Rode my bike, Braai and Beer 8)

Yep! Rode two days on the mtb, a circular overnighter, stayed at Mankinholes YHA, a few pints & eats sat outside in the sunshine at the Top Brink on Sat night. Just under 100miles covered & 11250feet of ascent.

Yeah, had a little swim, then a spin out on the bike followed by a run, all in glorious sunshine for the full 11:52:37 that it took.

Spent Saturday getting hot and sweaty riding the bridleways in and around Grizedale. Only did around 20 miles but it felt like more!
Cooled off with a swim in Coniston Water.

70 ish road miles in the morning followed by 3 hrs playing in Hamsterley after lunch, out on a motorbike in the evening.

All followed by beer and the sleep of the dead.

BBQ & Beer Friday whilst chilling in the garden with the Mrs
Chores on Sat then out for dinner
Rode loops round The Roman Lakes (Marple) on NWMTB's demo day. BBQ & Beer whilst browsing more bikes

Caught the train to Church Stretton on Friday,then had a nice leisurely cycle home over two days,even slept in my tent without the flysheet over it on Friday night,it was that hot,never done that before.

Body checked a tree on Friday night, the tree came off better. As such wound up cutting Saturday's ride short as my shoulder was hurting somewhat and then decided to let it rest yesterday. Hoping this weather keeps up as I'm off work all week - off to eastridge later today.

Showed some dazzling young urban, city sophisticates around our local trails. The slog up the Coal Road under the midday sun was..erm... slightly warm. In fact it was withering. But the pint of scrumpy in the brewery, at the end of it was probably the finest thing I've ever tasted!

I forgot to put any sun cream on though, so I now have a head like an angry tomato 😳

yes and no - half the day was spent enjoying fast and dusty laps of twenty four twelve. The second half was spent having my thumb relocated at Plymouth A & E after skidding out on the aforementioned dust.

Im not complaining though - love this weather

Went paragliding for the first time on sat (amazing!) then a walk up to Gaddings dam and a swim yesterday. It's been so lovely recently.

The only downside of the weather, is that it seems to have caused brambles to double in size.

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*stocks up on Savlon*

Saturday took the kids to local fun day, then went to the beach with the dinghy whilst floating around in a gorgeous Northumberland bay the WWII Battle of Britain flight circled over us waiting for it's slot to fly into Sunderland Air show, stayed at the beach until late before coming home and making the kids crispy duck pancakes.

Sunday took the kids to the beach in the morning to exercise the dog but he didn't like the heat and is wrecked from 2 weeks of exercise every day so came away fairly sharp. Came hame and walked them down to a local Italian style coffee shop and ice cream parlour.

Grum where did you go paragliding? There were quite a few of them up the turbines on Scout Moor on Saturday. We watched them for a bit and commented on how bloody good it must be up there on a day like that. I really fancy giving that a go!

How bloody good is it to have a proper summer though?! Feels like its been a long long time since we've had a run of good weather like this. Its bliss. Must have had more barby's this summer than I've managed in the last 5 years. And done more dry dusty miles 😀

Near Ingleton in the Dales binners. It was awesome - inevitably a lot of the day taken up with training and learning stuff but when we actually got to fly solo at the end....

So cool - only got about 30ft off the ground and flew maybe 100 yards down the hill but it was enough to get me counting pennies to see if I can afford to get the gear and do more training. 🙂

This summer has been incredible - last years was pretty good too though, maybe this is normal now!

Saturday - by necessity - was spent car shopping, which wasn't bad in its own right but its not the best way to spend a lovely day.

Saturday was a road ride in the morning followed by climbing up a tree to lop some branches in the afternoon. That was a good day

Oh and what's with the weekend?

It's gorgeous again today so off to my childhood town to take the kids to the local park with a pool and splash things, then the Ice Bar for Milkshakes and maybe a G&T slush for the grownups before collecting a lovely Indian meal from a cracking takeaway. Or maybe we will just pop to the beach again or will that be tomorrow?

Saturday - by necessity - was spent car shopping, which wasn't bad in its own right but its not the best way to spend a lovely day.

Saturday was a road ride in the morning followed by climbing up a tree to lop some branches in the afternoon. That was a good day

So what you do on Sunday?

oops 😆

Took a couple of days off last week, so had a four day weekend here.

Spent a couple of days in the next valley doing routes out of Benji Haworth's guide book. Likes a climb that Benji...

Running a bit of a brownie point defecit after spending my entire life sorting out the North Pennines Marathon, so apart from a 2 hour run, I spent the weekend cleaning and decorating whilst the family are away.

🙁

Toyed with the idea of joining Binners for a tour de Ramsbottom but wasn't sure what state his bike would be in so headed to Dyfi Forest for some trail exploration. Found some great new off-piste bits and pieces, just a shame those bloody forest road climbs are soooooo loooong.

Loved it Loved it Loved it , just riding local trails which are currently fast and dry, even the downhills through the woods feel slightly less life threaening. Rhge only downside is that everywhere is so overgrown that a lot of trails are very narrow and you get pistol whipped with humungous nettles !!!

Technology conference in London. Great weather, good food, anti-social and awkward people, but hey, free booze 🙂

Think I might have asked you about your ride in the pub.

Dunno if this will work...

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Noooooo , I trapped a nerve in my back and spent 4 days in agony , i had no plans and 4 days free, i watched the commonwealth games and got more and more pissed off , new car arrived on Friday and i was hurting too much to thrash it around as well ???????? Oh well its better today but don't want to aggravate it so a pootle around the village is al i dare do ??? back to Job interviews tomorrow ??

