Author Topic: Beautiful Countryside (Read 6198 times)

JefO · « **on:** 08 December, 2022, 12:41:23 pm »

I have existed for more than 60 sun orbits and spent most of that time in the South East of Essex.

It occurred to me yesterday, on a cold and bright yet muddy ride, that the MTB I built (from a FB Marketplace secondhand £30 frame and forks), has introduced me to more unbelievably picturesque scenery in this humble corner of the UK, than any of the many motorcars, motorbikes and road bikes I have ever owned. There is something very satisfying and wonderful about being high up on a hill, surrounded by distance, mud and green and one or two friends, on a freezing cold day with little cloud.

So come on then guys and gals, let's see your photos...

First picture post on here, can you see them??

JefO · « **Reply #1 on:** 14 December, 2022, 04:57:53 pm »

Been out on an icy but beautiful ride again today

Jurek · « **Reply #2 on:** 14 December, 2022, 05:13:48 pm »

Hadleigh?

SoreTween · « **Reply #3 on:** 14 December, 2022, 05:47:57 pm »

Quote from: JefO on 08 December, 2022, 12:41:23 pm

I have existed for more than 60 sun orbits and spent most of that time in the South East of Essex.

It occurred to me yesterday, on a cold and bright yet muddy ride, that the MTB I built (from a FB Marketplace secondhand £30 frame and forks), has introduced me to more unbelievably picturesque scenery in this humble corner of the UK, than any of the many motorcars, motorbikes and road bikes I have ever owned. There is something very satisfying and wonderful about being high up on a hill, surrounded by distance, mud and green and one or two friends, on a freezing cold day with little cloud.

Wonderful sentiment, goodness me I need to get back in the saddle and reconnect. I used to love winter riding but somehow this year I've lost the mojo.

Quote from: JefO on 08 December, 2022, 12:41:23 pm

First picture post on here, can you see them??

Pics 1 & 4 yes. The others are on FB which is write only media.

JefO · « **Reply #4 on:** 14 December, 2022, 05:52:59 pm »

Yes - I live at the bottom of Bread and Cheese Hill, and managed to do today's 26mile ride with only a mile of road.

Are you local?

JefO · « **Reply #5 on:** 14 December, 2022, 05:58:46 pm »

...

Quote from: JefO on 08 December, 2022, 12:41:23 pm

First picture post on here, can you see them??

Pics 1 & 4 yes. The others are on FB which is write only media.
[/quote]

Oh that is strange. As I didn't get any response for so long, I assumed that the pics were all working OK. So when I made my second post in this thread this afternoon, I happened to use FB as the source for all the posts there, and Jurek can obviously see them ok (or he is psychic!).

JonBuoy · « **Reply #6 on:** 14 December, 2022, 07:03:27 pm »

Quote from: JefO on 14 December, 2022, 05:58:46 pm

...

Quote from: JefO on 08 December, 2022, 12:41:23 pm
First picture post on here, can you see them??
Pics 1 & 4 yes. The others are on FB which is write only media.

Oh that is strange. As I didn't get any response for so long, I assumed that the pics were all working OK. So when I made my second post in this thread this afternoon, I happened to use FB as the source for all the posts there, and Jurek can obviously see them ok (or he is psychic!).

I also just get a blank space for pictures 2 & 3 in your first post but can see all the rest. If I right click on the blank space and select 'Open image in new tab' I just get a message on the new tab that says 'URL signature expired'. This is using Chrome on Win10 if that makes any difference.

Jurek · « **Reply #7 on:** 14 December, 2022, 07:10:23 pm »

Quote from: JefO on 14 December, 2022, 05:52:59 pm

Yes - I live at the bottom of Bread and Cheese Hill, and managed to do today's 26mile ride with only a mile of road.

Are you local?

No.
Londres Sud.
But I've ridden many a FNRTTC where we've stopped to admire the view of the castle from Tattersall Gardens.

JonBuoy · « **Reply #8 on:** 14 December, 2022, 07:26:38 pm »

Looking across the Soar valley from Charnwood on Saturday afternoon.

A similar view but showing my steed. Note how clean it is - most of the trails were still frozen

We stayed out just a bit too long on Sunday's ride in the same area and one of the bridleways was in the sun and turned into a complete slopfest

Wowbagger · « **Reply #9 on:** 14 December, 2022, 07:30:10 pm »

You've certainly gone to the right place for mud.

Prittlewell resident here.

JefO · « **Reply #10 on:** 14 December, 2022, 09:27:13 pm »

Thanks for the info and additional stories and photos...

