[Closed] Monday Morning Debrief No. 26 - What did you do?

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This. It was fantastic.

I eschewed my "normal" road club ride for 2 MTB rides this weekend. The first was great, I really enjoyed some stunning and fast forest singletrack.

The second (probably due to psychology) was ridden in a lackadaisical fashion and ended with broken spokes.

Its good to be back on the MTB's though.

Mountain biking in mountains

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A bit of hidden singletrack finding

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and getting out of my depth

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And then Fort William on Sunday
Not too shabby a weekend actually.

Hours in car: 14.
Grumpy children: 3.
70th Birthday parties: 1.
Hours on bike: 0.5
🙁

[url= http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/drps-three-generation-cycle-tour-we-survived-well-it-was-only-1-night ]Bikes, tents, kids, granddads..[/url]
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DrP

Swinley Red and Blue 🙂

Bristol Bike Fest 🙂 Had a great day apart from a mate head butting a tree (but he's ok now)

106km road ride.

Included having abuse shouted by car passengers (no road conflict just random abuse), hitting the deck after clipping a traffic island and my ride partner being crapped on by a bird.

Couple of hours round Marple and Mellor at 7am on Saturday before going to some festival for kids and stuff with my niece.

About 20miles and 2000ft (the bike ride, not my niece).

Saturday - dicked about at Swinley on the Pitch - 28 miles

Sunday - Cafe'n'back ride on the road - 50 miles

Monday - commuted in by bike, pedal siezed (guess which brand!) - 6 miles

Stuck in PH nigeria so

10 miles on an exercise bike in the gym

10kms running round the 2.5km loop on the perimeter of the base in +30 & 100% humidity.

watched the F1 :D#

while me mates did the deeside lass 600k audax 🙁

Friday through to Saturday I rode 250 miles on the road for "charidee"... that was enough. Quite tired now 😉

[url= http://www.justgiving.com/bikehyms/ ]http://www.justgiving.com/bikehyms/[/url]

I did this, the Folding Bike Race at Raphas London Nocture.
It was hilarious... I then proceeded to drink lots of Real Ale with mates. 😉

[img][url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5328/9005379428_92a71a119f.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5328/9005379428_92a71a119f.jp g"/> [/img][/url] [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/65239715@N05/9005379428/ ]image[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/65239715@N05/ ]bikebouy[/url], on Flickr[/img]

3 rides over 48hrs covering about 150km. A return to busy biking weekends for the first time in ages. Got proper shakey fear over the back of Limecraig at Aberfoyle on Friday evening. Dry trails all the way Saturday - lots of bluebells. Bit of aerial photograph inspired exploring on Sunday.

Got road abuse as well, usual get off the... cyclists... Really some people need to understand they're not a demon (driver) it's bad sun burn.

Surrey Hill Saturday, was led round some new (to me) single track and had a stop at peas lake that's always worth the effort of the climb back up. 24 miles / 890m climbing.

Sunday - my wife's school year had a reunion based around a cricket match which I guested at. First game for about 7 years, I kept wicket (one catch, no byes, one decent stumping appeal but umpire had dropped off), and then made 26 with the bat before being sawn off lbw

Monday - can hardly move but I have 2 fir trees to dig out. Nurofen and co-codamol will see me through.

Did my 2 Woods and a Hill ride.

1 of the 2 woods is still boggy in places but was a fun 34km overall.

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Race time for my son's:
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I managed two solid training sessions of 50km and 45km, riding some brilliant dry and rocky trails.

Hebden Bridge to Oxenhope loop in gorgeous sunshine.

Awesome ride with great company

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After spending the entire week cooped up in an office looking forward to riding Cut Gate when it was dry, I got to Cranberry Clough and snapped my rear mech hanger.

Then I pushed the 6 miles back to the car with a sad face 🙁

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Meh. Was ok s'uppose. 😉

Spent all of Saturday in hospital with Mini D. Had a respiratory problem 🙁 all OK now tho..was supposed to be heading to FoD

Spent the weekend under the Syncro - exhaust install completed, sump removed, gasket installed, sump refitted, all fluids replaced, fired up - sump has a small hole weeping oil - ARSE!

Sunday - stripped it all again, grabbed sump off spare engine, wet through whole process again. Replaced all fluids again, water pouring out of a front to back pipe - ARSE II, circlip given up, replaced refilled water.
Finally at 6pm took for a spin.

Now have an 8 seater, 4x4, 100mph kettle - boiled over, so the next game is chase the airlock.

Did manage to clean the camper inside and fit new curtains (one missing, ARSE III) contacted curtain company, making and sending today.

Did stroke the bike twice as I walked past it adn in a fit of pique ordered new bar ends, saddle and cranks for the greenmachine.

