Here's this week's random thoughts from the saddle:
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What did you get up to?
drove to afan on friday to go out with mrs, her sister and sisters boyfriend on saturday and sunday. Was sick as a dog spent 90% of the weekend in bed whilst they went biking and got drunk then drove back whilst the mrs had a kip. On the bright side now feeling fine for work 👿
some loops of Ashton Court in a gap in a parental reponsibility. 50 Acre wood -the one maintained by the volunteers from the Bristol Trail Group is in excellent condition, with a well-repaired track. anyone doing it should return the favour by tearing out or cutting off some of the brambles starting to grow in.
For the final circuit of the court I managed to clip a stone with my pedal and go straight over the bars at speed, writing off a pair of gloves 'these kevlar gloves saved my hands", and adding a massive bruise on the side of my leg, just on top of where i'd got a bruise on sunday.
Product placements: Da Kine gloves, Endura shorts
Next week: road riding
Ae forest for me, first ride in nearly 3wks. Wee holiday in Tunisia got in the way.
Good to see Ae busy and the new cafe owners getting some trade.
If we could persuade FC to create some more singletrack leading to Granny Greenlove it would help improve the route 😆 the new stuff, Turbine Alley, is growing on me
3 1/2 MTB ride Friday night with a new riding buddy. Went out walking with Mrs Fox and camera to Venford Falls:
Went for a 40km hilly road ride then went out with Mrs Fox at sundown and shot the Supermoon and the wonderful sunset 🙂
Dad's 65th so that's a 3rd year we'd thought we'd not have with him, beats any bike ride.
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3705/9108370325_7c4263f4ec_c.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/leecollis/9108370325/ ]Untitled[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/leecollis/ ]Lee Collis[/url], on Flickr
Thursday (it's the new friday) - ringing round getting the MG insured
Friday - getting the MG MOT'd, walked arround Derby, drank too much coffee, poked my head under/in a load of expensive sportscars (A-H 3000 and a Jag 140 🙂 and a fleet of MG's) whilst the garrage was tinkering, went nextdoor to the posh bike shop to dribble over some Cervelo lovelyness.
Saturday - Day out with my parents and girlfriend mooching arround Rutland.
Sunday - 70miles on the road, 2 cafe stops, 1 at a steam railway for mediochre cake and tea, the other had some particulalry easy on the eye waitresses and fantastic scrabbled egg and smoked salmon on toasted bagles with a nice latte.
quick ride round local loop avoiding the rain(just) with brother who has committed to riding more this year inc night rides in the winter and now starting a weeks staycation 🙂
Stopped for a think.
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3817/9125197366_f5c467823a_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/rick2/9125197366/ ]Stopped for a think[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/rick2/ ]Rick T.[/url], on Flickr
Got up yesterday @ 7:30 ready for the usual Sunday ride. Went outside to let the dog out and decided that my hangover and Le Mans had priority over riding in the rain feeling crap.
Went inside and lay on the sofa for 6 hours watching the 'race' in my bike gear 😳
Must do better and will take the bike and dog out tomorrow night. 🙂
Sat, I did a long coastal walk going west.
Sun, I did a longer coastal walk starting at the end point on Sat and carried on wester...
I totally enjoyed the wet and wind on Sat and yesterday's walk was fab too..
Next walk will involve an overnight tent stop carrying on the coastal path.
I'm glad of the rest from bikes.
190 miles on the road in the heaviest rain I've ever experienced, up to Edinburgh and back (pre-riding the LEL route), on saturday.
Much more fun on sunday helping my 5-year old get to grips with his new Islabike, introducing him to the fun that is popping off a kerb 🙂
Rode to the local bike park in Stirling (at Wallace High) and watched the boys pump the gnarr:
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Saturday: went skydiving for my girlfriend's birthday
Sunday: stripped, cleaned, greased and rebuilt my front hub in the morning. Went for a ride in the mountains in the afternoon. Got my bottle back after 2 months of crash-based wussiness.
Saturday - ate pasta, Sunday - rode the Dartmoor Classic, in evil headwinds and rain for the first 3rd, the rest was actually alright. done my first century! feeling pleased with myself this morning, especially after all the whinging about not wanting to do it 🙄
Saturday + Sunday - rode around Chatel looking for trails to show off the new Lapierres to the journos coming for the launch week 😉
With Sara (mrs Flowmtbguy and now Lapierre PR person) constantly telling me how great the new bikes are 🙂
Like I need to be told!
