Swinley Smashfest - 30th April

I'd say yes but my average speed at Swinely is 7.5-8mph which probably isn't going to cut it for you.

If anyone else fancies a STW meetup I'm happy to 'lead' a fast-as-the-slowest group. The slowest may turn out to be me, but I'm happy not stopping.

Yes, very up for it. I would ideally like to aim for first lap 80% effort, coffee stop and then two 20min race pace with 5min easy pedalling between. Having some to chase/chasing would be great. Sunday 30th at 0800 (ish)? i.e. get there early before the car park fills and enduro boyz fill the trails.

What time does the carpark get bad these days? I might pay a visit tomorrow and see how it goes. I imagine most of it's underwater after the rain we've been having.

It is surprisingly dry at the moment. I rode there on Wednesday for the first time this year, and only a couple of small puddles. There has been a bit of rain since then, but the ground is fairly dry so most puddles will disappear during today. Parking is normally easy before 10am, but get busier as the morning goes on.

Nice to see a bit of trail maintenance has happened over the past few months, with Stickler being resurfaced and rerouted, and Labyrinth being tidied up after the tree felling/clearing.

Would happily join a speedy ride around Swinley, but I am away on the 30th

What time does the carpark get bad these days? I might pay a visit tomorrow and see how it goes. I imagine most of it’s underwater after the rain we’ve been having.

The last few weekends it's been absolutely rammed by 11.

But as usual the trails feel quiet once you're out and you only really see people hanging around at the main honeypots.

Mud/water; thankfully the days of asking for an SBI update are gone, there's a couple of knackered berms that don't drain on Witches' Lair (the end of the old Seagull before you return to lower star post), a few puddles, a massive bog at he bottom of the drops on Seagull pt1, but aside from that it's basically bone dry.

Nice to see a bit of trail maintenance has happened over the past few months, with Stickler being resurfaced and rerouted, and Labyrinth being tidied up after the tree felling/clearing.

I've no idea what's going on with Stickler,

Most trail center reds:
Here's a 6ft drop with a ridiculously floaty takeoff and landing so you feel like a riding god.

Swinley:
Here's a 6ft double with an uphill run in and a corner

For the effort involved in building that there must be better options? The jumpy diversion on Whole 9 Yards, the switchbacks on the hill opposite R15, etc.

thanks! Sounds as good as it can be then, I'll give it a shot. Need to put some miles through the legs so a pedalfest is probably be about what I need. If I have enough fun/feel good enough maybe back on the 30th (I have doubts)

Swinley:
Here’s a 6ft double with an uphill run in and a corner

Got to cater for all the chipped eeebs!

For the effort involved in building that there must be better options?

Speaking as wheels mostly on the ground type of person, I'm happy with Swinley's two mid lap jumps being the highest I need to worry about. Also happy with an early start for Car Park spaces.

Yes, very up for it. I would ideally like to aim for first lap 80% effort, coffee stop and then two 20min race pace with 5min easy pedalling between. Having some to chase/chasing would be great.

You must have been called by my coach! I did say "reasonably" hard and will be bringing a 14KG 150mm bike with slow rolling maxxis 2.5's for reference, happy to push but its not my 10kg Spark!

To be clear, plan is Blue/Red, coffee, then Blue/Red. Don't feel obliged to do both if you don't want to of course.

I might give lap 1 a go then, similar bike, less fitness though so I'll just chase/hang on until I get dropped.

If anyone else fancies a STW meetup I’m happy to ‘lead’ a fast-as-the-slowest group. The slowest may turn out to be me, but I’m happy not stopping.

If there's a slow biffers ride I would be up for it - but I probably can't make the 30th... I need some motivation to get out more - my work has an office in Reading so could probably do a late afternoon or weekends (other than the 30th! 🙁 )

Yea I'd be up for a mid week "I really should be fitter" ride. I keep meaning to go down to Tunnel Hill but that lot just seem to keep getting quicker 😂

Wednesday, 6.30pm, The Hokey Club car park, does that work for anyone @jon_n ? Aiming for something like a lap + a bit (another short lap of some fun bits, the blue, or corkscrew etc) back by 9.

Mud/water; thankfully the days of asking for an SBI update are gone, there’s a couple of knackered berms that don’t drain on Witches’ Lair (the end of the old Seagull before you return to lower star post), a few puddles, a massive bog at he bottom of the drops on Seagull pt1, but aside from that it’s basically bone dry.

today report: quite a lot of puddles all over the place actually but most of them shallow enough not to be noteworthy. The new Stickler is… shorter than it used to be, which is a mercy. I quite like the new little jumpy bit near Tank traps (Jubilee line, is it?). And I saw but didn’t ride another new section of red, I gather they’re in the process of rerouting a bunch of it so tank traps will be in the middle instead of near the end. My legs are not ready for two fast laps just yet, but signs were reasonably promising.

Not been to Swinley for ages (spending a lot of time at Tunnel Hill these days and it’s a bit of a slog as I only have a ‘big bike’) but took the youngest out this afternoon, though she just ended up wanting to loop the Jubilee line jumps (which alrwdy need a bit of tlc).  As reported above quite a few puddles about but nowt too bad.  New stickler continuing the trail builders habits of putting jumps in random places which mostly don’t work well.

Haha, somehow I must have been in my own world and missed that stickler was open 😂

New stickler continuing the trail builders habits of putting jumps in random places which mostly don’t work well.

It's not just the random jumps, some of the supposedly fast bermy bits totally lack flow too - probably shows how well Rowan Sorrel did on his first layout.

