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A long weekend off for myself and the kids all at school/college/work saw mrs_oab and I tootle out to the heart of the Trossachs on the road. Loch Arklet was a rather fine cuppa spot:
50km road ride today.... not as warm as it looked quite a few unhappy looking underdressed roadies out and about 😀
Working today, picking up keys for our new house in the Peak District tomorrow. Back to the motherland 🙂
Well...
There's not much riding left from my doorstep I can muster a shit for.
Which is a moot point, as I'm still recovering from surgery and can't ride anyway.
So mostly, I'm going to be bitterly dragging everything out of my sodden garage to try for the 3rd time to make it weather proof, I'm also planning to service my dropper.
That's about as adventuring as I'm going to get.
Just got back from a local pootle with the dog, been out with her every day this week.
With a good forecast for the weekend the ground should be firm so will have to decide on a longer local ride
Youngest daughter has spent the day in Wharncliffe so I will probably be on bike cleaning duties when she finally arrives home.
I went out riding today through the Shropshire lanes, it was a very nice day.
I will probably go riding tomoz and Sunday as the weather is looking good, not much else to do in the lockdown at the moment.
Tracks were much drier yesterday compared to Monday.
Been a pleasantly warm day here for the time of year. Lots of friends have been out according to Strava while I've been getting jobs done on my day off.
Tonight I am meeting up with my riding buddy for our first ride together since lockdown - we have been allowed to but decided not to. Should be a bright full moon, he's providing the single malt, I'm providing the Christmas cake. In no way is it going to look like a picnic, officer.
No adventures but sunday is Day One of project Either Fall In Love With My Solaris Or Sell It. So it's just had the fork lengthened and serviced, dropper post thoroughly slick honeyed, everything cleaned and lubed and adjusted and I've even given it a wee polish, so it can be its best self.
Shame it'll be yet another Pentlands ride and also a shame that my favourite trails are swamps just now, but, no matter
Wharncliffe is running well. No bike to wash, wish I had gone with her
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Well I’ve ridden 2 miles on the cx bike with @p20 in the evening sun, and it was ace. First ride for over 3 months since getting COVID 🙂
Makes you really grateful for what you have.
Still swampy anywhere flat but managed to get a ride in after work without lights on.
The decent weather actually made me fix the leaky brake on the hardtail (replaced the caliper) and go for a ride round the greener bits of Cardiff today, only the 4th outdoor ride this year! Was great to be pedalling along around parks and trees with shorts on, the drivers not so much.
Hopefully will get the little FS bike out on Sunday and do a big loop of all the local hills, blast away the cobwebs. 2 solid days of warmth and gentle wind should have firmed the ground up a bit, will just be pootling anyway so crowds and any muddy bits won't really matter. Absolutely craving any sense of adventure right now so a few hours mindlessly spinning pedals while outdoors will suit me nicely.
Bivvy night. Very calm. Ground has dried out. And there's a full moon. Clouded over a bit now but that's often no bad thig at this time of year.
Peaks running surprisingly dry.
Slabs around Bog of Doom on Cut Gate are nice. Good to be able to pass without losing wheel or leg. Not sure about some gravel dumped on the other side, just as you start rolling down from Howden Edge. Luckily only very short section graveled but hopefully it is not a prophecy of Things to Come...
Cheers!
I.
Hour and a half on my gravel bike this morning before work this afternoon. Gf was out on her e hybrid too....lovely morning for it and she's really getting up her confidence. Great fun!
Does last night count......
Sunday brings a hack out over to Yorkshire and back via Cliviger
Last nights hack out around Rossendale
Bit too dusty for my liking, recent windy days have dried everything out.......cough...
😆
Contemplating taking the Summer road bike out. Too soon?
After 10 weeks of snow and ice, finally managed to get out yesterday as the wind has died down to a more manageable level to get out for a couple of hours. Still some metre-deep drifts in the forests around Glenlivet and Tomintoul.
Road bike went for its first outdoor ride this year on Friday afternoon, having only done gentle commutes last week and absolutely nothing since Monday, as a result of coming down with some lurgy that left me completely wiped out.
Just over two hour ~34 mile loop over Beacon and Old Winchester Hills, but as a result of of lurgy and having not done a ride longer than 75mins since 27th December in combination with a less common NWesterly, it felt really hard work for what was essentially a z1-3 ride heading north east and back.
Great to get out in lovely sunny weather, but shocked at how rough many lanes felt with 23mm GP5000 @100 PSI and 28mm Rubino Pro G+ Isotech @80PSI, ~+5PSI for each tyre compared to last year at similar ~82Kg.
Hoping to get out again today for another 2+ hour ride once it's warmed up a bit more (frosty start again this morning), but tempted to ditch the guards and fit wider tyres at lower pressures!
I'd planned to set out earlier but got caught up in some fascinating "daytime TV" so I ate at home before riding round to a local loch I've pitched at before. This was actually my "B" plan. "A" was a sheltered, wooded spot I'd ridden past last week but the promise of a clear sky and full moon was too much.
