In case anyone is wondering what this thread is about, I came back to the UK late August to find that my MSc that was due to begin on 4th September was put back to 4th October, giving me a month with no home and not much in the way of budget. Paying for my car insurance and also quite a few books meant I couldn't really go off travelling again, not even doing a tour of Scotland.
So yeah, stayed in Dumfries with my folks, and put the word out to see who was free and when for riding. I had lost a lot of weight the previous 2 months doing some demanding mental and physical things in Peru, and needed to get my fitness and strength back up. I also decided early on to set up a STW forum ride end of the month to give me a fitness goal to aim for, as I had always only ridden occasionally, and even then always needed rest days in between rides.
Well, what a month I have have had, met many amazing people here for rides around the 7 Stanes and Lakes, and thought I would put this little video together as a thank you
Don't know how it will be received, and not too sure if people will know where I am coming from, but it made sense to me.
So yeah, the pedals are off the bike now as I am now spending the next few days doing all my washing and packing for a new chapter down south in Dartmoor where I hope to do some more group rides with some more of you guys as everyone here is just the best 😀
Si
nice
Plum
Cheers Simon, nice meeting you and all the best! If you're back up in Dumfries again let us know and might be able to come down and join you for a ride/drink.
All the best to your red-haired musician friend too - you can give her my number if you like 😉 😀
Kit
Simon, id like to say a very big thank you back - for organising a grate weekend, because of you, Ive now met some grate people to go riding with, I wish you all the very best in dartmoor.
I look forward to our next encounter. 😀
I think you call that a slideshow, rather than a video. But some very nice pics in there.
Heh - true - I think I was going to add bits of video but the one I wanted wasn't on my laptop.
Oh - Kit - just so you know Lucy has already had one proposal of marriage on one of her Youtube videos at a music festval 😀
Hi Simon.
Glad to be part of it, great riding with equally great people.
Was jealous about your last weekend of riding now i know what i'm missing
out on, was going to join you but after 2 weeks off my factory had gone t*ts up so spent the weekend working 🙁
Any how good luck with the MSc and if you fancy a brew on your way down we're 1/2 hr off the M5.(near Hereford)
Thanks
Martin & Caz
Nice pictures Simon,
Well posted.
SB
Brill Simon, I have enjoyed the frequent posts and pics over the last few weeks, it has cheered me up no end with the honesty, humility and enthusistic nature of the posts. truley captured what the sport and the community of mtb is about. Well done sir, bravo and good luck 😀
Martin and Caz - yeah - goes without saying it would have been great to ride with you guys again.
Cheers Strato
Hicksville
I was always conscious of not wanting to p people off in offices, but when you have a month off like I have had, you realise just how many people have non-office type jobs or work shifts and things like that and who are free to ride mid-week.
Also, even at Dalbeattie although I feel my stamina had increased this month, I still don't seem to be very fast, and was pretty much at the back, not just on climbs but on singletrack that I started leading but where I had a few wobbles off and had to let people past before getting on and getting my momentum up.
But after saying that I am actually trying to improve after mainly riding Spainish farm raods the last 2 years, and it is amazing how many people you ride with have nothing but encouragement, from DeeJay who rode behind me and showed me how to improve my downhill corners at Glentress, and Davy-G who was shouting where the lines were at Kirroughtree, and Trekster who waited patiently for me at Dalbeattie after the others had gone on and who showed how to ride down two drops (or steep bits) I have never done before. So yeah, obviously I have not done McMoab or Hissing Sid etc but there were a good few other hairy rocky bits that I cleared for the first time thanks to people here showing me how and that has really increased my confidence.
Hi Si,
Really enjoyed riding with you. Shame I couldn't make Kirroughtree, guess that means its it will have to be done another day then! Enjoy the course and pastures new! 🙂
ed + kerry