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It's the Weekend Ride Picture Thread.
Ride your bike.
Take some pictures.
Post them up with a few words about the ride.
Mrsstu has finished work for a few days so joined me for an Ebizzle rip.
1500 meters of fun and didn't even have to wash the bikes.
Result.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/53414196288/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/53414029781/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/53414365999/in/photostream/
Had a cold for the last few days, feeling better today, especially after turning the out of office on at 2pm and heading out for a quick spin, bramble to the face was less than pleasant, but otherwise fairly good.
Longest night local lap in storm Pia, start of two weeks of riding and chillaxing
A winter solstice gravellish pedal with some of the club folks. 37 miles; we lost 3 due to hedgerow trimming punctures; first cafe was chokka so off to cafe #2 whereupon I got Wham'd. Still a good morning out. Only pic though was just prior to setting off. Poor effort I know.
After a not-quite-health-scare earlier this week (still ongoing weirdness with my heart but apparently nothing to worry about), thought I'd better test the waters with a gentle bimble round the local this morning. Didn't die or even collapse. so all good!
My 11 year old son has really came on with his cycle fitness and riding technique. This means that he's so much more capable and keen to ride with me. So we are aiming to ride as much as we can over the Christmas/New Year holidays, a sort of a training camp. Hope it helps with his cyclocross racing 🤞
I'll try to post a few pics on here.
Did someone go out and butter all the rocks at Comrie Croft last night?
Hugely silly slides and heart stopping moments. I've ducked out for a brew after some Red and Blue shenanigans, but eldest_oab is off to Autumn Gold to check if those rocks are as slippery 😆
A bit of balance bike night riding in the park tonight.
Downs loop this afternoon, and Stanmer in surprisingly good nick. Back home via the Chattri. Wacky light over the sea
Wet one in the Happy Valley this morning, tinsel still hanging on in there!
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Wet one in the Happy Valley this morning...
And what about the biking?
FoD again today. After the sloppiest from a couple of weeks ago conditions were prime; super tacky and no big puddles.
Managed to get over kingley in daylight hours whilst the kids went to the park with granny. Cheers granny.
Milton Keynes to Liverpool to pick up the mum in law
that can never be fun right?
it is if you go via llandegla! a few puddles and the odd headwind - especially fun on the jumps!, but Honzo lapped it up
and my mum in law got to listen to Endtroducing on the way back
640m climbing and 6 hours driving, my legs are feeling stiff now!
FoD again today.
Went Sunday, brilliant conditions esp as it had been GSD* the week before.
Quick local ride above Ross after an unfortunate incident yesterday involving 'a quick lunchtime beer' that escalated past the point of 'manageable hangover'. Conditions lovely tho, shame I couldn't ride for sh!t. Went back to the pub where I'm doing my best work this week 🙂
Even had some sunshine and blue sky. BFEMax is a year old today. 1200km mostly in filthy conditions. It's a cracking bike.
*Greasy Snot Death
Milton Keynes to Liverpool to pick up the mum in law
I'm confused, did you give her a backie home?
Wet and windy local ride yesterday.
I've started quite a few of these weekend ride picture threads this year and would like to just say thanks to everyone that's posted on them.
With some of the petty argumentative stuff that goes on here it's nice that a good number of folks still enjoy seeing picture of what other folks are riding.
I love seeing all the different types of fun everyone is having on bikes.
Yep always a good thread. First (and often last) one I look at when on the forum.
I'll be posting from our annual Gap ride next Thursday. Looking at forecast, expect extremely wet riders pretending they are having a good time 🙂
A little explore from the door. 
Agreed that this thread is a good one each week.
Christmas Eve ride early doors ending with mulled wine and bacon in the car park. The stuff of dreams!
First (and often last) one I look at when on the forum.
A strategy I've been trying to implement too with this thread.
https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/the-midweek-ride-picture-thread/
Out for an Xmas eve jaunt
With a end of ride pint of Hobson's mild
May have ended in the local club rather than going home where too many vodka soaked plums were consumed
My intention was to go for a nice long ride tomorrow however the weather forecast is horrid - so I may just hide under the duvet!
Dry Puddletown laps this afternoon.
Busting out some funky moves there @rocketdog 🙂
Not a ride (well I've been on the turbo but no one needs to see that), rest of fam headed out to Carol Concert, so I finally had time to write Part 2 of our Pyrenees trip from September. Includes photos, video and occasional swear words!
https://www.pickled-hedgehog.com/lost-in-place/
@Rocketdog - is that first photo the 3 stages of becoming a Rocketdog ?
too many vodka soaked plums
Hate it when you spill your drink.
Absolutely mint ride in the Peak today on my way up to Manchester from Warwickshire.
Extremely wet. Most of the trails were basically rivers but I loved it.
Went down Three Shires Head which I rode on my motorbike a few months back.
Great.
The Macc lad.
Macc forest
Trentabank and Ridgegate reservoirs
Macc forest
Three Shires Head
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A from the door gravel pootle which I enjoyed despite the wind!
No riding done this weekend (well, outside of watopia).
However some big beardy delivery bloke just dropped by, said it was from some sort of list that someone at this address had written....
Fastest Colour too, and the delivery bloke knows thats true.
Yesterdays Hebden ride was that wet and windy I thought I'd do more of the same today 😂 Still wet, windy and fun.
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@kayak23 that's my old stomping ground from when I were a lad. Used to frequent those trails all the time in the late 90s with my school mates and Cheshire & Peak MBC.