Arrived, pitched, settled down with a beer and listened to the water gently lapping on the shore. The one downside of this pitch is that the best view is looking upwind, so when it got a bit more breezy I zipped myself in. Within 30 minutes the gentle lapping had been replaced by a more frantic sound as the water was driven by the wind. No matter, I was cosy and warm.
Awoke just before 6am and made myself a coffee to sip as I watched the daylight coming in . It really feels a lot different to my last trip as it's getting light much earlier again.
On the way home I saw some migrating geese, a couple of deer and a cheeky wee red squirrel that scampered across the trail and up a tree to sit and watch me pass by.
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Quick lap and 1/2 of Woburn red loop on the way home from a job in Peterborough yesterday, it’s 4 miles of constant breaking bumps and now my lower back is killing me.
Still feels like winter on top of the Ochils.
Did a route based around the watershed of the upper River Aire. Started at Steeton & Silsden station, through Silsden, over to Draughton & Halton East, over Barden Moor to Hetton, across Boss and Threshfield moors, Mastiles Lane to loop round Malham Tarn, down Stockdale Lane, headed back to Otterburn & Bell Busk, then followed the Leeds Liverpool canal to Barnoldswick, up Weets, Foulridge, the longest ford in Britain and finished by going over the top of Earl Crag to Keighley tarn then back to Steeton just as the light was fading.
By the time I got back home I'd been out for exactly nine hours. Felt quite a day!
Fuller trip report here - https://bearbonesbikepacking.co.uk/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19303
An early start as I was riding from the door and meeting friends at 7am. A lovely full moon.
We had a great time on the DH trails at Watchwood, my first time on the MTB since December.
Took Friday off as it was a lovely day (if not a bit crisp). Went exploring random B roads I'd not ridden before...
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985020011_08d0088d18.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985020011_08d0088d18.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFnyaa ]Friday ride[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985160402_ae7289e0d7.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985160402_ae7289e0d7.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFogTG ]Friday ride[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985130017_92ef247f81.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985130017_92ef247f81.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFo7RP ]Friday ride[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985050291_a332077081.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985050291_a332077081.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFnHae ]Friday ride[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50984314523_e2df6410aa.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50984314523_e2df6410aa.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFiWrz ]Friday ride[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr
@whitestone - nice write-up - probably only just missed bumping into you on Barden. Is it just the first bit from the top of Moor Lane out of Hetton that is digustingly muddy? I need to drag myself out for a longer ride this weekend.
Thank you @matt_outandabout it’s definitely a start. I’ll be back fully firing for this years 100 day challenge 😉
@whitestone - flipping heck that’s a route and a half! Don’t think I could do the whole thing (when fit!) but might grab the gpx off you are some point if that’s ok, for some route inspiration.
Yes, both the BWs (the one going to Weets Top and the one heading up to Boss Moor) have been about 15cm deep in mud/shit for most of the winter for about 100m or so from the gate. The BW to Boss Moor is soft anyway so tractor tyres haven't been kind to it - easier to ride through the rushes/reeds as there's actually traction.
Love these riding threads. I'm currently in the honeymoon phase with my new gravel bike so I'm getting up early to squeeze in some exploring to see what's possible to ride in the area. It's a great addition to my two MTB's.
absolutely ****ing mental out today, never seen it this busy even mid summer or bank holidays.... so many out of control dogs so I cut my ride short.
surprisingly slippy/sticky due to thawing frost.
It was great to be able to get out on and enjoy my new full suss again on Friday ,the first time since October .
Long may it continue.
Yes, both the BWs (the one going to Weets Top and the one heading up to Boss Moor) have been about 15cm deep in mud/shit for most of the winter for about 100m or so from the gate.
I've been giving both of them a swerve since about November when I saw he'd put cattle on them. Up Fleets Lane FTW. 🙂
First ride of the day ticked off. Up early onto Cutgate. Trails were running dry in most places. Managed a good blast back with not that many out that early.
The path round the bog on the top has been sympathetically done with just the last few metres from the end a bit boggy till you hit the firm stuff.
Glad we went early as it was getting very busy when we got back. I still can't believe how many people argue over car parking spaces.
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Wow what a morning. Went with a club mate on an MTB ride around Herts today, and the trails/weather was awesome:
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985655032_43395ddbdf_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985655032_43395ddbdf_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFqNVN ]20210227_124201[/url]
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985551981_c0b084683a_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985551981_c0b084683a_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFqhi4 ]2021-02-27_02-20-53[/url]
Made even better by stumbling across a pop-up coffee van half way around:
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985654987_e7f6d6c206_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985654987_e7f6d6c206_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFqNV2 ]20210227_102651[/url].
Today was a great reminder that things can be good during and after current events.
All the neon colours on the local lockdown loop...
Another local one obvs.
Glorious day and a real treat to have some of the mud a bit less muddy.
Burton Dassett, Warwickshire
Fat it!
Just had a lovely couple of hours up at Minley, I’m lucky to have it on my doorstep. Trails running superb and hardly a speck of mud on the bike.
It's that nice out I've been out again, local with the dog.
Got back, washed the bikes and then fitted my new tyres that I've not got round to fitting since I bought them in September, not done bad for 3 years riding. Binned the rear but saved the front for a spare, just in case.
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Back roads and gravel, nice 28 mile loop from home
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