Lootch67
Race Dog
- Joined
- Jan 25, 2006
- Messages
- 1,310
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- South Ockendon, Essex, UK
- Bike
- Honda XRV 750 Africa Twin
I got myself a new phone which is supposed to have a kick-ass camera so I thought I go for a ride to test out the camera. There’s a field about 500m from my house where I ride from time to time. Strictly speaking it’s not legal but it seems that the cops are turning a blind eye to this. I was hoping that’s the case as I once had to outrun a cop here….
I rode here last week and it was still very wet but since it hasn’t rained for the last week or so and we even had the odd day of sweltering temperatures (14.5 degrees last week) the conditions were just right. Most of the time it was fairly dry but with the odd patch of slimy mud to keep you on your toes.
First area I played around had some gravel dumps which was fun though very taxing on the AT’s suspension.
AT ready for action
I played around on the dumps for a while as well as some other “hills” which run parallel to the road. They really are quite steep so it’s fun to ride up and down one and then immediately up and down the other. Just make sure you approach it on the right line otherwise you loose traction on the grass which makes it quite difficult to get to the top – see the track to the right of the main track..
This is the tricky one as it’s a bit higher and very steep.
At another corner is a dam with a track which runs through some woods. This stretch is always wet and always very slippery and the track has worn away quite badly in the middle which makes it difficult, if not impossible to bypass the water as you end up slipping into the middle anyway. I rode it last week and the bike got seriously dirty so I gave it a skip today.
My ContiEscapes keep on impressing me – not a bad footprint for a DS tyre.
AT playing hide and seek in the woods.
Still a handsome beast if you ask me.
Then it was on to the main field. This area used to have only a couple of single tracks like this. BTW, this photo was taken shortly after I got the bike in 2005. The abuse started immediately…..
Now it looks like a bit of waste land with all the bushes gone and huge parts of the grass too.
The guys with the plastic bikes did build some small ramps which is huge fun even with the AT. I had to stick to the smaller one today as I was worried that I might end up in the water. Just don't go for the one in the middle unless you carry enough speed to ramp over the ditch at the top..
Some more tracks. I was able to get up a decent speed on the open sections, but with the AT’s rear shock past it’s best and the ground still slippery in places I kept it down this time.
I played around in the muddy sections to test the ContiEscapes. They really did me proud though when they look like this…..
……the outcome is bound to be this.
Fortunately I managed to stay on top but it did get the juices flowing rather briskly.
After an hour of fooling around it was time to head home. Thought about washing the bike but decided to leave it till tomorrow – just in case I get another urge to go play.
I rode here last week and it was still very wet but since it hasn’t rained for the last week or so and we even had the odd day of sweltering temperatures (14.5 degrees last week) the conditions were just right. Most of the time it was fairly dry but with the odd patch of slimy mud to keep you on your toes.
First area I played around had some gravel dumps which was fun though very taxing on the AT’s suspension.
AT ready for action
I played around on the dumps for a while as well as some other “hills” which run parallel to the road. They really are quite steep so it’s fun to ride up and down one and then immediately up and down the other. Just make sure you approach it on the right line otherwise you loose traction on the grass which makes it quite difficult to get to the top – see the track to the right of the main track..
This is the tricky one as it’s a bit higher and very steep.
At another corner is a dam with a track which runs through some woods. This stretch is always wet and always very slippery and the track has worn away quite badly in the middle which makes it difficult, if not impossible to bypass the water as you end up slipping into the middle anyway. I rode it last week and the bike got seriously dirty so I gave it a skip today.
My ContiEscapes keep on impressing me – not a bad footprint for a DS tyre.
AT playing hide and seek in the woods.
Still a handsome beast if you ask me.
Then it was on to the main field. This area used to have only a couple of single tracks like this. BTW, this photo was taken shortly after I got the bike in 2005. The abuse started immediately…..
Now it looks like a bit of waste land with all the bushes gone and huge parts of the grass too.
The guys with the plastic bikes did build some small ramps which is huge fun even with the AT. I had to stick to the smaller one today as I was worried that I might end up in the water. Just don't go for the one in the middle unless you carry enough speed to ramp over the ditch at the top..
Some more tracks. I was able to get up a decent speed on the open sections, but with the AT’s rear shock past it’s best and the ground still slippery in places I kept it down this time.
I played around in the muddy sections to test the ContiEscapes. They really did me proud though when they look like this…..
……the outcome is bound to be this.
Fortunately I managed to stay on top but it did get the juices flowing rather briskly.
After an hour of fooling around it was time to head home. Thought about washing the bike but decided to leave it till tomorrow – just in case I get another urge to go play.
eepwall:
