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Other than the cold wind, it was lovely out tonight.
Definitely felt a little spring like today.
Another 1000+ meters of descent and some friendly folks out today.
Only a couple of degrees but the trails are in prime condition.
We're being spoiled at the moment with all the new trails appearing at the golfie.
Chatted to one of the diggers and he let me ride one of his unfinished trails* So nice to ride a fresh cut trail before it gets hammered to death.
*Its built but doesn't have an entrance in off the fireroad yet.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52732334430_3396caff48_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52732334430_3396caff48_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2okLZRQ ]Spring is in the air.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
Mine in here for anyone that hasn't visited the thread
https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/anyone-familiar-with-drymen-loch-lomond/
Near perfect conditions last night, shame it non stop rain forecast for the rest of the week.
Had some fun on my last ride in Wiltshire (for a while - been here for work for 3 days each week for the last 6 weeks). Big skies and learning some new trails, including f finding some old Erlstoke downhill trails that are super steep and slippery! Wasn’t with my bike at the bottom of one of them! 😂
https://flic.kr/p/2okLmWj
https://flic.kr/p/2okQkzL
https://flic.kr/p/2okRa1Z
Rains held off this afternoon, so went back out tonight, still prime conditions with no evidence of this mornings down pours, snow forecast for overnight & tomorrow morning, followed by sleet and rain, so I think the Wednesday night group ride will be canned.
A few from last night and first pictures with the pixel 7 night sight setting. Really impressed as it was very low light
Balmaha to Rowardennan last night
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52732311247_c3568d0168_4k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52732311247_c3568d0168_4k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/J809199D19 ]20230307_175554~2[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52732310242_1c760ba51f_4k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52732310242_1c760ba51f_4k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/YLzd2xN24Y ]20230307_181530~2[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52733247120_5873455cb1_4k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52733247120_5873455cb1_4k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/Vrep8H005p ]20230307_184835~2[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/85252658@N05/ ]davetheblade[/url], on Flickr
Similar pictures without an ugly bike in the way in my Drymen thread
Clear, cold and crisp: frozen solid trails and bright moonlight last night with no hint of mud. Temporarily lost feeling in my fingers on the descent and my waterbottle was solid by the end. Happy times.
Not highest quality photos, just used my iPhone on night mode.
Another 1200 meters of descent before 12.00 this morning.
Minus 5 to start with and dusty.
Making the most of things before the snow comes.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52734249419_ccc5644417_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52734249419_ccc5644417_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2okWP7T ]High Calorie.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52734408265_4b03211e64_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52734408265_4b03211e64_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2okXCkB ]Trimmed[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52733994081_b69440e71e_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52733994081_b69440e71e_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2okVvdv ]Fluffy[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
If you live in the UK, own a fatbike and it snows even a little.
The law states that you must go for a ride.
Last night's midweek social
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Early start and 1600 metres of descent before 12.00.
Was a tad fresh first thing but I feel so lucky to live with views like this on my doorstep.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52749255829_cacc8107ce_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52749255829_cacc8107ce_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2ongJ16 ]First Up.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52749004876_589afce988_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52749004876_589afce988_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2onfrpj ]Crispy[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
Got caught in a bit of snow last night. Had to take shelter for 10 minutes inside Darwen Tower.
Job in Eyemouth this week, so stopped off in the Peaks on the way home for a 32km, 1000m, Ladybower/Derwent loop, tye drove up to the top of the Snakes Pass and rode/hike-a-biked to the B29 “Overexposed” crash site.
https://youtube.com/shorts/ltoCfHdAbKo?feature=share
Out for a short local 'spin' this morning - last day of holiday used. Most definitely a slop-fest in all directions!
Weather looked reasonable this morning, got the train to Blackburn, pedalled east along the leeds-liverpool canal to Bradford, train home. A Scottish C2C2C planned for the end of May, so need to get some reasonable time in the saddle and the MTB is still half way to being rebuilt.
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This I think is the Haweswater aqueduct, between Blackburn and Church..
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Fueling up at Bingley five locks cafe.
Lots of clarty muddy sections on the towpath, after Blackburn, after Barlick, and just before Silsden - the 45mm dimply schwalbe tyres are not ideal for that. The "Bradford cycle super highway" is good, finding it from Shipley was not so easy.
Need to get the MTB sorted, getting bored with roads, tracks and towpaths.
Wednesday morning solo ride.
**** me the wind was bad today.
Even had to pedal pretty hard on a couple of the downs just to keep moving forward.
Wind actually blew one of my earphones out😂
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52764223654_49cfdb838c_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52764223654_49cfdb838c_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2ooArq3 ]Wall[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
Couldn't hold my phone still in the wind.
Click for wind action.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/52763995881_74fb763c5f_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/52763995881_74fb763c5f_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2oozgGV ]All of the winds.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52764227429_fb07ba0916_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52764227429_fb07ba0916_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2ooAsx8 ]Daff.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
The river has washed half the path away. That's around an eight foot drop into a raging river and what's left of the bank is undercut by three foot. Good job I noticed.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52763438792_e82894f6fd_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52763438792_e82894f6fd_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2oowq6W ]Path has gone.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
Well, despite the weather having been largely miserable over the past couple of weeks, and the forecast still being pretty mixed, the patches of warmer, sunnier and breezier weather do seem to have slightly offset the wetness in the trails. Choose carefully... and they're not too bad in and around North Leeds.
