Any Green laning GSer's Essex area??

[trinituner]

26th Should work for me..

I'm going to try the Sava's I have a rear on order now and a local shop has a front waiting for me, it will be good to see how they compare with the TKC's in the uk

What sort of lanes are there around hertfordshire, hard packed open or rutted singletrack???..

I really need to recce the lanes around Dunmow as the last time I rode them they where really muddy during this time of year due to the clay soil plus I can get a idea of where im going as it has been a good few years. They are a nice blend of open farm tracks and tight singletrack going through wooded areas, last I heard was that some of the Byways had undergone maintence and are now mainly loose gravel, if anyone greenlanes there and can input any information??.. Wouldnt want to get a group together then come unstuck on the first track we hit

 

[bandit]

26th is good

Im running karoo 3's on my 990

 

[Wreford Miles]

Any tyre designed for some offroad will be fine...

Hertfordshire lanes at this time if year will have patches of slippery mud, a few ruts but nothing to cause concern ( amongst those that hate ruts) puddles (but none to deep to drown your bike) and nothing that will leave you stranded down a technical dead end - all very safe for big trail bikes.

 

[Smug]

Will be out on the 1150 assuming my rear shock is sorted. Looking forward to full details about the start point.

 

[Wreford Miles]

Will be out on the 1150 assuming my rear shock is sorted. Looking forward to full details about the start point.

Depending in numbers it will either be from my house which is just of the common or from Costa coffee on the high street

I've a rear shock that you can borrow till yours is sorted....

 

[trinituner]

So,

Tyres have arrived and been fitted, I will tell you now that the MC60 is a total ass pig to fit esp the rear but they are all on and ready to roll..

I will be heading out tomorrow just for a quick check on the condition of the trails off the A414 to see,
(1) If they are even rideable after the monsoon these last few weeks..
(2) I will do a quick review on the Sava's and post up first impressions..
(3) See if the GS (or insert large trail bike name) can be used on such trails these days as last time I was on them I was using a DRZ/XR and some bits where quite sketchy, but have since been told many of the byways have been relayed in this area ..
(4) Find out where the hell i am going as it has been a few years and I still havent got my OS map's back from my Pal, One trail is really quite strange as you literally go through someones front garden, luckily I have always had a wave from the owner but its a very strange experience all be it leading onto a great trail with quite deep rutted sections so expect to get wet..

Then off to High Beach for sausage sandwich..

If all this goes to plan then I may time allowing head out Sunday if anyone is around but I do say (May!!!!)..







Trails in this area are off road tyres "only" something like a TKC should just about cut it due to the clay bed surface, water does sit around a fair bit and hence can be very muddy..

 

[bandit]

So,

Tyres have arrived and been fitted, I will tell you now that the MC60 is a total ass pig to fit esp the rear but they are all on and ready to roll..

I will be heading out tomorrow just for a quick check on the condition of the trails off the A414 to see,
(1) If they are even rideable after the monsoon these last few weeks..
(2) I will do a quick review on the Sava's and post up first impressions..
(3) See if the GS (or insert large trail bike name) can be used on such trails these days as last time I was on them I was using a DRZ/XR and some bits where quite sketchy, but have since been told many of the byways have been relayed in this area ..
(4) Find out where the hell i am going as it has been a few years and I still havent got my OS map's back from my Pal, One trail is really quite strange as you literally go through someones front garden, luckily I have always had a wave from the owner but its a very strange experience all be it leading onto a great trail with quite deep rutted sections so expect to get wet..

Then off to High Beach for sausage sandwich..

If all this goes to plan then I may time allowing head out Sunday if anyone is around but I do say (May!!!!)..







Trails in this area are off road tyres "only" something like a TKC should just about cut it due to the clay bed surface, water does sit around a fair bit and hence can be very muddy..

Hey if you want company today i can come out and help you pick the bike up. Im in loughton near high beech so can meet up on the way.

Let me know. 0208 508 1099

 

[bandit]

KTM 1 BMW 0

I will let trinituner tell the story

 

[trinituner]

Well where to start????,

First off will be a massive thank you to Bandit as without him I would still be on the trail,

What started off as a decent morning on the lanes around Roding quickly went pear shaped down the lane you see in the picture above /\

It all started with me heading down the road and just before the start of this particular Byway I saw a XR coming towards me, I flagged the guy down and asked him what the trail was like ahead??, he stated "oh its fine only took me a few minutes to get down it" Ok great I thought.. By this time I had been out about an hour and half and had polished off most of the Byways around Roding before heading to Fyfield, at this time I had not seen the post by Bandit saying he fanced coming along ..

Anyway, I head down the trail and about 3/4 of the way in wollop im stuck in a rut with a massive bloody branch in the waycausing my rear tyre to spine like crazy , 15mins of sweat, shouting and cursing the bike was free I carried on about 20 yards and bame the same thing, this time I dig the bike out and about 25 mins later get going (These bikes way a Fing ton) By now im almost hanging and my arms are so pumped up I can hardly even hold my helmet, the trail has deep mud and zero traction.. About 20 yards further on and I come to a massive rut with a root that will simply not allow me to go any further!!!!.. Worst still im now totally spent picking the bike up numerous times over the last 50 yards or so.. It then sunk in I was in trouble, the bike was totally stuck I was knackered..

What the hell was I going to do???, I got the phone out and opened up this thread to see if by the grace of god someone was local???.. And I was over the moon when I had seen Dave had posted up with his contact number asking to join me!!!!! ...

I made the call, and it was along the lines of, Hi mate im stuck and in deep shit, to his credit he had a bloody good laugh over the phone and said he would be with me in 30mins!!.....

