So…my first trip to Maidstone on the new Blade was a roaring success (See Praise section)…so in my quest to clock up a couple of road miles… next on my list was Boxhill as I keep hearing so much about it on LB and the sun had its big hat on yesterday!I had no real idea how to get there so relied on my Tomtom…at one stage ended up riding around the same Roundabout at least 4 times…got hopelessly lost so decided to ask for directions at a roadside cafe. A nice lady told me to just carry on down the road…follow the windy road and it will be on the right. So off I ride feeling positive about finally finding Ryka’s.
Holy <insert every expletive you can think of here>!!!
I had no idea she had sent me on the ride from hell. I had now found myself (unbeknownst to me) on the very top of Boxhill itself…riding down a narrow…slippery…pot hole strewn …steep…road, surrounded by people hiking, biking, dogging (just put that in for comic effect…no dogging took place). Did I mention I have a terrible fear of heights? I stupidly looked left to look at the view and immediately felt dizzy. So for the rest of the way down…mostly freewheelling…I keep my eyes firmly affixed to the road ahead of me…holding my breath the entire way down.
OMG…what a relief to finally reach Ryka’s!
Can’t comment on the grub…as i only had coffee…was feeling a little nauseous. :sick: The ladies toilet (always an important point for me) was a single huge disabled loo…not the cleanest but it was okay I guess…with about two squares of loo paper left in it.The atmosphere was relaxed…with a plethera of bikes…trials, enduro, road, 3 wheel etc and a couple of suped up cars too.
Overall would do it again…but took the flatter…faster easy route home!
Here are some pics…mine’s the black, white and silver Blade…lmao at the Playboy bike…bling bling!!..Anyone recognise themselves? :DP.S. If you own a KTM or something similar the ride back up what I now call the “Hill of death!!!” (said with my best OTT Jeremy Clarkson accent) will probably be a blast!
:hehe: they don’t call it “Zig Zag Road” for nothing y’know I love riding on that, but uphill is much more fun than downhill on a torquey bike like my Bandit 1250 Not sure what it would be like on a 'Blade though :ermm: (nice bike BTW; I would certainly get one of those if I had my own personal racetrack to use it on :hehe: )Zig Zag Road is part of the London 2012 cycle route BTW - 2 laps for the ladies, 9 laps for the men :w00t: Sooner them than me :hehe:
On my way down I saw a guy riding up the hill going slower than a snail on crutches… with a kid on the back of his bicycle! He looked like he was about to bust a gut!
been going to boxhill for past two years perving at bikes, tis better on a sunday. I go mountain biking up there too, certainly gets the fitness up!!!
I have spoken to the owner of that 6 cylinder honda before, fireblade seat and swingarm, new hornet (i think) front end and has rear facing camera/screen too!!! cool bike and sounds lovely.
with any luck next sunday will be first ride up there on my bike
serious presence from the front doesn’t it!!! Was also speaking to a guy running a burger van nr walton on thames and he was saying he has a similar bike (6cyl honda engine) that has loads of race spec bits in and revs to 10k RPM!!! bet its a monster!!!
I was there at 12, and then again shortly after 3. Rykas was busier today than I have ever seen it.
BTW, you are not alone. I normally ride down the back passage (AKA Lodge Bottom Road) to get from the other side of Box Hill, but the other week I missed a turning and having ridden up the Zig Zag Road thought I would carry on over the top and down through the bends. It was a horrible ride!
:laugh: haha, as soon as she mentioned great views and few other things i knew straight away main poster was talking about zig zag route, love that road too! i don’t actually know how to get to box hill the normal way, the way everyone else seems to come in. love those views, don’t care if going up or down, amazing stretch of road
I love riding on that, but uphill is much more fun than downhill on a torquey bike like my Bandit 1250 
Not sure what it would be like on a 'Blade though :ermm: (nice bike BTW; I would certainly get one of those if I had my own personal racetrack to use it on :hehe: )Zig Zag Road is part of the 
