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Remember kids (and middle-aged STWers), even for a short local ride, make sure you're properly fuelled and hydrated. One cereal breakfast bar, one Tunnocks bar and 500ml of water in the previous twenty four hours is not a good look - you'll end up feeling shit and struggling to keep going... I wish I could say with confidence that it's lesson learned...
Still, it was a lovely early summer evening even if I was too bonked to fully appreciate it.
Oh, yes. Bonking is a thing. Did Afan Skyline plus a bit more yesterday with a flapjack and too little water.
Rebuilt the hardtail with a bargain fox 34 from pinkbike and went for a local blast on Thursday.
Pro bodge tip: a paint roller is the perfect diameter to fit a crown race.
What is bonking anyway? Is it feeling tired in roadie?
I felt tired today.
Nice local loop mind.
A bloke asked me in the woods 'is there anything decent around here mate?'
Before I could answer he says 'oh, you're on a rigid bike'...as if that meant that I wasn't totally shredding the G-narr on my rigid gnarpoon... 🙄
Cheek!
Lovely out in the SE this morning...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kryton1957/52138575620/in/dateposted-public/
...but all business as I taper for Mountain Mayhem.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kryton1957/52137061892/in/dateposted-public/
No riding for me yet, but such a rush seeing the Women's Tour scream through the village. Another level.
Nothing fancy, just a pleasant ride above the Derwent reserviors.
67km of the Cantii way, Wye to Whitstable and back again.
https://flic.kr/p/2nrk5kx
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We have been out for a play in the East Peak. Didn't see another rider and only a few out walking. Trails were fast and dry with a strong wind in places.
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A long one (105k) over the north downs and Surrey hills today - gorgeous weather, good company and great trails. Bloody tired now though….
https://flic.kr/p/2nrfxTS
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My new forks finally arrived today, 63 hours after being sent 24 express delivery, fitted this morning and an evening test ride around the Purbecks, and they feel lovely, running extra negative air to pull them down to 185mm from 200mm and they are unbelievably plush, but then sit into a well supported, plush mid stroke, have 20mm travel reducers on the way to bring them down 20mm, but so far I’m very impressed, now bagged up and ready for a flight to Italy tomorrow for a weeks work, and evening riding.
Wife off to visit family and left at 5am yesterday to miss the traffic, so I thought why not and went out on the bike. Roads clear, no dog walkers on the local trails and great views in the early morning sunshine. Stopped at Coffee #1 in Dorchester for breakfast, they open at 7am!
[url= https://i.postimg.cc/BbFT154w/2022-06-11-breakfast-at-Coffee-1.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/BbFT154w/2022-06-11-breakfast-at-Coffee-1.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
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Whyte wasn’t charged so took the alpine out to bkast the cobwebs off. Forgot how bloomin awesome it is. Wasn’t that much slower than on the cheat.
I am covered in grass and tree pollen now though.
Got another ride in at Afan.
It’s hard work riding a hired 27.5 trail bike that feels too small when you’re used to LLS HT, but was fun on some of the rockier stuff.
Dumyat wandering with youngest_oab.
Battling Edgehill
When I first started MTB that rocky bit down Dumyat got the best of me and I went off into the grass on the right somewhere. Gutted I did not get out today.
Did the mountain opposite the house, decided to push on and descend to the other side (not great, discovered that it's a mx hill practice, it was steep & sketchy babies heads), to get a pint.
Arrived at 1230 to discover it opens at 1400...
48km in total which is a lot for me nowadays.
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Dragged the big (over)bike out for a local spin this morning.
Was reminded at one point that I'm scared of cows.
Just a SS Potter to Roundhay Park in Leeds to watch the men's elite sprint triathlon on Saturday.
Then on the Sunday did my first ever full standard distance Triathlon. Had a mare of a swim but a good bike leg and an alright run leg
Testing 1 2 3
(Failed to post to this thread 3 times yesterday)
ok, so let's try some more....
A lot of firsts this weekend, first proper ride on the Free Ranger, first time using a Flexstem (Redshift stem) since 1988, first time in the North York Moors, first bike packing trip.
Was genuinely blown away by how good the Free Ranger was. I just bought it on a whim in one of their sales, not really expecting anything - just try it and sell on Ebay if I didn't like it. It just rolls so smoothly over everything - felt like a soft tail. 2 day trip, deliberately picking the worst line and most loose surface and feel fresh as a daisy - wrists and back feel no worse than after a road ride.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52141651699_fa9871873d.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52141651699_fa9871873d.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2nrzAsP ]On one Free Ranger[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52140392087_3d284695a5.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52140392087_3d284695a5.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2nrt92n ]Bike packing in the North York Moors[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
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[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52141432798_1f472705b9.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52141432798_1f472705b9.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2nrytoE ]Bike packing in the North York Moors[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
Dodging showers with the GF
This weekend I was riding my new Airdrop Edit V4 in the Mendips at the "Mendips Murmuration"...
Did the Northern DH trail bike TT at castlewood this weekend
Wasn’t particularly quick, losing a lot of time by taking a chicken run round one of the gaps, about 12ft. So I took a brave pill, and on my final run went for it, death or glory style.
That’s the last pic I have with my right collar bone in one piece, and I don’t feel terribly glorious…
That’s the last pic I have with my right collar bone in one piece, and I don’t feel terribly glorious…
Ouch!
Tbf it only hurts when I stand, sit or breathe
Braver man than me. Well done.
Damn Tom - heal up quick.
and on my final run went for it
Last run of the day, never a good to time to send it.
Is the bike ok? 🤨
Dunno yet, mate dropped me off at a&e with the waiting, less than impressed, MrsTH then took it back to his, he’s dropping it round later.
The last run thing I should have seen coming, but the format was do as many runs as you could, and your fastest give you your seeding for the last (course to yourself) run, then whatever your fastest time is over the whole day is your final result, so it was always gonna be maximum effort at the end!
Just had a chat with the LGI, just checking I’d been told about the (at least) 3 fractured ribs.
I hadn’t, but had an idea. Not my first rodeo.
Ouch, heal well Tom and all the best.
Cheers @kryton57.
Starting to move a bit more now, snacking on co codamol and ibuprofen. Made it into work today but maybjust clear anything outstanding and take the rest of the week off.
Just waiting for the call from the docs to see if/when they are going to pin my shoulder.
Mend fast @tomhoward
Saturday was a few ciders at a vintage show and country fair. Sunday was a diy 200k Audax with a mate. Mostly lanes but with some byways and bridleways put in too.
https://flic.kr/p/2nrW3b9
The strong westerly all day was a bugger.