Today was my birthday ride. Usually ridden in the Peak, cold, wet, muddy and sometimes rain or even snow.
This year was different and we had an uplift day at Cable Bay, 15 minutes drive from Nelson. It was hot, dry and not a rain drop or snow flake in sight.
Managed four uplifts along with some climbing to take in some awsome trails. Mainly blacks linked together with some great blues.
Coffee and pies at the end. I think pies are a staple diet here and then out tonight for pizza and beers.
Lanes and off road round here mingling at the moment, so change of scenery and got my fix today in Hove riding w EpicJnrSnr. I need to up my skillz, but good fun. Suspect my bike not best suited to the terrain. They need to paint the benches a different colour, yellow doesn't go with my red highlights 
Managed to get out yesterday morning for a 25 mile loop from home and beat the gloom by getting above an nice inversion over the Deerness valley:
Last day of our stay in Nelson and we just had to ride The Gorge. Heard so much about this place and how it was developed.
Went with Gravity again for the uplifts and managed 2700 metres of punishing descents, rocks and roots, over the day. So many amazing trails. Dont think we could have done much more.
Moving further South tomorrow for a couple of days R and R
Not at all jealous… honest
I failed this week. Put off by the weather. I tempted the turbo trainer yesterday and abandoned after 20mins, combination of a bit of cold and not feeling it.
Took a day off this week and rode at Rostrevor post-storm-Chandra.
First ride in Queenstown for us today. Took advantage of the shuttle and then the gondola to get in an awsome day on the trails at Coronet Peak. Views were stunning as there aren't many trees about.
It was hot, trails were dry and fast. Finished off with a jug of beer at Canyon Brewery at Arthur's Point on the way back.
Shuttle and gondolas didn't come cheap but worth every penny.
@tracey ... Yep, that's pretty much exactly the same weather/riding we have right now in Yorkshire!
Very grey, chilly, bleak 28km on the SS gravel bike at lunchtime yesterday. Took me half the ride to warm up!
And then, popped out for a dark walk with the dogs in the evening ... love the dark bare winter trees at night ...
I could get used to riding warm climates instead of the grin and bare it that I've been used to. Certainly going to be a consideration for future trips.
Been riding for four weeks and so far only had to brush the dust of the bikes 😎
Spent the day at Skyline and the Ben Lomond trails in Queenstown.
Again the uplifts for the day aren't cheap but worth it for the miles and smiles.
Did just over 2700m of descent in 5 hours.
Wanted to go back up for another run but needed to get back for the parking meter so called it a day as it was beer oclock
Couple more days of riding before we move on.
First day of riding in Christchurch for us. Trails are good and dry. Flow well and not many riders about. Called it a day after four and a half hours as the temp was 30°. Went for beers but too tired to risk a swim.
@Tracey - how do you transport your bikes out. Battery issues etc?
*Edit - just looked closer, are you on Enduros/Stumpy's rather than Levo's?
Two days commuting this week, in less-than-ideal conditions ...
Monday's (extended) commute in ...
Monday's commute home. Felt vaguely spring - like, mild(er), light all the way home, lots of snowdrops out, hint of sun behind the clouds ...
Normal service resumed for today though ... Grimly persistent rainy ride in this morning (too wet for photos), and then a foggy ride home (at least it wasn't raining)
We looked in to using the Specialized worldwide battery rental but in the end decided it was too much hassle
I'm riding Abigales Enduro which is the same set up as my Enduro.
Looked at hiring a bike for 6 weeks for Kevin but that was very expensive so we got Abigale to buy one of the better last years hire bikes from MBR for a lot less than renting. A Giant Reign which came with new drive train, tyres and pads. Going to leave it here for Abigale to sell on or save for if we come out again
Probably our last day of riding on the South Island as we set off up the East Coast to get our ferry on Saturday. The riding has been amazing and finished it off today with 28 miles on the trails and just under 3000m of descent. Once again the weather has been good to us. Maxing out mid afternoon at 29°.
Trails were fast and dusty. Glad I was at the front 😎
Type 2.5 gravel fun last night! I'm glad I insisted to my two mates that we just head out for a modest 40ish km loop / 2 hours out of respect for the incoming rain! 60km / 3+ hours and a drenching later, we were at the pub! TBF, it was a great route, but being tired (I'd done 120km SS in the preceding 4 days) and old, and a bit miserable about the weather, my head/body weren't totally in it!
