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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
Quick powerhour of my local loop for a headclear.
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.