I AM going out for a ride tonight, no matter what happens

nice pics trailofdestruction. 🙂 Where?

For me, saturday was 90km over the Penines to Caldbeck. Spend 11 hours sanding floorboards, then ride home again. Hartside Pass twice in one day. Long day.

Sunday was all about my son's 5th birthday (today). Spent the day at a friends eating bbq meat, drinking beer in the sunshione while the kids played. Great weekend.

Today, son #1 got his new bike. Happy. 🙂

trailofdestruction - is that hole in the wall the "hole in the wall" trail at Grizedale?

I kept it local so I could be back in time to work and watch the World Cup live online. Great Hill and Healy Nab.
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Chevy Chase enduro on the Isle of Widget on sat, 5 laps (would have been 6 had I not punctured and discovered my spare was already requiring repairs 😳 )
Good laugh and the beers and burger after was much enjoyed.

Then sat on Cowes seafront yesterday eating chips in lovely warm sunshine and had a barbie last night.

Big loop round Grizedale, Far Sawrey, over 3 tarns to Claife, down into Hawkshead, back round the NFT to the visitors center, back up to the top of Parkamoor, where I meet all of the Wollybacks crews *waves at Wollybacks*, and then back over into the forest and down Moor Lane to Satterthwaite.

Would have gone down Parkamoor to Nibthwaite, and then back up the road and over the top, but I had 5 punctures, so ran out of time to do a bigger loop. Still not beaten my record of 7 punctures on one ride 😳

EDIT : trailofdestruction - is that hole in the wall the "hole in the wall" trail at Grizedale?

Indeed, keeps you on your toes. Me likey.

After being at the Fujimi MTB Park in Japan the week before this weekend was a little bit of an anti-climax, did go out and test my new Widgit chain ring up some mountain as I just went to 1x10, result = I need to work on my leg muscles....
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The reward though was a nice bacon and egg bap at the other side, needed it to give me the energy to 'hike a bike' back up, not easy when the temperature hits 30 and theres 90% humidity!

Did Bowderdale Classic on Saturday. Weirdly, enjoyed it less than I thought I would - up to the Calf was fine, but the 'best natural singletrack descent in the country' not feeling quite as fine as expected, washed out in a few spots, still boggy and muddy in places, perhaps I was expecting too much. Bit of wandering around a featureless field and abuse from motorist too.

It's possible that it being the fifth ride in seven days and feeling just a little too knackered was the source of my negativity.

Little bit of local exploration by bike on Saturday. Very pleasant.
Kid had a footy tournament on Sunday
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(knocked out in the semi-finals 🙁 )

Spent Sunday at Wharncliffe. Last time I saw it as dry I fell off and bust my shoulder

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FoD/Yat - 55ks of superb trails with nearly 20 (TWENTY - unheard of numbers, although mate's birthday and Cake had been promised in the pub afterwards...) riders. I love those trails - some build by the boys and girls from Dirt Mag - and they are in uber-buff condition.

Finish ride, collect cold beer, eat grilled dead pig of the BBQ. Worse thing about this weekend was it finished on Sunday night and I had to come to work 🙁

Some great pics up there ^^^ I forgot to take any.

Nowt this weekend due to having man flu, so sat about all weekend and watched loads of rugby whilst feeling poo. Also grumpy because my new frame hadn't arrived in the county to pick up on Saturday.

Decided to ride the local Wirral Way on Saturday, dodging prams, scallies, dogs on the cycle path in Seacombe.

Then on Sunday left a little late for a trip to Llandegla.

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Just need to wash the bike ready for a few midweek rides planned.

Went to the world cup event at Fort William is was awesome excellent riders and weather was fantastic.

45 miles round local woodlands in preparation for an event next weekend

Friday night 'camping' in my mums back garden with our three year old, William.
Saturday beach.
Sunday AM 105 miles on the roads around Northumberland.
Sunday PM, picnic with family, then an Ice cream watching planes land at the airport with William.
Sunday Night, raised a few glasses of Malt to Iain Banks

All in all a lovely weekend.

Mrs Mugsy won the women's scratch in the Granite Mont Lozére on Saturday whilst I played with les enfants terribles including Etienne catching 2 trout down at the fishing club's gala.

Yesterday I raced a local race known as the triptyque du Fontanil here near Grenoble. Comprising a 2.5km prologue, a mass start by category 600m hill climb over 6.5km, then a 40km road race.

I'm super happy as it was the first road race where I've finished in the peloton. I even managed a solo breakaway for about a lap. Let the peloton reel me in after I got a bit scared and the headwind on the back straight was too hard alone.

To top it off returned home and we all ate Etiennes trouts.
i.e. a great weekend!

