I love it when it's like this, dry as a bone, dusty and really fast. Had three cracking rides!

Rock hard – makes me wish I had sent off the forks and shock to mojo sometime back.

A little bit of rain wouldn't go a miss, otherwise I'm gonna have to fit some knobblier tyres! Can't really complain though!

Got to say some of the steeper dustier bits of Ranmore I was a bit dubious of but it's like skiing!

Second that thought, went riding solo on the dusty moors twice this weekend and it was "bloody fantastic". I met two walkers,one a disabled guy (he walked with the aid of two crutches) saturday night at 22.00hrs who were doing the LWW. Stopped for a waff and to check their directions with me, kind of puts your own little problems in to perspective.

I hate you all. Stair rodded all weekend here after a week of, well, rain. Cold and blowing 100kmh most of Saturday. Spin bike, garage, stereo/DVD while the bikes glared at me from the rack. Not looking too flshs for this week….7 weeks to the alps though 🙂

Rock hard – makes me wish I had sent off the forks and shock to mojo sometime back.

Yup summer trails really show up the limitations of fully rigid bikes 🙁

dRY, dRY, dRY – Slippy – but FAAAAASSSSTTTTT 😉

Coed y Brenin was dead quite yesterday, dry as a bone and as fast as your legs could carry you! unheard of 😀 2 days into an 8 day Welsh adventure, so plenty more too come hopefully 😀 I'm now off to Penmachno in a few minutes, have a nice time at work all 😆

Driest I've ever seen Kentmere/Longsleddale area yesterday – lovely!

I did manage to find quite possibly the only bit of mud for miles yesterday went in up to my axles and it stank!

Hard, dry and dusty, and totally deserted 🙂 Couldn't follow too close behind the (very few) other riders that happened to be out, else you'd inhale a face full of dust. Still found a few moist bits though (plasticine consistency mud).

BTW a bridge to far @ Manaton is STILL wet 🙂

The trail round the back of the resevoir at Swinley (the one thats essentialy a mile long pump track) was riding so quickly I gave up pumping and just let the bike jump them as doubles, absolutely epic feeling 🙂

pump,
weightless,
tyre buzz
pump,
weightless,
tyre buzz,
pump
weightless,
tyre buzz
pump
weighless
repeat to that rooty desent on which I swear my wheels didn't hit the ground!

Spent most of the day eating spikeyjames' dust though so now have a sore throat!

I found a trail that still had one muddy puddle and a significant amount of standing water too (could've been the same one Joolsburger: Dock at the Radar Station?), I was quite irritated, luckily managed to avoid it!

Surprised how quiet it was Saturday though, thought it'd be rammed!

Surprised how quiet it was Saturday though, thought it'd be rammed!

Did 4 hours in the Chilterns on Sunday, had the place to myself more or less, saw maybe 3 other riders and a few walkers. There's a few corners could do with watering down now… 🙂

Very quiet up Kentmere way as well – only saw a couple of other bikers all day and a few walkers.

Deserted on the Mendips yesterday – in both senses of the word. I was thrashing back along the Black Down track, a veritable swamp in winter, when I flatted the rear tyre.

I stopped sharply and was overtaken by a cloud of choking dust 🙂

I just want to ride ride ride when it's like this. It's a shame my legs and lifestyle wont let me.

Best thing was virtually the entire 3 hours yesterday was under cover of the trees, nice and cool. Climbing to Leith tower is not fun afer 2.5 hours in the saddle!

Pah! I big ringed it up to Leith in both directions, up through High Ashes, then back up the rocky slope from the cricket pitch!

The tree cover was certainly welcome though, I pity the poor northerners with their open moors!

You big ringed it up the final climb from the Dukes Warren to the tower, yeah — chin rub!!!