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Headed up to Dalby today (not the official stuff).
Had to substantially reset my brain; mud, grease & sniper roots took a bit of getting used to after pretty much 6 months of dry trails.
A few more ...
Hopefully it will have helped with the fire
Been home for a week, and struggling with the post-holiday blues. And im away all of next week with work. So I took the day off, and went riding in Rostrevor. It’s been lashing here for several days, so I chose to ride somewhere with weather-proof trails. And it was absolutely fantastic! Great to be out.
Bit of R and R on route before the fun starts. Showered, second beer and tea is on 😎
I'm in the Peak District at the moment and this morning, I (mostly) rode down Cave Dale.
The hill in the distance is Mam Tor. If you look closely, you can see all the people on top.
Getting out before work now the nights are drawing in. Ride down to the local jumpy trails for an hour then slipped and fell...
... into a cafe for a proper bacon sandwich.
End of Summer Vibes.
Still mangled a couple of hours, 14 miles and 2,000ft of elevation after work with no lights required.
Christened the Stanton on.... Stanton Moor
Had a little lie down as well. Didn't find any mud
Lovely morning for a local road loop, great seeing so so many bikes out too 👌
This was not the most beautiful day of the year. Grey and fairly miserable - but not actually raining. It’s odd (to me) how much more difficult it is to motivate myself to get out for a ride if the sun isn’t shining.
Hope Cross and Woodlands Valley today.
The obligatory Hope Cross photo.
Elmin Pitts. I can't imagine it ever got dusty here.
Elmin Pitts was indeed dusty a couple of weeks back! I take it round those woods it's a lot damper now then?
I'm not that familiar with the area but I would say it was damp. Probably not very wet by the local standards but there were muddy spots and puddles. The Beast felt a bit greasy.Elmin Pitts was indeed dusty a couple of weeks back! I take it round those woods it's a lot damper now then?
Down at the Golfie today to try out some new kit, including this Camelbak Low Rider, being modelled by White Fang here:
Feels very nice: the weight's all tucked into the small of your back and it doesn't feel like you're carrying a portable sauna.
Still pretty dry down there. Even noticed that the vegetation looked pretty scorched on the drive in. Looking a bit Mediterranean.
Rode the new Lower Wolves for the first time: a bit spicier than the trail it replaced. Nothing insane by local standards, but some of the corners are pretty committing.
Summer still hanging in there, like the last guest to leave the party, still snorting the contents of the ashtrays at 6 am.
First proper post signed off healed collarbone ride. Eased myself back in with a 55km/1250m ride in the Yat! Not the hardest trails but I rode everything without any fear of damaging a "soft" bone. Not fast but didn't care, just loved being out able to ride what I wanted. Trails were brilliant as well after a bit of rain. Late summer loam.
Had to be"lager-vac'd" out of Ross as no way I could manage the 10km home. Especially after extensive post ride refreshments 🙂
Three months since I've had a decent "got nothing left" ride. Only a week to the next one. Shoulder held up fine, bit sore but feels strong. Photos from my mate Trusty.
Took the old hardtail out on Friday. We've had a couple of blustery little thunderstorms this week and my shirt loop involved getting around 4 fallen trees, including this widow maker hanging over the bridleway.
Sorry no photo as the forum doesn't like Opera. But out on the western edges of Sheffield yesterday around Blacka Moor and the recent rain has damped things down brilliantly, loads of grip 😀
Not the best pics, but a decent High Tor/Black Rocks ride this morning. Two of us on ebikes getting rinsed by a pro on leg power.
Left him at the end of a three hour ride while he went off to complete his 5.5hrs training for the day
Just arrived in Ainsa till Friday. Debating going out for a spin or have a few beers and a walk and a swim.
Beers seem to have won.
Last time we were here was for the EWS in 2018 and there was just one trail map. Now there are 7
Lightning storm and many swallows.