Bit of the Badenoch way on Saturday morning and then around Loch Morlich in the afternoon - 3 year old did the whole thing on his balance bike 😀

Around Rothiemurchus on Sunday with the kids - pebble skimming at Cairngorm footbridge. Glorious.

Entered and finished the Wicklow 200 on a Alfine Pompino.

Not particularly fast (10.5 hours), but it’s 1900m of climbing and a big step up from my previous 80km record (200km/125miles).

Really, really chuffed with myself and not in a bad state today.

An hour a day on the exercise bike at maximum resistance looking at the grey wall of the gym. 3 weeks offshore & another 2 to go doing 12 hours a day 7 days a week.

You've no idea how much I am looking forward to my 5 day / night camping / riding / solitude trip to Edale when I get back!!

Glad to read / see what everyones up to & that you're all making the most of it. Keep it up & save me some good weather for when I get back; I have my heart set on a dry, dusty, sunny traverse of Cut Gate followed by a few pints in the sun at the Ladybower Inn...

😉

Saturday, a very warm lap of glentress black with extra bits. Yesterday, ridiculously dry and dusty uplifting at Innerleithen. 3 weeks ago I was complaining that it was snowing, now I'm complaining it's too sunny! Normally hardpack trails becoming scree slopes.

Not as much bike as I'd have liked but did get a quick blast around Swinley in the sun. It started bizarrely with a crazy guest at a wedding going mental at me in a strange roadrage incident because he had to reverse 30 yds to let me (and the 3 cars behind me) past a load of (other guests at the wedding's) parked cars! Properly out of his car ranting lunatic running up the road behind me 🙄

But then it got better as I nailed two more of the doubles on the downhill section called Double Up on the red. 4 down, 1 more is doable I reckon 😆 Beautiful day too and hardly anyone on the trails.

Saturday, I rode the Velodrome at Newport

Sunday, rode from Swindon to Newport on NCN 4/41/42 lovely CX'ish ride through avon Gorge etc.. Train home, seat to myself as I stank.

Why does Newport have this strange attraction? Must come from living in Swindon?

Road biking both days and a quick ride of my new hardtail locally on sunday evening 🙂

Built this up and went around Follow the Dog a few times to make sure it would hold together for Mayhem next week. Absolutely loving it.

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Stem feels a bit long and front a bit too high, but it's near enough. Doesn't look too silly given it's an XXL, should see the state of my 26ers. Slaughtered all my old Strava times at what felt like gentle pootle speed.

Alarm at 4:40am on Saturday - Woke up family.

40k road ride

Back for espresso and jam on toast by 7:00am. Knocked large empty metal bucket off wall - Woke up family again.

Top ride. Was in the doghouse until about 9:30. Was worth it.

Ride around that London on single speed - not something I normally do but it made me ride at a different pace than normal and was able to see much more

Friday...

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8308384@N06/8984966928/ ]The First Blackawton, Dittisham, Bowden Axis Beach Barbie of 2013 :-)[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/8308384@N06/ ]Slugwash[/url], on Flickr

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8308384@N06/8980865411/ ]The Old Abu Fish Smoker About to See Some Action....[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/8308384@N06/ ]Slugwash[/url], on Flickr

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8308384@N06/8980875045/ ]Also on the Menu[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/8308384@N06/ ]Slugwash[/url], on Flickr

Saturday & Sunday.....

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/53513185@N07/8999230054/ ]011[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/53513185@N07/ ]Shinythings2[/url], on Flickr

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8308384@N06/9004616884/ ]Looking Towards Redlake From the Avon Dam[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/8308384@N06/ ]Slugwash[/url], on Flickr

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8308384@N06/9004604918/ ]Dartmoor Breakfast[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/8308384@N06/ ]Slugwash[/url], on Flickr

[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8412/9004598088_5cb71a5e8e_z.jp g" target="_blank">http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8412/9004598088_5cb71a5e8e_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8308384@N06/9004598088/ ]Jim's Posse[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/8308384@N06/ ]Slugwash[/url], on Flickr

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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/8308384@N06/9004594702/ ]Cally & Loz Leaving Dartmoor[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/8308384@N06/ ]Slugwash[/url], on Flickr

Finished mid-field in the IG Nocturn Track Bike Race. At least bikebouy had brakes and could coast through the bends. One of our club said there were "goings on" at the Le Mans start of the folding race.

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And a nice beer afterwards to watch the pros.

Swinley on Sat am - first time on the red
Son's football club 'fun day' on Sunday - freezing cold, lost 3 out of 4 games = not actually a lot of fun for anyone!

