It was brilliant to see nine of us out on Boxing Day having escaped from tidying, washing up or the dread in-laws! We had a mix of club members, visitor riders and three BucksMTB staff members too. A special thanks has to go out to Guy who had traveled back from Luxembourg for Christmas and he had found our ride via Google and traveled from Farnham to join us for the day!
I, for my sins, was leading the route and had decided to modify and stick three of my favourite local Chiltern Loops together to create a fifteen or so mile long Chiltern classic route.
We started our ride from Coombe Hill Monument car park before heading down the hill towards Chequers to pick up some of my favourite singletrack up and down to get us through to Cadsden. The loop took us out from Cadsden towards Whiteleaf before heading into Giles's and Sergeants Woods looping round towards Loosely Row, Lacey Green and Speen. From Speen we picked up one of the Chiltern's finest rooty climbs back towards Great Hampden and to Hampden Hall to pick up the singletrack back towards Pulpit Woods and Cadsden. We headed back through Cadsden the way we had came taking in one of the best long descents in the Coombe Hill area back to Chequers before conquering the final climb of the day back up to Coombe Hill for a quick chat before heading off for each others respective family duties!
I have apologise to all the riders (and their other halves and the in-laws) for the route taking a little longer than planned, some severe bad areas of mud meant it was slow going in places, and an inevitable puncture slowed us down too.
A huge thank you has to go out to everyone who took time out during the Festive Season to join us for a great ride round the Chilterns. It was great to see so many people enjoy a ride even if feeling a bit worse for wear after Christmas dinner and drinks!
Our next ride is on New Years Day over at Oakley Park, Frilford Heath. If you cant make this ride do not despair we will having another XC Group Ride in January and at least one ride a month through the whole of 2012.
I hope you all have had a great Christmas and all the best for the New year.
Best Wishes
Scott
BucksMTB Club Chairman & Ride Leader