It's been about 25 years (!!!!) since I lived there but I still pop back occasionally.
Rides generally pretty well in the wet doesn't it.
Rides generally pretty well in the wet doesn’t it.
It does. I'd almost say better in the wet.
There's some really nice descents around there and stunning scenery. 😊
The steep ones in the Macc forest were a bit sketch mind.
Ride on the 24th was a touch drafty with a fair few trees down and blocked trails. Sheltering behind the brethren.
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Hot AF today. Managed a 40km gravel ride including a favourite 5km downhill segment. Gave it a nudge and got my second fastest time and second fastest overall of 2023 - third place was a pro roady and first place is an ex Moto GP rider 🤣
Slight problem with the route towards the end of the ride…
Managed to get out for an hour before the turkey went in and the in laws arrived. Best hour of the day
Wet and wild on Ilkley moor with jnr and his new Dakar - thanks STW PSA!! 
NBD for Mrs DO riding some very sketchy Exmoor trails.
50 mile gravel/slop ride yesterday. too wet and windy for any better pics.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53421143834_a065e6155e_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53421143834_a065e6155e_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2poDjU3 ]20231224_082819[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/91703444@N06/ ]20ston[/url], on Flickr
sorry
Nowt to be sorry about @ton.
An XC ride for us today that involved meeting mates from the other end of the valley at about the halfway point .
Riding with them for a little while then heading home again.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/53421069342/in/dateposted/
Up the Dalby off piste this morning. Absolutely perfect trail conditions...not what I was expecting at all!
CRC Zebs have definitely improved the front wheel tracking over off camber roots.
Absolutely brilliant - loved it 👍👍👍👍👍
Good to get out after seemingly relentless wind and rain.
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Boxing Day bimble, new tech 4 levers and ODI fork bumper Christmas presents fitted.
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A couple of days wombling around on the beach with an ebike and a backpack of pork pies and Christmas cake. Very pleasant.
Couple hours exploring the local bridleways and towpaths, heavily overbiked on my enduro sled 🙂 I had previously not bothered with any local riding as I mostly rode DH/jump trails, but I can see me getting something more pedal-friendly (still undecided on gravel or xc hardtail) so I can do more riding from my door. Very flat and smooth but still fun to get out riding.
10 laps of Newbold Comyn
early start this morning.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53422078877_62437b2341_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53422078877_62437b2341_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2poJ7Rt ]20231226_071143[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/91703444@N06/ ]20ston[/url], on Flickr
Not my year for the boys so after dropping them off I went to Mt Battock and Clach-na-Ben with a brew in the bothy. Weather worsened as the day went on but I got a white Xmas and I broke a chain 4 miles from the car. Quicklink in but bottle going every time I loaded it.
Shortish local loop squeezed in on Boxing day. Spent half the time praising the gap in the bad weather and the other half cursing the local farmers with their versions of a working gate and a link section in the middle that's been used to move heavy machinery and cattle in the last couple of weeks, making it unrideable.
Glad I was able to grab the opportunity to get out yesterday on a lovely afternoon. Sat in the sun half way round, ate christmas cake and drank tea. Watched a short eared owl hunting.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53424037766_340d4faad7_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53424037766_340d4faad7_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2poUaaq ]IMG_1762[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/queenie2010/ ]Bindylou[/url], on Flickr
Well, the plan was a nice loop up from Hadfield near Glossop to ride Doctors Gate.
About 3 miles of flat along the reservoirs before going steeply up Torside Clough.
The trail then goes around a steep valley side (seen above) where the worst thing that could happen is that you fall left.
Overly conscious of this, I clip my right pedal on the bank, stumble and then fall over the bike left.
Luckily, onto a grassy bit of hill before the main drop below. Grabbing handfuls of grass to stop myself sliding 😳
My gears started to misbehave and I stopped several times to try to tweak cables, stops and indexing.
I noticed my cassette was wobbling around quite a lot and the gears were wandering like mad.
Took the wheel out to have a look and the cassette just pulled off with the freehub and I could see loose pawls and a collapsed bearing 😐
Game over.
I stuck it all back in and went back down the techy climb I'd just come up to the valley floor.
Then 3 miles of balance biking back to the start! Shins bleeding from catching pedals while balance biking.
Still, fun while it lasted. 😊
Had a short ride round the hills above Accrington while visiting. Stopped raining and wind had died down. Lots of fun on the downs. Love the fast, sketchy in the wet rocky descents.
Club ride out at Woburn today to shake off the Twixtmas fug. I'd not been before but I'll be back. Felt like best bang for my buck within about an hour of home (the alternatives are basically Sherwood and Chicksands).
Finally got out (First ride since xmas eve) Really felt the excess food/drink on the first climb! Set out to avoid the worse slop but still ended up ploughing through it due to my terrible sense of direction, bridleways were rivers but good to get out none the less!
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Was supposed to go to Llandegla and ride World's End but after advice on here kept it localish and explored Holcombe Hill and Peel Tower
Luckily no snipers around
Classic Gap. Classic conditions. Even had some freezing rain. Trails like rivers, mad wind, HT horror climbing up the roman road. Tailwind tho and they've resurfaced the canal path! Result. Love this ride, even when the sun comes out the second we finished. Full on rain jackets all day before then.
Didn't see any other riders surprisingly 🙂
Blue skys but very windy today.
A few from my last ride of 2023
Nice morning riding around Dickie Buccluech's back garden. Feeling the festive excess but still a muddy slidey hoot was had.
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