Went walking the local trails this morning to do a bit more trail trimming as the brambles are spreading fast.
Had to do a few repairs from the MXs that decided it was a good idea to ride the jumps the wrong way last night.
Went back out this afternoon to set up the forks on the SL after the upgrade.
So glad I've been stuck in a Supermarket delivery van in Manchester City Centre all weekend 😳
So has Abigale all over South Yorkshire, was on a 9 7 shift, at least she is saving money for when she can disappear 😎
Brilliant local ride in the Calderdale dust. Whiskers lane bit my rim


.
Meh, I'll try again in the morning...
Monk - what are those inner bar ends? I’m doing a similar experiment and looking for an aero tuck second hand position option.
Did a Race Saturday, 3hrs of hard work which you can see on this last lap photo:
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Limited numbers and jeez, despite me showing all my best numbers and fitness I didn't do well despite 3hrs in the threshold HR zone and no issues. Oh well.
There sure is a lot more action on this thread when the weather is nice 🙂
Plan A was to take advantage of our new found freedoms and drive into another county with the MTB. But a look at the forecast in the morning showed that the best weather was going to be on the Aberdeenshire coast. So I quickly sketched out a 45 mile “gravel” loop with over 4,000’ of climbing on komoot. Turned out be quite a tough day with a stiff wind on the coast, but worth it.
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Friday was Colsnaur.
No photos but we have a video!
Sunday - Ben Cleuch / Andrew Gannel.
No photos but trench was mint!
Straight out the door after logging off from work on Friday night. I think everyone was in the pub.

Out early doors on Sunday morning, nice and quiet.

Finally escaped East Ayrshire for some singletrack over the border in the Galloways - with a couple ladies on their newish e-bikes (which made for a hard shift for me).

Black Forest Chermany
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51126011290_82af13c267_3k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51126011290_82af13c267_3k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kTQaXh ]IMG_20210417_122854[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/musselburghbikers/ ]Ihr zwei[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51125201536_772b8f9d6a_6k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51125201536_772b8f9d6a_6k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kTL2f1 ]IMG_20210417_114952[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/musselburghbikers/ ]Ihr zwei[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51125114278_cb82fcd4f3_6k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51125114278_cb82fcd4f3_6k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kTKziy ]IMG_20210417_112706[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/musselburghbikers/ ]Ihr zwei[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51126011050_996024840c_6k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51126011050_996024840c_6k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kTQaT9 ]IMG_20210417_141449[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/musselburghbikers/ ]Ihr zwei[/url], on Flickr
Out twice over the weekend doing local loops. Saturday I cycled 15.5 miles and yesterday 9 miles.
Monk – what are those inner bar ends? I’m doing a similar experiment and looking for an aero tuck second hand position option.
@aldo56 - just cheapo Brand-X from Wiggle I think, I wrapped them in some off-cut bar tape. They do the job but I just can't seem to replicate the feel of the gravel bike 'hoods', despite them being pretty much same distance/angle etc. I end up mostly riding with just my thumb wrapped around them and the palm of my hand resting on the hump of the brake and gear shifter clamps. Almost makes me think that those wee SQ Labs thumb grip things would be just as good.
Nearest thing to an aero tuck is forearms inside bar ends on flats of the handlebars. The bar ends give you enough security to brace sideways against to make it fairly comfortable. I'm going to wrap the inside of the bars to help with this.
Cheeky little evening blast. Gorgeous weather.


Bit late here. I had the week off last week so had a few rides around the northern dales and bits of the Lakes. Mostly a combination of road and off road. Friday was the last ride as I had the jab on Saturday morning.
This is from a 20m Cumbria/YDNP loop of Maulds Meaburn, Orton, Great Asby, Orton Scar. Photo near Sunbiggin Tarn


I have also found a new pet hate. Much of my riding has been on singletrack roads and probably 20% of cattlegrids were blocked like this

@BillOddie - what bike is that please? I'm liking the look of that a lot!
@Kryton57 - I was thinking the exact same and google lens says it's one of these: https://www.bansheebikes.com/tita n">Banshee Titan or maybe a Prime - but definitely looks like a Banshee.
Some cracking pictures this week, spring really is awesome isn't it?
Bit late to the party but a few from the weekend. Great weather, and had yesterday off for a Surrey blast.
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@rjmccann101 @kryton57 it is indeed a Banshee Prime. It's early days (had it for about 3 weeks) but it appears to rock.
Finally got out to the Lakes and went up Helvellyn. Absolutely fabulous. And really good to find some hard trails that finally bring out the best of the Occam. After nothing but Peak District for 7 months I've been feeling horribly overbiked.
A few proper fear moments on Birkside put me right on that front.
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( Not me or the Occam, but shows the terrain)
Oh yes, and a little bit of FJBP with the wean...
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It's so dry out there, even the couple of permapuddles near to me which were 6 inches deep a couple of weeks back, are bone dry. My new bike has only done 26 miles and already it's completely covered in dust.
Went for a gentle ride yesterday along the newly opened Tintern to Chepstow cycleway and then on over the Severn Bridge and back.
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It is a good little route but the surface is like a washboard most of the way and some of it is unfinished so not great right now. The tunnel lighting is also far too dark (the picture above is much, much lighter than it is in reality), virtually impossible to see anyone else in there as they disappear in the shadows! They're that low for bats and the signs even ask you to not use lights so I can envisage accidents in there regularly.
Lowey did you get a good run at everything? I find myself riding less and less from Keswick because the trails are often so busy. Evenings are usually when I go now
Excellent ride round the Staveley 3 passes route absolutely broken by the end still can’t get instagram to link through properly not sure if its impossible or I’m doing it wrong.
You know some rides are fun and engaging, but some are just about the numbers....
Joe's ride seems to fall into the latter category 😁
<Damn, he's fixed it. Sort of.>
Lowey did you get a good run at everything? I find myself riding less and less from Keswick because the trails are often so busy. Evenings are usually when I go now
Was up staying at Manesty in the Motorhome and only saw one other MTB'r on the Bash. Plenty of roadies, and not many walkers. We had the graveyard to ourselves and probably 3 or 4 walkers on Birkett Leap. Unheard of.
Sorry I nearly left it as your comment made me laugh
Another lunchtime ride for me today.
Blast along the river to Bowhill then back along the other side of the river.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51127471994_0e5eec6c7b_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51127471994_0e5eec6c7b_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kTXEaQ ]Suspense[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51128530585_84786c454b_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51128530585_84786c454b_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kU45Rp ]Meeting point[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51127456042_7f551c7ac8_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51127456042_7f551c7ac8_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kTXzqN ]Electric Bike[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr






