First ride today up the moray monster trail red route and I was having a mare.

Not been on bike for at least 4 months and the first climb had me blowing out my arse and not really enjoying it at all. I got to the monument at the top thinking it would be down all the way from here…. oh no no no, more climbing after a little downhill bit.

I didn’t enjoy it to be honest and was expecting some more single track.

Maybe it was down to being knackered but i just couldn’t get a rhythm going and all the roots had me pinging off all over the place.

Feel sad now.

Ever had a rubbish ride…. 

Yes.

Last Saturday had its low points.

Just set off along the Old Railway line at Keswick and flicked some dog shite on to my back, my arse crack to be honest, cue lots of cursing.

Then heading from Skiddaw house to Mosedale I came a clatter on tame bit of trail, goudged my elbow pretty deeply and grazed my hip and shoulder, decided to cut the ride shorts seeing as I couldn’t grip the bars too well.

A medicinal pint saved the day though, South Island ale to be precise.

What would you have done if you hadn’t gone for a ride?

I honestly cannot think of a time when I’ve got home and thought ” that was shit, wish I hadn’t bothered”

Bregante normally I would wholeheartedly agree.

Today though I really did wish I hadn’t bothered.

I had arranged to meet a mate to do a local xc loop and he said that he rode past a porn film being shot near the entrance to the park. He said there was a middle aged guy getting a bj from a young lass and was even close enough to see an unfortunate amount of “floppy knob”. I had overslept my siesta and arrived 15min late only to see Madrid’s boys in blue giving a stern talking to to the would be stars whilst the camera crew hid around the next bend in the trail. Talk about dissapointed.

All true by the way.

What would you have done if you hadn’t gone for a ride?

Painted over his room darkening wallpaper 😉

The best follow-up to a loop of the fochabers ring is…………… another loop of it.

……and then a visit to the chippy in town 🙂

Fractured my Fibula last Sunday 8O. Was an Ace ride though, pushing my new Ibis HDR really hard and giggleing like a little girl, then had to make a very abrupt dissmount and clobbered my leg against a rut…then squeeled like a stuffed pig…. 😉

paladin – Member
The best follow-up to a loop of the fochabers ring is…………… another loop of it.

……and then a visit to the chippy in town

I used to live above that chippy……the smell made me feel hungry all the time.

Actually……you can`t beat chips after a ride! 😆

Yep, normally a few times a year where I want to lob me or the bike off a cliff/into a bog.

@ Renton
Why haven’t you ridden for 4 months – back on the horse?

Last 3 rides

New SLX clutch mech on the Five exploded….Singleeded it to get home.

Hanger on the Cotic exploded…..Singlespeeded it to get home.

Went to work for an age

Rode an hour with Jens on the Turbo trainer.

Not the best rides, but I still enjoyed them.

4 months! That’s practically all summer! What have you been doing? Get it together man.

Wednesday nights ride was my worst for ages, started with tired legs from a big (good) ride on sunday and a slight nagging cold, did all the hills on dirt road and tarmac out to where our good singletrack starts, started tipping down about a minute later and got bloody cold (by our standards). It was also probably a bit early to put the summer tires on really.
Turned around to ride home as I wasn’t kitted up for a cold wet ride. Rarely been so cold on the bike as the trip home (almost entirely fast down hill on the roads), could barely walk in the door when I got home. Warm shower was very painful thawing out various appendages. I’ll be back out this weekend for more dirty fun though.

You did the wrong side for first ride in ages. The blues are more fun with the added temptation of the gulley monster.

righog – Member
Last 3 rides
New SLX clutch mech on the Five exploded….Singleeded it to get home.
Hanger on the Cotic exploded…..Singlespeeded it to get home.

If that’s not a sign you should ride a single speed I don’t know what is!

If that’s not a sign you should ride a single speed I don’t know what is!

So he can be miserable on every ride?

We just look miserable, we’re smiling inside, honest.

Ive had ride where ive ridden with all the style and grace of a chimp on pcp, ive had rides when its been a mare of mechanical issues, ive had rides where ive been ruined to point of throwing up..I have never had a bad ride.Now bouldering…thats a difderent baby, a day of not finishing an evil grit problem, would have me in a foul fighty mood for a week

Last rode end of june so not quite 4 months, absolutely loved that ride as I knew where I was and where all the cheeky trails(Wyre forest and cannock).

Since then I have been moving and had quite a lot of work commitments.

I think to be honest I was expecting more from the trail I did, everyone used to big it up but to me it just seemed to be a lot of up on fire roads and not much in the way of singletrack.

onehundredthidiot – Member
You did the wrong side for first ride in ages. The blues are more fun with the added temptation of the gulley monster.

The man maketh a good point! No rooty bits there.

My ride started rubbish and I was considering turning around after 5 miles in the rain and cold but I stuck with it and the rocky road at the half way point helped. Ended up getting in a reasonable 30 mile. Still got home soaked and fed up.