Ballinastoe - Wednesday.

[Conor]

I'm heading up to Ballinastoe tommorow evening for a lap or two. Aiming to be there around 5-45pm....ish. Kicking of at 6, finishing when the sun goes down, maybe 7-45. Bring a light just in case though.


Let me know if your coming so I can wait. 087 2939837

[Conor]

I cant make tonight. Stuck min work and I'm up at 5 am tomorow!! Sorry for the short notice.

[Oisin]

Anyone want to head up there tomorrow night (Thursday) instead for a few laps? Meeting there at about 7 or 7:30pm would suit me best.

[Fergal]

hey Oisin,

I'll try make it out for 7:30 - I'll see if Steve wants to head out too...

[Fergal]

ah crap - turns out certain sections are closed - dunno which sections are affected though....

[Oisin]

Ok well we could change venue to somewhere else. A few laps of the Leadmines? Although you're probably sick of that place after all your secret training ;-)

[Fergal]

ooh - I've been rumbled!

yeah, I'm not fussy - 3rock is probably still a bit too wet, Leadmines is good for me - the epic lads have done a good job of smoothing out that new section which was very humpy - you can fly thru it now....

[Karl]

I was up there last night (hope you enjoyed the turbo trainer Conor :-).

It's just the top section thats closed - the trail that starts after the stile. For some reason it's only taped off half way down the trail, then again at the bottom where it comes out onto the fireroad. Still rideable apparently...

[Oisin]

Your call Fergal - I'd be happy with either the Leadmines or Ballinastoe. Both take me roughly the same time to get there.

[Fergal]

ok, I'll opt for the Leadmines as B'stoe is a much longer drive for me - meet at Palmers @7:30 - everyone else most welcome to come along - we'll have an easy spin on the road up to the forest - then it'll be bate-around at your own speed type laps and when we've had enough we'll head home over the scalp

[Scrivo]

Wont be around for this one unfortuanately. Orals are closing in on me... Was up 3 rock yesterday afternoon. Was dry enough everwhere but the Boneshaker has become VERY difficult to ride. The middle section has deep ruts from water running down it presumably. They are very good at catching your front wheel and stopping you. Felt like an achievement just getting down the thing!!

[mel]

Yeah - I rode up on 3 Rock yesterday too - beautiful warm weather, but some rocky trails have become even more washed out, especially the end part of that trail that leads right from just before the climb up to FairyCastle down to the fireroad between kilmashogue and 3Rock is like a gorge now!


The climb up to FairyCastle is also a bit more rocky and washed out.

[Ash]

Phew, so it wasn't just my imagination, it is getting harder!!


I went down the boneshaker yesterday evening too and was getting a little annoyed with myself that I couldn't ride things I'd riden before...all the usuall technical bits seemed even harder and more gorge like. I was blaming my general bad riding and the impending darkness cos I hadn't riden the boneshaker in the dusk/dark before...I did have my night lights,before you ask :o)


Erosion is getting pretty bad on some if the bigger trails in 3 Rock these days, there must be something that can be done to stop it.

[Fergal]

nope - that's just Mother Natures cycle-of-deadliness which provides us intrepid MTBers with new and more difficult technical challenges for us every year!

Gully-gosh!!

[Ash]

Ah, Mother Natures cunning plan to make us all improve, I like it :o)

[Fergal]

wow - that was a great spin up the 'Mines

just myself and Oisin - and him bating along on the monster bike, I bet Luke doesn't train on a 6" freerider...

all around the EPIC club course a few times, and around the back by the boxing ring, all very off-cambery rooty and fun, then around the back again to take a shot on the new trail we spied - very nice, VERY dangerous at the start, it's a full-armour baby, scary, and then a blast over the scalp and down the descent - felt like a mid-summers evening - great stuff, ye should have come along....