Forest of Dean - Sun 19/7

Ok - Windsurfing it isn't. This is the mountain bikers splinter group for when the wind don't blow!

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MartinF
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Joined: Sun Aug 01, 2004 10:06
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Forest of Dean - Sun 19/7

Post by MartinF »

So what on earth was I doing on my bike when it was a windsurfing day? TBH, I'd prefer not to go there. Needless to say, I managed to get out of the house about 3pm, getting to the FoD about 4pm.

The bad news: it pissed it down in no short measure. What wasn't muddy was just hard-packed and slippery.

The worse news: On the former Enduro / XC trail, there's now nothing left of what used to be the first 2 downhill sections of singletrack. The foresters have taken out all the pines and left the areas strewn with impassable debris, leaving only fireroad alternatives.

I'm pleased to say that the section that Nigel & I cleared last time - the bit that climbs steeply through the trees, then pops out onto the fireroad - seems to have been keep clear.

A short stretch later - practically at the most northerly part of the trail by the bombhole - some kids were just putting the finishing touches to a gap jump slap in the middle of the xc trail.

At another point, when you climb steeply up off the road on a bit of singletrack, other kids have built a jump in the opposite direction using a couple of logs right across the path, and leaving no way round. Probably would be fun to do it the other way round!

The singletrack section Ian, Neroli, Nigel & I tried to clear - and gave up - is still completely impassable.

All that's left is incredibly bland forest track, some singletrack climbs, and a few bland doubletrack flat bits trhough the trees. :'-(

Woe, woe & thrice woe.

The downhill bit was very interesting in the slimy conditions, mind!
It's an ill wind that never blows at all.
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