My goodness our cheekfest was fantastic. Loads of dry, dusty trails that have to be ridden only at this time of year.
Swoopy, rocky, spongy, uppy downy goodness.

Temperature was 20c still at 10 p.m when putting the bikes away.

Only downside were the hoards of midges, even with the repellent smothered all over they still find a place to bite.

A ride that will stay in my memory for many years 🙂

Yep, dusty trails – not so common our way.

Nope, but I was out on Tuesday night in similar conditions, and by the end of the ride my bike was covered in dust 😀
I was out again at 05:45 this morning and the temps were a bit cooler, 15 deg or so, but still sunny and extremely dusty.

Yup, was great. And a couple of pints of Ranmore Ale to finish, marvelous.

didn’t go out last night but did Wednesday evening. Couldn’t believe how hot it still was and very humid in the bracken.

Still managed to find some mud even though the majority of trails were dry & dusty.

That’s Hanchurch for you….

Yes, on the road.

You are right though, we’ve done a number of trails round here recently that I’d normally stay well clear of.

Bunnyhop.

I GOT TO THE BOTTOM OF LINNETS DRY. We did see a couple of walkers coming up there too so watch out.

Yes, about 25Km around the pubs of Cambridgeshire. Very pleasant.

I GOT TO THE BOTTOM OF LINNETS DRY. We did see a couple of walkers coming up there too so watch out.

Scaled, I can’t believe it. I rode there on Tuesday and I have never ever seen that track with out a stream running down it – amazing.

its so fast that i was starting to think i could run out of gears on off road pedally sections (36-11)

did need a jacket on the way home where the cool air was collecting in the valley bottom (0030)

wanna go again tonight!

Great ride on the Malverns last night here..hot and sunny, dust everywhere and only 1 walker we came across. Followed by a couple of iced Thatchers to finish off. Just hoping this weather keeps up until the end of August for a 4 day biking weekend in North Wales 8)

I GOT TO THE BOTTOM OF LINNETS DRY

I was there on Monday. My ride-mates said, ‘let’s go down Linnets’, to which I replied, ‘why spoil a lovely dry and dusty ride by getting covered in sh*t?’. They were right, I was wrong. I’m not sure we’ll ever see the likes again.

The Pinkster – Hanchurch stoke?
drop me a mail mate. I’m local to there too.

Yep set off at 9pm and back to the pub for 11pm, nice loop round the dark peak, plenty of midges about as well as toads! Gorgeous to sit outside the pub with a cold Guinness still in clean (but sweaty) kit.

Had two great rides this week. Trails are very dry, but also covered in stingers and dogwalkers 😥

Looking forward to it getting dark again. That usually gets rid of the dogwalkers, if not the stingers.

Bunnyhop – we did indeed. Managed a fantastic run round rivi. The San Marino was dry, fast and and dusty. The slog up to the mast to get there was a bit of a sweat-fest, but worth it. It felt bizarre being up there in that heat with not a breath of wind. Quite weird actually. I was also amazed how few people were out!

We also managed the climb over the moor from Belmont, which I reckon has been rideable for about 2 days in the last 3 years, as normally its an ankle deep bog! It was bone dry last night!

Bizarrely; I also found the San Marino harder work than when its a bit wet (as per usual). I had some very sketchy, sideways moments, while adjusting to the interesting new experience of no mud!

Has anyone else found this?

I’m thinking of a change of tyres for some small block 8’s or something. Though I’m scared to press the button to order them as it will then spell the death knell of summer!

Sidlaw hills outside Dundee, yesterday morning, last night and again tonight on the ride home. No midges around but there may have been a wee bit of dust… Knew I’d eventually find a use for those baldy old tyres one day.
Cleggs/horseflies are brutal though, there are loads more than usual this year.

bin bins- not san marino, but philips park definitely tests you more when it’s as dry as it is right now. having said that though, it was massively grin-inducing on wednesday night up there. i went up with a mate who’s not been riding for a couple of years but decided to dig out his old kona stinky and get back into it. that massive jump with the vertical stone block lip on the first loop of the figure8 trail was chucking us up into the air with ease, it was ace!

I’m starting to get rather annoyed with all the tales of everyone having epic times on local trails.

I have been out twice this week and whilst the trails are massively dry, dusty and fast, they are also horribly overgrown with huge painful nettles and thorn bushes. I wish the local riders would get out more as I’m getting sick of being the clearance party 😉

In all seriousness I’m still loving it but coming home with swollen and cut up arms and legs is not ideal.

I should point out that I live in NW Leicestershire and our trails are all mainly woodland and tight tracks.

well yeah, we got ripped to shreds on the brambles and nettles and thistles that have miraculously appeared to more or less swallow all of the singletrack trails in waterdale/the irwell valley. arms and legs are still tingling today from it. but i wouldn’t have it any other way, it beats getting home covered in mud and soaked to the skin!

The Pinkster – Hanchurch stoke?
drop me a mail mate. I’m local to there too.

Hi Jekkyl, yep, that’ll be the one, will indeed drop you a line.

Ah yes, plenty of nettles, waist high ferns, where you just had to let the bike roll ‘cos you can’t see the trail.

binners

Bizarrely; I also found the San Marino harder work than when its a bit wet (as per usual). I had some very sketchy, sideways moments, while adjusting to the interesting new experience of no mud!

Has anyone else found this?Absolutely. Can’t ride some of my local descents very well as the small very loose rocks and super dry conditions have no binding. We had 3 falls in our group last night all due to us being used to mud or wet, not this slippery shiny dryness. Climbing though is good.

Long may it continue.

I linked two massive hill rides into an epic which I doubt will ever be repeated… especially not of an evening (more info on the Sanny mountain thread).

mainly overgrown and dry but bizarrely some random muddy bits where you don’t expect them.managed to throw up a loose stone and **** meself on the shin-bone.

I’m satrting to think that maybe, just maybe, a bit of mud is preferable to the man eating insects that seem to have spawned. Bites like boiled eggs all over my back 🙁

My lad woke me at 4:20 this morning, so I grabbed a pint of water & stood looking in awe at quite possibly the most incredible sunrise I’ve ever seen. Seriously, it was just beautiful. Was going to grab a pic but they never do it justice.

Went out on my local trails last night and managed to crash 🙁 going too fast so I deserved it!

saw another cyclist about 11.45pm last night, bit eery saying “evening” to just a big bright light in the middle of the countryside, I was only on the way back from the pub but reminded myself how much I used to enjoy road riding at night years ago 🙂