Same Faces Trail Ride

So after an open invite to everyone on my mailing list, it was the same old faces that turned out for last Sunday’s trail ride. From a promise of nine riders we ended up with six. There was one newish addition and that was stevobuild from the TBM forum. We’ve met many times up at Enduroland and while he’d joined scott-rider and blather for a short ride the other week, this was the first time he would be joining me on an organised ride.

An 8am meeting time was set for Sunday morning, at the usual spot on the end of the downs. Saturday dawned wet and stayed that way, so it was looking iffy for Sunday, but once again the sun shined on the righteous and we were greeted by clear blue skies early Sunday morning. I picked up Tony and although we were running ten minutes late we spotted scot-rider fly round the round-about (in his turbo golf) and roar off into the distance on the way to the meeting spot. A frantically driven van was trailing him and we both wondered if he’d spotted it, but it turned out to be Steve once we all met up.

Tony and Rob (with my bike in the foreground)

Ben and his husaburg

The early morning start and two cooked meals the day before had sort of caught me out a bit and it became apparent while unpacking the gear that I wouldn’t last the morning without a loo break – and not a pee! Squatting down behind the barn it did occur to me that any moment now some bastard with a cameraphone is going to come round the corner, but luckily no one thought of it, so I was safe!

While Tony (KTM250EXC-F) and myself (KTM450 EXC) were the first to arrive, scott-rider aka Phil (KTM400EXC) and Steve (using his TM450 today) were soon there, having had to stop for fuel on the way. As we got kited up in the early morning sunshine, one by one everyone else arrived. Ben on his 450 Husaburg and Rob on is classic steam engine tricked up like a Rotax powered PBH.

Tony on the run down to Chieveley

Rob (toot toot)

Pretty soon we set off up the slippery chalk hill and there were a few early morning wobbles as we found our “chalk legs”. A few grass lanes brought us out at the ‘rat run’ and we all enjoyed a quick blast along this slightly overgrown path.

After all the rain we had had the day before and the general crappy July I sort of expected the going to be a lot wetter, but I was surprised to find that there were almost no puddles to speak of all the way down to the pub near Chieveley.
Cutting across the road I pulled ahead of the group so I could get some pictures of them coming through the wet muddy bit. I propped the bike up against the sidewall of the rut and waited. Bloody cheats only came along on the chicken path that runs alongside the byway! Tony came along pushing his bike!? He said he thought the ruts were going to get deeper and he'd get stuck, so he jumped off and walked it through?!

Tony pushing

Jumping back on once he saw it was clear of 'dangerous' puddles

After I started protesting that I was standing there like a twit, a few went back and did it again. I got a couple of good shots.
Somewhere around now Ben managed to get cross rutted and fell off. Unfortunately I couldn’t get the camera out in time and he’d picked the bike up before I could get the evidence.
At the end of this lane it does a 90deg to the left and this is where the ‘bomb hole’ lives. Or where it used to live, as the town planners have been at work and evicted it. The whole path has been flattened, graded and filled with hardcore. All it’s good for now is a high speed blast and to use the two bends to practice your flat turns ie leg out, bike pushed down and weight the outside peg – but as this is a public path and not a race track we didn’t do any of that.

Ben - second time lucky

Steve on the TM450 (which is for sale now)

Now comes the boring bit and the tar road down into Great Sheford. We did a splash and dash with the fuel but hung around eating some chocy bars and a coke for while. A Lady from the car garage next door come and asked for some help getting a Ford Mustang off the inspection pit. She was too scared to do it and someone was coming to pick it up! I volunteered to drive it but said I’d have to take my boots off first. "No don’t worry about that, just get it off" she said. "Ok but how the hell do I move the seat back as no way am I going to fit in there with body armour on". A search for the lever or power controls proved futile, so in the end she jumped in and moved it herself!
Once on our way to Lambourn we took a slight detour to the right up towards the old chicken run, coming back down to the main road before getting to the nice lanes just before Lambourn. Going up the hill it was completely dry, the sun was shinning and the deer were jumping. Deer jumping? – ooh f*** they never travel alone so I hit the brakes just as another one leapt across the path. A sure fire strike had I not eased off in time.

Next I came under fire from Ben who zoomed past in the snotty bit at the top of the hill and again a quick dab of the brakes saved me from getting splattered! At the T junction we came across another group of riders, one of whom (Derrick) recognised me/my bike (still had race numbers on) from the South Reading Event. We had a very brief chat then set off once again. My stomach was getting very impatient for the sausage and egg bap I’d promised it earlier (having missed breakfast). No a snickers bars at the petrol station does NOT constitute breakfast!

