop!
That fall caught me completely unawares, it all looked very straight forward; steep, but not technical. I was nearly home! I was told the the front wheel washed out and me with it. I ended up face down in a bramble-filled hole, head lower than my feet!
By the time I had turned over and around I was properly tangled up, hence all the thrashing of the shrubbery.
Thanks for capturing that @ilsonmd12