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Sleepy Somerset the Land Of The Summer People ♥️
Set off on our last trip of this year. 5 weeks of hitting the trails, some old and some new.
Managed to get an early tunnel but lost a hour with road closures near Paris.
First stop of the trip is Ainsa. Can't wait to hit the trails again. It's been too long since our last visit
Late posting - busy week! In search of a longer ride on Thursday I did a loop from Wolsingham via Doctors Gate into Hamsterley, then Route 666/Odd Sox/2 Wheels and a Troll, before heading up to Dangerous Descent:
Then out of Hamsterley on the road to Parkhead via Stanhope and Crawleyside:
After refreshments at Parkhead, back to Wolsingham via the Waskerley Way and Wolsingham North Moor. Good riding, especially after the rain the previous night made most places just wet enough to be grippy.
I'd heard talk of a new trail in the valley that was supposed to be a loamy fun rut track.
So after it pissed it down last night I thought today would be the ideal day to go and find it...
Blimey I've not had to tripod down that much of a trail in a long time .🤣
Recon it'll be great once it gets bedded in a little and some bench cuts on the more off camber bits.
First ride in Ainsa today. When we were here in 2018 for the EWS we always rated it in our top three of European riding spots and were determined to return
Today confirmed that and had an amazing time out in the hills.
Rocks, rocks and more rocks both on the ups and downs made it a great technical ride.
Just got back before the thunderstorm
Lots of fiddly, nadgery and steep stuff around Strathearn today. The local trail-builder(s) do a lovely line in tight, sinuous, rootsy and sometimes exposed singletrack which is precisely the stuff I like best, despite being slightly ill-equipped with a 100mm 29er with Mezcals and arse-high saddle.
Sadly the same builder also does a line in un-rollable little take-offs over fallen trees and metre high drops to flat over over old walls and fences so a few undignified dismounts and scrambles required.
Only took photos of the really cool and clearly very old path built up and overhanging the Earn though, which runs parallel with an old railway that's now a cyclepath between Comrie and St Fillans. Still a bit nadgery and not all rideable but very cool.
This morning’s ride was a trip along Froggatt and Curbar Edges but also a trip down Memory Lane as I revisited a favourite spot from my rock climbing days. Sadly, the ride was cut short by a puncture that refused to seal and I headed back with the emergency inner tube deployed.
Last day of summer weather for this year? Best make the most of it then; zig zag out of the front door over the tops to Tod, arriving on the station platform three minutes before the train home pulled in...
After last night's storms we wasn't sure what today would bring.
Once again the rocks were in abundance. Only worry was that we had a couple of river crossings but managed them.
Sat planning tomorrow's ride and trying to fit a couple of laps of Badlands into it.
Skved off today because it was nice and looks like maybe the last good day for a bit. Still felt like summer once it had warmed up in the afternoon
Big leg stretcher. Macclesfield -> Peniston linear ride public transport on the train to Leeds both ends. incorporating many Peak hits and bits o cheek.
Just shy of 100Km and about 2200M climbing (All told, including commuting down to the station and back, and also through Manchester between Victoria and Piccadilly stations)
Was mega. I'm a bit tired now.
Doorstep ride, flat as a pancake, but Garmin says 1100m of ascent. I did hit several short stairsets and ride off some ledges, which did involve climbing to the top of some of kent's smallest white cliffs, but no way was it 1000m worth 🤣
Sorry to lower the tone, no riding pics from yesterday evening's hillclimb up to the local reservoir (Loch Turret, starting at the Glenturret distillery 😎) but I do enjoy a nice HR vs. elevation graph, not often I see 179bpm these days 🤮
Also no pictures from yesterday's ride but have a picture of the ride instead.
35km/1700 Meters.
Was amazingly dry which I wasn't expecting after Monday's ride.
Nice bonus though.
@singlespeedstu - that chute you posted ^^^ there looks blooming terrifying!
A local loop on the "beige adventurer" including the "bridge of sorrow" or "where planks go to die" as my mate Trusty calls it. Approaching at speed in winter you never know how many planks will be there to greet you. Four, one or - excitingly - none at all. At which point your only option is to play a game of chance with the "ditch of doom". All go in, not all come out 😉
Anyway good to be able to ride without thinking "oooh that wet root might have me off and I'll b*gger my collarbone again". And officially bikes with light XC summer tyres are fantastic fun on flat-ish, damp-ish trails!
that chute you posted ^^^ there looks blooming terrifying!
The chute was only mildly worrying after the previous trail. It's the mossy, boggy G-out at the bottom that's scary when you're on your own on a trail that's a good way off and not many folks know about.
3 of us up on t'moor last night. Trails still running well (possibly for the last time?), ferns are starting to die back so sightlines improving. Splendid evening.
Two rides above Ainsa for us today . This morning we did a loop to take in the Badlands and Las Dunas. So much fun we could have made a day of it and re rode it.
Back to the van for coffee and cake then straight back out for more technical ups and downs. Finished the day chasing each other on As Cambras, not too steep or too technical but not alot of places to overtake.
Back to the van for lamb madras, garlic nan and a few beers
First time I’ve got wet on a ride in months, one down pour mid ride, but the biggest soakings were from wet foliage.
Another soaking here.
Waited until the last descent then let rip with a hail storm.
Piss wet through instantly.
Still 33km/1530meters and only 10 minutes of wet so no bad considering.
Last say in Ainsa so decided on an extended ride utilising Trailforks, Zona Zero map and Komoot.
We woke to blue sky's and by half way round the temp had hit mid 30s but most of the climbing was out of the way.
Had an amazing last day and stay here which confirmed why we wanted to come back.
