Trail tips

TheJoker

TheJoker

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Near Oxford
Hi guys,

I'm dying to take the F800GS out in the dirt for a bit of fun. :thumb2 However, the reason why my R1200GS never really got out to the dirt is because I never took the time to find any dirt.

So, now I'm trying, but it seems I don't have the secret password or secret handshake. :blast
I'm up in North Oxfordshire, not far off the end of the A34/M40 Junction.

I know there's a trail starting off the A43, near Brackley Hatch, near Silverstone, is that any good? Anyone been there? Got any more info about it?


The next tip seems to be to head towards Wiltshire, not too bad as I don't mind sitting on the A34 south for a bit, but I'd rather not do transit much more than 1h. But I have absolutely no idea where the BOATs start. :nenau

What I'm initially looking for is some gravel roads, nothing too advanced and soggy as I've not been in the dirt for a long while :mmmm and I've only got road biased tyres on the bike. I'd also like to bring my chicadee CrazyCaz along, and she's a total virgin... in the dirt, that is. Giggity. :green gri So if it gets too advanced, I'd like to give her the option to turn around and meet me at the other end.

So, any tips on where to start between top of the A34 and, saaaay... Newbury? :confused: Thinking (hoping) of heading out on Saturday morning.

Thanks!
 
Have a chat with Rasher, it sounds like you're looking to do the same - http://www.ukgser.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247544

You could also do a lot worse than having a chat with your local TRF and some of them will hopefully point you in the direction of some lanes that are suitable for your bikes and experience.
 
Wiltshire's great for learning the basics and if you want easy fire roads then Salisbury Plain is a good place to start however once there you can stray off piste all too easily the consequences of which can be expensive :augie

Nearer you than the Plain are the lanes around The Ridgeway but as a lot of it has been downgraded to Restricted Byway and the rest of it is out of bounds from October to April you have to know where you are going or run the risk od pissing someone off. There's lots of stuff still open around Wantage and down towards the Lambourn Downs, you just need to know where to look :thumb2

I would suggest you get down to W H Smiths and buy some O/S Explorer maps then go out and learn the lanes but take someone with you just incase you come a cropper :comfort
 
Thanks a lot, Womble! Appreciated! TRF is.... trail riding fellowship, or something... I better head for Google... :)
 
Nice 'n' Fat said:
Wiltshire's great for learning the basics and if you want easy fire roads then Salisbury Plain is a good place to start however once there you can stray off piste all too easily the consequences of which can be expensive :augie

Nearer you than the Plain are the lanes around The Ridgeway but as a lot of it has been downgraded to Restricted Byway and the rest of it is out of bounds from October to April you have to know where you are going or run the risk od pissing someone off. There's lots of stuff still open around Wantage and down towards the Lambourn Downs, you just need to know where to look :thumb2

I would suggest you get down to W H Smiths and buy some O/S Explorer maps then go out and learn the lanes but take someone with you just incase you come a cropper :comfort
Click to expand...


Thanks! :) I'm keen to go to the Plain, but it's a bit far, and a bit vast at the moment. So, if I can find a guide, and spend a whole sunny day there, it'd be perfect.
I had a look at the Ridgeway, and I knew it's mostly off limits. Oh well. :rolleyes:

Wantage and Lambourn Downs you say... thanks! And a trip to WH Smiths was in the cards already - since buying the MTB I've already got 3 O/S Explorer maps - looks like my collection will just grow! :beerjug:

Thanks! :thumb2
 
me and a mate were out around silverstone a few weeks ago. Loads of trails round there. I have GPX files for most of them if you need any. Some were grassy some muddy and some damn right lethal. Great day though. Appart from 1 i think they were all perfectly ridable even though i had TKC80's my mate had Tourances and managed just!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHj0r1Byrms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inb0QlOQxVw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqVELkeIICg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=504aYIzhYgE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jG-4EbjjG5c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0u4bP5jAtyo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrT0_V5D7Ck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVK6P7sQcHA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi_lllwj1lo
 
Kendo said:
me and a mate were out around silverstone a few weeks ago. Loads of trails round there. I have GPX files for most of them if you need any. Some were grassy some muddy and some damn right lethal. Great day though. Appart from 1 i think they were all perfectly ridable even though i had TKC80's my mate had Tourances and managed just!
Click to expand...

That looks lovely! :cool: :clap All the videos look perfect (maybe a bit wet for comfort but one has to take it as it comes!). The pics of your F650GS knee deep, is a bit worrying for me though... :D :bounce1

I'd love to have a look at the GPX file, I'll PM you my email address, if you don't mind.

Makes me want to get on the bike right now - but I better mosy off to WH Smiths to have a look at some maps. :thumb2

Thanks!! :beerjug: :clap
 
As mentioned, have a look into joining the TRF at www.trf.org
Oxford is on Possu and Pumpy's patch, and they are both very experienced in the trail riding field.
Best not ride alone, and a simple fall call lead to you being pinned under the bike, and the fall ain't so simple from then on!
Go out and enjoy it..... it's great fun.:thumb2

Timpo.
 
