Anyone riding this weekend?
not this weekend.. but..
QTRG group ride from staple plain on Sat 29th from staple plain car park. 940 for a 10am ride out.
doing smiths -> greenway -> willoughby cleeve -> up from holford via fort 'zig zag' -> whole top ridge from CPG to bicknollerpost -> weacombe finale
this is the 7th QTRG ride. the last 3 have been designed to showcase the best of The Quantocks. this fills in the lsat two gaps. we've had around 12 people on the last 3 rides.
Video of my Quantock Trail Riders group filmed by a local youtuber (dropped the G now so its just QTR)
Saturday was super hot. mateys gopro didnt get smiths due to the heat! but he did get willoughby cleeve, bincombe and weacombe
i'm in the light blue short sleeve top - last part is of him following me doing weacombe (i didnt know who was behind me til after!)
I don't suppose you have a gpx of that ride please @canopy? I have ridden the Q's just once many years ago pre recording rides, but recognise the names you mention and some of the trails in the footage. I'm hoping to pay a visit early next week, possibly based at Holford. No problem if not though.
All the routes for all QTR rides are on Trailforks. this one was #7. 🙂
Thanks very much @canopy, I'll look some of those routes up (ones that avoid the chimney as that I believe it's out of action).
Any suggestions for the easiest way up from Crowcombe as the road looks brutal ! Likewise the best nearest descent to finish on, much appreciated.
The road is brutal but it gets you up the quickest. Or you could ride along to the blue ball and go up the quarry road which is slightly less brutal..
Best descent on that side is weacombe and then traverse around back to Crowcombe. Triscombe Combe is flat out fun but not very technical.
i wouldnt take anything other than a jeep up from the blue ball. take the other road that goes from crowcombe over to dead womans ditch.
popular parking places really are : holford, lydeard hill, staple plain or dead womans ditch. there is parking in great wood too but it costs (i heard machines currently out of order.. but best assume you need to pay)
i prefer to park low (holford) or low ish (staple plain) and finish on a descent 🙂
(first part - i meant if driving! - i have ridden up the road. brutal, but depends what youre heading out to ride!)
I assumed he was staying in crowcombe. If I’m at my mums which is close by on that side I always drive up to crowcombe gate.
I used to be able to get my golf gti up the quarry road. I guess it’s eroded a bit...
Indeed I am staying in Crowcombe and not intending to use the car. Looking at the map was thinking of going up Little Quantock Combe to pick up The Drove - no doubt some/all will be a push but I've got all day. Then looking at picking up route #7 above. Which is the descent at 7.21 in the vid above as I remember loving that on my previous visit 8 years ago?
Any suggestions for another ride which doesn't overlap too many descents included in #7 most grateful. Looking for flow opposed to overly tech as riding with the other half. Thanks all.
thats bin combe. stick to north of the crowcombe gate road if you want flowy.
if I'm short on time up there which I normally am and want a short fun ride this is loop I'll do:
https://www.strava.com/activities/1107093342
never done little quantock combe but looking at the contours I'd expect to be pushing the whole thing. only 1/2km or so though...
Thanks @Jam-bo, I've copied that route and will be good for a quick blast, much appreciated.
I was up there early this morning Route
Only saw one other MTBer, loads horsey ladies & squirrels!
Weacombe
[img] 
[/img]
Hinkley point looks busy
[img] 
[/img]
I was thinking the other day how much bigger Hinkley is looking all of a sudden.
The quarry climb isn't too bad. Best choice from Crowcombe I think.
This is another good short one, couple of different descents to jam bo's route.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2360780460
And this is all of the best ones in one ride 🙂
https://www.strava.com/activities/2436332065
If you do Bincombe, well worth a coffee and cake stop at the Foxy Bean in Adscombe, and then a reasonable climb back up through Seven Wells Wood.
Am up there tomorrow morning on a blue Whyte T130. Say hello if you see me.
Just a quick thank you for the route advice from @canopy and @jam-bo.
Had a lovely couple of rides up on the Q's even if the weather was baking.
From Crowcombe, rode up Little Quantock Combe to The Drove. It's rideable all the way up and definately nicer than the road, although my g/f did have to walk a bit.
Rode Weacombe once on each day and frustratingly my bottle got flung out on the top section both times, that's really quite bumpy on a hardtail !
Really enjoyed Stert/Somerton. My g/f wasn't so fussed on the top eroded section of the Frogcombe singletrack but overall a cracking couple of rides. I must not leave it another 8 years until I return.
