Might actually go for a mtb ride today

Both of my mountain bikes are still caked in 2023 dirt and haven’t turned a wheel since at least August when my son was born. I’ve been out on a handful of road / gravel rides but I’m missing the feeling of real (dry-ish) dirt under tyres.

I hope you have an excellent day out.

Just got to strip and overhaul an spd pedal that turns stiffly and slap a new front mech cable in and adjust the gears

If I'm struggling to motivate myself I do this kind of stuff the evening before so I've got not excuses or delays when it's time to go.

I last rode my MTB in 2021.  Definitely going to get out at some point!

If I’m struggling to motivate myself I do this kind of stuff the evening before so I’ve got not excuses or delays when it’s time to go.

Well I did consider that but Friday night meant collapsed with some beers and loud music followed by watching Snatch on netflix

I hope you have an excellent day out.

Ta, just got to get out of this dressing gown.....

Both of my mountain bikes are still caked in 2023 dirt and haven’t turned a wheel since at least August when my son was born. 

Can relate to that, I used to swim 12.5km each week, every week for years until son 1 was born. I still have my trunks from 2008 just in case but haven't been near a pool since. something about nappies and exhaustion etc!

I last rode my MTB in 2021.  Definitely going to get out at some point!

Have you gone to the dark side?? (curly bars, aero, watts, lycra etc)

trying to summon the energy but looking at this forecast does not help 🙁

oh look its raining

trying to summon the energy but looking at this forecast does not help

yeah exactly that's why its today or not at all!

The wind out there is ferocious (and also bloody cold). I did a short MTB loop yesterday afternoon and was climbing into this howling easterly, then trying to tack across it over a bleak and exposed bit of moorland. Absolutely hate easterly winds, it just ruins pretty much all the routes around here.

Really struggled with the rain and slop, so have dusted off the road/gravel bike. Not as fun as MTB but nice to get out and blow the cobwebs away.

I've not MTBd since yesterday, just waiting for mate to arrive, sun is out, bike ready

It's so dark here the street lights have only just switched off. It's pissing down and I'm home alone with a 2 year old. I just hope I survive the weekend.

The wind out there is ferocious (and also bloody cold).

Same here, steely grey skies, blasting easterlies, rain in the air, where has the spring gone????

I want it now! Fed up with the winter dragging on and on and on and on...

The forecast lied, raining now and cold, dog will need long walk at lunchtime, son 1 needs lift back from football.....

maybe next weekend then?

Yep, forecast sunny, bike out of the shed last night (with some December mud in the treads), up early-ish, gear on, went to put the bike outside 8.30 and yes it's started fockin raining, and it's still fockin raining..... might have to swap the cranks on the zwift bike....

Not ridden much offroad this year due to the rain. Its just too boggy on anything other than gravel paths. If spring/summer are not dry then the mtb's will be sold and I'll stick to the gravel bike.

Luckily Surrey, while not exactly mountainous, does have a lot of sandy trails that improve with rain, but sooner or later you hit the glop, which is difficult to actually just walk on.

My list of chores are mounting up (1hr round trip to collect a ladder, Lidl run, need to go to frikken Haslemere to pick some bills up) to add to the dog walk, son etc

But Ive just looked at the 2 week forecast and its today or probably not at all

I've only been out for one MTB ride (on my Rigid MTB) since NYE otherwise it's been road/gravel/zwift for the last two months, but I've got a day booked at BPW with a bunch of us next week, I'm very rusty and seem to have a mild cold coming on and an achy neck somehow.

To top it all off, I'd not realised but mother's 'day' is apparently a 48 hour event which requires me to give up most of my weekend (yet again).

Today would be great to get out on the MTB and blow the cobwebs off, but I don't reckon it's going to happen. Enjoy your rides those of you who are able...

Enjoy your rides those of you who are able…

I went out on the road bike. Slogged along into the wind, got most of the way up the hill out of the valley and realised that in the faff of leaving the house I'd forgotten all my tools and spares. Epic fail.

All I had was my phone and waterproof. There'd been a string of messages this morning so while dealing with all that I'd remembered the phone but nothing else. So I turned and rode back home, bombed along the road with a nice tailwind thinking that I'd get my pump etc and go back out but then I couldn't face the outward trip into the cold wind again.

🙄

Weather-forecasty man on the telly last night was describing the Helm Wind phenomenon, so those of you in and around the Pennines with an easterly hoolie outside can at least blame that. The UKs only 'named wind', apparently.

Weather-forecasty man on the telly last night was describing the Helm Wind phenomenon, so those of you in and around the Pennines with an easterly hoolie outside can at least blame that.

That'll be me then. I was considering a road bike loop as I've been out on the mountain bike twice this week (the joys of WFH), making the most of the rare sunshine. I just opened the front door though and its blowing an absolute hooley and its bloody freezing!

Not ridden this year either. But also rehabing a torn rotator cuff so I might ride soon, but it will be a v light pootle. Anyway, cut the grass and now going to fix the rainwater butt linked system thing to keep the pond topped up. Then, woohoo, a tip run.

Awesome.

@Yak - feel your pain. Literally. I tore my rotator cuff a few years back. It went mid-ride. I was off the bike for months but if you keeep the physio up I got full movement back in mine and its now only as knackered as the rest of my body. I got full movement back in it, but I know not everyone does. The physio was clearly worth doing

Yeah it's a bit rubbish, but I am sticking to the physio exercises and seeing the physio every week or 2 weeks. It's not that bad now and movement is ok, but jarring shocks aren't good.

Good to hear yours got fully better.

