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Image kind of works.. just needed a pic so I could say how fab night riding is right now. Warm, dark, dry. Pick 3 🙂
Also very much enjoying the new bike.
Testing...
Edit: Yeah, seems buggered. It uploads the image but wont let me insert to post however if you open the link separately then copy it into the reply it does work.

Hmm.
Yeah, doesn't insert the image. Pasting the link then links to the image, but that's as good as it gets for now ...
Does this work?
...no.
Nice inversion over the Tweed Valley this morning.

Testing
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/bike-forum/the-midweek-ride-picture-thread/paged/22/#post-13644416
Just tried to post again with a instructions of how I got it to work.
It didn't work again...
Have imgur done something whacky about blocking images unless you do age verification?
Most of the pics showing as this for me:
They've completely blocked access from the UK.
You've got to be in it to win it (that little dark blob on the horizon is the only bit of Lakes fells sticking above the murk).

That was a bit special.

Packed and away after a still night.

Only commuting. And a boring grey day. But, it was dry, and I was out on the bike for 25km / 70 minutes, so all good!
First ride after 8 weeks rehab (again). Misty, chilly, very still but great to be out again. Coffee shop remembered my standard order.
This little bridge has been doing service across a small Chilterns ditch for as long as I can remember. Nature is finally taking it back.
That is .......AWESOME. I need it, I need it so bad. But first, I need a bagel now.
Autumn loop starting by road from hebden br to Keighley, then canal to Shipley, NCR 66 and spen valley way to mirfield, then Calder valley Greenway back home. The "cycle superhighway" into Bradford centre is impressive BUT finding it from Shipley is a challenge and the south Bradford link to low moor and the spen valley.......oh dear. Poorly signed and confusing, it was easier to follow the map on my phone. Nice day for it though
First ride in about 10 days, had a weird virus that wiped me put energy wise for anything other than working . Just a 10 mile ride exploring the non red route at Bedgebury. The autumnal colours are making an appearance!
Dropped my Aeris AM in at Bird in Consett for a fork/shock service today, and whilst they worked on the mucky internals of my suspension, Ben kindly lent me their prototype/demo gravel bike for a few hours.
So, the Waskerley Way from Consett out to Rookhope, and then a (mostly road) loop back up over the moors to Blanchland, Derwent reservoir and back to Consett. 67km - great stuff.
I just nipped out for an hour around my local, Chasefield Woods in Head of Muir. Dry, crispy and lovely. The quiet was only slightly disturbed when I brushed past a finger post. Seriously, I barely touched it, yet it threw itself to the ground faster than a professional footballer. It did make an impressive creaking, groaning, tree falling sort of sound as it's rotted base gave up the ghost. I suppose the footie equivalent of three rolls on the ground while clutching your face.
I love my 2nd Gen Specialized Levo e-bike. It's amazing for getting me up big hills that my back won't allow me to climb anymore. Popping it into Trail mode for the long road bash home is a feature that I wish I had 20yrs ago as I'd watch all my ride mates shoving their bikes into their cars at the end of a winter club night ride, and I still had a 12 mile ride home. However, it can't beat my Stage 6 for poppy agility on tight twisty trails. What a brilliant bit of kit. I've hardly touched my Levo since getting Britney in the spring.
An absolutely cracking night out, although I have to admit that I did cut it a bit shorter than usual as there were a lot of balaclava neds on electric motorbikes using the main paths in the woods as their drug courier rat run*. Something that's become much more common over the last year or so and I'm sorry to say that it's actually making me nervous (as a solo night rider), about riding here.
B.
*Sweeping assumption I know. They could have been going to visit their grannies.
I managed a Thursday ride this week out of Blanchland over Birkside Fell:
Over to Whitley Chapel and on to Eshells Moor (looking over Allendale Town towards the chimneys):
Then over Spitalshields Moor and down Dipton Burn:
Before returning to Blanchland via Slayley Forest and Blanchland Moor. Amazingly dry for the time of year!
Last week's sunlit uplands seem like a distant memory.

I think this week's midweek mission is a hunt for autumn foliage.
Ahh! Man! This morning's ride was magnificent! Headed out for a quick SS gravel loop after breakfast, just as it was starting to get light ...
The whole ride just made me feel alive - the light, the sun on the clouds, the autumn colours, the damp autumn smell, the different sounds made by the tyres on tarmac, gravel, crunchy acorns, puddles, damp leaves.
Sometimes the simple, local stuff is just stunning ...
Came out of the workshop with the wrong boots on, glad I went back for the waterproof items! The long deep puddles are back on the moors and at one point I had to don my waterproof jacket quite quickly, it’s almost flask and sandwich time!
I’m glad I went out though, more fun than the gym induction that I had booked, I’m reassessing that plan as even cold and wet it’s better to be outside on a bike.
more fun than the gym induction that I had booked, I’m reassessing that plan as even cold and wet it’s better to be outside on a bike.
And getting that thing in and out of the shed will give you decent upperbodygainz 😉
Another thing, how are people posting so many pics, I thought it was 5 max
Sometimes the simple, local stuff is just stunning ...
Very true! I've been known to moan like hell about the riding where I live, but sometimes it can be just beautiful.
I just wish there were more hills in Suffolk!
Easy doorstep ride due to chest infection. Up the hill (get your magnifying glass out to see it) down the hill (zig zagging on the banks either side where the hedge allows). Visit the skatepark and ride away again because half term. 7.7 miles.
Local is good. Nice ride out the front door today, couple of soakings to start with but then the sun came out. There's still a lot of greenery about; the autumnal colours seem very species specific this year, more so than usual. Couple of weeks still to Peak Autumn here, I reckon. Just hope no storms blow through.



