Here we are, another Monday morning. It’s a pretty good one though – who doesn’t like a rainy Monday after a sunny weekend? It makes the return to your desk just a little less upsetting. Of course, for those in IT departments who spend the weekend trying to fix everything after all the ransomeware shenanigans, today is just a continuation of what probably feels like a very long week. Fingers crossed for a slightly less apocalyptic week this week?
We’ve not all made it back to our desks just yet – Wil is away in London getting himself set up with a visa for a forthcoming trip to the USA. This is the queue for the embassy, not a flash sale at Selfridges.
What a fun start to the week that looks. We hope he’s got sandwiches.
Don’t feel too sad for Wil though – he does have a trip to the USA to look forward to, and, after an apparent Smurf massacre, he did fit a spot of riding in to his weekend.
Hannah is also preparing for a trip – in June she’ll be heading to France to tackle the Julbo Enduro, her first enduro race. A full face helmet is mandatory, so she headed out this weekend for her first full face experience. Here she is, doing her best to look rad.
In another first, Rachel Sokal headed over to Coed y Brenin:
This weekend saw my first ever(!) trip to Coed y Brenin for a spot of leisurely riding and the Welsh Enduro Series round 2 on Sunday. After an extremely soggy ride on Friday evening (we timed our arrival at the trails at exactly the same time as the rain), Saturday and Sunday were spent under blue skies. Weekend learning points include: knee and elbow pads are definitely worth it and a chain guide is probably a better solution than stopping mid-stage to put your chain back on. – Rachel Sokal
Kat Crompton managed to escape with partner in tow, in a rare ride for two:
It was fantastic to ride with my other half this weekend. Nathan and I rarely ride together these days with me usually riding on my own or with friends. It used to be that pretty much all of our rides were just us in the early days of riding. Now it’s so rare that I think that was possibly the first time we’ve ridden together since our holiday to Applecross last summer, and even then I did half the ride and returned home to feed our youngest. It’s usual that when one of us is riding, the other is looking after our girls.
It was so nice just to just ride and talk, like we used to. So much so I only took one picture during the ride. I had intended to stop and take more pictures but it was also my longest ride in a long time too and tiring though it was, it was just really nice to be out riding and enjoying our new surroundings of Calderdale. – Kat Crompton
Chipps, Mark, James, Sarah and Ross were all away at the inaugural Singletrack7 in Catton Park – a friendly seven hour endurance event with a number of interesting shortcut options for those not taking things too seriously.
I was down at this weekend’s Singletrack7 event in Catton Park and, as well as making sure the place was festooned with Singletrack banners and flags, I’d taken a bike down too. I figured I wouldn’t be needed much once the race was under way, so I might as well race/ride my bike in the event. A lucky cancellation found me in possession of a race entry and I lined up with the sold-out crowd for seven hours of some of the funnest XC racing I’ve done for ages.
Powered by three bananas, a cheese and onion quiche and a glass of Kirby Lonsdale beer every lap, I reckon I did OK, coming in 38th in Sport Men (there was no old-giffers category) with 15 laps. All I then needed to do was help take all those flags and banners down again before we could head home for a well-deserved bath and the sleep of the righteous. – Chipps
We’ll be bringing you a full event report shortly. Here’s what the spiral of doom looked like after all the race tape had been packed away.
With the weekend firmly behind us (and as a bit of a bonanza weekend for bike thefts, one that some will be glad to see the back of), we’re going to get our heads down and get to work. Issue 113’s deadline is looming – click the link for a sneak peek of what we’re working on. Before we wave it a final adieu, here’s Wil and Chipps bringing you Fresh Goods Friday.