I had a painful rotator cuff last year, think I got it from throwing the ball for the dog. Luckily didn't affect riding but I couldn't lift my arm above horizontal. Now I've got resistance bands to add to the small pile of exercise eqpt I never use

Well ride ain't happening, just realised I threaded the new chain wrong through the derailleur so going to have to break the pin link which now doesn't want to come out, and redo.

Most exciting part of the day is going to be buying a new ladder :-/

wait a minute

Have I just spent the last hour trying to connect up an oldskool chain with Shimano connector pins designed for a narrow one? They coulda written Narrow on the packet as some sort of sign.

^&%@#%^&^&*% *&(#*(&(*&@ ^&*(@$s

Well ride ain’t happening, just realised I threaded the new chain wrong through the derailleur so going to have to break the pin link which now doesn’t want to come out, and redo.

Just take one of the jockey wheels out and move the chain to the correct position then put your helmet and shoes* on and start pedaling.

Sounds like you're looking for excuses to not ride.☹️

* Other clothes may also be advisable.

Actually managed to get out on the bike this morning before work, first time in weeks as it’s been horrifically wet around here recently.
The trails are starting to dry out a bit, just a shame we’re forecast rain for tomorrow.
The wild garlic is well on it’s way, before you know it it’ll be the bluebells and the warmer weather.

I've made a point of getting out more this year. Once a week generally and a run or two as well. Fitness feels like it's heading on the right direction.

You're a long time dead and all that crack.

I am driven to get out more, I almost have no choice, committed to an epic ride in June and if I don't get my arse on Rouvy or out in the mud and real world (rain included) I will suffer - done wonders for the first 10 metre motivation.

Once you crack the first ten metres it is easy, so I now scheme to reduce the distance with prep and friction removal.

I've had three rouvy rides and one long outside one (yep with a rain shower to start, and mud, and wind) and a huge grin.  Tomorrow back on rouvy, nowhere near as fun but easy to do the first ten metres.

James

Just take one of the jockey wheels out and move the chain to the correct position then put 

Well I thought about trying to take the jockey off but it wouldn;t have helped, chain was wrong side of the metal tang in the cage. Duh.

I had to go pick up a ladder in the next county and do the Lidl run so not enough time. Bike is back together, gears adjusted and seem to be shifting but not done a test ride. New front gear cable, rear wheel, 3 chainrings, cassette, chain, NOS XT front mech, NOS original chunky XT skewers.

Not looking for excuses not to ride, I just don't do rain these days. Happy with mud as its a winter bike, don't mind minus C, but rain can do one.

I thought this was going to about that cold, strong, North Easterly wind we've had today. It was brutal!

Best thing to do IMO to avoid procrastination, is to prep everything the night before. Have your bike good to go, your riding kit laid out, even have your snack and water bottle good to go. You then just need to roll out of bed, get dressed, have a bite to eat and then ride....

Rain always looks worse from indoors, it seriously isn't that bad. Living in Cumbria and only riding/running on dry days would seriously limit my outdoors time.

Wind is shit for most riding, but unless it's sketchy I'd still head out.

Well I thought about trying to take the jockey off but it wouldn;t have helped, chain was wrong side of the metal tang in the cage. Duh.

Slacken off the other bolt and push the legs in opposite directions.
Nice big gap to re route the chain.

You're still looking for excuses* which is fine but that can only change with you.

*Been there myself and have re written and re-read the book many times.
Ride or don't ride.
Typing shit on here won't help you to get out .

Managed to get out for a brief trip for the second time since daughter arrived in Jan. Really wet and slow

Very much feeling it now so suspect the next trip may be a while off!

Last time my mtb was used was back in October in Finale. Still caked in mud.

Both of my mountain bikes are still caked in 2023 dirt and haven’t turned a wheel since at least August when my son was born.

Number of mates who I've either lost to childbirth or have ballooned since the arrival of said kid is saddening.

#childfree, but still a lazy bastid, albeit out of choice.

Well I went to Dalby off piste today. Thought it was going to be shit on the trails (it wasn't).

Thought it was going to rain (it didn't)

Had a great time 👍👍👍👍

Just stop moaning.

If it's wet and you don't like riding in the wet (I don't) then just go on a run or a walk or something. It's nearly as good.

Catalogue of events meant I couldn't really find the time to ride today (a bit less procrastinating at one point may have let me squeeze a short one in). I wish I'd found the time as it was half decent weather. Going to be bloody miserable weather tomorrow.

I'm getting angsty if I don't get out at least once a week at the moment and it doesn't look like it's happening this week.

Wet weather usually calls for the ebike and drysuit - but that depends on me getting my arse out of bed and fixing a puncture before I go. Enthusiasm may dwindle

Well Sunday is another day.

Surprise, surprise it's cold, dark and absolutely pissing down.

Another day stuck in the house then back to work all week.

not exactly inviting weather here this morning either 😕

plus Mother's Day duties beckon, so me spodding off on the bike is not really an option

Just got to strip and overhaul an spd pedal that turns stiffly and slap a new front mech cable in and adjust the gears

Front mech, what year do you live in? 😉

Rode the Golfie yesterday, apart from the baltic wind on top it was good with pretty much every trail, except Underdog, dry.

I'd have preferred it the other way around, with Underdog dry 🙂

Bar a couple of boggy patches, the loop I did in the Peak District on Friday was surprisingly dry.
Went for a short walk this morning and the overnight rain (still continuing now) means everything is back to being liquid gritty mud. 🙁

Front mech, what year do you live in? 😉

I'd miss that grinding sound from chain on mech as it churns through gritty slop, keepin it retro. Was glad of granny cog+big ring when the going got gradient-y, definitely a more spinny ratio than those new fangled jobs

New drive train nicely christened. Steady drizzle was quite pleasant for cooling down, just a thin base layer needed.

slop

glop

gloop