A couple of days pootle through France to see what Sospel has to offer.
Made it out on a breezy Wednesday morning for a circular route in the north pennines. From Nenthead I went over Wellhope moor to Carrshield, down Isaac's Tea Trail to Sinderhope, then back from Allendale town past the chimneys. After dropping down the bridleway on Dryburn Moor I took the Carrier's Way route over Mohope Moor back to Nenthead. Hard work in places, but enjoyable!
Top of Wellhope moor looking towards West Allendale:
Allendale chimneys:
The fast dreamy singletrack at the top of Mohope Moor, and not at all a route with narrow foot-deep ruts grown over with grass (Cross Fell in the background):
Two ride Thursday continued this week. Hammered myself early morning in the woods besting a fastest time over 18km loop. Then backed up with a gravel ride after work with the lad around the back of the zoo.
First day of riding in Sospel today. It was hot and a big climb to get to the start of the trails.
Last time we were here the trails had deteriorated due to COVID and lock down.
This time new signs are up. Trails have been cut back and in most places are running dry, fast and good.
We also noticed quite a bit of ongoing repair work on the upper trails.
Had a great time chasing each other down and then back for a swim and a beer
Rather moist out there today, but at least it didn't rain.
Cool light in some parts of the woods though.
Always makes me think I'm going to get beamed up.
Last ride before turning 50 tomorrow. The long summer in the Chilterns is beginning to turn to autumn. Low spots have small puddles sitting in them and corners have to be treated with a little more caution.
2nd day out in Sospel. Blue sky's and hot.
Strung a loop together from Komoot, Trailforks and the local map towards Mont Razet and Castilion.
Big climb at the start and then into some sweet single track.
Came to a junction in the trail. Trailforks said right and Komoot said left. Both finished near to each other at the bottom. Went left which was good until 2 miles from the end and it became an unridable rockfest. Pushed and carried for over a mile and it wasn't easing up. Saw a roof off to our right and down so it was off piste till we dropped into their garden and followed a track till we got back to normality
Only one of us is having pudding tonight
Early'ish finish and decent weather, so did a quick local loop above Darley Dale, Rowsley and Beeley chasing the light and getting in day 1 of the 100 days to Christmas
It wasn't a primarily a gravel ride, there's a sweet single-track descent through the woods, but this was the only place I got the camera out
Currently sat in the pub after the first proper night ride of the season. But a lovely easing into autumn. Local trails have absorbed most of the rain that has fallen on and off for the past few days, taking away that nasty dust and replacing it with mostly damp-yet-firm singletrack. Started off in the sun, gradually turned darker and full lights needed ... But on the evidence so far, autumn ain't so bad!
Well the dust has definitely gone, but the muds not arrived yet, and the duck pond levels on its way back up.
Starting to feel the darker evenings, I can see the headlights on the M6 near Tebay
After yesterday's Komoot push and carry we sacked it off for today's ride in Sospel and put one together from local maps and Trailforks.
Some big climbs that rewarded with awesome singletrack and descents. At one point EE said we were in Italy
Back to the van for pool and beers 🍻
Weather sorted it's act out so the decision between the gym when all the school kids descend or bike ride was made easy
Day 2 of 100 days. 16 miler on the ebike up the local moor
There's a wee out and back trail that starts 10 metres from my front door. It's not long, it has a few challenging sections but is only about a 7km loop with around 200 metres of climbing in total. However, it's completely sheltered from the elements as it flows along the side of the river. It's rooty, and rocky and it's my go to evening ride in the middle of winter when I NEED to ride my bike, I just have an hour to spare and it's too nice for a Zwift session in the garage.
I was dismayed then, back in February when the footpath was closed after an incident where a horse and rider ended up in the river due to a sinkhole opening up. Thankfully, neither the rider or horse were injured, but it was a fairly big operation to get the horse out of the fast flowing river with its very steep embankments and limited areas where you can actually get down to the water. In my head, the incident with the horse went along the lines of it walking along, ground gives way under one of it's feet and it stumbled, throwing the rider, stumbled again and fell down the embankment into the river.
Last night, assuming that the path would have been repaired by now, I ventured along it for the first time since winter.
The picture doesn't do it justice, but that hole is about 1.5 metres round and drops nearly 2 metres into the river! I would now like to revise the scenario in my head. I think the whole horse might have dropped through that and the lass riding it was incredibly lucky to get away uninjured. On my way back, I spotted that a new line has been trodden in giving that area a wide berth as there's only about 10 cm of topsoil on the riverside of the sinkhole. As I'm a chunky lad, I'll be taking the new line in the future. With sink holes opening up, and the last 500 metres of the trail fenced off because of a landslip it's going to be adding a whole new level of excitement to my winter night rides.
I can see the headlights on the M6 near Tebay
I'd imagine that's a stunning area to ride in the summer, but quite horrific in winter? 🤣
Just a quick spin round some back lanes this morning as I don't want to spanner myself before we go away on holiday.
I've still not been forgiven from the last time I did that.😬.
35km/800meters. Sunny but pretty windy.
Out for an hour & 20 mins on the HT at lunchtime today. Yesterday's dump of rain has certainly greased up the trails, mostly still running really well, but a few mud spots starting to establish now ...
out again for the second day of the 100 days to Christmas
I can see the headlights on the M6 near Tebay
I'd imagine that's a stunning area to ride in the summer, but quite horrific in winter? 🤣
Usually fine if you pick your days but the 23/24 winter was a challenge so we put our caravan next to a 7Stanes forest last year and will be doing the same from next week. I can't wait it really breaks up the usual winter slump.