I heard the rumble coming in the distance and a immaculate KTM 990 appeared with Dave on board in a also immaculate twat suit, After I hailed his arrival we headed down the trail..



He first took his helmet off and got the camera out and said it would be rude not to could not agree more.. A plan was hatched to get the Beemer moving, one surggestion was that I should have bought a KTM ..

After much swearing and heaving we had the bike situated so we could get it moving!!!, at this time water was up to our knees and we where both in tshirts sweating like Jacko in Toys R us..

After a big effort the bike was out and onto a ridable section of trail.. Next it was the turn of the KTM to get down this swine of a dirt path, Dave was doing great and then thump, he was stuck solid, I came up the rear (Oh hello) and with a hugh massive push I got him going again, see picture in his post for the end result!!!! Mud yes and lots of it!!!!!!!!....

Not sure how Dave was feeling but I was dehydrated and had massive arm pump, I got kitted up and then just as we was about to ride off the battery went flat on the beemer .. Holy shit!!!!... Long story short dave shot off to find some jump leads i went back to the bike and by the grace of every god that i was praying to the bike started (just)..



We had one more lane to get down before being back on a road, i started off and my clutch arm was totally gone, Dave behind just shouted get on with it and move, so well I did..

We made it!!! thank god as I thought I was going to be camping in a soggy field in Essex for a few weeks,

we headed out for a quick blast to high beech for a cuppa and hearing the remarks from the locals saying bloody hell those have been used well, made the last few hours worth it (Well nearly)

High beech



All in it was a day of two sides, first bit was great and that second to last lane was awful but a massive plus was meeting Dave what a top bloke he is to come to me in my time of need ..

What have I learned,
Dont trust guys riding XR's..
A GS11 can be used for greenlaning but not in Essex after a monsoon..
A KTM 990 really is a bloody good bike..
Men called Dave are hero's..

Im now looking forward to next week where we head to Hertfordshire where the soil isnt Clay!!!!...

I was really impressed with the Sava tyres both on the trails and road and will do a review soon..

bike is now clean

before



after



Pizza is on the way and I have a corona in hand!!..

I have some go pro footage I will get up soon..

I should also say that next time I see you Mate breakfast lunch and dinner is on me

 

[Smug]

Baptism of fire by the sound of it. You did have some fun.

Good job Bandit came to your rescue.

Bit dodgy going out on your own especially on trails like that.

Might see you next weekend

 

[gebrauchtwagen83]

Looks bloody awesome. Im working next weekend but hope to get out with you guys sometime after that. Looking forward to getting some 2014 dirt on my sertao.
Cheers Dan in Loughton

 

[trinituner]

Looks bloody awesome. Im working next weekend but hope to get out with you guys sometime after that. Looking forward to getting some 2014 dirt on my sertao.
Cheers Dan in Loughton

I would say that for the most part Essex is ok for laning but there is a total mish mash of trail conditions, most are ok to get a big bike down but that trail this afternoon was a stonker and I never remember that trail being so cut with deep ruts but a local guy did tell us that the 4x4 crews where wrecking it and it doesnt take much to ruining a trail with the weather we have had.. TBH a 4x4 wouldnt get down it unless the suspension was really HIGH!!!..

I think if Hertfordshire trails are what Bandit has said they are then that may well be my local haunt for the winter then head back to Fyfields when it has dried up some. Maybe a trip to Sailsbury plain is in order as im told the trail network there is really good and have in the past been down some of the tank tracks and there is some interesting MOD stuff going on however you need to make plans in advance due to the area being a live firing range and as such they do not take kindly to trail riders going through when 50cals are ringing out.. Plus there is a great curry house 5 mins from the travelodge..

 

[bandit]

It was a fun afternoon.

Really nice old couple in the house at the end of the lane who lent us jump leads and a pint of water to assist in the rehydration.

Dan. I'm sunny loughton as well.

Hopefully see all next weekend

 

[gebrauchtwagen83]

It was a fun afternoon.

Really nice old couple in the house at the end of the lane who lent us jump leads and a pint of water to assist in the rehydration.

Dan. I'm sunny loughton as well.

Hopefully see all next weekend

Yeah id like to catch up with you chaps. Im frequently up at the high beech caf

 

[King Key]

So is Sunday off or are there any other trails open in the region that are passable?

As an utter newbie to offroading I didn't want anything too challenging.

King Key (also from Loughton).

 

[bandit]

Blimey cant move for all these loughton geezers.

Sunday still on in hertfordshire, much easier all passable

 

[Wreford Miles]

So is Sunday off or are there any other trails open in the region that are passable?

As an utter newbie to offroading I didn't want anything too challenging.

King Key (also from Loughton).

Sunday in Herts is happening...

You'll not find yourself stuck down a lane but if you are a complete novice you may find the slippery conditions off putting, the first few lanes are perfect ease in to off roading a big bike - if you feel OK on these you'll be fine for the day.

When you say a newbie, have you had any exsperiance? MTB or field bikes as a kid etc...

 

[King Key]

Sunday in Herts is happening...

You'll not find yourself stuck down a lane but if you are a complete novice you may find the slippery conditions off putting, the first few lanes are perfect ease in to off roading a big bike - if you feel OK on these you'll be fine for the day.

When you say a newbie, have you had any experiences? MTB or field bikes as a kid etc...

I've ridden an MTB a fair bit, but never a motorbike off-road and 32 years of riding motorbikes on tarmac.

I'm happy to give it a go....what's the worst that can happen?

Could you confirm the starting point and time please, I thought I saw 2 starting points earlier in the thread?

 

[Wreford Miles]

Cafe Nero Harpenden High Street 9:00 start

 

[King Key]

Thanks.