Twentyfour12 down in Plymouth...

Drove down Friday and pitched up before doing a quick practice lap, once we'd got supplies and stuff. Fish and chips for dinner with a few cold lagers back at the camping area.

The 24hrs of riding (well, not all the time as we were a team of 4). But was great to be out in it and great to be riding with the sun in the sky and dusty eyes.

Even the night laps were nice and warm. Stuck arm warmers on, but they were stuffed into a jersey pocket <1 mile into the lap.

Explored the ace trails around Dunsop Bridge, Forest of Bowland. Perfect conditions, no other MTBers...

...well worth a visit!!!

Cheers, Paul

Saturday, a solo ride in the Peak, Jacobs Ladder route, had to cut the ride short as the heat was killing me.

Sunday, played cricket in the annual 'mates v local curry house' game, free beer and curry. Then relaxed and watched Anchorman 2 last night.

no, not in the MTB sense anyway, I have the lurgy 🙁 did go on an "adventure" with the kids tho, crossing stepping stones, climbing up and down faint tracks, tiptoeing over trees fallen across the river, kids jumping off ledges/trees and I catch them, catching son by the ankle just before he hits the deck, repeated shocks while trying to climb over electrified fence, kids complaining they're too tired to get back to the car.
Fun times.
🙂

20 very hilly miles round hope / edale in great weather. Best conditions under wheel on Rushup Edge I can ever remember 🙂

Cracking day on Sunday finishing the Rapha rising challange doing the three passes in the Lake District. An early start meant that I saw a total of five walkers and one other mtb'r, bliss 😀
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Why yes, thanks for asking, I have a Tan 😀

After the Roadie died a death of a thousand busted rear spokes I took the CX out on some long gravel and a few bumpity lumpity bridleways.

To be honest I've been off work for the last 3 weeks and have managed to see the Tour in both YorkshireLand and that FrenchLand, ride my Roadie until it died.
Got on the CX for the first time since getting it back from having the SRAM replacement brakes fitted and have ridden it hard whilst in shakedown mode to see if anythings gonna break, and it hasn't. This is most excellent because DrP has his "eeepppiiiiccc" Brighton-Londinium-Brighton Gravel bash this coming Saturday.

8)

Went to Glentress with the wrong bikes...
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Brother got a puncture near Kielder...
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Had to lend my non-riding buddy the Abarth. Truly terrible way to spend a Saturday.
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No riding, but a trip to that there London with old school friends. Too much to drink Friday, imperial war museum Saturday and to top the hangovers up in the evening.

Rode a weird Welsh almost coast to coast at the W/E Llandudno to Cardiff. Scorchio and it was horrible to ride through Coed-y-Brenin with my bike packing kit knowing I didn't have time for a quick loop

Can't wait for Autumn. Sorry.

It's too hot here . Can't wait for autumn either!

Moan moan. Although the blueberries this year are mahoosive

Too hot? TOO HOT?!!!! In the immortal words of Peter Kaye:

Shut the **** up, and have a Callipo! 😀

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imperial war museum Saturday and to top the hangovers up in the evening.

Exact same thing as me - now returned to Spain to avoid the rain 🙂

Bike building the garden on Saturday. Brisk walking over the Qs on Sunday; very few people about, including just one cyclist.

Also want to put on record that I'm [i]making[/i] the most of the ongoing good weather, less of this past tense malarkey.

Sun's out here again today and I'll be out this evening. Good times!

Nice ride out on the lanes on Saturday morning (MTB with semi-slicks, no roadie nonsense) then a trip to Cardinham early on Sunday for a go at the blue route.
We were really impressed by what they've done there - I'd say the blue trail (with a couple of optional red bits) is comparable with the Verderers at FoD, but a bit more swoopy and fun, and definitely a lot quieter for a summer weekend.

Quick bimble around Barmouth prom Saturday morning, followed by a few hours at CYB on the trails and skills area.

Bunked off work on Friday afternoon to go for a ride, got absolutely sodden in the thunderstorms arround Windsor. Odd sensation riding through 8" deep puddles of warm water, kinda like pissing yourself, constantly.

Saturday, did all the little jobs I'd been putting off on the road bike like removing mudguard brackets, rebuilt my shimano hubs and generarly fettled. Saturday afternoon fixed all the little faults on the missus fiesta (fan switch only did off and '4', seat catches broken, oil/filter service).

Sunday, painted the new exterior ply shelves for the garrage with exterior paint, so they should cope with the damp this time, watched some F1, ate some curry.

Missus is now in a mood with me for some reason, should have just gone out riding and sailing rather than just doing jobs round the house!

Got in a wee bivvy whilst in North Uist.

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Evans RideIt North Downs on Saturday. Loved it and pleased to find Leith Hill wasn't as hard as I feared. Never have I drunk so much fluid without taking a slash though. Hope the Liphook and Brighton events are as good.

Yes yes yes!!!
Quick roady locally for a swoim in Ullswater Thursday night...

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Cycle to BBQ and swim in Crummock on the Friday eve....
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MTB ride and another swim in lake Saturday........forgot camera though so no photos!!

LOVE IT HOT!!!!!!

Last Sunday, a tour of West Fife. Monday evening Comrie Croft, Wednesday Devilla forest and Saturday Glentress.
Had a ball last week on the dry trails and it looks like the weather will be good this Wednesday for Blairadam and Saturday for Pittmedden.
May the sun keep shining and the trails be dusty.

Riding everyday, few rounds of golf, bit of gardening, long walks with the dogs, bit more riding. I think I have a house but not been in it!! 🙂