Aftermath of "A Weekend of GS Trail Riding 9th & 10th June 2007"

[Clive]

We did one more byway after that, but the heat, the ruts and the hangovers had taken their toll so we didn't even get close to Basingstoke

Maybe next time, eh

Thanks to all who made it out on Saturday and Sunday - a great weekend's trail riding














P.S. NWS Link to GrumpyC*nt - you had to be there

 

[The White Rabbit]

Clive, many thanks for a superb days riding on the saturday. Hope to see you lot again on a similar trip soon. Pumpy has LOTS of pics

 

[Berin]

Clive, once again thanks for putting it all together

Great weekend.

 

[VAL. H.]

Thanks Clive and every one. Jill and I had a great time, a good confidence builder too.

See you all again soon Val.

Thats three times the bugger's been down now. Well at least there weren't any rivers around this time

 

[Nin]

Thanks Clive for a great day out and masterful run leading. But I had eaten enough dust by the afternoon.

For those interested I can post a Garmin track file for the day. If I can be arsed I might even turn it into a route ... I will of course edit out my little , ahem, detour.

Nin

 

[GPS]

Thanks Clive had a Great time with some excellent trails, good to see some new faces and to see some familiar ones also.
Dr Rich thanks for the escort to Stow couldn't have timed that meet any better if we'd tried.
Pumpy thanks for the Arnica (marvelous stuff no bruising on eye or knee will give it back next w/e). Forgot to ask if it's ok to drink with them but I guess it must be as I'm still alive.

 

[Pumpy]

Clive, many thanks for a superb days riding on the saturday. Hope to see you lot again on a similar trip soon. Pumpy has LOTS of pics

... but I have to upload them onto smugmug first...

There was little time this weekend - we only managed to get rid of our visitors late afternoon today, then Proff came round to buy a bike from Possu and after dinner we had to drag ourselves to the pub to meet that Spanish expat Clive slept with in Garmisch once...

Thanks very much for organising the whole event, Clive, and everybody else for your company and help with picking my bike up...

Back tomorrow with loads of pics!

 

[Aidan1150]

A fun weekend by the sounds of it. Good report Clive.

 

[Desert Rat]

Great weekend, except for the rain!!!

Here’s a link to the pictures I took.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66685468@N00/sets/72157600338019986/

 

[Popeye]

I'd loaded the bike up on Friday, so at 7.45 on Saturday I rolled it out on to the driveway. Far too much luggage as normal

I went to thumb the I-pod, when I remembered I don't own an I-pod so made do with humming the theme tune from Thunderbirds while I waited for Desert Rat to arrive.

At Stow we popped into Tesco to stock up on sandwiches, fruit and doughnuts - you can't beat a balanced diet.

We arrived at the BP garage in Stow around 9.40, I was struggling to remember how the third verse of "Lonely This Christmas" by Mud went when I switched off the humming....

I hope he gets to read it Clive - very funny !!

 

[c1rencester]

Thanks Clive for a great day, was nice meeting you all hopefully will do it all again.
Cheers Gordon.

 

[Pumpy]

Ok, here we go...

As always when Clive is involved in any events, I was late for departure on Saturday - no idea how and why this happens, I am normally a prime example of German punctuality...

However, in Stow-on-the-Wold I picked up another latecomer (so there was some benefit in the delay... ) and together we rushed to Kineton fords where the others were kindly waiting for us... (l2r: c1rencester, Dr Rich, REM, Desert Rat & Jarv)

Nin & GPS

And GPS had a flat tyre again! Déjàvu? Strata Florida?

Playchild Jarv...

Traffic Jam in Gloucestershire

Idyllic and harmless looking river crossing...

... but slightly slippery when wet... REM

Why you shouldn't go trail riding by yourself...

Dr Rich

Waiting for ABEUSA (again...) at Long Barrow (Desert Rat & GPS)

Second casualty of the day - c1rencester down, GPS & Clive on their way to help

GPS struggling, Nin rushing to assist while REM taking the illegal bypass...

