Singletraction Forum

Due to the first Sunday falling on a bank holiday weekend for the second month in a row we are moving the dig to the 9th May.

The plan is to pick up from where we left off last time and get some more surface down on the descent line extension and also add a little more rock to bolster up a few corners etc.

Depending on how things progress we may try extend the dug trail and rock to join the existing line however it may be worth leaving this to allow the surface and trail to bed before people try rip it up.

Usual drill (kind of) meet at 9am (or whatever time you can make it) in the main car park or at the bottom of the descent line. As we are working from the bottom of the hill Ill be dropping tools off at Dob park and then parking up so if you don't see me in the car park I will be about somewhere.

We have a few barrows on site but if you have one you could bring I'm sure it will come in handy Ill have a car load of other tools and with what is planned I'm not sure we will need much of anything else but a spade always comes in handy.

Don't forget to bring food, water, gloves and decent boots etc

Roll call
Knacker
Cheeky
Moe
Wannabrew
Chase

Sorry can't make it I'll be at Ae for the Avalanche Enduro. I'll be wearing my SingletrAction jersey though.

Will be there.

There'll also be a free sachet of Fenwick's FS-1 Bike Cleaner for anyone pushing a barrow on the day. Courtesy of Zyro http://www.zyro.co.uk/home.aspx.

I will be there to lend a hand, anything for a freebie......

Count me in too

I'm workin' i'm afraid. I might be able to make it for 1:30 for a final push, and then ride...

In Cyprus, sorry.

Dont forget to invite Alex barrowing would be excellent training for him!

I'm in.

Trugs and watering cans might be an idea too to try and get the new stuff watered in.

Yeah id forgotten about that

After the Chevin Demo Day this is worth a recap;

• Not only will there be freebies of bike cleaner for everyone attending (see the HoTD on the day / at the end of your shift ),
• Any member attending will get an entry into the end of year draw for the Ragley Blue Pig frame, and
• There'll be a photographer on site looking to "get used to his equipment" and taking riding pictures.

Ivor (the photographer) will need a few riding subjects after lunch / early afternoon. Anyone keen just turn up with your bike and gear. When he arrives feel free to take off and "pose". He's particularly keen to master the workings of his big (and baby, I do mean BIG) lens getting shots of people riding quickly / downhill. Sounds like the Descent Line although he might like to try things out in low light on some of the Boulder trail sections.

It's worth our while diverting a few builders as we get the photos for free

It's all in preparation for Ivor photographing some of the Etape stages in the TdF this year (hence the desire to get "fast" shots in tricky light conditions).

Anyone up for it?

I have some trugs and a watering can. Was up at the woods yesterday (Bank Hol' Monday). PT riding fast. Surfaced section of Extensino seems OK though fairly dry, soft and loose. Few gaps to fill and lots of stone pitching to tighten up before surfacing but generally good following the last dig. Roll on Sunday

Got to depart at lunchtime to go to Valley Parade. There's a charity event on to mark 25 years since the fire.
Will be up there by 9am though to get on with whatever I can, but no afternoon posing for me this time i'm afraid.

I'm in Cyprus, sorry dudes.

Did you really have to tell us twice

For 8 nights!!! Woohoo! Much rather be digging...

i'm working i'm afraid, but i may be able to get there for 1:30 to lend some fresh arms for a final push...

Earlier today I bumped the post that I put on STW last week but it was hardly peak time. Could do with somebody contributing this evening without it just been another bump

Thanks to all that turned out and helped today we didn't get quite as much surfaced as last time but the push up the hill was longer and we did spend some time altering a few sections and doing some rock pitching/smashing.

Again please remember that while it has some surface down we have not been able to compact this and with the sun and wind its dried out very fast so any riding on the trail will cause serious damage and only further delay our efforts to complete the trail so please stay off!

Photos to follow

Thanks to:-

Knacker
Wannabrew
Chase
Moe
Cheeky
Oliver Nissen
Tristan Chadderton
Iain Robinson

For helping out at the dig today (applies to all STA digs/venues) all members above will get a ticket to go in the draw to win a Ragley blue pig frame.

Yep, fantastic effort by everyone that made it. Numbers were low but that was understandable given some of the regulars were racing or on other commitments, the sun was shinning and it was far nicer to be riding a bike than barrowing Unusual scenario where there were more barrows than builders at some times.

There were also free sachets of Fenwicks FS-1 Bike Cleaner (http://www.zyro.co.uk/brand/FENWICK-x0027-S/Cleaners-x0020--x0026--x0020-Degreasers/id/FEFS1SA6.aspx) for anyone that dug on the day. There's a box on the way up to Dalby for their Pump Track dig on 16 May too.

The push up the hill was pretty grim and getting longer as the day wore on. This necessitated "half-barrow" loads otherwise it was very hard to do the push in one go. Everyone took a break late midday and we sorted some of the rockwork and features out on the big corner. Photos to follow.

New favourite tool has to be Knacker's wrecking / demolition hammer. Picture an 8lb sledge with a twin head, one fairly typical hammer face and the other a blunt and shortened flat adze. Helped shape up some boulders quite nicely - eye protection a must! Bit of stone chisel and lump hammer work as well and I think we've opened up, improved the lines and flow in a number of spots.


Probably hardcored another 50 (?) metres but didn't pace it out. Also bolstered some of the thinner / narrower sections that were surfaced during the last dig.

We might get it finished with one more dig but am sceptical. There's the junction to be built and a whole heap of hardcore to be shifted to surface the big berm (the one Chris video'd in time-stop during its build.

Cheers especially to Tristan and Iain for dropping their bikes and doing a couple of hours barrowing, much appreciated. Plus Oliver and came back for more after his first session on teh AGM dig. Dave kept spirits up by being shocked and nervous at various banter throughout the day, including the Cheeky / Merino Sheep hybrid proposal.

Finished with a few PT laps and some did the red/black. PT was riding hard, fast and dusty. Really looking forward to the re-build / extension of that

Good stuff chaps.

Sorry couldn't make it, work...
but had a look today and some good progress been made, and as yet cheeky peeps haven't tried to ride it. the end is almost in sight (if you stand on a log on your tip toes it is in sight.)

While its dry/firm is there any plan to get the bulk of the hardcore further up the hill?

its a long way from the bottom now...

Unk