July 7th 2011 marked my first ride with Brightonmtb. I must admit I was pretty nervous, and rightfully so, as when I arrived I was by far the youngest attendee. After a few brief introductions and a casual ‘you’ll pick up names on the way’ from Ronnie, we were off and riding.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect with regards to the riding style. I’m used to flowing singletrack and wide bridleways, uphill and down. But this was something quite different.

I would describe it as ‘Technical Singletrack’ as that was pretty much what it was. We worked our way up the hill whilst often looping back on ourselves down various manmade, but not obvious, trails, all of which had their fair share of drops, jumps, logs, corners, and close knit branches you’re sure to clip your bars on constantly. This made it incredibly fun.

The pace we rode it, well, we weren’t hanging about, and I was pushing pretty hard. Riding by myself I wouldn’t have done half the stuff I rode that night, just due to having lots of people behind me I didn’t want to upset by stopping. That said, when you nail something really tricky, it makes you feel pretty good, so I was fairly pleased by the whole affair.

I fell off just twice, which I was fairly pleased with, and, like an idiot, had thought earlier in the day that I probably wouldn’t need knee pads, it won’t be too intense. Well that was regretted the second I fell off onto both my knees!

But falling off just makes it more enjoyable, like you’re putting the effort in to achieve. Mind, lifting a hand off the bars to avoid getting stung by nettles (despite full arm and hand clothing coverage) is a bad idea, and will result in the bike falling off you.

Not been much of a story to these few paragraphs but I just have to get across that until you ride with people that are better than you, you will never get better, as when you ride by yourself there is limited motivation to push yourself, for obvious reasons. With others there it’s hard not to push yourself! Which will always result in improved skills.

On the whole I had a great evening ride and will be sure to return for another helping.

Will

So, for the second Thursday in a row I would be spending the evening with a bunch of guys in muddy woodland, last week 180,000 at Glastonbury, this week 20 at the weekly BrightonMTB meet.

The night began as usual in the car park at Sussex uni, greeting a few new faces and comparing new kit. Time to choose a ride leader, and after a little persuasion Rob was volunteered… I think he realised he wouldn’t have to ride UP as much singletrack if he was leading the group! This was the first night ever I had forgotten my pack, so I was half expecting to get a puncture before even leading the carpark.

Off into Stanmer park we rode, up the usual firetrails until we reached the first group of trails at the top. We warmed up with a couple of old favourites, before riding a trail with some nicely built features, first a nice log pile followed by some nicely shaped doubles and berms. The route out of here was a little narrow and more than one person suffered a “bike, tree interface”.

Next up, my “favourite”, tank traps, a rooty off camber section of trail. Ronnie as ever was doing his best to show the “easy” way in, but few seemed to believe him and took the better trodden path. Ronnie had helped me out a couple of weeks ago with choosing a line through here and it helped a lot tonight, resulting in riding it with much more flow.

To infinity and beyond, or just to Buzz Lightyear trail, with a couple of new features to roll over. As flowy as ever this was a great trail.

We now headed to the other side of the park via a nice fast section of downhill fireroad. Nerves were tested to see who would brake first, a couple of walkers making interesting trail features. A choice of routes uphill followed either the singletrack or the easy fireroad. Sadly I have to report that I was slower on the fireroad than the guys riding up the rooty singletrack. Next time hey…

The next trail led us to the “Sting in the tail” feature. This has been built up over a large fallen tree and after a few tales of somersaults over it, about half the guys hit the feature nicely including it’s shaper. Queue much goading of Ronnie who didn’t fancy it tonight. I didn’t either of course, but have since sneaked back on my own and conquered it, and indeed it is now nice and smooth.

“Lights are gay…”, Ali was chastised by the northern contingent for having the cheek to turn on his lights before 9pm. I mean, why would he, we could see at least 5m in front of ourselves by that point!? Ali wasn’t “so gay” though when he brought out the traditional sours sweets a couple of trails later…

A couple more trails, losing and regaining Ronnie in the process, led us down to the bottom of the Park and back to the cars. After putting the bike in the car I saw Ronnie approaching me, hopefully to complement me on a great ride… “Have you ever written a ride report Chris?!”.

