Springs on the way......I can almost smell the dry trails and Bluebells.Not quite there yet out alongside the Thames and marshes though .
Well, I was going to do a roadie ride down to the coast, but seeing as Sussex are in T2, and I'm in T3 that's not allowed.
Might take the hardtail over to the North Downs, or I might sit on Zwift... Will see what the weather looks like...
Voyage of the sprout
Well if you drop into Bourton -on- the water that new chip shop does battered sprouts well did last Christmas where is that top pics cheers house in back ground?
where is that top pics cheers house in back ground?
Just dropping into Turkdean I think.
Nice short little rocky descent. I aced it, largely because I had no choice with failing brakes 😅
I'm so ready for some more daylight and warmth. Cold and muddy rides are ace, but I'm happy to be looking forwards to less cold and mud.
A short local MTB ride at Kippenrait yesterday confirmed the local trails are utterly minging and overcrowded with walkers.
Today saw me explore some tracks between Dunblane and Auchterader that I've not been down before on the do it all bike.
What have the Romans ever done for us?
Ardoch Roman Fort.
The closer to golf courses and big houses, the more of this I found 🤔
Nice ,but challenging ride out to a local megalith,I usually try to do it on the Solstice but work means this is close enough this year-such a beautiful day for it .
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After a couple of paricularly muddy and shit rides in the Peak, we went to Dirt Factory instead for a brilliant learn to jump course.
We loved it.
Headed out last night to bag my December bivy and attempt the Restrap Solstice Century.
A brew with a view (of a composting loo)...
Low sun, and flat, straight fens roads, made for a couple of near SMIDSY's...
Made it to Phoenix Cycleworks for coffee and cake, my Wahoo was on 4% battery and my phone not much better. I was also wearing too heavy a top, so my base layer was sodden, and I was getting chilly in the wind. So I bailed for home, rather than risk not being able to phone for help. Only managed 123 km, but as I didn't eat or drink enough, it feels like I did far, far more.
Lovely day for it...
Couldn’t face the slop off-road so got the road bike off the turbo. sunny when I left, sunny when I got home. Definitely not sunny in between.
A hack out over the tops of Rossendale this morning. Wet, cold but just what I needed
Ahem, I'll try to post the picture again.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50740593271_abcecedc30_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50740593271_abcecedc30_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
Just the one ride this WE, seem to have pulled a glute muscle, so a few days of rest required...
We had everything on Saturday, dull cloud, torrential rain, then a lovely rainbow and blue skies...
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50739999453_d251a1d091.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50739999453_d251a1d091.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kiHL5M ]Winter ride[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50739999123_46df29bd93.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50739999123_46df29bd93.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kiHKZ6 ]Winter ride[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50739997648_bdf9d88e00.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50739997648_bdf9d88e00.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kiHKxE ]Winter ride[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
Pictures don't show how muddy it is everywhere at the moment!
Thought I should actually take my mountain bike up a mountain to commemorate the event. This is a little known one near the Lecht ski resort.
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First off-road ride in ages. On my first self built wheel!
Grizedale was wet and wild today
another snowy ride for me. very sketchy going with a couple of cm over of fresh snow on the packed trails. the sun was out, which is always nice.
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Great photos,and a Merry Christmas to you to Rocketdog .
Grizedale was wet and wild today
Great pic. Is that Claife?
Fod with my eldest for his first time in the proper mud. He was annoyingly good.
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Some great photos there.
Glad I didn't go to the FoD Adam, looks horrible 🙂
Plan was to ride in (10k) from home, ride local trails and then enjoy some Tier-1 pubbage. We know it'll be 14 days max before another lockdown, so it's important to support local businesses 🙂
Anyway. weather absolutely grim so aborted MTB part of ride, started rebuilding my SolarisMax for my daughter in mates garage.
Then went to pub. Drank a bit too much.
Rubbish photo - as we're still in Scottish Tier 3 we are still sticking to exploring the quiet corners of our Ayrshire locality...
After not doing a 100 mile ride for ooh, several years I was inspired by the Restrap Solstice Century and rode up to Fleetwood and back via Blackpool and Lytham on Saturday. Block headwind and squally showers on return leg made it a tough day out but I'm glad I did it. I think.
martinhutch
Full Member
Grizedale was wet and wild todayGreat pic. Is that Claife?
Thanks. Yes, Colthouses down towards Hawkshead.
Fantastic thread, cheered me up no end.
Thanks for posting pics of Coldrum long barrow. I was up the mausoleum too, only a few weeks back.
Love going there on summer solstice, the barrow I mean. A magical place. Though it's the trail down to there from the downs (totally non technical!) that lead to my torn rotator cuff April before last.lol
Where there signs of any recent fires on the barrow? I love bivvying there.
Summer Solstice Solo Ride
I don't know either.
Fuel.
Refuel
@poopscoop. I didn't see any recent fires. I usually head out there on the Solstice-I had to go a day early due to work getting in the way this week so I reckon I missed the 2 lads that usually camp there to see the sunrise on the day.I've chatted to them there for the last few years.I missed the White Witches too.
I think all trails become technical in the wet-that one is fast slick drifty fun at the mo.
Out in the rain and slop yesterday. Lovely!
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Haven’t been back to work so it’s still the weekend yeah?
@roverpig that top pic could be my favourite biking pic for a long time, great colours, proper wild feel to it. In a thread with a lot of cracking pics too!
Haven’t been back to work so it’s still the weekend yeah?
Absolutely.
Thanks @thestabiliser I was actually cowering behind the small summit cairn at the time, trying to get out of the biting wind 😀
Ended up 3 rides in 20 hours. Each quite different and each very wet at some point.
Deserted festive street.
https://flic.kr/p/2kjXyQm
Very high River Usk (3.8m at this point)
https://flic.kr/p/2kjXyQ1
And finally a glimpse of the grand conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter (the little speck above the tree)
https://flic.kr/p/2kjTPBR
@kayla1 I like the journey of the sprout
@kiwijohn casually flicking through I thought that looked like Cascade Brewery but didn’t clock the Summer Solstice reference until I doubled back. I have family near Hobart but only seen the brewery once.
@scuttler its' not a bad spot. I live right next door & the trails start right behind the brewery.