Monday Morning Debrief No.9 – What did you get up to then?

Here’s ours: http://singletrackworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/monday-morning-debrief-no-9/

Show us yours :o)

This:

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Penyard Woods[/url] by Alex Leigh[/url], on Flickr

In some of this

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There goes the trail[/url] by Alex Leigh[/url], on Flickr

Local ride out of Ross with two fellas who’ve recently been crocked. Ace to get everyone back together again for 45k of mostly slop, some butchered forestry, lots of cheeky new trails and much p!ss taking. Only thing that was properly frozen was my toes.

Oh and booked to go and see Trans-Provence Ash for a long weekend end of March 🙂

I was just down the river (Wye) from Alex, re-riding in reverse a loop we did in the dark on Thursday night, this time in glorious sunshine with fantastic views down the lower Wye Valley. Hard frost and sunshine on muddy trails meaning either pedalling downhill to maintain forward motion or just letting the front wheel go and hoping for the best… 8)

32km of this sort of thing.

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Hard to believe this is Leicestershire![/url]

Lots of new kit on the bike too, brakes, bars, grips and dropper post made the ride just that little bit sweeter too. Oooooh and a new helmet too!

I went in search of new trails and Forestry Commission land in Norfolk. I didn’t find any solid trails, but found “sketches” of trails that need a bit of tidying up.

Broken chains, a rubbish multi tool, punctures, ice forming on tyres, the hunters shotgun sounds getting closer and closer – still enjoyed it, weirdly.

Rode singletrack along the River Kelvin and in several inches of snow on the moorland trails around Loch Ardinning to the north of Glasgow. One of those cold, grey, low cloud days where the snow deadens sound and the landscape takes on an other worldly quality. Pretty much non stop riding for the best part of five hours on my own on the Giant Trance X 29 long term tester. Marvellous! 😀

I was just down the river (Wye) from Alex psling

Drove to the FOD, rode the Verderers 1 1/2 times and then rode home. Found yet another nice descent down to Redbrook and then destroyed myself climbing out of the Valley.

And is the FOD trail head the most popular MTB venue in the entire World?

Marko

What happened to the poor little birdie?

Did El-an-Back a bike-packing challenge in mid Wales. About 120km with a rather cold camp high up above Llanidloes. Frozen bladder hose and my heat-in-the-can hot chocolate failed to heat in the morning. Great couple of days.

And is the FOD trail head the most popular MTB venue in the entire World?

Seems so 😉 When I first came here 4 years ago, it was just a car park with a little cafe. Now it’s a trail centre. Good to see lots of people out on bikes. Great to see Cafe/Shop busy. But it’s why I ride out from Ross and pop in for a bacon sarnie, not try and start any rides from there.

My weekend was spent riding around some old mine workings in North Wales
Simply stunning

Lots more pics here:
http://northwalesmtb.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=ridedays&action=display&thread=9698

Stunning day in the Peak yesterday – Started in Castleton, Rushup, Royche, Coldwell, Jacobs, Jaggers, Beast, Lockerbroke, Ladybower, Wyming and back to Sheffield. 38 action packed miles in fantastic conditions

What happened to the poor little birdie?

It ceased to be. It was an ex little birdie.

Unfortunately, quite a number of birds succumb to the cold at this time of year 🙁

It ceased to be. It was an ex little birdie.

🙁

Yesterday I had a cx pootle around North London Village/Herts/Essex.
Went to Karl’s tea hut at Epping for cake and witnessed the terrible state the “trails” are in. Even the fire roads were in the worst condition I’ve seen in years. boo hiss.
I’ll probably just put road tyres on’t bike !!

summittoppler – wow, what fantastic pics on your link. 😀 Looks a really interesting area and bet it has some history. Please do post up pics of any more similar rides that you do. 🙂

Spent saturday in the car, attending nephew’s birthday party 120 miles away. Thinking “I really could do this on the road bike as a big day out”
Spent sunday sitting by the fire with my sons, playing monopoly and cutting up pieces of paper to make snow flakes.

No actual riding for me due to a knackered back. 🙁

Took the bikes down to visit a mate in Bath. Drove to FoD on Saturday. 1st time there, pretty good fun (busy, though, as above!) Freeminers would be a bit more fun in the dry, all those roots were a bit exciting if you’re going some!

Sunday choice of getting in the car and driving to Cwm Carn, or trawling through local clag. Didn’t really fancy either, so we pumped the tyres up and went for a road ride instead.

Lots of hills, beautiful views, cold hands and a great pub lunch and a few pints at the Ring of Bells in Priston.

Road ride near home. Beautiful morning with the low sun cutting across the wide open fields. Lots of frost and ice patches to watch out for. Only saw half a dozen other riders (saw 40+ last sun).

Shame my legs chose to stay in bed.

I rode my local loop, got really muddy, stopped lots to admire my bicycle (still well and truly in the honeymoon period, 2 months in), rode up a horrible ascent twice for the first time ever, managing to get a little further.

Had a blast round monkey trail at cannock chase on Saturday. Despite scraped and bruised shin it was good day.

Commuter needed work, so I spent a happy day pootling in the shed.

New chainrings, cassette, chain and jockey wheels – plus full length SKS Chromos fitted and tyres swapped for Winter Marathons.

All while juggling a toddler and helping her ride her balance bike up and down the lane. 😀

So no beautiful views I’m afraid. Just a modest photographic study entitled “Out With The Old”:

Sunday at Langdegla, first time there for about 5 years. I love trail centres they are brilliant we are so lucky to have them , was supposed to be at Coedybrenin today but forecast of rainsleetsnow for Wales saw me hotfoot it home last night. Sunny forecast for tomorrow so may be Gisburn bound.

A cheeky 50 miles up to Loch Lomond taking in the West Highland Way. Felt like pushing myself to start the year.

No riding for me 🙁

Had my 10 week old grand daughter for the day on Saturday – awwww, she is so cute 🙂

Spent all day Sunday working on my son’s VW Golf, new wheel bearings, track rod ends, sump, shocks, brakes and radiator. Gorgeous weather tho, and it wasn’t too bad as I was in the warm sunshine pretty much all day. Could have been cold wet and horrible.

Would have been a great day for riding, but things need doing.

And now we have lots of snow!

Summittoppler – makes my local riding look very dull by comparison! 🙂

I woke up to a lovely Sunday morning. The sun was shining, I was feeling fit and well, the bike was ready to go and my other half would happily have gone out for a ride with me. But I’m training for a marathon and the schedule said “steady 13 miles”.

So, I went for a run, tore my calf muscle and can’t run or ride now.

Should’ve gone riding!

Little ride around Danbury, everyone seems to be recovering from illness and colds so not long. But good to be out!
Decided to get properly filthy though and hit all the good trails.
Then spent ages cleaning the bike…
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Winter Shitter Ride…[/url] by Yeti Tony[/url], on Flickr

I see the new wheel standard at the far end of that picture… 🙂

Finally got out for the first time since arrival of mesh jr. in December – only a local pootle but enjoyed the fruits of last weekends bike-building labours. Running rigid with 1.9 trailrakers was somewhat of a revelation…

Local ride only on Sunday, trying the new 29er Unit out

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P1040954[/url] by eastham_david[/url], on Flickr

5000ft of climbing in 21miles taking in the garburn (twice), gatesgarth and nan Bield passes for me. Watched the sunrise on top of garburn before the snow came in on top of Nan Bield around dinnertime.

Grim