The Weekend's Trail Riding

So there I was - at the Thames Valley meeting on Thursday, minding my own business wondering what excitement the weekend would bring, when Pumpy mentioned she was going trail riding with some guys from the TRF and was I interested?

What? Trail Riding and Camping in March on the GS fully loaded with camping gear?

Oh, go on then. Rude not to. That'll teach me to talk to women in pubs

Met up at 10am Saturday in Stow-on-the-wold.

I just found your screen lying in teh back of the shed

A few hours were spent on the lanes around Stow.

Pumpy in action

Nick...

Time to break into the Rat Pack.

On the way towards Cirencester IIRC.

I don't think I've sussed the art of minimalist packing.

Having a breather after a deeply rutted section.

Same track as the last.

Did the Fosse Way down to the M4 then zipped over to Market Lavington and rode through the Plain to Stonehenge.

Finally ended up somewhere near Bordon for some Hardcore, "wild" camping. (taken this morning since we got there in the damp and the dark)

Wizard said:

I just found your screen lying in teh back of the shed

Click to expand...

Ah, I thought my last text must have been eaten by the Mobile Elves.
I'm sure you'll be over here for some event or other?

Langollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllen

Mystery Tour...

Great start, Clive - I was just too knackered yesterday to post a ride report...

Ok then, four weeks ago I received an invitation to a 'Mystery Tour' from the big trailie section of our local TRF Group. Camping in March, living on rat-packs, not knowing where we are going - sounded like big fun...

Strangely enough only the organiser (Nick) and the tour guide (Bill) were up for it so I thought it wouldn't do any harm to chat-up another guy in a pub a few days before the event...

As Clive said, we started the weekend in Stow-on-the-Wold and were initially joined by Nick's wife Debbie (on a DT125) and their son Daniel (normally on a KX60 - unfortunately not yet road-legal) for a couple of hours.

The biker family - from right to left: Nick, Debbie, Dan & Uncle Bill


First day of the lane was the easy-peasy Ryknild Street


Then on to the 'must do' fords at Kineton


While his parents were discussing some irrelevant domestic issues...


Dan was getting slightly impatient and rode off.


Took us some miles to catch up with him again...


Debbie: "I'm really sorry that you will miss the next lane..."


Then it was back to Stow and waving good-bye to Debbie and Dan


And we set-off for the mysterious part of the tour. Nick followed by Bill


Clive making himself useful


Slightly challenging the slippery track - especially for the vertically challenged...


Actually, I just wanted to show off the sophisticated bash plate my wonderful personal mechanic had made for me...


Phew, glad it's not only me - Clive was happy about a helping hand, too


Spot the difference - Nick


And Bill...


Bill was actually the only one who didn't come off the whole weekend


Although he dropped my bike when I asked him to ride it through the deep muddy ruts on the next lane...

So I chickened out and went the long way round to wait for the boys at the end.


Lovely ford...


But after close inspection we decided to give it a miss - sorry, no action photos here...


Instead we took a well deserved break - out came the ration packs


Entering the Plain


And leaving it again ten minutes later - not very spectacular, I have to admit...


Then it was a rather swift road ride to our final destination - the pub


Bill with our generous host John


The "Jolly Farmer" caters for all demands


As we pitched our tents in the dark the previous night, we had to wait until the next morning to fully appreciate our luxurious campsite: the back garden of our lovely hosts Karen and John - soil soft as butter, constant coffee and tea supply, free admittance to the bathroom (and of us all they only knew Nick before - which in itself is astounding all the more... )


Waiting for the water to boil - you know how it works with the rat-packs...


Mick (who had arranged our accommodation at his friends' house ), proud GS-owner in the making - and Nick (working on the latter... )


Jeez, the bike looks even bigger from that angle...


The whole crazy bunch united


Although we had agreed to ride only GS-able lanes on Sunday, Clive decided to add a bit more excitement - break after a really tricky muddy lane


Moral support from Nick: Well, Ela, if you don't go yourself we'll have to push you down that hill...


Recognise this technique?


What took Nick and Bill so long? They were reluctant to tell...


It's getting worse...


It looked like Clive's escape route was more of a dead end but before I had time to get the camera out he was gone - with a little help from his friends...


Will Nick make it?


Yep, that's the right rut


And here we go


Meanwhile Clive had developed a new crab-move-technique...


Not hugely convincing, I'm afraid, so we carried on in the usual style


The remains of the day - err, the rat-packs


Nice spot for a tea-break... Men...


Then we split up and headed home - after a thoroughly enjoyable weekend.

How a GS is supposed to look...


But unfortunately I had to go to work again today (great investment the new pressure washer... )


A big THANK YOU to

Nick for organising the whole Mystery Tour
Bill for leading us through Gloucestershire and Wiltshire
Clive for contributing his vast local knowledge and guiding us on the rest of the tour (it was absolutely worthwhile to invite you and I will probably be allowed to bring you again... )

Thank you for your company and all your moral and physical support!
(Note to self: If trailriding on the big pig make sure to take at least three strong men with you... ).

Can't wait for our Wales adventure!

Ela

Wow, I don't fancy those ruts much

That looked like fun overall though, thanks for posting

Looks awesome! I live in the Cotswolds and didn't realise there was so much fun to be had! Although I have played in the fords around Kineton



Now that you know it perhaps you should lead some fellow GSers out on the route

What a great looking weekend and photos.

The rest of my photos from Sunday around the lanes near Alton

A bit cumbersome fully loaded but manageable with the preload on max.

Bill...

Pumpy...

Nick..