2 lovely commutes today on the SS CX Hack 😁
Long day on Tiree yesterday, landed back into Glasgow at 9pm, so drove down to a days inn on the M6 in Lanarkshire, checking the weather for somewhere to ride on the way back home to Bournemouth, the forecast was dismal for just about everywhere, with South Wales looking the best, a diversion to Monmouth was only an extra 10 miles, so I popped in to Geometron to get some set up help on my new Storia V3, a chat with Marcel and Sam and some car park drill resulted in a couple of clicks less LSC and a couple of clicks more HSC, and I headed to Staunton meend for a few runs, 2 runs on the quarry side which were great at the top but pretty slick at the bottom, and 2 runs down “Joney’s side” which was running sweet, bike felt better turning, a more balanced turn in and less 50p’ing, even saw a legendary piece of mtb history.
I just played a game of 'where's that loch' with your aerial shot Jimmy (Loch Tarsan just inland from Dunoon). I'm surprised there's still snow on the tops! And they're only 600m summits! Hopefully the weather will change soon, I don't fancy Torridon in the snow in 5 weeks time! 😬
Got a mate stopping with us for a few days so a quick 1300 meters of descent with him this morning while he adapts to our local stuff.
The filth continues:
First night ride in the light. The mud was slicker and deeper than last week, and the rain more persistent! This time last year we were riding dusty trails!
We were riding some of those trails last sunday @jimmy748 - they were pretty slick!
Windy but fairly dry local lap last night, it started to rain 30 seconds after I walked in the house and it hasn’t stopped since.
I had my first ride on my new Epic Evo. It was very wet, but very very fun.
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I guess it's not new anymore.
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Instead of commuting on roads on my hybrid took the rigid mtb to work and back yesterday on a slightly extended and semi off road route. Still only 18 miles total, but more fun than the hybrid.
Glorious morning ride today. Great thing about the tropics is the speed with which the sun rises. Set off at 5.30am in pitch dark and within a few minutes I didn't need the light.
Bought some flat pedals to help with coaching a couple of weeks ago ... it's been going reasonably well. But this morning just as I thought I'd nailed it, I floated nicely off a rock ledge and somehow scraped a pedal up the back of my calf.
Fantastic few day weather so couldnt resist last night, local woods were damn near perfect to ride.
As I'm WFH this week, and I've started C25k again, I thought I'd head out for a sunrise commute replacement yesterday.
First train yesterday to Blackpool, rode home to Hebden Bridge over Trough of Bowland, Smallden Lane and Twiston Moor. Was going to finish over Widdop but couldn't face that after Twiston and poor lunch strategy! So it was canal to Burnley, road to Tod and canal home. Glorious day, Freezing on Blackpool prom, quite warm later on.
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I keep forgetting to take any pictures when I'm out so snapped a few on this mornings ride.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52797731404_59eae42d41_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52797731404_59eae42d41_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2oryb6S ]2023-04-06_01-30-44[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52797733199_9ce02ca958_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52797733199_9ce02ca958_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2orybCP ]Wid.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52797733979_7b31024ffe_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52797733979_7b31024ffe_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2orybSg ]2023-04-06_01-32-16[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
Hardtail fun today.
Spin round with Mrsstu in the sunshine and hail showers.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52811388772_0d193be2f1_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52811388772_0d193be2f1_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2osLaXJ ]Hail and sun[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52812525465_9fcccf6976_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52812525465_9fcccf6976_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2osRZRT ]Live Streaming.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52812527235_9cdfe6deee_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52812527235_9cdfe6deee_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2osS1op ]Heading home.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
A short loop around Lochs Voil and Doine this afternoon, which turned out not to be a loop..
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Everything is green and squishy follow much recent rain..
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After a bit of road and gravel, including the very pleasant sections of Cycle route 7, the Komoot route I'd created took an interesting turn..
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The route then demanded I cross the Invernenty Burn which was a bit too lively looking for a paddle...
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and then suggested I head across a pathless bog for some further unknown river crossings..
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So back up the hill it was along the way I came..
Nice to be out in this part of the world again.. Last time was a canoe trip down to Loch Lubnaig 10 years ago..
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Note to self, spend a bit more time cross-referencing Komoot routes against OS maps, and always make sure I have backup nav.. Locus Pro on my phone appears to have lost all my offline maps since I last used it...
Pre-work pedal with another of this parish. Just a short jaunt, but the sunrise was epic😁
[url= https://i.postimg.cc/sDN34JxQ/IMG-20230420-055521.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/sDN34JxQ/IMG-20230420-055521.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
[url= https://i.postimg.cc/WzdHN0vC/IMG-20230420-052145.jp g" target="_blank">https://i.postimg.cc/WzdHN0vC/IMG-20230420-052145.jp g"/> [/img][/url]
Already posted on another thread but should really be here
I ain't been bivvying for a while but thought that the recent weather was too good to waste.
Woke up just after 5am and caught some early dawn light
Truth is, this was only 11km from home so not much actual riding involved 🙂
Slowly recovering from manflu with a gentle eeber ride on Tuesday
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52826385717_1b1153ec30_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52826385717_1b1153ec30_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2ou632K ]2023-04-18_01-13-34[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
Then a spin round with Mrsstu this evening.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52831992362_7026b9f577_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52831992362_7026b9f577_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2ouzLG3 ]Stumped[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52832743689_6d98ddf7c3_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52832743689_6d98ddf7c3_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2ouDC2X ]Old and new.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr
Showing a forumite round his morning.
Clicky for movie.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/52845742193_d19f218b7d_w.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/52845742193_d19f218b7d_w.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2ovNf36 ]VID-20230425-WA0000[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]StuartBrettle[/url], on Flickr