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Got out early with a couple of mates.
Couldn't figure out a weird noise so ignored it...
Right near the end of the ride I got a pinch flat in the same place I've done it a dozen times before. Whilst plugging that I spotted the source of the noise 🤦♂️
Slightly extended lunch hour gravel spin...
Double post.
Went for a hike this afternoon while the boys were being coached. Always see different things on foot.
Fuddy as muck on last night's ride. No rain during the ride but the past week or so has seen a good amount. Slippery on the bits of trail you could see between the leaves, even slippier on the bits you couldn't see. Throw in some sniper roots and it's a total giggle.
Trails behind Stirling Uni / Bridge of Allan, 29.8km/760m.
Commuting today - grey & mizzly this morning ...
And a sunset-stunner this evening ...
Mini skinny line, starting nearer to shed. Wider at the start. Multiple tries doing it in reverse starting at the concrete fence post, but rarely made it to the first corner.
Night ride to Borough Bonfire in Lewes, with event appropriate refreshments
That's the autumn colours done for me, I think. Commitments the next few days, and by next week we'll be over the edge on the slide into winter. The moors above the valley mist were clear but murky.
Another muddy shitfest of a ride showing some southern ebike****ers round again.
30km/1300meters of shitty fun.
Swapped my NWD this week to today, so spent a couple of hours sketching out at Stainburn. It rides pretty well up there through the wetter seasons, but the off-camber roots had me very much on my toes (and only once on the floor!)
I'd hoped for the sun to break through; it did for a few minutes, and I managed to get just about above the cloud layer ...
... But the rest of the ride was mostly in misty conditions. Great fun though ...
Those are stunning @hardtailonly.
No bike commute for me today, but similar conditions to those on the drive home from early morning swimming club (yes, really).
Spent from 10am yesterday morning until 5am this morning sorting out a health issue / 111 / out of hours GP / hospital admission for my Dad, so on only 2 hours sleep, I was pretty frazzled this morning. A very gentle and short autumnal gravel spin this morning was most restorative!
Another minging wet ride.
Not all bad though as the sun did appear once on the ride and while I was washing the bike.
Can we have cold and dry now please.
This morning felt like the first ride of winter. Not the temperature, it's still mild - something to do with light levels, muted colours and bare trees.
I'd stitched stuff together to visit the reservoir pictured in this Guardian article. Water levels are similar to what they were in that picture (from June...):
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/nov/08/england-faces-extreme-drought-next-year#img-1
Mint ride this morning with a mate who is a professional mtb coach. He'd never ridden the trails we did and they're fairly brutal janky tech so I led him around. Perfect conditions.
He did an Insta post after the ride and I can't help but think my terrible riding must have inspired it. As in "how did he not OTB!"
20km/1000Meters with Mrsstu on her day off.
Muddy but the first ride in ages where I've not been soaked to the point of my waterproofs boots have been full of water.
Trip round the woods and ginnels and canals on't gravel bike this morning on the way to work. Perfect for the conditions 👍
Feels like we're properly into gravel bike, singlespeed, and alternative activities* time now as I don't really find proper MTB that much fun in really wet conditions, more to do with lack of grip and horrible draggy mud, than anything else.
*Running, drinking, drugs, furious masterbation, buying shit I don't need off AliExpress
Yesterday was the wettest ride in my entire life. But I took today off and went back down to Tollymore and Donard. The ground was obviously still soaking, but the day was much better.
I find many of the trails down there really challenging in the dry. But my goodness, they are so much more difficult in the wet. Especially with a carpet of soaking leaves on top!
*Running, drinking, drugs, furious masterbation, buying shit I don't need off AliExpress
pics, pls
🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮🤮
Well, @el_boufador wimped out on us last night; he's such a fair-weather rider! But, 3 of us got out for a 60km gravel (I use the term loosely!) ride last night in absolutely filthy conditions, but had a right laugh! Headed out from NW Leeds to pick up the Red Kite route. Some excellent gravel sections actually, and some complete slop, including an unintended lap of a Xmas Tree farm!
The autumn sun returned for this morning's commute. Which was nice 🙂
Quick spin with the teen wonder this afternoon.
That's it. Batten down the hatches for winter.
Well, @el_boufador wimped out on us last night; he's such a fair-weather rider!
Just having some 'me time' doing one of my other activities.
Two weeks ago....
One week ago....
Today....
Managed to find time for a ride from home on Wednesday - railway paths on to the Waskerley Way, the road and byway over Oxen Law to Wolsingham North Moor:
Then road and railway path back to Durham. I got lucky with the weather....
Before the storm came in I managed several night rides with my daughter this week, first time doing big jumps on her shorter travel trail bike, so she chose nighttime and squidgy conditions 🤣 also did a therapeutic couple of hours collecting litter on the eeb on Thursday followed by jumps n drops. May not be doing any local jumps for a short period. Although could canoe around them after today.
What's the hill in the background of your last picture please?
Looks familiar.
Rodneys Pillar and Llanymynech on the right, looking into Wales! 🙂
Gloriously sunny in places this morning.
First frozen puddles of the incoming winter.
Trails were in great condition but I just had nothing in my legs today so just did a couple of trails then headed home.
Still 600meters to add to my totals and no bike wash so a small win there.
Yeah, a welcome return of the sun here in Leeds. Chilly though, although not yet frosty/icy.
Took an elongated lunch, headed up to the local jump spot. Which, TBH, I just find intimidating most of the time, what with all these 5 year olds sending it 50ft on their Carerra bikes! But, I'm being left behind by my riding buddies ... and more importantly, it's just a bit stupid for me to keep avoiding (even pretty small/modest) features when out on trails generally just because I've got a mental/skills block when it comes to (gap, in particular) jumping. No gaps were cleared or attempted, but made some progress on some tables I've not attempted/cleared before.
And besides, it was a gorgeous day, and the trails aren't in bad shape.
Big day out today exploring singletrack along the banks of the Tay.
Some incredible bits of exposed trail immediately above the water. Very aesthetic although heavy leaf litter sort of obscured the roots and rocks below which curtailed the risk taking!
Committed to trying to video it all but of course the GoPro died in the cold weather 🙄
