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I use Flickr, and post the link to the photo. I can't manage to post photos at all otherwise.
Back end of last week.
Nope still not working for me.
****ing useless place.
Imagine some high Alpine singletrack and peaks.
Back end of last week.
Nope still not working for me.
****ing useless place.
Imagine some high Alpine singletrack and peaks.
@singlespeedstu: that’s particularly disappointing because your photos and Tracy’s are the ones I look forward to most.
Trying my best to post some new pics up but I'm also struggling to get Flickr to upload my pics while I'm away.
Can't really compete with Singlespeedstu ....
Quick local ride out last night on the SS gravel bike last night ... Moody skies, initial light rain clearing, and the dampness in the woods really brought out the smells of the vegetation.
I had to force myself out today for the first ride for a few weeks as suffering from grey fog in my noggin, (not a medical diagnosis).
I was pleased that I did, the joy of my fatbike, my new Flite Titanium, 1990 version, was comfortable and the gritstone edges were quiet. I was reminded of one of the reasons that I ride an ATB, whilst pausing after going through a gate I was aware of some eyes on me, six deer just watching me!
They might be visible on the photograph..
This is a test ... Apparently photo uploading is meant to be fixed. So let's see ...
Yay!
Only 1 quick photo from my afternoon commute.
This Genesis Day One SS is great! I bought it cheaply back in the autumn, and it was by far my most used bike over autumn winter, both for utility and pleasure, but with the dry spring and summer, the other bikes have been used far more frequently. But, with the last few days being rather rainy (and the SS having permanent mudguards fitted), I've used it a few times recently ... Just a simple, solid bike, no real maintenance, just grab and go and no need to worry really about wet roads & trails .
Riding a Rocky Mountain in the Rockies today 😎
A truly great experience with the boys. First time any of us had ridden a DH rig. Panorama Resort as recommended by a gentleman of this parish. It was chilly and wet but even the greens were great fun.
Reeksy2 got a bit too cold and stopped early. Me and Reeksy1 built up to some great technical steep singletrack and about 3000m of descent for the day.
One of my favourites local climbs this morning (I was going down it on this occasion and stopped to take a picture; there was a lorry wedged solid on this bend two days ago because the driver hadn't seen the 'No Motor Vehicles' signs at the top...)

Interesting that during this ride, just over half way through the year, my mileage total so far for 2025 went past that racked up during the entirety of 2024 - entirely due to the amazing weather.

More Alpine adventures for us today.
Thanks to @GrumP for the brilliant guiding, driving, camera skills and Circus tricks carrying a guests bike while riding his own.🤘 



@singlespeedstu: well that’s something I’ve never seen before!
First time out on the Occam in around a year, and only because I was scouting out some MTB trails to be used for my running group on Monday 😂
Good fun, though I'm definitely a bit rusty. I had a decent slab of millionaires shortbread to console myself with.
I can post photos again, but as I am trying to get fit I didn’t stop much on my two rides this week. Yesterday I started a policy of only stopping for a rest when I had to open a gate. This backfired yesterday as there were a few more people around that were very helpful and opened gates for me. Singing Beastie Boys “no rest ‘til gateposts” I did the Eastern Moors circuit in record time, maximum heartrate 173, 81% above 143 bpm, is that good for me at 65?
Of course I had the couple of obligatory stops to talk to people about my fatbike, any others who looked interested I just shouted “no it’s not electric”!
Little impromptu circuit of the central bannau including the gap, fanybig, a new to me descent and some newly dug secret trails in the deep dark woods. Lights already needed
Fanged my Ripmo AF around the favourite local spot while the boys had their coaching sessions. Great fun.
Huge rock impacts to my already battered frame and my right foot. The X2 loses air through the ride so I get lots of pedal strikes... Borrowing a mate's Switchblade this weekend to see how that feels.
Not far from home, but we are staying in Penmachno for the week, our cottage is pretty much on the trail 🤩 it also coincides with my daughter getting a Merida e-one sixty for her birthday, so we will get in about 20,000 feet of ascending and descending on the super trails around here, including the Marin. As well as the main Gwydir Mawr, we have sessioned the Gwydir Bach countless times, so much fun, my daughter had to be dragged away from it. It warmed my MTB dads heart to follow her down and watching her send it off every drop and jump with more style than I will ever muster 🤣 😀
Isle of Ewe too
I assume that the trails have no name there?
Brakes fixed from abject squashiness c65km and 800m climbing on the road with my teenage sons. The A590 was a little 😬😬😬 along the short dual carriageway NSL bits but drivers were pretty courteous and there wasn't much other viable option coming into Ulverston. My 16 year old, who has by far and away the lightest bike and best fitness was elected chief windbreak and pace setter with me on the back.
The chorizo scotch egg did hit the spot with a sea view.
Curt on Dirt on Stert 🤟

Post-service shake-down ride around Bar Hill Fort on the Antonine Wall. Also trying out my new dropper (cheers to @singlespeedstu for the sizing info).
As well as the archeological site, the hill features some fun little descents built by the locals (although some are currently bracken-tunnels of death).
Mountain biking and ancient Roman shit: what more do you need for a perfect Wednesday night?
Isle of Ewe too
"I assume that the trails have no name there?"
Well played 😀 👍