Afan W2 with all the new bits of Friday night.
Yesterday Elan valley challenge- a very wet and windy 75k on some classic mid Wales trails.
Despite being skirted by a Typhoon (Weather: Cyclone T3) I still managed to get out on a group ride, bit slippery mind and when it did rain, it did really rain.
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Fitted some Hans Dampfs (Brilliant, in every way they seem better than the Fat ALbert, Nobby Nic combo I had on). Bit of exploration of the PBW up around Piethorne. I should have started exploring up here a few years ago, I've been missing great trails on my doorstep (well, 18km up the canal away).
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the usual Dorking-Peaslake-Dorking ride > 25 miles plus 15 on the road getting to Waterloo and back.
pushed it too hard though on the way back and then raced a roadie from Westcott to Dorking so felt rough on Sunday.
Weekend camping in Dalby forest with mrs Cfsb a few good friends and their families. Rode the red trails on Saturday.
Back to work this week and looking forward to next and a week away on my own, with bike n boots, not sure if to head for Lakes, or Exmoor yet.
Led NATS around the 5 Dales circuit. Started off very wet indeed. Lost two members after one went over the bars (hope she's OK!) then lost another two a number of miles later as they were cold and knackered.
Weather picked up towards Chatsworth and stayed OK-ish all the way back to Darley Bridge. At arrival back at the car the *£$%! sun came out 😀
the cake I made was appreciated and there were lots of smiles at the end.
weekend in les gets so about 80mile of cross country aided by a few lifts with the odd downhill thrown in, most enjoyable.
Gratuitously looked for hills on my cross bike, ran up some where there was a perfectly pleasant rideable alternative, got lost in the woods looking for the hidden trails that truly were this time, got cold feet. It was all great.
I got up to this:
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Route was 60-70% off road. My first century. 🙂
An "old boys" meet at Cannock on Saturday (sunny) got delayed till sunday, (constant heavy rain) Still we had a lot of fun, destroyed our brakes/pads, and i now have approx 2kg of the track in my shower tray.
Good times 😉
(not many people doing the blacks it seems in the rain, as i was on my own on them......)
Cycled down to the local pub on Friday evening for a couple of quiet birthday beers with an old friend..
The music at the pub was an old fella karaoke singing old 50s rock n roll hits and was incredibly loud, so after a few more beers we decided that I should give my pal a backy into town in the hope of finding somewhere a bit quieter.. 😕
Cue many Sailor Jerry's, a few more pubs and a couple of house parties and I was a woebegone sight as I staggered in with my tail between my legs at 8.30am the next morning..
Mrs Yunki's mother was in attendance to join in the scowling and silent treatment which made the morning all the more bearable..
Hangover still showing very little sign of abating this afternoon.. 🙁
hopefully my trusty pub bike is still locked where I left it in the town centre..
Friday - BBQ and sat out until the rain arrived right on que at midnight
Sat - Checked out kennels for Dogs and then had a wee skoosh round the woods in Comrie
Sun - decent ride up/doon/roon aboot all from the our front door.
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7383/9123002845_7976523e79_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/49097109@N07/9123002845/ ]Glendevon III[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/49097109@N07/ ]Red Ritchie[/url], on Flickr
rode to top of Malvern & then home, just over 50 miles on a singlespeed
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3768/9119475428_ef4dfb2959_b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/rocketdog/9119475428/ ]the slightly bigger adventure[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/rocketdog/ ]rOcKeTdOgUk[/url], on Flickr
Saturday rode at Wharncliffe, Abigale was trying out her new to her forks in prep for the Alps trip
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Wimped out of a snowdon trip, took the singlespeed out for the first time in aaaaages, reminded myself just how awesome SSing is. Got to the top of a silly steep climb (darwen tower) and I felt like beating my chest and bellowing a loud roar to the world in general - like a smaller, slimmer only slightly less hairy version of king kong.
Rickos, I like!
Rocketdog what's that rear guard? Can't decide if it's genius or a "getting behind the saddle" health hazard.
