If you ain't gettin' world exclusive reviews
this month you ain't nuthin...
1st September 2003 I'm back after two weeks much needed holiday in France. Isn't it funny how after that time off the bike you notice how many niggly little injuries you had before you left. That nagging pain in my thigh is no longer there and my left knee no longer has a semi-permanent ache.
Taking a break in France However, getting back on the bike to travel into work today made me realise how unfit I had become and how I haven't stopped feeling cold since I got back across the channel. I just about made it the 14 miles into work. My stamina and strength seem to have evaporated and I keep on blaming the bike for not going as fast as it did before I left. ****Hot off the press**** We have just received the first photo of the dialled bikes Morning Glory prototype frame from Mike. The frame so named because the top tube is a little longer than the Kobe_ti. Manufactured in 3AL/2.5V Ti, the frame is a 'Large' and will shortly be available for testing for all those people who found the Kobe_ti a little too small.
All your dreams are made, when you're chained to the mirror and the razor blade...(click to enlarge) 3rd September 2003. Back to work and back into cycling in a big way. 90 miles this week already (Monday to Wednesday) and then out on Wednesday evening with Paul and David for a quick spin around Reigate Hill before it gets dark.
**********World Exclusive****************** It's only been in the country 5 days but we have obtained a world exclusive test ride on the new dialled bikes Morning Glory frame.
Morning Glory - the so called Axles of Evil **********World Exclusive****************** 7th September 2003 Mike, Mark and Richard - Singletrackworld North_Downs Ride. Mike has arranged a ride with some of the regulars on the Singletrackworld forum and Mark and I have tagged along. Principally, I am going to test ride the dialled bikes Morning glory frame that has arrived unexpectedly from Taiwan this week. This is the long awaited Ti XC frame to compliment the Kobe Ti 'chuckable but huckable' frame we tested recently. We meet up with London Scot, Hora, Bubba, Sooty and Jim, IR_Baboon, Mowerman and Gav and a host of others at Westcott Green opposite Nirvana Cycles. After a good bit of faffing we head off to the hills. A quick bit of bridleway work before we get to the vicious climb up the North_Downs escarpment and on to the real stuff that is hidden all over this area.
Blood sweat n gears
London Scot and some Surrey sweat
Bubba on an old Orange hardtail
We never did find out what he had in that rucksack It's not long before we are log-hopping towards Abba Zabba, Blind Terror, Blind Terror 2 and Numbskull. These are a series of extremely steep roll-in's / drop-off's contained within a fairly small area, each one comparable to Deliverance near Coldharbour.
Sooty & Jim Goin' down on dale They all require a peek over the edge and a degree of mental toughness before going 'over the top' - but don't wait too long or you will scare yourself, particularly if you saw Mike go haring down on Kobe before disappearing in a cloud of dust and twigs...
London Scot takes his Cove Handjob for a jaunt down Blind Terror I was unsure about doing these on a hardtail as you know how I love my full-susser to iron out those poor lines I choose but I felt it my duty as a test-pilot to do all the gnarly stuff. I got my arse over the back of the seat and managed to clean everything. It was nice to ride stuff where others were taking the 'chicken-run'.
Hora currently rides an Ellsworth Id. We finally get photographic evidence of him on Blind Terror The frame was getting some admiring glances from our fellow riders and they all liked the polished finish that this particular frame has. A bit of bike-swapping convinced them of the rideability of these potential mistresses and I think they found these ladies rather attractive. The singletrack carries on now for miles and all begins to blur into one before we reach Holmbury Youth hostel and realise that we have to make tracks for home. There's still time to go along Friday Street and down the Greensand Way before exiting onto the A25 and roading it back to Westcott. So how did it ride? I will post a full review later on this week but I can say that the Morning Glory frame rode really well. It's an all day xc/trail frame, made of Ti, that can take a long travel fork. A large frame, it fitted me (6ft 2") perfectly. The ti gave it's expected smooth ride and handled everything that was thrown at it - the twisty, gnarly stuff, the drop-off's, the fast flowing descents. They were all eaten up without a backwards glance. The forks on the Morning Glory were set to a full 5-inches of travel all day (check out the marks on the stanchions) the lockout was never used, and it climbed really well. If I am in the market for a hardtail this would rank high on my list.
