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Went out with the mudplugger Bizango I've been building up for a while.
Fitted a MaxxD and helmet mounted Diablo and very importantly mahoosive mudguards.
A solo ride as usual and first proper test of the Suntour suspension seat post. Bloody good by the way!
I was out for a few hours, just bimbling and generally remembering how much fun muddy rides can be. Also really enjoyed the night riding experience. A bit spooky at times but even just plodding along seems so much faster at night.
It was also great to get back not clattered in mud and wringing wet even though I was deliberately going through as many puddles as possible to test the mudguards out.
Bike pretty clean too, to the point of me just leaving what mud there is on it to dry and fall off in its own time. Drive train,ditto. Smoove seems to have worked well.
Anyway,a few pics. Nothing sensational and don't really capture the magic of riding the North Downs holloways at night... But still.
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Just gone sunset at this point. Stopped too take in the view over the Medway towards the Downs over Snodland way. I was already knackered anyway. So unfit it's not even funny.
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The first real bit of downhill. Nothing techy, just as well as I'm a sh*t rider by all accounts. Just had too look out for fallen branches and huge bits of flint hidden below the fallen leaves. I didn't know it yet but I had left one glove on the floor here after taking this pic! Enjoyed riding down this track so much I didn't even miss the glove till a mile or 2 later.
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Backtracked up the holloway later to get the glove and just take in the magic of the night in such a place. A little spooky, hard work pushing back up but so many little wonders to see whilst meandering up. Lots out yew trees which I love as they are so often associated with ancient sites and trackways. Loved it.
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The fungus on this branch almost looked like pure white flowers from a distance.
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Got to the top of the trail and remembered I had to look for the glove. Looked down and instantly saw it right next to my foot! Result.
The pics and riding can't compare to some of the epics you guys post but you have to find the magic and fun where you can, right?
Enjoy your own mini adventures over the weekend guys.
*looks for like button. Finds forum lacking.
If you'd have been further up north, no amount of huge mudguards would have helped. Looks like a fun night out!
Nay to the mudguards. Yay to night riding.
Having spent most of my MTB hours in the dark for the last 20 something years to fit around work and the kids.
Have benefitted from the massive incremental development of lighting technology. Not much else ticks that box.
Conscious that this year I’ve not done as much night riding, but with the loss of Chris (RIP Troutie) I will be charging my Troute lights and doing a bit more in the dark while we still can.
Awesome.!
Bikes are great!
Night riding is great but must end with a compulsory pub stop.
Great ride. Aren’t mudguards liberating! I’m a tart so couldn’t face putting big mudguards on my MTB so bought a cheap gravel bike and fitted full mudguards. It’s wonderful in current conditions. I was out yesterday and the trails were slurry, the wind was howling but I came back mostly clean as did the bike. It removes the biggest mental blocker to going out in the clart. Enjoy your rides.
Glad you enjoyed the ride but:
just bimbling and generally remembering how much fun muddy rides can be
I hate muddy rides!
Just getting out in grotty weather, especially at night on your own, really can feel quite life affirming, a bit spooky too at times :O
I have front and rear mudhuggers on both my bikes, it leaves me with more time to ride and less stuff to clean. 🙂
It removes the biggest mental blocker to going out in the clart. Enjoy your rides.
Spot on.
Got home,put bike in hall on a bit of tarp just in case and left it. Hummvee trousers will be worn again without even bothering to wash the few mud splashes off. Top in washing machine for stink reasons more than dirt then I'm straight in bath. And... Relax.
Without the guards this ride would have been a cold, wet chore to be honest....particularly knowing the cleaning routine I'd have been doing once I got home at 10pm....
I'm off again for a bimble again tonight. A 10'30ish set off time.
Weather not bad at all. No rain or wind, yes, no wind!
Bimbletastic.😁
Yep, set off at 10.30 or there abouts, got back at 3.30am.
Fun, creepy, many Blair Witch moments.... But I survived.
Epic ride? Hardly, just shy of 20 miles. I walked up quiet a few hills. Endlessly stopped for pics and to check where the heck I was on the phone, none of which accounts for the slow pace. I'm just ridiculously unfit, but loving every minute of being back on the bike. It's been too long.
I'll put a few very average pics up tomorrow.
But as an aside....within about 20 metres of my front door.... Just as I was almost home..... I rode through an EPIC orange dog turd. I only realised when I thought I could smell a kebab. Then the truth hit me. Words cannot express how p***** off this made me! I had to take a really unwanted detour down the road to a bit of grass to try and plough the crap off on the grass. If I'd have caught the dog's owner I would DEFINITELY have made a post about it on here....
Nighty night!
Blimey, out for 5 hours is a good stretch in the dark.
I did a 3 hour ride last night, which was enough for me.
Great that you are enjoying being out on the bike, and don't worry about speed or fitness, that will come with just getting out there.
extra kudos for the bar ends, snobs hate them but they are awesome for bimble-gnar
Is that first picture from the Blue Bell Hill picnic area? I was going to pop my first night ride cherry on Monday over Detling & Boxley (with Moon lights from last weeks PSA) but my son's scout plans got in the way. Fingers crossed for next week.
Rode through dog turd- what did you expect with your user name?
^^that looks like the benches on the left, on the way back down from Common Road towards Wouldham.
You must be fairly close to me Poopscoop