I recently discovered mountain biking a few weeks ago after me and my friend decided to randomly meet in the middle of nowhere in the country just for fun. After that I started to look into mtb, that’s how I found the Brighton MTB page on the internet.

I enquired and received a very friendly response from Ronnie, who would kindly explain to me how to overcome the obstacles and would wait for me, he told me to “look for the orange bike” and so I did. I investigated a bit more about bikes and changed my old bike for a new one on a Thursday, the very same day I headed to the night ride straight from the shop, somehow the group found that quite funny.

I am reasonably fit, I go to the gym regularly and ride a couple of times a week mainly off road, I had even cycled 50 Km two weeks ago so I though it would be fairly easy, just a bunch of guys leisure riding in the downs maybe… I was wrong, and I was not fit!

The trails and the obstacles we went over in the forest were just amazing, the terrain, the obstacles, every little detail was the product of years of dedication of a man with a passion for mountain biking. Despite of being left behind most of the time and falling off my bike twice, I had a whale of a time, I just can’t stop thinking about it, I just want to go back.

I would highly recommend anyone to join any ride but be careful, it’s highly addictive!

Best, 

Alberto

An ennead of riders took to the trails on the last night ride of the year with everyone hoping for a fast, dry ride. I had arrived early and already ridden some of the trails and found the climb a slog and some of the trails saturated. Hopes for dry trails were about to be dashed immediately on the first climb.

It was a slow, muddy climb even on the fireroad so perhaps the suggestion of climbing up the singletrack should have been accepted. The dew pond still looked frozen in the dark as we passed but the ground was squelching from the thaw. It seemed as if we had the place to ourselves probably because we had the place to ourselves. Apart from some hoofprints from a lone horse the place looked unused for days.

Only managed two of the jumps in the air and nearly stopped twice, pedalling and squirming in the mud. Luckily I managed to block everyone behind me. As my handle bar light had fell into the usual emotional huff at being turned on I was relying on my helmet light and a half used battery and beginning to struggle to see anything of the trail ahead. After two attempts we found the Witches Table and nobody had pulled a log this week so it was rideable but slippy. I got lost at this point as my 3000 candlepower helmet light had dimmed to about one. I followed the tail of the group through another trail “riding within the limit of my lights” as we used to say. This no longer applies if Jimbo is behind you as he utilises the output of a small lighthouse to cheat and ride in the daylight instead.

At the end I changed the battery and everyone else fumbled behind Neil. Quality Street. On the outside pocket of his packback.

Another trail that challenged all our tyres – there must be something that copes with mud and roots….

Climbing, climbing, climbing. Lumps and bumps.

“lets ride around this very dry trail!” Really muddy – as it had been almost ploughed by car wheels. Back into the dry of the tree cover. Not dry.

Slip, slide, catch, hope etc. but still fun. We had got spead out a little so re-grouped and agreed to head ever downwards. We had some turns about leading the group and everyone who went to the front seemed to find an extra gear to hustle throught the twists and turns. On one trail I pedalled the whole thing, even the corners, never braked and barely held on. We were going downhill the whole way as well.

For my New Year resolution, I will definately ride more often, and get fitter, and lose weight and…

A short loop around the ridgeline and a final trio to the bottom with an alternative finish to the usual. This strung us out a bit so as we reached the bottom the first rider turned for home. The remainder of us trundled back to the cars trying to spin the mud from our wheels. Unsuccessfully.

I had clipped an inexpensive camera  to my shoulder strap as a trial. From the pictures either a really big flash or a different camera may be required for night riding but anyway preserved for posterity my last ride of the year.

So at the end of the year thanks to everyone who guided, organised, rode lead, rode tail, marshalled, built, repaired, took photos or videos, wrote a ride report, reviewed a bike or helped in any way.

And to everyone who rode with us, thanks for coming along.

Bliadhna Mhath Ur

Two reports from two different Thursday  night rides

Turning up in the car park to a varied mix of riders I was a touch disappointed not to see any bouffant hair and talking cars, surely anyone born in the 70’s expects this for a (k)night ride(r)….

A bunch of 14 headed off in to the woods with lights blazing for some nice swoopy singletrack before cutting through the uni and into some more twisty sections of ups and downs.