Coming down off the hills west of Lambourn we cut across the road and headed up over the gallops. Going at a fair clip we were just descending the over side when I spotted a horse ahead. I pulled up sharp’ish and nearly had a husaburg pillion as Ben struggled to stop on the slippery clay. Steve did stop but someone took the ground away when he put his foot out so ended up in a untidy heap on the floor.
I young girl on her pony was followed by another one and then the mother on a quad – with a very tired looking (fat) black lab running alongside on a lead – one of the two was not having fun!

the poor lab running next to the quad

Next up was the long rutted byway leading down to near the M4. It was hear that I noticed Tony was a rejuvenated rider in the ruts now that he’s on a KTM. Was the CRF that bad? I’d hesitate to say, but having the new bike has certainly done his rut ridding confidence a world of good. Pretty soon we were up and then down Sugar Hill. A herd of sheep were guarding the middle paddock but soon gave up and scattered when the bright orange bikes challenged them to a dual. Slightly more strange looking was a guy carrying a massive (I mean huge) rucksack, speed walking. As I was about to pull away from the gate he broke into a run. As I did my habitual ‘life saver’ over my shoulder I could see this little bloke running towards me?! I gave it full gas and got out of there!

Steve - i think this is on the other side of sugar hill but not sure

At the road we went straight over onto a section of seasonally open byway. Once again grass covered ruts were on the menu but I don’t think anyone had a helping of rut diving – that was saved for later – well what I saw anyway!
After that long session of ruts Phil needed a stress brake so we parked up and chilled for a while. Carrying on we got to the right hand turn to take us on the route to Barbary Castle but “always goes wrong Tony” was in the lead so when we stopped to turn he carried on clearly enjoying himself. While we all set of towards the radio mast Ben went out on a rescue mission to bring Tony back. The last lane leading up to the café is always a joy to ride and I took great care to get a much ‘air time’ as I could.
Sausage and egg baps all round, preceded by teas and coffees were quickly dispensed with and we chatted to a old trail rider before setting off. I’ve seem him there before on his CRF250.

Phil - again not too sure where this one was taken.

L to R.... Steve, Ben & Tony

The next section of Ridgeway has also been completely ruined. The nice big puddles have all been filled in and graded. So once again the futureless going had nothing to offer other than to zoom along.
At the end of the track I got my bearings a little screwed and headed off looking for a byway in the wrong place. I gotten byways mixed up and I thought I was on the one slightly further west. After a bit of a mess about we headed north east by Rockly, across Rockly Down and got onto the Ridgeway proper where we carried on heading South. The first bit was a bit smooth and boring but it soon rutted up with some nice bumps in to keep it interesting. Pretty soon we were in East Kennet and we just had time to shoot up Furze Hill and into the very wet/muddy lane once at the top. Getting to the other side first I said I go back first to get some photos. I parked up almost straight away as the best puddle was right in the beginning just as you entered the trees. While the ‘old faithful’ camera does struggle in low a little, it does still capture the scene even though it gets a bit blurry.
Ben came first and even though I stood well back, I nearly got caught in the bow wave, the camera did catch a little but luckily not on the lens.

Phil adopting the keep my feet dry technique
(low light + old camera = blurry images)

Tony

Steve

Tony at the end of the lane with the others waiting

Phil

Getting low on fuel now we retraced our steps back to the Esso near Barbary Castle and filled up on petrol and snacks.
Heading home now we backtracked slightly so we could ride the humpy humpy lane again. On the way there I got too close to Phil and unbeknownst to him he soaked me while splashing through a puddle. Once across the A346 we kept on going at the Ridgeway and made our way towards Aldbourne.
Ben had another off when he got cross-rutted and this time I managed to get the camera out in time to catch it. The ruts in this section are tricky and several guys said ‘they hate this bit’. I think there’s been at least one ‘off’ every time we’ve come along this lane.

Ben taking a tumble

Phil and Tony

Getting back onto the faster more open lane I spied a puddle ahead and timed my over take on Tony to perfection. Splash – one muddy/wet Tony. When we stopped at the end of the lane he turned to me and said “I hope you have mirrors on that bike” – insinuating payback sometime!
Turning left we followed another lane until we hit the small tar road that lead us down to the B4192. From hear we followed our same route back up Sugar Hill and over the M4. But not before I managed to get Tony again. We stopped at the end of the lane and Tony just happened to be in the line of fire of my back wheel. I hit the gas and sent a spray of mud and muck flying.

Rob

taking five

An uneventful ride back to the cars via our outward bound route got us back at about five pm with over 120 miles under our belts. Somewhere along the last stretch Tony had swapped bikes with Rob. Tony declared the PBH to be ‘pretty good’ and fine for trail riding. Rob raved about the 09 EXC-F 250 and after he finished waxing lyrical about the way it steered, changed direction and the power & flexibility of the engine, he said something along the lines of “I wish I hadn’t ridden it now”.
Another good day on the trail! See Steve's bike below.

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TM racing EN 450 F e.s. (2004)

Phone Steve on 01296 632532 or 07904 114456.
Or Email steveobuild@msn.com.

Bargin Price of only £2500 !!!!

One previous owner. It's in amzingly good condition with trail riding use only. This is an incredibly fast bike that has been 100% reliable. Spares are readily available from TMUK.

Full Spec:

• Ohlins front and rear suspension.
• Billet triple clamps.
• Excel rims and billet hubs.
• Gianelli exhaust.
• Reikon bars.
• Brembo front brake with fully floating disc, nissin rear.
• 6 months tax and mot included!

Spares included:

• Spare sprockets
• Chain,
• Air filter,
• Ohlins manuals
• Brush guards
• Fender bag

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