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Didcot cooling towers are coming down tomorrow so I took the Gnaardvark for a cruise around to find a different viewing spot.
After the solid day of rain yesterday I was amazed how good the local tracks were with only one place showing standing water with loose dirt and dust on others. It must have been so dry it sucked everything straight down.
15 miles and a pleasant walk up to Wittenham Clumps (no cycling allowed!) in lovely weather and I hid from the wind on most of the route.
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Test ride round leeds bike park a few times, to see how my foot holds up. Felt ok, but haven’t dared look at it yet.
With a weekend off from late nights watching the EWS live feed we loaded the van up an set of up north to Peebles. Rain held off and trails were drier than expected.
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Whaaat? I was up the Golfie and it defintely wasn't that dry!
I also discovered leg pump is a thing. Who knew?
Not sure if this counts as I had no pedals. I was riding it and did have two wheels, a (crap) bouncy fork, an Azonic DH front wheel shod with a Rubber Queen, a Maxxis rear tyre, and RaceFace bars.
After a few trials with the bike, Doug got his first run out with a proper (scooter) rig today. Only a cheap entry level thing to see if we like it but couldn't resist throwing some of the spares box at it...
Seemed good fun for him and a reasonable workout for me.
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Great photos as usual from Tracey
Here’s young ColP getting sideways on HotShots in Leogang
Then a photo I always take on a ride up behind our place, one day I’ll get a bike in there
colournoise, that's great!
Never knew such things were a "thing".
Doggy power to boot, genius.👍
Ride from home, couple of runs down devil's elbow and lady cannings. Testing my new Shimano gr7 shoes, definitely better grip than my terrex, very lightweight and comfy.
Poopscoop
colournoise, that’s great!
Never knew such things were a “thing”.
Doggy power to boot, genius.👍
Was suggested by a dog-grooming neighbour. Great fun and a decent workout - with a single dog you still need to do a fair amount of scooting if the trail is anything other than pan flat or downhill. The rig is pretty flexy though and I wouldn't want to take it on anything other than fire roads. I guess like MTB that if you spend more you get a more suitable setup (proper off-road rigs seem to go for 7 or 8 times what I paid for my 'BSO' scooter) . I suspect I might upgrade at some point (soon) ... N+1 still applies I assume.
Staying in Langdale so headed to Ambleside then up The Struggle round to Troutbeck for a bacon buttie, down Robin Lane. 80% rideable on CDF I’d say,for me anyway, sure others could do it clean. Did a loop round Lingmoor Fell and a pint in ODG to finish off. Cracking day out but no photos, amazed the rain stayed off.
I got clarty in Hertfordshire.
Did a big figure of 8 following the rain but never getting wet. 🙂
@ colour noise wins the internet .
Who wants to see more Doug?!
🙂
More Doug?
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Back on topic, just a short pedal round with Doug this afternoon to get my mind off a frustrating day off bike building and fettling - ended up with two half built bikes and a list of stuff I need to buy to finish them that I thought I had but obviously didn't.
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Nice dry ride round Stanage, Hathersage, Devils Elbow, Curbar and some other bits. It was a pretty decent day, if not a touch windy on the higher stuff, generally dry and not as soggy as I thought it was going to be. Loads of walkers out, quite a few Roadies but don't recall seeing more than 6 mtbers all day.
Stopped off at the Whaley Cafe again (was there on Sat with the Mrs) for a couple of pasties and a brew on the way home.
Closed off the best weekly mileage I've done in months, possibly even the last ~11 months*, by continuing to make good use of my first week of Zwift month subscription... All but ~29 miles from commutes was indoors on the turbo, good to get more frequent cycling in again, rubbish that the weather was so carp but then that's why I stumped up a month's subs of Zwift!
* I don't normally judge weeks by mileage, but trying to improve last year's elevation figures was officially abandonned in July, due to bad run of health and injury.