Sherwood Pines/NCB off-piste Guided Ride Sun 30th Jul'23

[weiran]

Glad you got the crank back on Dave! First time I’ve seen a crank fall off on a ride!

Thanks for organising this @steve_sordy, I enjoyed exploring the off piste areas and was really good to meet everyone on the ride.

 

[steve_sordy]

In the end we became the Magnificent Seven!

There was me, @Davvee, @DaveDog, @weiran, @Sparkomatic +1 (James), and @johnc (myapes changed his username). Good bunch of blokes, we had some laughs.

The weather was dry and stayed dry. Despite the volume of rain this month, the trails were just damp and grippy. I can't speak for the red and blue trails as a whole because we only rode bits of them, but almost everywhere else was almost perfect.
Here are the Special Six early on:

sparkomatic, James, DaveDog, Weiran, johnC, Davvee (I'm hiding behind the camera).

At that point we were about to leave Pines and enter the National Coal Board area. Think of centuries old colliery waste with a layer of soil dumped over it and then pines trees planted and then left for a lonnng time. Later on, the 4x4 and the scrambler bikes made it their home for a while and still visit from time to time. Forest England (with permission from the NCB) use it to host the British Army, who believe it or not actually use mountain bikes. But on the last occasion was purely for recreational purposes.

The following shots are of a large and deep puddle that has never once dried out for many years, it is rumoured that there is a Land Rover in there somewhere!

The first one captures Weiran falling at the first hurdle. He didn't get wet or muddy, but DaveDog races to the rescue.

Back on his bike Weiran shows off. DaveDog wonders what he has just stepped in and johnC and Davvee await their turn.

That "puddle" is not only much longer than this photo implies, but wider and deeper too. Everybody took extra care not to fall in.

Much later, we left the NCB area and dropped down an embankment onto the old railway track bed before descending 20 feet into the Pines area.

Here is James (sparkomatic's +1) attacking the drop.

Followed by the rest of the Special Six.

johnC

sparkomatic

Weiran

Davvee

and finally, DaveDog

The last time I photographed DaveDog descending here, his broken collar bone (it'll be right!) gave way and he fell on me!.

Proof here.

And here is johnC rushing to the rescue!

I cannot end the reporrt without remarking upon Davvee's mechanical. Right at the end with only a few hundred yards to go, his right crank arm fell off! It looks like it got loose and then wore away the spines before falling off.

The Special Six resting beneath the GoApe feature.
(There was a woman changing her baby on that table behind, but fortunately, Weiran was just wide enough to hide the spectacle!

 

[Davvee]

Awesome pictures and write up.

 

[Sparkomatic]

Ride: 10/10, highly recommended.
Doing it with a sprained ankle: 0/10, not recommended!

Thanks for organising/leading @steve_sordy

It was great to meet you all. Looking forward to the next one!

 

[steve_sordy]

Ride: 10/10, highly recommended.
Doing it with a sprained ankle: 0/10, not recommended!
...................

Thanks for the praise, but a sprained ankle! Wow! You must have a high pain threshold.
I didn't see any signs of you limping or wincing. If anybody else did then they didn't say anything to me either.

 

[Sparkomatic]

Thanks for the praise, but a sprained ankle! Wow! You must have a high pain threshold.
I didn't see any signs of you limping or wincing. If anybody else did then they didn't say anything to me either.

Was not too bad for the ride but a lil sore later on. It be 'reet

 

[Sparkomatic]

Went for a red-route run not on the eeb around 'Pines yesterday, there's a "new" optional loop that I'm pretty sure was part of the off-piste bit we did! Guess it was straightforward enough to make it official lol. Wish I'd fully recorded the ride so I could confirm

 

[Davvee]

Yup, I did a lap the other day as well and the new bits are a welcome addition apart from the last bit which even on the ebike is a pedal. Some of the new berms are a nice addition as well.

 

[kefconstruction]

Need to get up there and have a look

 

[steve_sordy]

@Sparkomatic @Davvee @kefconstruction
There are two new optional loops on the red that used to be "off-piste" and mine!

The first one is short, maybe one third of a mile and runs parallel to the blue in the opposite direction. The latest one is much longer and adds about 1.5 miles (not measured) and the finish brings you back to the same point you left. It adds a new access of several hundred yards, but the rest is all the "off-piste" that you would have ridden if you had been on one of my guided rides.

I was out there last Friday and the red is now nearly 11 miles long. After having sections stolen and donated to the blue trail it had become quite short. There was a temporary diversion about half a mile in that loses about a quarter-mile at the most.

Forest England at Pines have had a new guy working for them for several months and he is responsible for all the new berms that have popped up all over the place. They have added some interest to the trails.

Despite all the rain we've had over the past few months, the red and blue trails are standing up well, with very few unavoidable puddles and no troublesome mud. Some trips out, I haven't had to wash the bike!

I haven't been across the old railbed onto the NCB land since early November, as it was getting really boggy over there. Once it dries out a bit, I will plan another guided ride if there is demand for it.

 

[Davvee]

Yup I’m always up for a steve ride @steve_sordy

 

[Sparkomatic]

@Sparkomatic @Davvee @kefconstruction
There are two new optional loops on the red that used to be "off-piste" and mine!

The first one is short, maybe one third of a mile and runs parallel to the blue in the opposite direction. The latest one is much longer and adds about 1.5 miles (not measured) and the finish brings you back to the same point you left. It adds a new access of several hundred yards, but the rest is all the "off-piste" that you would have ridden if you had been on one of my guided rides.

I was out there last Friday and the red is now nearly 11 miles long. After having sections stolen and donated to the blue trail it had become quite short. There was a temporary diversion about half a mile in that loses about a quarter-mile at the most.

Forest England at Pines have had a new guy working for them for several months and he is responsible for all the new berms that have popped up all over the place. They have added some interest to the trails.

Despite all the rain we've had over the past few months, the red and blue trails are standing up well, with very few unavoidable puddles and no troublesome mud. Some trips out, I haven't had to wash the bike!

I haven't been across the old railbed onto the NCB land since early November, as it was getting really boggy over there. Once it dries out a bit, I will plan another guided ride if there is demand for it.

I'd definitely be up for another one! I'm currently persuading a friend who's undecided on an ebike to get one and I'm sure he'd be up for it too. I ride with him regularly at Pines on analogue bikes

 

[kefconstruction]

I'd be up for that

 

[steve_sordy]

Great stuff!
I'll make a note.