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Addiscombe MTB Epic May 2001
Addiscombe had 13 riders out on the North
Downs Way to celebrate the opening of the bridleways following the foot
and mouth closures that affected much of 2001. Below is a transcript of
our post ride discussion as it appeared on BikeMagic.
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things cycling and we wholeheartedly encourage you to take a vist and have
a look around.
Let the idle chit chat begin:
Jason Thomas Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 10:23:54 AM
Where did everyone get out to over the weekend then? The Addiscombe did
the biggest offroad ride in years and at one point had twelve people out.
Stats and other info from the ride include:
- The route - we left East Croydon at 10:30
and rode through to Purley, up Happy Valley and on to Farthing downs, down
mental DH under the M23 and up Reigate Hill. From here, along the NDW and
up to Boxhill. Down Juniper Hill to Ryka's caff in Westhumble. Up Ranmore,
over into Westcott and followed Coldharbor Lane over to Leith Hill. Up top
the tower, followed trail down to the South and over to Holmbury where a
few of us did the Widowmaker, walked back up (a bloody hard carry!!), over
to car park and followed singletrack into Peaslake. Along to Shere, picked
up the A25 and back into Dorking where a number got the train back, the
others carrying on. Up Box Hill main bridleway then followed roads back
through Kingswood and Coulsdon and then back to Croydon, arriving at 9pm.
Total distance was 68 miles, ten and a half hours after setting off and
six in the saddle.
- Slow Joe had six punctures which required
mending and one slow puncture which required occasional pumping up. He
also crashed three times; once on Reigate Hill where he left a gash in his
knee that looked like a mouth, once over the bars in the funniest accident
I've seen in ages and once where his front wheel sank into a mud hole
pitching him off. Joe also managed to get him and another bloke (on his
first time out with the club) lost - thank god for mobile phones.
- Martin (now christened Mr Rigid) had a
puncture in his front wheel which somehow took him 20 minutes to fix, and
that was replacing the tube.
- A lad joined us at Rykas Caff on an
oldish bike with no helmet. He told us that he didn't wear one because
he'd had a crash with one on once and it made it worse, so he now thinks
they're a hazard. We christened him Cuckoo. Poor old Cuckoo hadn't been on
a bike in about a year and had a real job keeping up, so turned back at
the climb which leads up to Leith Hill cricket pitch.
- Marco did at least thirty-five miles with
a bike that couldn't be pedaled with any force - he'd replaced the chain
but not the cassette, making it jump more than a flea on a hot plate. He
cut off at Rykas (Westhumble) and rode back down Stane Street and Epsom
Downs with two of the lads, and still managed to get back to Croydon in an
hour.
- Pete Adams, Joe and Mr Rigid managing to
keep up with four roadies on the Kingswood - Coulsdon road for about three
miles before they pulled off into a garage. By this time, we'd been out
for ten hours and the roadies had been out for two. Apparently, they were
non too chuffed and only two of them managed to break away.
- Rob Price ringing his wife from Leith
Hill tower and telling her that he'd be back in Dulwich in an hour and a
half, even though we still had to go to Holmbury and get back. For the
record, it was about three and a quarter hours before he saw her!!
- Pete Adams attempting to ride a bench,
hit his back wheel on the edge and fell with one leg clipped in and the
other over the back side of the bench, with quite an audience. Cheers
Pete, I'm still grinning now!
All in all, the best ride I've done in
ages. How did yours compare?
Andy Whitworth Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 10:59:07 AM
Do you guys sell spectator tickets for these rides ?
Adam Stephens Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 13:12:07 PM
looks like I chose the right day to 'have a rest' then!!! it's also good
to see somebody else get the punctures for a change. should be out with
you next sunday though
marco framboli Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 13:17:28 PM
Adam,
I think next sunday is gorrick so Im not sure whats going on.
regards
marco
Adam Stephens Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 13:29:13 PM
we'll see nearer the time I guess. It will give me a chance to save for
some new inner tubes
Kevin Hargreaves Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 13:34:02 PM
BOB MTB had a good ride Sunday, 35 miles all off road, local forestry and
army land, but I can't be ar*ed to write a huge report like Jasons, tee
hee.