All I managed was an hour at dawn on the pumptrack down the road before the kids woke up and a spin around Haldon with the kids in the afternoon yesterday.
Weekdays between school drop off and pick up are my free time.
10 @ Kirroughtree 10th anniversary this weekend. Greeted Friday night on check in with a Galloway Hillbillies branded beer 🍻 1st time I've done it, brilliant event, 10 hours time to ride laps, great course with fun descents, a mixture of rooty, slippy, steep and fast. Climbs pretty gradual apart from 2 punchy kickers. Nice friendly atmosphere and absolutely perfect weather for a bike ride. Managed 8 laps and some good coffee and food breaks. Pure happiness!
This was going to be their last but they are keen to explore options for future event format so hopefully something will continue there as the Galloway Hillbillies seem a well motivated and friendly bunch.
Enduroing in woods in North Yorkshire seems to be a running theme every weekend at the moment!
Top ride. Showed a young whippersnapper a few of the trails. Quite pleased us old giffers we were much more comfortable in on the uber steep stuff than he was... For now at least! I'm sure within 3 months he'll be above us in the Strava leaderboards on everything.
Also, no dust, but trails generally running prime. Loads of grip on offer most places 👌
A couple of video screen grabs -light wasn't all that in the woods today and was having too much fun to keep stopping for snaps
116km/1500m of Kent gravel/XC for the Brother Cycles Big'Un. Hardtail a bit of a slog on the tarmac, but entirely the right choice (for me) on the off-road. Having been defeated by the old version of the route, made it around this year despite some rough moments. Great route, nice folks, had a properly good time. This picture my riding colleague took of me near the end of the day beats any of mine, and is a favourite one of me on a bike.
Great weekend of mixed riding - BPW with my son and then a TT this morning. Don't often fancy the trip to BPW tbh as it's such a trek from Manchester, but it's right next to the fastest 25 course in the UK on the A465 and there was an event this morning.
Sessioned root manoeuvres most of the day, love that trail, right at my level - uplift ran like clockwork all day, super efficient. There is a new red that we wanted to ride but it was closed, not sure if it has opened yet. My lad is now way better than me, which is not saying too much, but makes me happy to see - we don't get to do these sort of bike park trails too often.
TT was the last one of the season for me, wet and windy warming up, legs not really on the premises so wasn't expecting anything good. But it was like a pure crosswind all course, conditions not too bad and worked into it for a pb. That's both sets of bikes put away for the year now I reckon.
That's both sets of bikes put away for the year now I reckon.
Does
Not
Compute
Night rides, learning to ride slippery conditions again, crisp autumn rides when it's not even that bad out.
Not a chance I could contemplate ditching riding just because summer is over. The TT bike I get, but still plenty of MTB riding to be done and mudguards will be going back on the gravel
150 odd fellow nutters who hate their knees....
150 odd fellow nutters who hate their knees....
They all look f'in freezing 🤣
I'm loving not having that floaty feeling in some of our trails at the moment. Feels mad having full grip again
Not a chance I could contemplate ditching riding just because summer is over
The first few biking photos I came across ranging from October to February. Why wouldn't you...
Just meant the big bikes - that yellow mega is an Alps / bike park bike for me. I'll mainly be on the cross bikes for the next few months with some xc mtb in the Peak.That's both sets of bikes put away for the year now I reckon.
Does
Not
Compute
Night rides, learning to ride slippery conditions again, crisp autumn rides when it's not even that bad out.
Not a chance I could contemplate ditching riding just because summer is over. The TT bike I get, but still plenty of MTB riding to be done and mudguards will be going back on the gravel
Just meant the big bikes - that yellow mega is an Alps / bike park bike for me. I'll mainly be on the cross bikes for the next few months with some xc mtb in the Peak.
Ah, fair play
Missed the rain on this one. Blairadam along the Pilgrims Trail to Glenrothes, then up to the Golf Ball on the Bishop (Munduff Hill), Loch leven and up over Benarty Hill back to Blairadam
