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Spring indeed. Curlews, Lapwings and lovely evening sunshine. There were even people on hand to open gates for us today!
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Still a bit moist, but wanted to get some local riding in with some luggage to make it a little harder.
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Had all the kids out today at cathkin then a wee play at school to help with Sophie's confidence of the new bike.
Poah 'wins' this week's thread..
Long walk in the woods yesterday morning.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50981819418_057e293521_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50981819418_057e293521_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kF69Jw ]Woodland coming back to life[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr
Then a ride over to Yair this afternoon.
Spotted some wild boar in the woods.
They even hung around long enough for me to get a pic of them.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985467873_011899134f_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50985467873_011899134f_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFpRhV ]Wild Boar In The Woods[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr
Tomorrow is this weekend’s riding day, but had a spare 1.5 hours this afternoon while the wife cooked dinner and the boy was tired out after I took him to the beach this morning, so snuck in a quick ride to a little play area in some local woods, so nice to leave the house at 4.30 and manage 11 miles and some jumps with no lights.
The Cotwolds hills above Cheltenham and Gloucester are drying out very well only problem at present at the weekend places like Lecky hill are so packed crazy will go quiet when shops and pubs open again cant wait get the hills back from the white trainer lot and out of control dog walkers not the dogs!!!!!!!
Brilliant, 5 hours of mixed CX/gravel/road and a surprising amount of red and blue trail centre in the hills between Linlithgow and Falkirk, being shown around by didnthurt from this parish.
Every ride I do at the moment is a massive vindication of a good, fast gravel bike, one minute your sliding it around tight muddy corners, next you're smashing along some completely unknown moorland gravel road in amongst the old opencast mines above Falkirk, then you're chasing MTBers down some twisting berms.
Not quite the easy, mud free ride I had planned to protect my badly worn rims while I fit discs, or to protect a sore back after two weeks of stress at work, but good trails and good company can't be denied!
I managed to get out again on the Camino and managed (for me) a good ride.
25 miles with 1940 ft of ascent felt tough in places but I got around without too many stops to “admire the view”
Happy Trails
Yesterday was New Bike Day. After some fettling I went for a local meander.
https://flic.kr/p/2kFC636
Today I introduced Bodie to his destiny. It went quite well.
https://flic.kr/p/2kFGoSW
Now for a me ride.
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Little mooch around woodland valley and environs in the sunshine. Just glorious.
First ride with someone else since last year
Went out this morning to do a bit of local trail fettling.
Went back later with the bike to ride them
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Contemplating taking the Summer road bike out.
You're a bit late to the party, I was on my summer bike on Tuesday!
After the dog trip I went out for some more fun rediscovering my local patch after 18 months absence.
Absolute belter of a day out today, 38 miles, 3800 ft of elevation off “Off Piste” Purbecks today.
Appreciate the 'purple homage' here and Sophie riding down those steps. Fantastic.
Also @jimmy748, that's a big looking gap. Fair play 🙂
Not ridden the RipMo since Sept last year. It's coming up three years old and it still gives me that same buzz every time I ride it. Looks tiny (it's a L) compared to my mates XL Pole.
FoD/Yat drying out quickly. 50k today riding stuff off limits in winter. So good to get back to some of my fav trails. Didn't even get very muddy.
Glorious ride from home. First blast on the full sus for a good while.
http://imgur.com/gallery/KXhI8f3
Felt so good to get the bike out and ride up the local hill today. Even better was getting to the top and having absolutely no-one around for a few minutes while I ate a snack or two!
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First bit of solitude I've had outdoors in many months and was incredible.
Even better was getting back home and finding I'd set a few PB's on the climbs and descents, amazed considering they're all I've ridden for ages. Didn't even get clear runs either thanks to the crowds! All that Zwift training and racing is definitely having a good effect.
All that Zwift training and racing is definitely having a good effect.
I've noticed this, I was getting one or two solid turbo sessions in every week for the winter, on top of some easier outdoor stuff. FTP tests weren't showing much improvement, but after a wee break due to work and niggling injuries I'm feeling great out on the bike now, setting PBs even at the wrong end of long rides.
Makes me sort of want to keep going with the turbo but think I'm just going to try and incorporate intervals into my riding outdoors, my lower back doesn't seem to like the turbo!
A very schloppy ride around Sherrifmuir. We gave up at first glance of Kippenrait - it's a couple of metre wide mudfest with walkers taking to the bushes and woodland each side.
Lovely to be out still.
Another day checking out our new surroundings.