Thanks! I will look into it. I feel I have a bit of an information overload at the moment, so I need a bit of time to digest it. I've just got back from town, found O/S Explorer map #207 (centred around Towcester), I couldn't find #158, but as 207 is closer, I'll have a butchers on that one first.

TRF... yes... I will consider joining seriously. :)

Thanks!!
 
There's plenty of trails south & south west of Oxford, we've got a 120+ mile loop that can takes a full day. It's very heavily rutted for 2/3 of the way, the rest is a mix of faster open gravel trails and very slippery chalk climbs.

There's a local group of about 10 of us, all on UKGS'er, Advrider & KTM forum, happy to take you out on the condition that you have knobblies fitted with plenty of tread. You'll also need a Camelbak or similar, spare tubes, tyre levers, tools for wheel removal & a pump of some sort. Don't worry if you're not sure how to swap tubes, we'll help but you need to be self sufficient re: tools etc.

I'm free on Sunday 28th November (now 5th December) if anyone's interested? I'm happy to take 3-4 others plus a few of the regular group to help out as tailenders etc. I'll be riding a 400EXC. With daylight closing in these days, I'd want to leave the meeting point (TBC - depends what direction people are travelling from) at 9am whch means an 845am latest meeting time.

We'll only be riding legal byways etc plus no race numbers on bikes.

EDIT: already out riding with the TRF on the 28th, reschedule for Sunday 5th December if anyone's interested.
 
TheJoker said:
Thanks a lot, Womble! Appreciated! TRF is.... trail riding fellowship, or something... I better head for Google... :)
Click to expand...

If you follow Timpo's link you'll get to the TRF website, but there's also a forum on there that you can browse around and join without paying up full membership. You may even recognise some of the usernames :augie
 
Womble said:
If you follow Timpo's link you'll get to the TRF website, but there's also a forum on there that you can browse around and join without paying up full membership. You may even recognise some of the usernames :augie
Click to expand...

Don't be tight, join the TRF, it's a worthy cause if you're in to trailriding.
 
I agree - I'm fairly active in the TRF myself, but I'd rather that people were warmly welcomed and got some decent experience on suitable lanes before getting heavy about membership.
 
Possu said:
There's plenty of trails south & south west of Oxford, we've got a 120+ mile loop that can takes a full day. It's very heavily rutted for 2/3 of the way, the rest is a mix of faster open gravel trails and very slippery chalk climbs.

There's a local group of about 10 of us, all on UKGS'er, Advrider & KTM forum, happy to take you out on the condition that you have knobblies fitted with plenty of tread. You'll also need a Camelbak or similar, spare tubes, tyre levers, tools for wheel removal & a pump of some sort. Don't worry if you're not sure how to swap tubes, we'll help but you need to be self sufficient re: tools etc.

I'm free on Sunday 28th November (now 5th December) if anyone's interested? I'm happy to take 3-4 others plus a few of the regular group to help out as tailenders etc. I'll be riding a 400EXC. With daylight closing in these days, I'd want to leave the meeting point (TBC - depends what direction people are travelling from) at 9am whch means an 845am latest meeting time.

We'll only be riding legal byways etc plus no race numbers on bikes.

EDIT: already out riding with the TRF on the 28th, reschedule for Sunday 5th December if anyone's interested.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that Possu. Very very very kind of you. I'm not at a stage yet where I've got knobblies and tools - I've owned the bike for a month now, but give me a bit of time. My girlfriend is even further away - but she's a quick learner. So right now, I'm looking to get the bike a bit dirty initially, and especially taking my girlfriend out for a taster. She's still very intimidated by the height of the F800GS, and her bike doesn't have a bash plate - yet.

Therefore it looks like I'll have to decline your very kind offer for now, but hope we can take a rain check on it once we've got knobblies and a dedicated toolkit and puncture repair kit.

And obviously, if we (not just me) get the bug then it's highly likely that we'll both join the TRF. :thumb2

Once again, thanks! :bow
 
I got the Northants O/S Explorer map yesterday and had a good look. It looks like one can take back roads and byways from Badby straight south to the A43ish. Called "The Oxford Trail", if my memory serves. Anyone know if this is passable...? Did you do this one, Kendo? I think your GPS data showed this? But I might be mistaken.

Another question, it's only the "+"-tracks (byways) that are legally passable with a motorbike? Any other ones?

What does the UUCR (Unsurfaced Unclassified Country Roads) or ORPAs (Other Roads with Public Access) look like on the O/S Map? Is it legal to ride them? :confused:

Thanks again for all your invaluable advice! :bow:bow
 
TheJoker said:
I got the Northants O/S Explorer map yesterday and had a good look. It looks like one can take back roads and byways from Badby straight south to the A43ish. Called "The Oxford Trail", if my memory serves. Anyone know if this is passable...? Did you do this one, Kendo? I think your GPS data showed this? But I might be mistaken.
Click to expand...

Thats basicly the route we took. The end on the A43 you come out of the trees straight onto the bypass. Its a good route but there were a few unpassable sections and a few gates locked but thats half the fun!
 
Gravel tracks and good solid ground only for me to begin with I am afraid, currently on Tourances and due to 99% road use and mucho two-up touring would not ever fit knobblies.

Any Gravel Tracks around Wantage???
 
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