The ride I did today included a section that has stopped me in my tracks previously... because it gets so boggy (had to walk to Richardsons to get a chain tool, so that I could ride single speed until I could get a rear derailleur hanger, I have carried that tool and two or three hangers on every ride since), the "0degC feels like -6degC" temperature today kept the mud at bay, and the ride was just a little soft in the worst area - just to the East of Hadleigh Castle (the side that Tattersall Gardens is on).

I will modify the original post with photos linked to Strava instead.

Keep it up chaps I love to see your scenery, bikes and stories.

Jef

Wowbagger · « **Reply #11 on:** 14 December, 2022, 09:32:54 pm »

How much bike lifting did you have to do?

In the summer, a couple of times I did a loop from my place, all the way along the Prittle Brook Greenway, through Belfairs Woods to Poors Lane, then to Hadleigh Castle and out towards the Olympic MTB complex, down through that past Benfleet station and then along the sea wall to Leigh. There's one kissing gate, shortly after the Barge Gladys, where I have to lift my bike over. It's a 30kg R & M behemoth, so I find it taxing, to say the least.

I wouldn't try that route unless there had been plenty of dry weather, though. Belfairs Woods become a quagmire in the winter.

JefO · « **Reply #12 on:** 14 December, 2022, 09:50:49 pm »

Haha, yes Wowbagger, I get a good upper body work out on all my MTB rides - and I only have a relatively light bike compared with your Reise and Mueller.

I love the Prittle Brook Green Way and I know how slick the Belfairs Woods tracks get, as I often use that too! Since the summer there is another kissing gate halfway along the Leigh to Benfleet seawall which we have to use now too (I think either the vehicle access gate was broken or the fence was in a state of disrepair enough to enable cycling through previously).

I had to Google FNRTTC (Friday Night Ride To The Coast)

Original post now converted to Strava links

Will have to do the same to the photos in the post from the ride today some time.

Cheers

Jef

JefO · « **Reply #13 on:** 16 December, 2022, 06:49:36 pm »

Same rider, different ride, same ride!

JonBuoy · « **Reply #14 on:** 16 December, 2022, 07:07:17 pm »

Just nipping into town this afternoon:

hatler · « **Reply #15 on:** 16 December, 2022, 07:16:02 pm »

South Downs, early morn on an FNRttC.

SDW again, but further west

Wowbagger · « **Reply #16 on:** 16 December, 2022, 07:56:28 pm »

Quote from: JefO on 16 December, 2022, 06:49:36 pm

Same rider, different ride, same ride!

Snap!

SoreTween · « **Reply #17 on:** 16 December, 2022, 08:58:46 pm »

Quote from: JefO on 14 December, 2022, 09:27:13 pm

I will modify the original post with photos linked to Strava instead.

Thank you, stunning pictures

JefO · « **Reply #18 on:** 16 December, 2022, 11:17:38 pm »

Thanks guys.

Some stunning pictures here now; keep up the great work!

Lovin the SDW shots Hatler!

Jef

hatler · « **Reply #19 on:** 16 December, 2022, 11:32:41 pm »

Thank you. There's a couple more.

Somewhere East of Lewes.

Sunrise on the move.

Early morning. Top of a hill somewhere

JefO · « **Reply #20 on:** 31 January, 2023, 10:51:36 pm »

So, yesterday, I started a mountain bike group... only me in it at the moment, but I plan to go out every Monday between 10am and 2pm and hope that others will join me when they have time.
Very tame MTBing.
So tame, I did yesterday on a Cyclo Cross bike.
To be fair, when I left home, I thought I had made "a very bad mistake.
Tyres too thin.
Gears too tall.
Clearances too tight.
Mudguards defo a naff idea."
But at the end of the ride I was thinking, "Well that was a blast!"
So here are some pics from a wonderful ride with more than 30 miles off road and less than 7 miles interconnecting them.

JefO · « **Reply #21 on:** 05 February, 2023, 09:35:28 pm »

alexb · « **Reply #22 on:** 21 February, 2023, 11:56:48 pm »

I used to live in Hockley, so your photos are making me distinctly homesick.
I would imagine that there are probably a few routes that would be ripe for re-exploration now.

Would you care to share some routes?

Sergeant Pluck · « **Reply #23 on:** 22 February, 2023, 08:49:23 am »

Lovely stuff JefO.

At weekends I am leaning more and more towards being off-road as much as feasible, although I am a bit mudphobic. A great antidote to my daily commute which often involves negotiating almost continuous queues of traffic.

Lightning Phil · « **Reply #24 on:** 22 February, 2023, 08:56:33 am »

Mud is great, used to love winter outings in the woods on the Panaracer trail rakers in 1.95”. Sadly my mtn bike frame died a few years back and I no longer have one in my stable. You just have to be sure to have a big bucket of water to get as much mud out the clothes before they go in the washing machine. Plus a portable bike washer.