You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Anybody else finding the brambles particularly vicious this year? My legs are shredded from the razor-like barstewards.
Have taken to wearing long thin running socks for a bit of protection.
Not so much but the gorse can be a bit aggressive round here.
I love those itchy scratchy legs - it tells me that I'm summer riding, even when I'm sat in work!
Nothing is worse than zipping along only to find you cannot stop before riding through a line of 10ft long monsters.
Rode through one set this week that left my right arm bruised black underneath about thirty puncture wounds.
Nettles are the nemesis of choice for me at the moment. Stings stronger than I ever remember!
Did my first ride in a very long time earlier this week on bridleways that aren't used very often. It was great to remember how awesome bikes are, the nettled and brambled arms and legs still tingling the next day brought a nice reminder of a great afternoon out.
First year my lad has ridden properly off road with us. He hates brambles and nettles now as well!
in much the same vein as fadda, i too perversely enjoy the sting for a couple of days after, to remind me that i'm a big lad, who's not afraid of some flowers getting me (&that i've had some bike fun too) 😆 but at the moment it looks like i enjoy self harm 😳
i did go for a ride with a chap from work about this time last year and we approached a path alongside a field that was full of nettles... and he just stopped, turned round and went home... i was fairly amazed at that reaction... haven't had much to do with him since... he'd been giving it the big 'un about how good he and his bike were as he knew i liked to ride (not claiming that i'm gee atherton by any stretch)... i feel i may have gone off on a tangent here...
Does anyone take anything to do some trail side pruning?
I've often thought about taking secateurs to take down some of the worst brambles, but I think you'd need a machete or similar to get rid of bunches of nettles (which I'm not sure how you'd carry on the bike and I think would be a bit beyond the UK knife carry laws). Some of my favourite local trails are just unrideable at the moment.
Nettles I leave - stings go quick enough. Bramble is just nasty so I do cut it back, but only to the trail edge.
I love those itchy scratchy legs - it tells me that I'm summer riding, even when I'm sat in work!
Also, that lovely moment when your forearms look like you're a self-harmer and you have to say, "No, I'm not, it's OK! I'm a mountain biker!"
Does anyone take anything to do some trail side pruning?
I've often thought about taking secateurs to take down some of the worst brambles, but I think you'd need a machete or similar to get rid of bunches of nettles (which I'm not sure how you'd carry on the bike and I think would be a bit beyond the UK knife carry laws). Some of my favourite local trails are just unrideable at the moment.
Folding saw. Can be used as quite an effective scythe too.
Well, if you look around it's possible to find folding machete that were issued to US Army Air Corps as part of their emergency parachute kit, made by Camillus: http://www.warrelics.eu/forum/edged-weapons/usa-camillus-folding-machete-58775/
I've got one, belonged to my dad, brought back from Singapore.
Very effective, easy to carry. Might be a bit difficult to explain, mind...
As far as brambles are concerned, all you need is a good, very sharp knife, something like the classic Opinel No 6 or No 8, with a carbon steel blade. Keep it sharp, it slices through green bramble stems. I cut back a load on part of Route 403 this afternoon, as it happens.
CFH.
Do you get many brambles on your Gramac rides? 😉
Though i suppose the paperclip world doesn't take much shocking. 😛
A lovely helpful lady was taking her secateurs to the brambles on a section of my commute one day this week. Thinking of giving her access to my Garmin account so she can do more good work!
I think I'll give it a go one day with a small legal carry knife . The nettles can stay but the face height brambles should go.
I live quite close to a city centre, so I can't really carry a machete or a opinel (or anything that locks) - little bit paranoid about being stopped, explaining that I've been doing a little bit of trailside gardening on what may technically be footpaths might not fly with the local constabulary.
Don't think they're any sharper than usual this year, but until last year on the trails near my house, I used to trim the brambles/nettles/weeds back with a sharpened samurai sword- much more fun/efficient than a hedge trimmer or a chainsaw!
🙂
(I lived a long way from civilisation)
CFH.
Do you get many brambles on your Gramac rides?
Though i suppose the paperclip world doesn't take much shocking.
"
¿Que? What's a 'Gramac' ride when it's at home? And paper clip world? I have no idea what you're on about.
I don't ride much at all these days, I'm afraid of causing any more damage to my knee, but I still try to maintain parts of my local Sustrans route, and I'll cut back brambles on some of the other footpaths and shared-use paths as well. Purely selfish, I don't want bits of me ripped open by a couple of metres of natural barbed wire, so it benefits others as well.
As regards using an Opinel, I doubt very much at all that there would be any hassle about carrying one, it's not got a fast-opening system, like a Spyderco, it needs two hands, and the lock system is pretty unsophisticated.
Note to self: I really must try to find some knee armour that's flexible, and isn't likely to bind up or crease behind my knee when peddling for several hours, maybe something like 3D0; anyone got any recommendations?
It's not like it's really possible to try before you buy, and I'm not too inclined to chuck £70 at a pair of pads only to find they cause pressure on my kneecap and cause lots of pain, or crease up and rub the back of my knee.
I really could do with getting the bikes back out on the trails.
YES. Plus new wide handle bars don't help in cheeky hidden trails. Hand ripped to shreds after 3 hour spin this afternoon/evening. Legs now in the post gorse shredder tingling phase.
By the end if my ride two fingers had stick together from blood coming from so many sharp cuts.
It's my humble opinion that the joy of singletrack comes with the responsibility to do a little 'gardening' when it's needed.
You can do a lot with a folding saw and secateurs.
(Folding saw for small branches and nettles, secateurs for brambles)
Done with a little care, you can help keep your trails looking gorgeous.
Always took secateurs years ago riding around Wentwood, double edged sword we would clear a trail and next time round horses had made it a bump fest. 😆
Brambles I can deal with (not the huge mutant razor wire ones) but nettles stinging in the shower days after seems a bit vindictive.
As regards using an Opinel, I doubt very much at all that there would be any hassle about carrying one, it's not got a fast-opening system, like a Spyderco, it needs two hands, and the lock system is pretty unsophisticated.
Doesn't matter how sophisticated it is; because of the locking mechanism you still need a good reason to be carrying one in a public place.
Both hands still sore this morning - nice memories!
Never mind the brambles and nettles, roses are really nasty
Scapegoat, I reckon that "I'm going to do some path clearing" is plenty good reason enough.
APF
With the brambles out, combined with reduced visibility down the trail using means the end of the `strava season'.
Aaaaaaarrrgggghhhhhhh........
No no, strava season was in full force today at Glentress today.
Stings, scrapes and scabs are just great reminders of living life.