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Friday night post-working week head clearing spin. I learned that 2.8 tyres are draggy as hell when they start to go flat...
Spooky photos!
Getting tired of local mud now. Nice to be out though still.
Dog walking this morning and a short drive out to walk him somewhere different this afternoon (just a couple of miles up the road as we are trying to desensitise him by short local trips as he gets stupidly anxious in the car, which is understandable given his pre rescue background).
Tomorrow me and the boys have a plan for a South Downs ride while my wife enjoys a few hours of not listening to them/me 🙂.
We were out early on an out and back on Cutgate from Langsett, wanted to beat the traffic and also the rain forecast.
Forecast was for below freezing overnight however that didn't happen and although not too bad on the top North America on the way back was a bit muddy. Not many about until the last descent and by the time we were back the carpark was full.
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Lockdown local explores mode.
Out on Sherrifmuir road, where my son's bike was inapropriate, back in via Sleekit n Shoogle where my bike was inapropriate. Seriously fun and laughter all the way through the woods.
Quick hour up on the moors. Waves tomorrow.
20 mile local gravel loop around Ilkeston with a mate this morning - only 3° and raining, not quite what was forecast.
Bikes and us got coated in a nice layer of sloppy filth.
Finished at a pub in the next village to home that opened this morning to trial demand for takeaway hot drinks and sausage and bacon cobs. They'd sold out of their entire weekend stock by 11.30. They'd better restock for tomorrow when we use it to bribe the teenagers out in daylight....
Local 25km-ish loop, riding with a mate for the first time since lockdown started, just to have a chat, get some different company to our respective other halves, and get a bit of space to decompress. Stopped for sausage sarnie, coffee and cake in the cafe in Meanwood Park mid ride as well, which was lovely. Drizzly and chilly, but the trails were in surprisingly good nick.
Having moved house recently, I'm continuing my series of explorations from the door. Last week was Sherwood Pines, today I made it to favourite local MTB hooning spot Watchwood Plantation. Some of the trail en route was a bit too narrow and ferny for my 800mm bars
Took a nimble down (then back up) the Dava way from a few mikes south of Forres to Grantown.
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👆 Had a double take moment there thinking that was a selfie
No, I’m rarely that cheerful 😀
Two Turners out at Balquhidder today. Not as muddy as it might have been.
We went for a spin around Loch Leven on the Heritage Trail. It was cold in the shadow of Benarty Hill, then colder as the sun started to go down. My 7yo found it too cold and wasn't happy. He wouldn't wear his jacket to start with, and by the time he finally agreed, he was too chilled to recover. The Loch was like glass.
Thick ice on the roads and cars so a 10 minute drive to Whitelee windfarm and a cracking walk.
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The usual ,local ,leafy ,muddy winter wonderland for me .
Before the crowds...
-4 road bimble with mrs_oab this morning.
Cold feet time, plus some very nervous moments crunching ice below tyres on our little back lanes.
17 mile run around the salubrious parts of the Black Country (Halesowen, Old Hill, Cradley, Netherton, Brierly Hill) yesterday.
10 miles in the Worcestershire countryside today.
Perfect weather for it.
Finally linked Cramond Brig with Kirkliston along the banks of the River Almond.
The crux has always been getting across the Gogar as it flows out from under the airport security fence, options are calf deep river crossing or inching across the 20cm concrete ledge with the bike on the shoulder whilst clinging to the fence. I opted for the latter as I hate wet feet and wanted to check it would still be crossable if water levels were higher.
The reward was several km of perfect slippery muddy singletrack which my new Vittoria Terreno Wet tyres handled beautifully.
Just local rides for me this weekend. Weather has been ok; cold and a bit damp, but no rain.
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Great ride round the wyre, still finding more new stuff (to us)
Ladybower loop on Saturday morning and a couple of hours playing in the local woods this afternoon
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Local loop this morning. Both local woods were full-on heaving with runners, walkers and dogs. Had to hit the proper muddy bits to get away from them (which, with a Ranger on the back, was interesting at times).
A walk from Glen Doll up Corrie Fee
to Mayar
and back by the Kilbo path
64 miles on HPT and Pennine bridleway
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Yesterday, drizzly walk upto the beacon with the missus.
Today, Local slide round the local woods and bridleways on the Crush.
Top of Holme Moss (another day in Paradise)
Sunrise local ride on the Wirral riviera this morning before the dog walkers got out
Still keeping it local still finding new trails, a little misty first thing
Back to my local lockdown windfarm sanity, a bike today after yesterday’s sunny hike.
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Off roading on the winter road bikes, GP4000s coped ok with the mud, mudguards kept jamming up though....
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50661149053_1e8bbfc25f.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50661149053_1e8bbfc25f.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kbKCB8 ]Off road road biking[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50661974457_43f09b3060.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50661974457_43f09b3060.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kbPRYe ]Off road road biking[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50661882051_41a6e9cf5e.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50661882051_41a6e9cf5e.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kbPov2 ]Off road road biking[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
Some pics from yesterday’s cx/gravel ride on my just repaired steel frame CX bike. Had planned to do a Gran Fondo but the ride was abruptly halted in the middle of nowhere!
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So back to the frame builder again! 🥺
Roter what frame is that? Looks nice
3 Hr MTB ride yesterday but fed up with getting covered in shite so went out for a road ride with full mudguards today!
Roter what frame is that? Looks nice
@13thfloormonk It’s from a friend of mine who builds custom steel frames.
http://unique-bicycles.de/
www.instagram.com/p/CII96GOHkT-/
Still sticking to the "Tier 4 trundles" for now...
Had a lovely moonlit pootle along the river on Saturday.
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Explored the lesser-explored fringes of the western Ochils.
Just east of Big Hunt Hill and then descending a track west of Third Inchna Burn we found a descent that had never been ridden before (nothing on Strava or the heatmap) and appears to be used only by runners as a climbing route so I claim it as a World-first decent. :
What a giggle - and so much fun doing an old-skool explore. Went back and repeated it on Sunday.
Had a good 5 hours around Ellterwater Loughrigg and Hakeshead 
Great pictures - did 120k on Saturday no pictures, because it was cold - wet and then cold again - then wet again. All day.............