I know some of the trails in this area reasonably well but following through what seemed to be an endless mixture of fast, swoopy, technical, dry, rooty, jumpy and large obstacle laden trails I was completely disorientated and absolutely loving the added excitement of the torch lit trails.

Towards the end of the ride I got some much appreciated tuition from Ronnie, who having built many of the trails was able to introduce me to a new more flowing style of riding, trying whole sections without pedalling and minimal braking with only one or 2 minor tumbles! I was well pleased to get over the big ladder first time, plunging in to a dark shadow from 4ft up was so much fun, if a little scary!

I’ll certainly be back, what a great way to spend a dark winter evening!
Ben

Turning up in the carpark to nobody. The cars had a heavy covering of snow and were going nowhere. Everybody must be riding in. I cannot be the only one to want to ride in the snow. I was early, that must be it.

I had cold toes the previous week so I felt the snow justified changing to winter boots and pulled out my Lakes, long socks, long trousers (Gore Windstoppers), lots of layers and fleece gloves. I though a short warm up was called for so attempted to ride off the tarmac onto the grass. Nearly managed it just need more commitment. More speed carried me off the snowploughed black stuff into the white stuff and promptly submerged. I could see my feet but only at the top of the pedal stroke; it seemed deep. I warmed up around the car park instead.

Neil arrived fresh from his snow exploits of the previous evening with the confidence of a semi pro. We waited a little but no cars or riders appeared so we headed off. Neil noticed the extra depth of snow within about a foot, as it was an extra foot and implied it might be a little more difficult than he had suggested. I could hardly pedal. Neil attempted to ride up a slope. Neil decided to ride the familiar path instead.

I had left on the Trailrakers so I could gain traction deep down but if I hit something lumpy I veered off course and despite my many fruitless attempts it was impossible to avoid careering around in wide circles. I tried following Neil’s tracks but that only partially worked. We attempted to race to the top of the trails and imitating the tortoise rather than the hare we made it in less than an hour with less than fifty stops. I had already started eating an energy bar as the it seemed like endless toiling.

We made a fist at riding some of the familiar trails and managed two. Just two. Well I managed two.   I tried one obstacle despite my riding partners incredulity. I did not manage the top but walked over the rest to leave the impression that it was possible to ride it. Smugly he rode off in front and then promptly went off piste. I think he rode some and snow-waded the rest. So he only gets almost two. We did ride one trail where riding second allows your riding buddy to clear the snow off the laden branches for you.

We fought our way back down the fire road with no lights just for fun but the reflected light was enough to see clearly.

Almost two hours of effort but  I had great company for a great ride and everyone else missed it.

Ronnie

Actually it’s not so much a day, more that it was day. Sunday was the second time I had been out with the Brighton MTB group. I had ventured out on a Thursday evening with one inadequate mounted light and an illusive head torch (still illusive!!). It was a great evening and having never been out with them before, a baptism of fire. I am not hugely experienced at these non-purpose built single tracks so in heavy mud with exposed tree roots all over I slipped and slid my way around. Guided by the lights of others I eventually arrived back at the car park in one piece.

Not deterred I went out on the Sunday for Smiles not Miles. A small group of six headed out; my fear is always the pace and being a bit of a sandbag. No problems there, I sort of kept up for most of it and in only a few short days the ground had really dried out. After some varied single track that, in the daylight, was manageable, we headed across the A27 to another wooded area. Wild Park (if that’s the name) was not so much wild but there were a number of ramps and jumps whose construction left a bit to be desired and were clearly not for the faint hearted. In fact some, the group decided were best left well alone.

The trails were varied and quite quick in places, and with tight turns, logs and the ever present tree roots there were a couple of tumbles, myself included. The benefit of the morning appeared to be that it would cater for varying ability with bits for those who liked a challenge and no obligation for those who didn’t. I was able to try most things but I am fairly up for giving it a go.

Some of the tracks took a little more skill than I possess but all in all it was a good morning out covering a few miles and learning a fair bit along the way. The guys were very patient and tolerant and made me feel welcome. I would definitely recommend a ride with BrightonMTB.

Ali