After what we would consider to have been a beautiful start to Autumn with stunning fall colours, golden sunshine and fresh blue skies, things have…how would we say…deteriorated somewhat. Rather than being gently eased into the winter season, it appears that most of the UK has been rudely dumped into the cold depths of it without prior warning. How inconsiderate!
Outside the windows at Singletrack Towers, all the leaves on the trees have pretty much vacated, while our loamy local trails have turned to slush and the normally green hillsides of the valley have been covered in a blanket of fluffy white snow. Yes, snow! As per usual, motorways around the country have fallen apart as drivers yet again forget how to pilot their vehicles, but we’ve been getting out of the office to enjoy the unique conditions that have made riding an interesting experience to say the least…
Snow in November? It’s quite bizarre, but it’s true! It may be stupidly, ridiculously, goosebump-inducingly cold, but we must admit it is rather pretty.
Even more bizarre are some of the results of the editorial team’s photoshoot on Friday morning, which we’re sure you’ll agree are positively frightening. We’ve been informed this is for a story in the upcoming issue of Singletrack Magazine, but we’re still not entirely sure what this “article” is actually about?
Meanwhile, actual bike riding has been occurring too. Our testers are currently working out what tyres are equipped for slushy snow conditions. Any hot tips for our antipodean office boy Wil? He’s never ridden in snow before, so we are making the most of it and laughing at his foiled attempts with pleasure!
Hannah has also been out on the trails, though her experience didn’t quite go according to plan…
Nope, Hannah didn’t die from hypothermia, but her phone almost did. Despite having plenty of battery juice, it was so cold out on the trail that her phone just turned off! Luckily she posted a video shortly after to let everyone know that she hadn’t been attacked by a Calderdale Drop Bear, and was in fact, still alive. As long as you’re back in the slave-cave on Monday morning Hannah, that’s all we need to know.
Wil had a slightly more successful attempt at mountain biking over the weekend, after having travelled down to Wales for some bike testing on a couple of rigs that will be reviewed in the new issue of Singletrack Magazine. Wil informed us that he couldn’t actually feel his feet while posing for the above photo. Good thing that winter hasn’t actually started yet then hey?
We hope you got for some riding adventures of your own over the weekend, but we also hope it didn’t include your phone dying on you. And we certainly hope it didn’t include fluoro green budgie smugglers.
To take your mind off those awful thoughts, we’ve got a video for you from last week’s Fresh Goods Friday Live. It’s packed full of goodies, including those superb new Singletrack Bobble Hats that have arrived just in time for Christmas. Yes, we said it. The C-word. Best watch this video and take your mind off that too.
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I never admit to a ride fail, but at this time of year rides often become rather shorter than was planned. November is always like this, if you look on climbing sites you will see winter snowy mountaineering has already started in Scotland. IN fact the worst British Mountaineering disaster (in terms of numbers of deaths) occurred in a Cairngorm blizzard in November 1971. Take care out there people.
Where Can I get that Singletrack mud guard?