The "Photos From Today's Ride" thread...
Discussion
SkinnyBoy said:
gorgeous autumn day here so took the whip out for a run
Is that a Trinity TT frame made into a Road bike? yellowjack said:
While you're up at Caesars Camp, keep your eyes peeled for them thar Aliens 
Flashback for me! I haven't been to Ceasars Camp since the mid 90s. Do they still do MTB races there? I know the shop that organised them was in Ash Vale (Cycle Action) and long gone now. (or did they move?)btw what is that saucer thing?
Rich_W said:
yellowjack said:
While you're up at Caesars Camp, keep your eyes peeled for them thar Aliens
Flashback for me! I haven't been to Ceasars Camp since the mid 90s. Do they still do MTB races there? I know the shop that organised them was in Ash Vale (Cycle Action) and long gone now. (or did they move?)btw what is that saucer thing?
"What is that saucer thing?" It's a UFO, obviously. It hovers in the area below Caesars Camp in the evenings, but in the day it is cunningly disguised as 'Reservoir No 4'. Or it might be just a covered reservoir. Or a secret government research base? Who really knows?
yellowjack said:
Rich_W said:
yellowjack said:
While you're up at Caesars Camp, keep your eyes peeled for them thar Aliens
Flashback for me! I haven't been to Ceasars Camp since the mid 90s. Do they still do MTB races there? I know the shop that organised them was in Ash Vale (Cycle Action) and long gone now. (or did they move?)btw what is that saucer thing?
"What is that saucer thing?" It's a UFO, obviously. It hovers in the area below Caesars Camp in the evenings, but in the day it is cunningly disguised as 'Reservoir No 4'. Or it might be just a covered reservoir. Or a secret government research base? Who really knows?
Jeez, you guys! Alex, Fluff - I'm talking to you pair!
Here I am, trying to create a mystique for the area, to get an 'Agents of Shield' or UFO rumour going, and you go and give the game away
Did you know that, on a clear night, and when it's lit, you can see the Wembley Stadium Arch from the top, too...
Wembley Arch, on the horizon, apologies for the extreme, grainy digital zoom on my 'happy snaps' basic camera.
Taken on a timer, from the bench near the tree at the north eastern tip of Caesar's Camp.
Camera was really struggling as it's not really ideal for zoomed shots in the dark
(Arch was lit for a Robbie Williams concert that night. I'm glad I was riding about on a MTB in the dark, far far away
)
Here I am, trying to create a mystique for the area, to get an 'Agents of Shield' or UFO rumour going, and you go and give the game away
Did you know that, on a clear night, and when it's lit, you can see the Wembley Stadium Arch from the top, too...
Wembley Arch, on the horizon, apologies for the extreme, grainy digital zoom on my 'happy snaps' basic camera.
Taken on a timer, from the bench near the tree at the north eastern tip of Caesar's Camp.
Camera was really struggling as it's not really ideal for zoomed shots in the dark
(Arch was lit for a Robbie Williams concert that night. I'm glad I was riding about on a MTB in the dark, far far away
)A bit fuzzy but this was the end of a leg of www.ride4care.com from Grantham to Hampton Court Palace, taken on Friday night. 140 very hard fought miles of hail, rain, wind, cold temperatures and some of the crappiest road surfaces I have ridden on in the UK! I am in the middle......
yellowjack said:
Not sure about MTB races, but none that I've heard of. Not aware of Cycle Action in Ash Vale, either.
History Lesson 
In the early to mid 90s Cycle Action was a bike shop in Ash Vale. (Google Earth suggests the shop is now a motorbike place) They used to run mountain bike races at Caesers camp and also at Ash Vale common/army range area (whatever they call it)
The shop also sponsored Martin Ashton and Martin Hawyes who were pretty much the best Trials riders at the time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXEg4vy8CE0 Early video of the boys
The only other race organiser in the area was "Gorrick" who Google says still run events today. Penshurst Off Road Club was also just starting up at the time.
http://www.gorrick.com/index.php
I was only a teen, and was always around 2/3rds down the pack of the XC races. (2 laps of 4 miles) But I loved it
yellowjack said:
Jeez, you guys! Alex, Fluff - I'm talking to you pair!
Here I am, trying to create a mystique for the area, to get an 'Agents of Shield' or UFO rumour going, and you go and give the game away
Did you know that, on a clear night, and when it's lit, you can see the Wembley Stadium Arch from the top, too...
Wembley Arch, on the horizon, apologies for the extreme, grainy digital zoom on my 'happy snaps' basic camera.
Taken on a timer, from the bench near the tree at the north eastern tip of Caesar's Camp.
Camera was really struggling as it's not really ideal for zoomed shots in the dark
(Arch was lit for a Robbie Williams concert that night. I'm glad I was riding about on a MTB in the dark, far far away )
Sorry! Lol. By the way do you know therebid a meeting on the 5th June for the future of the area? With more troops going to be using it, it looks like they may restrict access up there. I'm going along, hopefully!Here I am, trying to create a mystique for the area, to get an 'Agents of Shield' or UFO rumour going, and you go and give the game away
Did you know that, on a clear night, and when it's lit, you can see the Wembley Stadium Arch from the top, too...
Wembley Arch, on the horizon, apologies for the extreme, grainy digital zoom on my 'happy snaps' basic camera.
Taken on a timer, from the bench near the tree at the north eastern tip of Caesar's Camp.