I had to get a new passport, as though it had 3 years left I’d run out blank pages, so had a appointment at the Passport office at Excel yesterday morning, followed by a 4 hour wait to collect the new one, £12 to park in a driveway 2 mins walk way from the office and am spent the nextv4.5 hours riding around on the hard tail.
Had my 10 week collarbone x-ray. New bone appears to have joined broken bits so that's a win. Sadly it's all very soft and not yet in a state it can be subjected to proper MTBing. Maybe another month, but currently glad I didn't have the Op as it looks like it's going to be a strong natural union (albeit with a lump!). So not being able to MTB, I took a MTB on a 25km loop of road, gravel and er the odd 'dirt road'. But nothing with even a hint of gnar 😉
Was good tho. Third time out on the "Beige Adventurer" and it's the perfect bike for this kind of thing. And probably quite a lot more. Unless it rains. Those tyres do not look mud compatible !
Midweek seems to have become road(ish) ride time. Over the hill from hebden to Keighley, then towpath to Leeds and train home. I love this ride, bit of a climb, long fast descent, bit of urban warfare through Keighley then a long, fast roll through the leafy urban fringes of West Yorkshire. (Salty?!) Lemon drizzle cake and coffee at five rise locks provided the fuel
Victorian tramway routes on top of Rooley Moor today; long, curving lines of flags worn with grooves where carts took dressed stone into the valleys for onward transport by rail.

https://www.valleyofstone.org.uk/journey/historyofquarrying/quarrying-grand-scale
Comrie Croft. Definitely noticing the darkness creeping in a bit earlier. Stuffing my face with Summer while I can.
There's been chat on here about XC hardtails recently so I stuck the 29er wheels on the pact and took it for a spin on a couple of trails I'd been avoiding on my gravel bike.
Yep - there's still a place for a bike like this in my quiver, even if it's a bit squeezed out between my gravel bike and my "trail" bike.
Today I have mostly been an Ebike ****er.
Not ridden it for over a month so took it out for a spin round.
1500Meters/30km.
Cool new totem pole wolf-like thing at the top of the wolf trails.
Went to explore the hidden northern side of Beinn a Bhuird starting out from Invercauld. Up the Slugain and down the Quoich river (via one of the most scenic bits of singletrack I've ever ridden. Good to see Scots Pine saplings have not been munched by the deer, well done John Muir Trust!) to pickup the usual ascent of Beinn a Bhuird from the SW. Now I used to be able to ride most of the ascent but pushed most of it due to being an old git.
Plan had been to put on my rock shoes and solo the 300ft Squareface, I got myself ready and then decided that I wasn't going to enjoy the experience!
Headed north over Stob an T-Sluichd past the remains of an Airspeed Oxford to pick up the stalker's path heading down to the A'an river. Worthy descent? No not really but the scenery was fab. The return leg via the Fords of Avon and the Culardoch were a war of attrition, almost worth it for the high speed descent to the car
So I can post pictures... four times!
Trip over to Swaledale this morning - a breezy and occasionally rainy loop from Gunnerside taking in the pipeline descent, Bunton Hush and the Electric Gate descent to end.
Ride out with my mate Tuesday. He doesn't ride anywhere near as often as I do, so it was a nice relaxed pace, with plenty of chats. Bit of exploring and we discovered a few hidden trails I'd not seen before.
Forgot to take any photos, other than these 2!
Gravel and a coffee stop today. Next week I've got another operation and 2 months off the bike again 🙄 At least I know what's involved and how to approach getting back into it this time. Fingers crossed we have an Indian summer in October.
Midweek CX in Dundee hosted by Trilogy.cc, I spoiled most of the photos by having my tongue hanging out or looking otherwise haggard 😂
Token air! (this is big by my standards, in my defence it was an uphill approach across woodchips).
There may be trouble ahead...

The heather up on t'moor is an incredible, vibrant purple at the moment.

Repeated last week's hebden to Leeds ride and carried on down the aire valley to pick up the trans Pennine trail to Wakefield. There's some impressive cycling infrastructure in Leeds, a bit elaborate and poorly signed though. After Wakefield it got very hot and my planned route was not so easy to follow: bits of Calder valley Greenway, canal path and lanes appeared and disappeared but once I got to Colne bridge I was on familiar turf. Then I lost my phone , with 2 bank cards and driving licence as well. Panic, and 12 km of backtracking and there it was. Huge euphoric relief and a few lessons learned. 140 km of pretty easy riding, nice enough but not sure I can be bothered with traipsing through horbury and ravensthorpe again! Sorry, long post!
30 miles on the road bike today, longest ride I've done in years! Need a better bib short than the cheap Halfords one I got, my arse is in tatters!
A hot 20km of local back roads and green lanes. Took a short detour to visit a church that's less than 5 miles from my house. Must have driven past the sign 100s of times, but today decided to give it nose. Nice old church as well 🙂
Shoulder still sore after an hour. Better than last week tho but that might be as I've ditched the Ergon Winged grips so I've a bit more choice on how to hold the bar. Talking of bar....mmm cold beer 🙂
Aargh, it's Flying Ant Day on Horse Head Moor! Bivi hastily relocated.


































































































