We helped out an elderly couple who'd hit a pothole in their car and flatted a tyre and were stood around with the boot full of shopping out on the road and scratching their heads about how to get a bottle of emergency sealant into the tyre and get it pumped up! So, bonus good Samaritan points!
Just the one photo as it was too grim to stop and get the phone out!
Finally dragged myself out on the mtb. 16miles over the chevin and Baildon. The new forks are working well and an improvement on the old revs. Legs died part way up to Baildon 😂
But I was rewarded for my efforts……. I got to see the otter 🦦 in the canal at Saltaire and I just don’t care about anything else right now! Such a beautiful little thing
No riding but managed to fit in a 12 mile coastal hike at Kaikoura on the way up to the ferry.
Stunning scenery and loads of furry animals
Had an hour to kill so went for a quick blast along the coast. Usually do this route on my gravel bike but why have a motor and pedal yourself 😀
Woeful weather, injuries and lack of motivation left me without a fifty k or 1000m ride since December. Put that right today with 60k and 1300 m around the south Pennine watershed. Sunshine and a fair bit of ice, negligible wind and not much traffic on the road bits. Brilliant day 
Semi-frozen both yesterday and this morning, so got out for a short local blast both yesterday ...
(SS Moxie)
... And today ...
(Geared, rigid XC-ish Vandal)
Still plenty of mud about, but signs of Spring, including the first lambs I've seen this year ...
You don't look best pleased with that 🤣
I'm not. Could have done with another month but need to get back and into swing of things
Will just have to come back again
I still haven't been to NZ myself... it's been on the list for 20+ years!
I can see why Abigale wants to stay. Its an adventure paradise.
Don't usually get to post in the midweek thread!
In Keswick for half-term. Had planned on The Borrowdale Bash Wednesday but legs (decent walk the day before) and weather (very windy and cold) told me that a solo loop was probably not best so headed up to Whinlatter instead. Top of the south loop was interesting but super fun - depending on whether you were under the trees or in the open it was a very on/off mix of dry and grippy or icy and deffo not grippy. Lots of bikes there, but seems most were sticking lower and just hitting the blue.
Editing a post with multiple photos is a bit iffy?
Nice bit of warmth in the sun this morning, using the wind and topography to my advantage to stitch together a good loop out of the front door.
Nice to see a bit of spring sunshine in the woods this morning.
Mr Toad was in camo.
No real riding as such. FIL passed away last night so been a day of comforting Mrs STR and reflection. She took time out for a nap, so rode through the park to the pub to raise a glass or two
Ride home from work in the daylight 😎
This is the only day in ages to be forecast without rain, so a friend and myself took the day off to ride at Rostrevor. But my friend broke his rear mech in 2 on the first trail. Hé freewheeled back to the car, and I rode on. Towards the end of my ride, I had a battery malfunction on my electronic rear mech. Grrrr.
Stunning day 😀 lunchtime jumping on my wife’s ebike 🤣 and a jumps session with my daughter as the sun sets. We’ve discovered that on one of the bigger gap jumps we can both be properly up in the air at the same time 🤣 😆 just need to figure out how to take a decent picture of it!
The last few days in Leeds have been great - a bit of warmth and wind have done wonders on the trails. Feeling properly spring-like
Quick late afternoon shakedown of the Genesis Day One following a brakes strip down & service, new cables, and new chainring, SS cog, chain and BB. All running very smoothly!
I like a cycle out / train back, so today I tried hebden to Chester - I've been putting it off for a while, but dry AND warm? No excuse. Canal to ancoats, nip across town to castlefield and on to the Bridgewater canal. Bit of a detour while the police etc. dealt with what looked like a fatal incident. Then trans Pennine cycleway to Runcorn, a horrible three miles on the A56, then England's answer to the track of a 1000 puddles access ince marsh. THEN a building site access road for 500 m 5 inches deep in liquid mud. Nice run down the canal in the afternoon sunshine to Chester - a nice day out but not a classic ride. 
A night ride that it wasn't raining for! 1st time this year for me!
First commute in 2 weeks - nice morning to make the most of the sun ...
Hiding from some of the weather at Coed y brenin. 
Hiding from some of the weather at Coed y brenin.
Are these forks for a brand new giant wheel size?
A real feel of spring this morning - birdsong, trails drying out, genuine warmth to the sun. I exceeded last year's Jan/Feb distance/elevation totals today with three days of the month left to go - not entirely sure how that happened given the pish weather.