Still not had the OK to ride from the doctor but my shoulder is now feeling a bit stronger and riding seems to be helping with getting movement back.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50990046982_2cbc902a29_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50990046982_2cbc902a29_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFPjv5 ]WhatsApp Image 2021-02-28 at 6.24.08 PM[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr
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[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50988915638_6f66c8bf6e_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50988915638_6f66c8bf6e_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFHwc9 ]2021-02-28_04-59-42[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr
I went back out with the kids today. Sophie progressing nicely although she doesn't look too happy here lol She started trying some steeper stairs and hills on her own. Still needs someone to catch her just in case.
I had a go at stair jumping on the hardtail.
Loop of glentrool and a road ride home
Friday was an hour after work..
Dammed if I can get the links to show
I think Sophie is the best thing I've seen this weekend!
Wish the Cotswolds were as quiet as some of these pics people all over the place even using tracks you normally see know one on have people on them Purbecks look good was Studland beach packed??
I managed a short 20km blast on the HT today. First MTB ride in over 5 years. My knee didn't explode so I'm well chuffed.
It was gorgeous in West Yorkshire
From the door on the Tripster in CX/Gravel mode, up to Rivington which was silly busy, inc Motorcyclists and open top 'Sunday best cars'. I'm sure there is a lock down going on, but I must be mistaken after riding up there today 🙁
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50989725457_e5f18d8722_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50989725457_e5f18d8722_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFMEVx ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/17059060@N00/ ]eastham_david[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50988913813_56ed49ef45_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50988913813_56ed49ef45_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFHvDF ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/17059060@N00/ ]eastham_david[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50989615606_f157d09dd3_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50989615606_f157d09dd3_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFM7gy ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/17059060@N00/ ]eastham_david[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50989725292_66e05c7834_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50989725292_66e05c7834_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2kFMESG ]Untitled[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/17059060@N00/ ]eastham_david[/url], on Flickr
Took the wife to get her first bat AIDS vaccination yesterday, and took the BFe so i could ride home. Nice 25 mile pootle, but glad I missed out the quayside as local rag photos showed it was pua chokka.
Stopped of at the Dunston Staithes on the way back, which was nice
Then today I was going to ride to Chopwell, but passed someone on the way back who said it was rammed, do gave it a miss. Stopped in a quarry.
First real ride since November because of a dodgy knee so i went for a pootle along
Kingswinford railway walk.
So many people out and about.
Kingswinford railway walk.
So many people out and about.
Just moved Kford to the borders and its now our standing joke if we see more than half a dozen people that its like a walk along the line.
B*stards, the lot of yer! I've been gazing longingly at the beautiful weather on the local hills while limping around the garden on my broken ankle 😉
Beautiful weekend, looking forward to summer now.
Post work walk yesterday.
Hebden was sublime today, towpath there/back was chuffin busy though
Spring has sprung and drying trails.
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I came across these guys on the trail. I think someone accidentally left their cage open.
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I came across these guys on the trail. I think someone accidentally left their cage open.
probably just wanting to cross the road
probably just wanting to cross the road
Why?
Road bike all weekend, Oldham to Rawtenstall over the tops Saturday and a long flat Cheshire one today. Cold early both days but ace conditions.
First 50 miler of the year. Just a loop down to Aboyne.
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Some really lovely pictures up there.
For me longest ride of 2021 today. About 15 minutes. 🙂 Ordered a gravel bike late last year and then injured my shoulder doing some gardening two days after it arrived. First short pootle out on it early evening just to check the saddle and bar height and learn how to use Double Tap.
I normally ride a 120mm travel 29r FS, which I love but the Free Ranger feels like a rocket ship in comparison on the easy local tracks. Really excited about finally having the right ride from the door bike.
Other than that the kids bikes were filthy beyond usable so yesterday was boat and bike maintenance day. They used the bikes every day during that crap weather we had in January and things like chains were rusted solid because I was flat out trying to finish a project and had nowhere to work on bikes in the evenings for a few weeks. Now all cleaned and Putolined and for the eldest ready for the school run in a couple of weeks.
Did manage our first BBQ of the year today.
I rode Fri, Sat, twice on Sun morning and walked in the afternoon. Somehow my corner of West Yorkshire dried out in 5 days! Bike only needed a finger wash to scrape the bigger lumps off 🙂
Snowdrops at Meigle
We got out for another Cheshire lanes/bridleways ride from home today. Still building up my girlfriend's confidence on a bike. We found a little bit of singletrack that she enjoyed though!
Absolutely loving my new Marin dsx1.
Off for a walk around Wincle today.
Edit. We also said a very quick hello to Coleen Nolan, apparently she's moved to the old farm behind ours!