France July 2006

AKA Trail Riding Heaven!

By  Ian Roscow (TRiK Web Master)
17^th July 2006

Day Two was the first day to do some trail riding (or enduro riding as the locals call it). The weather was about perfect as we set off...

The team of eight were joined by local riders Martin, Darren and our guide, Bertrand.

We started to take on the French way of rushing and, well, sat down again while we waited for the others to arrive!

We really must get ready...

Chris decides to check his pants are the right colour first...

Aha, or should that be Bonjour! Bertrand turns up, so let's have another coffee.

We're off! And straight into the first faller - John and Serow part company in a small, wet gully (well, small for us, enormous for John!). So that's our duck broken and the rest can breath easy knowing that they're not the first to go. John, as usual, keeps on smiling! That's him in the undergrowth.

Some easy trails first to get us back into action again. Here's Carlton on his DRZ.

And here's Francis on his XR400.

John on his Serow.

And here's Cliff on his trusty old TS250.

Chris tests the undergrowth for bounce factor!

As does Carlton a little later.

A few helping hands and the DRZ is soon extracted.

Time for a coffee break...

Here is Darren, Bertrand and Martin wondering what they let themselves in for! As the pace wound up so were we...

A quick break and Carlton does some more undergrowth testing. Keen horticulturist...

Martin did a great job of keeping the flock of riders together, riding his old DR350.

There was some great naggery stuff to ride - really challenging, but not actually life threatening. Here Dave descends a rocky slope on his KTM450 while Bertrand keeps a watching eye on things.

Don't the trails look fantastic?

Carlton checks out some long grass for size!

Not sure of the meaning of the wooden crosses on this hill...

Voila, a fallen tree to contend with!

Around we go...

A Picture is worth a Thousand Words......

A Picture is worth a Thousand Words...

Merde, another fallen tree!

And then a puddle takes Francis out!

Dave took a tumble in some grassy ruts.

His shoulder was badly thumped and made it hard for him to ride.

Down we go...

Francis does it with style.

I just do it and try not to fall off (too much).

The temperature was rising (around 30C now) and that on its own was quite debilitating - add in some excellent trail riding and it almost became too much at times for us frail Englishmen!

Sometimes the tracks were hard to find.

Some hills were trickier than others.

Oops.

Chris makes it look easy!

What a great ride so far!

We find a big playground!

This slope fried Cliff's Suzuki's clutch... it went down (and then up) a long, long way.

Cliff takes on the BIG slope.

Half way rest stop...

Amazing how pictures can lose the drama of the moment - this was Cliff cresting what must have been a 400 yard 45 degree hill!!

Cliff takes another rest stop...

Quick bit of bike maintenance.

Right, time to get down to some serious relaxation - bbq, wine and beer and french bread, mixed in with a great collection of French, English and Irish locals!!

It was World Cup day, and France were in the final, so it'd be rude not to watch it and support the locals, who came round to watch it on Sky!

Vive Le France!!!