Mike begs for mercy - it looks like Kobe Ti has given him the ride of his life 14th September 2003 A great weekend's cycling for Diary of a Mountain Biker. David and Paul rode off-road to Brighton on Saturday whilst Mike took a posse of 12 bikers plus 4 dialled bikes models to Afan and Cwmcarn for the weekend. Meanwhile, Mark and I took a spin around the North_Downs on Sunday morning. Starting from Westcott we head up towards Summer Lightning then pay a quick visit to Cliff_Richard (the evil descent down the side of Leith Hill, not the wrinkly rocker) before heading towards the tower. I say a quick visit because we didn't actually have the balls to try it (a bit like Cliff) - just scrambled down on foot to view the spot where 'sexpest' from the stw forum broke his arm, thought hmmm....yes, very challenging and then carried on along the bridleway. Over the top of Leith Hill and down the other side before heading over to the quarry. A brief stop to watch a couple of guys chicken out of attempting some of the jumps before heading back up the hill. We head off behind the tower where Mark shows me a great bit of singletrack. Fast and flowing, this goes on for ever as we descend towards a bridleway exiting near Broadmoor. Back up and onto the Greensand Way before heading back down the steps and onto the A25 then back to Westcott. Another great morning out with yet more singletrack being explored - who needs Afan?
The water chute
Some of the singletrack hidden around the edges of Leith Hill 21st September 2003 - North_Downs Loop The summer just goes on and on and on... so let's get out there and ride some more. Mike has arranged a 'little ride' with some workmates so imagine my surprise when the final count shows us in a group of fifteen riders including at least half a dozen North Downs virgins and Rupert who has turned up on spec for an extended test ride on dialled bikes Morning Glory. It's also the first time I have seen Paul out on his new Ellsworth Isis frame - another singlespeed perv converted to the joys of full-suss. There's only one thing for it - show them some of the best goddam singletrack in the country. We head off up Regurgitator and from then on it's a familar litany of well-known trail names finishing off with Deliverance to leave those of us brave enough to try it grinning from ear to ear as we arrive back at the cars.
'Roadie' John tries Summer Lightning
Dinos half way along Summer_Lightning
Matt looks worn out and we've only just started
Dave gets some phat air
annoying kid
Huey on one of the log roll-overs just off the top of Leith Hill
Sue realises why it's soooo important to moisturise last thing at night
Mark at the foot of Barry's A special big up to Matt and Susannah. This was only their second time off-road and we were doing some serious stuff. You don't wanna bottle it on 'Barry Knows Best'. Okay, so they pushed some bits but they were off road, on their bikes and managed to survive the whole day - 'nuff respec'
Oi you! get off them logs (in an annoyed Forest Ranger stylie)
Dave gets 'rolled over' by the logs But that's not all, there's plenty more singletrack just waiting for you. We didn't even touch on the 'other'_Redlands that starts just across the road we were parked on and includes plenty more challenges for you. So what are you waiting for, it's forecast rain this week but the weekend looks just as promising as the rest of the year. Contact me to arrange a ride and I'll show you some of the other stuff too. All our rides are published in advance on our forum.
Barry Knows Best - let's hope he can remember your name 'cos I can't
L to R Unknown, Rupert, Dinos, Mike, Dave, Huey, Sue, John, Jeremy, Hume, Paul 28th September 2003 Richard, Keef, Jez, Richard 2, John, Mark - North_Downs There's a definite change in the weather this week with a chill feeling in the air as we meet at 9-30 on Westcott Green. However, a punishing climb up past the church and onto the forest trail (You Must Have a Permit to Ride) soon has us sweating. Mark is leading, knowing this area like the back of his hand and is riding faster than a thing that rides really fast (enough already of the crap analogies). Upwards
still through the deeply rutted bridleway and onto the wide open fire road that
has a feeling of Afan Argoed about it (must be all those tall conifers in the
distance). I'm struggling to get going this morning and take a chance to catch
my breath as we turn left onto Wolverns Lane and clamber across the locked gate
(hmm... is Mark sure this is okay?). Regurgitator, Summer Lightning and then up to Leith Hill as I manage to clean the testing climb up the east side of the tower. The cold air is rapidly cooling all the sweat I have been generating making me feel chill as we take a tea break at the tower. Then it's off down the other side to play on the small drop-off area with me managing to get some air off the small jump there although no-one manages to capture it on the camera despite repeated attempts. My confidence is back up now and I feel great as we head off down to 'the quarry'.
Keef and Fern Britain
Unknown geezer goes for a double
Mark goes by in a blur (well actually, he was behind a Santa Cruz Blur, ridden by Richard 2)
Jez on the long descent to Broadmoor This is where they take some of those great mid-air shots for MBR and MBUK but we merely pause here, gawping at some of the awesome drop-offs, particularly the one that must be about 20 feet high and needs a four foot ramp at the base to land on. We take the trail to the left of the quarry where Richard 2 manages to put a nasty ding into his rear wheel before a brisk climb back up to the hill and then the long, long singletrack descent from the tower down to Broadmoor. This is a new piece of singletrack that Mark has only just shown us all. Not particularly technical, it's a long, fast ride which has it's share of roots and a few options to get some air.
|
December
2011
| |||||||
all
photos and content copyright of Richard Sear 1999 to 2012 | ||||||||