A gloriously sunny charity bike ride that started and finished at the Beer Hall in Staveley. Bikes and Beer -does it get any better!
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TiRed, indeed there were goings on at the start... And around the course come to that.. But hey, that's commuting by Foldie eh!!
I cheated a little too ok, ok so I know the course and the lumps and drain covers, but I claimed my line a few times when a couple of guys in front wobbled over the road.. I then rode past... But it was a free for all, I got jostled into a tight right hander and lost my nerve and backed off. Some of the other guys were soooooo faaaast... I barely got through the heat, finished nowhere in the final, poor show by me 😆
It was huge fun though wasn't it? Glad I took part, glad I had brakes!!

It was indeed a lot of fun. But the pace of the winners in our race through Turns 1 and 2 meant I lost 10m a lap just on the bends. Still averaged 22.5 mph though, so was pretty pleased.

And nobody on fixed could hold a line, it was a free for all, just trying to stay off the barriers!

Three laps of Richmond Park in the sunshine on Saturday, complete with epic headwind. I reckon I'll go for 4 next time, assuming it's not quite so breezy.

Just shy of 17 hours and 151 miles on the bike, from 4am ish to 9pm ish on Saturday. Swindon to Eastbourne via Winchester and the SDW. Still tired now! Would have been a couple of hours quicker were it not for using a bodged shimmed seatpost that started slipping after about 70 miles and just would not stay up. Had to stand on all the hills and seated pedaling on the flat was rubbish - like riding a kids bike. Pretty chuffed to have finished the SDW without bailing out - it was definitely a case of mind over matter!

Thursday to Sunday at the Boot Beer Festival in Eskdale, Cumbria.

Stunning place, fantastic weather, three great pubs, great beer and food. Riding each day on dusty, rocky trails up and down some of the best landscape in England, followed by good food and great beers in the pubs - then up to do it all again the next day 🙂

Best 4 days of the year so far.

Saturday - 3hrs round Tunnel Hill and Porridge Pot, pint of cider followed by a walk round Windsor Great Park in the sunshine.

Sunday - 8hrs and 102 miles off road round the Surrey Hills riding every trail on Winterfold/Pitch/Holmbury/Leith and a few on Whitedown. Was a brilliant day on perfect trails. Been trying to make it to 100 miles on the garmin for about a year... Cured the too short battery life with extra speed.

Sat done the Kieran path and the Dudes of Hazzard routes then on Sunday done stage one of the Dudes.
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[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/94144731@N04/9010286572/ ]image[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/94144731@N04/ ]thegman1968[/url], on Flickr

38 miles around Afan taking in rookie, w2, some roads and tracks to and from the trails and one misread sign added a nice climb and an extra 4 miles :). Great weather trails running nice and good banter on the trails too.

Had a great spin at Afan, explored the limit of my skills and confidence!!! Awesome!!

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Perfect summer's riding HTs showing the Mendip lads all my local woodland singletrack. Some schlepping though fields and lanes to link up all the good bits. Some nice tech skills shown off, riding lines I've only looked at; now I've got to ride them too!

Hyper cheeky riding today on my flex-day. I'm not gonna say where!

Saturday swimming lesson with one year old then took four year old to buy his second big boy bike.
Rest of saturday pm spent fettling his riding position and getting him started on his 16er.
Sunday family bike ride - espresso, cake, childrens play area and picnic lunch and bbq in the evening just the four of us.

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Friday after work I ran/scrambled/climbed my way along the coast.
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Saturday, I 'recovered', by doing usual Saturday chores, then sat around under a tree, reading up on the 1759 battle of Quebec.

Sunday, back out running again.
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No archery, and no bicycle action this weekend.

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Did a bikepacking/hillwalking ride from Bonar Bridge to Beauly (via Ullapool, Dundonnell, Shenavall, Poolewe, Kinlochewe, Glen Torridon, Achnashellach, Glenuaig and Strathconnon).

Will write a proper ride report with some more photos when I get the chance.

Grabbed the family and took a flight from Bristol to Inverness on Thursday evening, where we stayed with friends at their places in the town and up at Brora, a couple of miles from Golspie..
Great hospitality with some sight seeing, time for the wives to catch up and have a natter.. a wee bit of malt and then off out on the trails for a few hours..
Sunday we drove through to Fort Bill to watch the finals, what a place, the walk up the course to the top would have been a good day out in itself, even without the event.. Ewen spotted Danny MacAskill as we wandered up the hill, so I had to stop him for the obligatory fan photo.. then it was back to Brora in the evening for a couple more days of family stuff, mince and tatties, trails and craic..

The Highland Wildcat Trails at Golspie are superb, great flow and technicality with a fantastic surface and some stunning views..

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Fort Bill.. good work by the Atherton family

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Back to Golspie

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Spent many hours in the saddle of this... I've fallen back in love with hardtails 8)

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