Spent Sunday on my CX bike doing the Great Notts Bike Ride and clocking up my first cycling century. Moving time of 6:53 with slightly over an hour of food + rest stops. Massive feeling of pride until I saw "composite" above had done his first century this weekend but it was 60% off-road. Wow.
Saturday went off to Cwmcarn for the first time, which was fun, even though I was being slow & cowardly.
Sunday was spent doing as little as possible ;0)
Rode from Windermere up Walna scar rd hit the top, then the wind hit me struggled to go down the other side so bailed out and picked a route back to Kendal.It was part of my Lakeland 200 recce.Even though they have filled in Walna Scar still managed a pinch flat1
[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5473/9119831440_0dc3cc2114.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/9119831440/ ]DSCF3324[1][/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3785/9119813708_f8570c9711.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/nzrich/9119813708/ ]DSCF3323[1][/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/nzrich/ ]Richard Munro[/url], on Flickr
Donk, it's an ass-saver, just bends out if the way when over the back
google......
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Brilliant! Why was I not told about these before?
63 miles offroad and +7000ft of climbing in the Scottish Borders, including The Cheviot (don't bother) - aimed to be back for 6pm, got back at 10pm...
Weather was wet, windy and chilly so we put off riding until late afternoon yesterday.
3 of us set off from Marple over to Robin Hoods picking Rods, Matley moor, back round to Lantern Pike, down the steps at Rowarth and back to two great local descents to the Roman Lakes.
Was great fun on the tandem, pilot did well not to dump me as it was quite greasy on some of the steeper rocky sections.
Sun came out once or twice. Back home for a pint of tea each.
Shakedown ride ahead of the PPdS on the Hustler at Cwmcarn. Had hoped to do three laps of the XC course then finish the rest of the day doing DH runs.
Kept getting chainsuck on the inner ring so did one lap then did six runs down the DH in the afternoon.
Long weekend... A lap and a half of Golspie on Thursday, then out on Friday with my brother at Carbisdale and Balblair (what a brilliant trail, no idea why it's so overlooked), then saturday over to fort william for a day on the downhill. Fab.
A ride a couple of miles out the village to watch the SDA happening: our mate got third, only 6/1000 behind second place...!
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3716/9116791350_8b5e0128db_o.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/9116791350/ ]Killin SDA[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/matt_outandabout/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7334/9116582612_926428ebcd_o.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/9116582612/ ]Killin SDA[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/matt_outandabout/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5470/9113982963_f661656b2b_o.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/9113982963/ ]Killin SDA[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/matt_outandabout/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7365/9114102835_69b8611b90_o.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/9114102835/ ]Killin SDA[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/matt_outandabout/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
[url= http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3719/9116224228_769ccc1655_o.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/9116224228/ ]Killin SDA[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/matt_outandabout/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
Jamie on his way to third, showing how it is done at 12...!
[url= http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2840/9114160841_a5c3acdc17_o.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/matt_outandabout/9114160841/ ]Killin SDA[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/matt_outandabout/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
82k's of the wettest, windiest welsh wilderness at the Red Kite Élan Valley Callenge. Rain was horizontal. Wind seemed to be jn your face whichever way you faced. River crossings at thigh depth, moorland ankle deep in mush (I'm sure someone rode it but it wasn't me). An entire day getting wet, cold and tired. Brilliant.
Bimbling about the local trails with the local lads for a couple of hours. The rain has made the limestone and dirt trails slidy and challenging again! Then I headed over to cheddar to cheer along some friends as the fell race set off. Was rather wet at this point. Then picked my way back to my car for a hour followed by a pub lunch. Climbs that were doable last week were not this week, due to the soapy limestones. Ho hum.
Solstice ride but unfortunately the summer bit was a little absent.. Started at Queens Head Askam for some pre-closing time ale before riding over towards Howtown, Sandwick along the shore to Paterdale and up to Boredale Hause where our optimism was dashed by the weather and we took the easy route back not on High Street but down in the valley via Boredale. Got back to the van at 3:30am for beer and bbq.
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A tad late for Monday! 🙂 We did a Solstice bivvy adeventure in the Black Mountains.
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You can read a few words on it here if you are bothered: http://www.sushkelly.co.uk/summer-solstice-2013-a-microadventure/