I could be up for it, I do prefer not to stop for lots of chatting, but I don't think I'd qualify as fast enough.

Maybe if there's enough takers have a 'fast' and a 'slow' group?

What average speed / watts are you hoping for per lap? Not sure I’ll be able to keep up.

Carrot cake at Swinley the other week was quite good.

Don’t mistake “not stopping for a chat” for fast & power. Speaking for myself, I’d just like to ride continuously and push a little. I’m not riding to hr and power targets.

What sort of time are you starting?

Aim to meet at 0830?

Sounds good, happy with that or even earlier if people fancy.

Will confirm tomo.

Riding with the caveat that I’ll likely only do 1 round followed by cake and if you’re too fast you are free to ride off without me. Perfectly happy to complete on my own. I’m so far off last summers pace it’s laughable, hopefully this will wake me up for summer.

sounds good
probably will only do one lap due to later commitments (or getting my excuses in early for when I can't keep the pace)

Put me down as a potential for this, sounds right up my street! If I’ve got my Epic back together (I’m currently extremely grumpy as it’s been several weeks waiting for a shock service and rebuild!) Although I’ve just remembered you said trail bike, so I could do that! I’ll confirm later…

I'd say yes but I'll be recovering from a century in Majorca the previous day. Next time!

Sadly I can't make this weekend, but I'm deffo up for a play another time when viable.
Can do midweek but not a Wed

Aim to meet at 0830?

Good for me.

I’d say yes but I’ll be recovering from a century in Majorca the previous day.

Thats no excuse, I'm doing a metric century on the Turbo the previous day. 🙂

Thats no excuse, I’m doing a metric century on the Turbo the previous day. 🙂

you see, that’s why the enjoyment of riding has gone!!! What on earth is that about?? 😂😂😂

Not been to Swinley in ages sadly cannot make this 30th April maybe a other time.

I'm in, where do you want to meet once there? I'll be on an dark green Bronson.

Where to meet? As an option; I drive a bright green mazda 2 - it could act as a gathering beacon for STWorlders? Or we could loiter at the red/blue trail head?

Sorry chaps, I've been relegated to a local evening ride as Jnr has been selected for SE Regionals (swimming) at Stratford in the morning, so I can't join.

Have a good one though, look forward to Weekend pics!

Haha, this is going the way of my usual rides. Organiser bailout, with half the people turning up an hour late 🙂

I'm still up for it as long as there is tea and cake. Need to somehow get enduro ready for the summer.

shows how well Rowan Sorrel did on his first layout.

A lot of the Swinley trails were well established before Rowan Sorrel came along and joined them up to make the red and blue circuits. When Stickler was built (by volunteers from Gorrick & Berks on Bikes) it was built in the only area of the forest that the Crown Estate, at the time, would allow a trail to be built in. It wasn't an ideal location, being quite flat, but I'd like to think that Stickler made the most of the available terrain.

I think the only "new" bits by back on track were most of the blue apart from the whole 9 yards and stickler. Red 15 and Red 25, the rest was already there, or armoring of existing tracks.

It’s not just the random jumps, some of the supposedly fast bermy bits totally lack flow too

The re-routed end to satans grotto (or whatever it was re-named) works really well.

The re-profiled jump/berm on Blue 16(? after the zig zag climb) feels horrible.

The re-profiled jump/berm on Blue 16(? after the zig zag climb) feels horrible.

ah yeah, its either too far back, or not enough of a bend - you've got to cut inside the first right hander on the flat, and hit the second corner, the left hander, from the start.

the rest of it works pretty well, especially if you remember the pre-refresh track which had a big semi-blind table into a fairly steep (for a blue) chute/landing and immediately into a berm.

the chute became full of braking bumps from people either nervously rolling down it with just the back brake (your standard swinley family ride) or hauling on the anchors immediately on landing (which I was guilty of) as I never got the bravery up to no-brake the landing/corner.

I’d like to think that Stickler made the most of the available terrain.

Yeah, kinda like somebody superimposed a screengrab of an expert's game of Nokia Snake on the map and made that the trail! Can't have been much available terrain left 🙂

the chute became full of braking bumps from people either nervously rolling down it with just the back brake (your standard swinley family ride) or hauling on the anchors immediately on landing (which I was guilty of) as I never got the bravery up to no-brake the landing/corner.

Guilty too, but it felt good!

Squash the lip, slam on the brakes, turn in while the forks are compressed, release the brakes and the whole bike get's fired out the corner at what felt like warm speed into the rest of the berms which felt ace.

The braking bumps actually made it interesting, a bit like R15 wouldn't flow half as well without the rooty bit. Now I've said that it'll be closed all summer while they build a table that unweights you just before that awkward left hander.

Yeah, kinda like somebody superimposed a screengrab of an expert’s game of Nokia Snake on the map and made that the trail! Can’t have been much available terrain left 🙂

Perfect description 🤣

Is the old extension still rideable? With the bomb crater/berms?

Is anyone still going to Swinley tomorrow?

I'm out. Now on a second round of antibiotics and steroids so a ride is probably not the best idea. Desperately trying to get fit for the next race

I’m still in if others are up for it?

Well, I’ll be there, I’ll wait at the trail head at 8:30 - I’m on a red Devinci Troy…

Apologies all, come down with something after a hectic week to close out the quarter at work. Running at about 50 energy this weekend. Definitely up for joining if you do it again.

Well, good fun was had - only @ayjaydoubleyou and me actually turned up, but we met the brief and did a fast lap. Enjoyed that, and good to meet you…

Yeah that was a great ride, really enjoyed it.