Camera was really struggling as it's not really ideal for zoomed shots in the dark
(Arch was lit for a Robbie Williams concert that night. I'm glad I was riding about on a MTB in the dark, far far away
)Fluffsri said:
Sorry! Lol. By the way do you know therebid a meeting on the 5th June for the future of the area? With more troops going to be using it, it looks like they may restrict access up there. I'm going along, hopefully!
Disturbing news. I'm very surprised too. Aldershot Garrison has been shrinking significantly for many years, and even at the height of it's use, when Long Valley was used by the Paras for 'P' Company stuff, access wasn't restricted. In fact, it's rare, in my experience, for any MOD training areas to have restricted access without good reason. It's usually current 'live firing', the EOD (clearance) situation with former live firing areas, or stuff that's particularly 'sensitive' in it's nature. None of that seems to apply in the Aldershot area. Heck, even Ash Ranges are open for public access when the red flags are not flying, as far as I'm aware.Certainly Hawley/Minley are almost completely unrestricted most of the time, despite the large bridging kit and plant/cranes often used by exercising troops. I only just avoided compromising an ambush in the woods behind Minley Manor last year whne out on my MTB. The section commander shouted 'stop!' as I approached his trip flare, which would have alerted the "enemy" forces they were waiting for.
Where is this meeting taking place? I had a quick google but couldn't see anything on the web about it. I'd consider going too, if it might help to keep access open.
Fluffsri said:
For any Ceasers Camp/Aldershot heath riders, be aware the rain yesterday has washed some of the trails away. It was alright last Sunday lol 
Wow. Bad enough it washed the trails away, looks like it saw to the spirit level as well...
Edited by Some Gump on Sunday 27th April 23:05
I decided that as I live within a few miles of where le tour will be passing soon that I should ride some of the route. I opted against the DC from Silsden so picked the route up at Keighley, from there it's uphill, a lot!
First pic is Haworth, the Worth Valley railway yard.
I did go up the cobbles in Haworth but I couldn't be arsed to stop. There was to be a slight detour at Stanbury for roadworks, the dam is closed. It did mean that I got a better view of this though.
I'm not sure it comes out too well but on the far hill there's a massive painted on farmer with a dog... fields of vision or summat, there's a faceache page.
Next pic is at the top of Oxenhope. From here down to Hebden I can highly recommend putting a jacket on cos you get fecking cold! Go steady through Pecket Well and as you leave look out for the first left hand bend, it's quite tight, wouldn't be surprised if there was a crash there on the tour.
Then the bit I was looking forward too! Cragg Vale. Oh, and the bike I'm on
and at the top, 34 minutes later
I really enjoyed the climb, not as hard as I expected, quite the opposite really, it rewards you as you try harder. That said, I'm 2000 and some out of 2700ish, oddly I jump a few hundred places for the 'sprint finish' segment!
From there I went to Littleborough, Tod' and then Burnley where I got on the canal to Colne
60 miles, 4000ft of climbing in under six hours
http://www.strava.com/activities/135108512/overvie...
First pic is Haworth, the Worth Valley railway yard.
I did go up the cobbles in Haworth but I couldn't be arsed to stop. There was to be a slight detour at Stanbury for roadworks, the dam is closed. It did mean that I got a better view of this though.
I'm not sure it comes out too well but on the far hill there's a massive painted on farmer with a dog... fields of vision or summat, there's a faceache page.
Next pic is at the top of Oxenhope. From here down to Hebden I can highly recommend putting a jacket on cos you get fecking cold! Go steady through Pecket Well and as you leave look out for the first left hand bend, it's quite tight, wouldn't be surprised if there was a crash there on the tour.
Then the bit I was looking forward too! Cragg Vale. Oh, and the bike I'm on
and at the top, 34 minutes later
I really enjoyed the climb, not as hard as I expected, quite the opposite really, it rewards you as you try harder. That said, I'm 2000 and some out of 2700ish, oddly I jump a few hundred places for the 'sprint finish' segment!
From there I went to Littleborough, Tod' and then Burnley where I got on the canal to Colne
60 miles, 4000ft of climbing in under six hours
http://www.strava.com/activities/135108512/overvie...
yellowjack said:
Disturbing news. I'm very surprised too. Aldershot Garrison has been shrinking significantly for many years, and even at the height of it's use, when Long Valley was used by the Paras for 'P' Company stuff, access wasn't restricted. In fact, it's rare, in my experience, for any MOD training areas to have restricted access without good reason. It's usually current 'live firing', the EOD (clearance) situation with former live firing areas, or stuff that's particularly 'sensitive' in it's nature. None of that seems to apply in the Aldershot area. Heck, even Ash Ranges are open for public access when the red flags are not flying, as far as I'm aware.
Certainly Hawley/Minley are almost completely unrestricted most of the time, despite the large bridging kit and plant/cranes often used by exercising troops. I only just avoided compromising an ambush in the woods behind Minley Manor last year whne out on my MTB. The section commander shouted 'stop!' as I approached his trip flare, which would have alerted the "enemy" forces they were waiting for.
Where is this meeting taking place? I had a quick google but couldn't see anything on the web about it. I'd consider going too, if it might help to keep access open.
It's at the memorial hall, Sandy lane, 1930 on Thursday 5th June.Certainly Hawley/Minley are almost completely unrestricted most of the time, despite the large bridging kit and plant/cranes often used by exercising troops. I only just avoided compromising an ambush in the woods behind Minley Manor last year whne out on my MTB. The section commander shouted 'stop!' as I approached his trip flare, which would have alerted the "enemy" forces they were waiting for.
Where is this meeting taking place? I had a quick google but couldn't see anything on the web about it. I'd consider going too, if it might help to keep access open.
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