Not posted on this thread for a little while but still bashing away at the weekday rides.
I've been struggling to find any inspiration for photos while riding recently and concentrating on riding instead.
Still keep looking in on the thread though as I love seeing riding pictures.
Here's a picture of today's ride as I failed with any pics again.
25km/1000meters in just over two hours.
Garmin tells me I've been quiet productive on the getting fitter front, so it looks like all the riding is paying off. I'm back to where I was in the summer with a VO2Max of 52 before COVID gave me a kicking and it dropped down to mid 40's.
Another fine autumn day here in Leeds, making the most of a golden weather window before tonight's, tomorrow's and Friday's dump of rain. Extended commute in & out (21km each way). Bumped into @el_boufador coming on the way home. Which was nice. Might try riding a geared bike tomorrow/Friday as I've done 100km in the last 4 days on the SS gravel, and can feel it now in my old thighs!
Road spin in the way back from work - was very nice 👍 as above, bumped into @hardtailonly had a quick chat
Went out for a spin before Storm Benjamin arrived. Wasn't going to have a big ride, but conditions were good and not too cold so managed a 23miler. Walked through the door just as it started raining and the winds picked up. Think that may have been the last of the dry trails for a while!
Didn't notice there was a sign saying the small bridge a mile down the route was being repaired which proved a bit tricky to clamber over with wet leaves on wet wood.
The other bridge was fine, thankfully!
Phoney autumn is over. Winter is coming...

First proper night ride in ages last night.
Traditional urban Leeds singletrack and trail route. Trails doing amazingly well despite recent rain, but there were definitely patches of grease and leaves hiding rocks and other obstacles to catch us out!
Greasy // dark // xc hardtail....
....My word it required some recalibration of my brain compared to the months and months of...
Bone dry // sunny // fs enduro sled
Was great though. Ended in the pub for 3x pints to make par 👍

A week off!
Kirroughtree on Tuesday, the slabs were bloody slippy in the heavy rain.
Mabie on Thursday, such a fun little place.
Borrowdale bash yesterday with @ahsat
And played with the Milky Way in the campsite.
Not sure why images are all over the place, I’m sure you can work out which is which…..
Over the watershed into that there Manchester and back. Trees looking a bit bare on more exposed locations after a blustery weekend. That's October's Everest in the bag.


Nice XC spin round with Mrsstu this morning.
Wet under wheel and a cold headwind on the outward leg of the ride.
Sunny and still not muddy enough to significantly slow the descents though so still fun.
40km/800meters. Better than going to work on a Monday morning that's for sure.
Double day today. Went for a pootle this morning and wandered down some tracks I've never thought to explore.


Then this afternoon joined Mrs Reeksy for a hike while the boys were being coached. Beautiful carpet snake and got overtaken by Reeksy1's group before catching up with them shortly after as one of them looped out on a high speed fire trail descent and got to push the broken kid's bike back out.
Couple of nice dry days in the Abondance valley, here in the Portes du Soleil. Went trail searching again today. Due to the snow at higher levels, that turned out to be quite the adventure/slog (depending on your perspective). But the views were stunning, and the singletrack descent proved to be everything that it had promised on the map - which doesnt always happen!
https://flic.kr/p/2rCgc4e
https://flic.kr/p/2rChkqj
Still another week to Peak Autumn, I reckon...

Lovely weather for the Loop from hebden bridge over widdop, wycollar and haworth for a bite to eat, BUT..... Halloween half term madness meant every cafe, bakery and takeaway was rammed at midday! No problem I thought, oxenhope co-op for a meal deal, BUT.....it's shut for refurbishment, and the pub and the chippy don't open till Thursday. Panic set in, and with only one 100 Cal cheap cereal bar and a few emergency wine gums I abandoned the plan to carry on up hill house lane to Warley res. , and just lobbed it into bottom gear and ground over cock hill and home for food! 
Some sneaky CX intervals at lunch, basically sessioning a small section of twisty muddy singletrack, enjoying a bit of autumnal drifting round a couple of the corners by the end 😎
And an ignominious moment from the weekend's race in Dundee caught in stop motion 🙄
@reeksy - quality snake, that. I take it that you're not in the part of Australia where any body of standing water is likely to harbour a large croc?














































