First ride of the year today (illness, galloping lethargy), lots of big pools and peaty bogs but not quite as muddy as expected. I lay down near the trig point on Big Moor, looked up to the blue sky and listened to competing Skylarks singing as they rose upwards.
Another night ride tonight. Legs are definitely feeling it!
Hiding from some of the weather at Coed y brenin.
Are these forks for a brand new giant wheel size?
nah, it’s a standard that time forgot. So long ago no one knows how to service them
Some glorious commuting (technically on Tuesday, but I forgot).
Hopefully get to do the same this morning. Nice ride. Keen to get out on mine.
Quick powerhour of my local loop for a headclear.
This corner of west Yorkshire is looking, and feeling, wonderful today... 
Paragliderists out this morning along the clifftops. Might have had a better shot if I'd been where I usually ride - the other side of the bushes
Hints of spring in the air today.
21 miles, 2,800’ and a pint.
I've fallen in love with gravel again. Not that I'd really fallen out of love with it, but it's been a bit of a grim & necessary evil to keep riding and getting out over the winter. But, Saturdays "A taste of The Land Between" was thoroughly enjoyable, so when I was trying to decide which bike to take when skiving off work early today, it was the gravel bike.
35km out through the NW Leeds suburbs, across the top of Otley Chevin, and back again. Glorious, although a touch chilly. Trails running very well in lots of places!
Short local play around at lunchtime. Attempted the steep loose descent locally that my mates rode last week. On HTs. At night. Slithered down about a third of it with a foot down all the way before bailing for the rest; elegant, it wasn't! No pics fortunately!
Then onto the local jump spot. Progress on a (very modest) tabletop and a fast/shallow (and also very modest) gap jump, but another gap-jump that has been a mind-f*** for me for the last 2 years still eludes me, despite knowing that in theory, I can get the speed/height/technique to clear it! I'll get there one day.
Picture of my bike leaning against a wall (not doing anything rad!). And a poor quality screen grab from a short video a mate took of me 'jumping'!
Beautiful & sunny out, trails very close to prime!
Dusty wind farm ride yesterday
Clear and cold night ride last night. Ground conditions are still crap but not a hint of wind and an extremely bright moon made Dumyat summit the only destination (after a cheeky pre-ride for me).
First ride of year! It was so dry, I thought about taking the mudguards off.....
Not going to yet though!
Solo night ride this evening. The trails have dried out really well. 1st time in a while on a geared bike, definitely less effort than on the ss!
Full rinse on the commutes this week to make the most of the returning light and the sunshine. Too nice not too!
Finally rode the Bronson I bought about six weeks ago! Trails were mostly dry. It was worth the wait.
BPW on Friday... so at least it's had a shakedown. Feels so odd getting back on a FS after three months of the BfE. My knees are very happy tho 🙂
Back home after a few days away walking, waking to thick fog this morning. First thought: I bet I can get above that. And, out of the house early doors, I did....first curlews and lapwings heard, and the skylarks going nuts. It's official - spring has arrived!
Looks like a bike but it’s actually a Time Machine. I took daughter’s partner out for a spin on the Moor last night and I was back 20 years. 
^Is that the Darwen Victorian sandstone rocket?
Proper sunny on the South coast, so took the pebble bike out and grabbed a coffee w EpicJnrSnr. So good to be topping up my vit D naturally. 
Some times you have bad days… and sometimes, you nip out for an evening ride expecting it to be muddy and a bit rubbish.. turns out QE Park is pretty much dry, puddles easily avoided and running superbly. And theyve finished the new bit!
Took a pic to show my son… (just as the only other rider in the park was coming, sorry mate!) cos the jumps are quite big, pic doesn’t do it justice
.. expecting a grotty bike, but just a tiny bit of splattage
… then you get home and just as you’ve got the bike out of the car, the ice cream van arrives!
So you send your son the photo and he says he’ll come down for a ride on Saturday! Good. day. 😊
Well, after a couple of short rides in the middle of the day earlier in the week, I thought I'd make the effort to go into the office yesterday and get an extended commute in the glorious sunshine ...
🙄
The sun came through during the day, as I was busy beavering away on very important work things. And then the cloud came over just as it was time to pack up and head home!
🙄
Trails were running great however. Nice and warm too, shorts & t-shirt! So, can't complain, especially as I'm sat here now, inside, on my day off, with the rain lashing down, waiting for it to stop so I can head out for an 80km gravel ride! I'll report back!