Up and running again... phew

Dr Rich tackling the hill climb

And through in upright position...

Funnily enough nobody felt tempted to try the other route options...

Jarv arriving on the first floor of the hill climb

REM welcoming Nin... (face expression probably refers to the steepness of the next stretch of the track... )

Then we reached grass again - f2b: c1rencester, Dr Rich & REM

Dr Rich

REM

Clive

Long ford at Longford - GPS (can't wait for Jarv's pics!)

Desert Rat in action

And Dr Rich taking the chicken route... (actually and to save his honour, Rich went forth and back through the river before...)

Coming up from Waterlane (well, the lane leads through a stream...) - REM

Dr Rich & Desert Rat

C1rencester & Nin

Nin, our tailend, passed me making the V-sign and I thought, mmm, still two coming and waited and waited...

One of these tricky, rutty, overgrown and slippery lanes taking its toll

Actually, Rich, we wanted to go into the opposite direction...

Jarv showing us how to turn a HGV around

Can you do this again, Simon, so that I can take a training video?

Second victim of the lane - GPS

Time for an extended break - our spiritual leader Clive

A gentleman's afternoon

Regroup and off!

Dr Rich

GPS & Jarv

c1rencester

Clive - slightly underdressed...

Nin - I'm not falling for the same trick again, Simon...

Oops, lunch break over - more to come this evening...

.

 

[Clive]

For those interested I can post a Garmin track file for the day.

Yes please. I'd like to check where I went right instead of left (between waypoints 011 and 012 I think)

 

[Trippy]

What a brilliant looking weekend.
Maybe you'll do another sometime.

 

[Nin]

Track and waypoints

Here's day 1 route track and key waypoints ....

Great pics Ela! Don't forget that one of you ....

Nin

 

[Clive]

Maybe you'll do another sometime.

Oh yes, probably late September or early October - I have to learn how to pack less camping stuff first

 

[rocks]

Looks like fun..

Great report guys and looks like you had a ball with the exception of a bit of rain.

More pics please..

 

[Pumpy]

You always want more pics, John...

Well then, this is the lane where a few of us chickened out and REM walked all the way back to check if we had fallen off... Thank you, Richard! (Mind you, he took his camera - that devalues the good deed slightly...)

Clive and Nin

And then we reached the ford that we had given a miss back in March...

Nothing stops GPS - oops...

Nothing!

REM in the starting block

Looking good...

You can't have a fag break in the middle of a ford, stupid bike!

And through safe and sound! Did I mention that I can't wait for Jarv's photos?

Sorry, Possu has dinner ready - to be continued...

.

 

[REM]

Clive,

Thanks for organising those fantastic lanes on the Saturday and the even better company! A good debut ride with the UKGSERs. Looks like the rain made the Sunday a little more interesting!

The camera Pumpy refers to is analogue so you will have to wait for the film to be processed - hopefully I can then get my revenge!

 

[Pumpy]

... hopefully I can then get my revenge!

One of the reasons why I switched to digital photography...


Onward with the report:

Rivers seem to have an irrestible appeal to GS'ers... (Climb every mountain, ford every stream, follow every byway... )

Or is it just a lazy way of keeping the bike clean?

Desert Rat

Even a 1200 needs a nap occasionally... However, did you notice the fine art of minimalistic packing? Maybe you can show Clive some tricks, Simon...

At the end of the Fosse Way near the M4...

We pondered on the events of the day...

Recalling happy memories...

Of a dry (so far... ) day in the glorious English country side...

And waived good-bye to the hardcore campers...

What a great ride-out! Thank you so much for organising the event, Clive, and for not taking it personally that I scheduled an Advrider Curry for the same weekend...

Thank you all for the fun we had, your company and your stories! Can't wait for the next trail riding tour (then on my GS again hopefully...)

Ela (Moustache Woman)