Jason Thomas Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 14:05:49 PM
It is a bit long I'll admit, but could have been longer if I'd included
Joe's chain snapping, Cuckoo's crazy ramblings, tales of the Widowmaker,
Mr Rigid's 3 course snack, the bloke with his helmet on back-to-front,
naughty Mr Badge at Ryka's caff and a host of other shennanigans!
Andy Whitworth Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 14:26:52 PM
It just gets better, have you sold the film rights yet ?
Kevin Hargreaves Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 15:17:35 PM
Somebody had there lid on back to front, that is hilarious, I hope you
told him.
Grahame Baker Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 15:19:01 PM
Did they have a "roc-loc" type device on their helmet?
Will Fear Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 15:23:42 PM
I'd forgotten about the bloke with his helmet on back to front. Never seen
anything like it!
You could also have mentioned Joe trying to
ride over the fallen tree that was almost as high as his waist (yes -
another spill) or his genuine offer to hand over his rear brake pads
'because he didn't need them' or Marco's magnificent mullett, etc. The
list goes on...
Jason Thomas Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 15:26:02 PM
Unfortunately he didn't have a roc-loc, but he did look hilarious as the
helmet was tear-shaped and the point was acting as a bizarre 'peak'. Marco
did tell him, but only after we'd all had a good laugh.
Will Fear Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 15:26:49 PM
No they didn't have a roc-loc but it was hilarious. And yes we did tell
him.
As a mark of respect a few of us tried our
helmets on back to front, but had to switch them back, as we figured that
the fact we couldn't see anything was a possible hazard.
Jason Thomas Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 15:32:33 PM
How could I have omitted Marco's mullet.
Kevin, you will be able to spot us easily at Gorrick on Sunday, as for
some bizarre drunken reason, Pete and myself have now agreed to race under
team name Addiscombe Mullet and both plan to purchase stick-on ones for
the race. Marco is convinced that it'll be the next MTB fashion.
I'd also forgotten about Joe's willingness to hand over his brake pads for
spares.
A quick Cuckoo story for you - he wants to
buy a Specialized Rockhopper as he thinks they're great bikes, but he says
that he'd best not as he's got a cycling top with Scott written on it.
CUCKOO.
Jason Thomas Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 15:52:05 PM
Some more Cuckoo tales:
<looks around at everyone elses bike and goes> "Tee hee hee,
I've got the oldest headset"
<looks at my disk brakes and goes> "disk brakes eh?" I
expect some question along the lines of price, function, etc, but get
"how much are the pads?" and then silence. Just after this, he
started slapping his upper leg whilst riding along for no apparent reason.
CUCKOO.
marco framboli Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 15:56:41 PM
I almost forgot about my mullet.
Its kind of like its a part of me now hence I was taking it for granted.
Being a slaphead its nice to have hair again, even if it is someone elses.
When we realised that Maria's brakes had
worn down to the metal we should have been surprised that a fellow rider
would offer his own brake blocks to someone else, leaving himself
rear-brakeless in the process. Thing is as Joe pointed out he often goes
out riding with the back brake disconnected when his 27spoke (32 minus 5)
wheel gets really buckled.
How many other riders here would have the
decency to offer their brakes to someone else at the start of a ride that
had another 70 miles to go and also take in a descent of the widowmaker?
We are fortunate to have the likes of Joe
out riding with us methinks.
regards
marco
Perhaps we can get him to grow a mullet?
Jason Thomas Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 16:11:51 PM
His hair's long enough for a mini-mullet as it is! I'll bring my clippers
down the clubhouse on Wednesday.
Grahame Baker Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 17:03:10 PM
'Cos I'm going to be in London, I was thinking about guestiing on your
ride next week, only to find that you are going racin'. Where is the race?
Is there a normal ride on? Would I be welcome?
Kevin Hargreaves Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 17:14:26 PM
Oh yes, you lot sound a right laugh, I am going to join you one Sunday,
not this week as its race time again, the week after we have Epping forest
MTB club coming down to ride with B.O.B. maybe the weekafter, where and
what time do you meet again, are mullets optional?
James Foreman Email member
Posted: 21/05/01 17:34:19 PM
Who's hair was it, Marco? I was going to get my head shaved this week, so
I'd stop getting mistaken for a bird, but if the mullet is going to be the
next big thing, I'll just tell the barber to spike it on top and shave the
sides off.
Check out Martin's agreeable mtb
epic for more information
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