[Closed] Weekend Christmas ride, anyone out

Got out yesterday for a ride round what bits of GT are officially open again.
Then back for a few beers at Tempest Brewery.

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51771467677_d6c648c6dc_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51771467677_d6c648c6dc_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2mSSiDF ]Turned out nice again.[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/stu-b/ ]multispeedstu[/url], on Flickr

Always good to see another Bardino in the wild 🙂

Grim weather here, warm but grey and very wet. Did an hour on the Turbo instead, but that doesn't count. Riding The Gap on Tuesday, very much looking forward to that.

The Chilly Main Gap?

Christmas morning ride at Ballater. It was stunning but my word the wind was cold up high.

Did my usual quick spin round for Chrimbo morning saying Merry Christmas to all the folks avoiding Christmas morning 😀.

Beautiful Hairy

Travelled up to the northern wastelands.
Quick razz by Hartshead Pike

Brant and Ed gave me some new socks.

Great pic Hairy - looks cold 🙂

Gap route is the classic https://www.strava.com/activities/4020519975

Bottom bracket deep floods here today
https://flic.kr/p/2mT8KSi

I'm in Corsica, its 16 degrees and the post ride food is great.

Had an hour or so at Rivi before it got dark this afternoon, good fun slithering down the rut tracks - with no dabs today.

Biting cold wind though.

Forest Of Dean was the 3 Ms Murk/Mist and Mud.

I headed up glen bruar.  Had tp turn back as the track was lethal with ice and it was ruddy cold.

Really nice day out.

Dovestone and Chew Reservoir this morning.
Absolutely cracking. Blew away the cobwebs.

Harold enjoyed it.

Then media city in Salford Quays trying to spot Mary Anne Hobknobs.

Out over the Purbecks today.

^great day for a pasty and a pint at the square & compass!
Filthy day in calderdale today, walking, no biking for me since Friday, I'll try tomorrow morning no matter what!

No pictures but dragged myself out to the Longslade trail at Woburn, as mentioned in another thread it rides well in the wet but by jeepers you end up with a nasty sounding drivetrain!
Quick rinse off and chain into the Putoline and it's all good to go for the next chance.
Soaked to the skin and a bit chilly. Great to be out

Pics from my failed epic into the cairngorms.  A grand day out even if I did take discretion as the better part of valour rather than risk spannering myself on ice in arctic conditions up high
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51777766614_b9df8d495f_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51777766614_b9df8d495f_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2mTqA73 ]20211225_140859[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51777370073_ce107559e3_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51777370073_ce107559e3_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2mToye8 ]20211225_105408[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51776306212_b4d5f7a1ee_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51776306212_b4d5f7a1ee_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2mTi6YG ]20211225_111303[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr

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Today I took the gravel bike for a blat home from the inlaws...
They live in Godalming, so hooked up onto a VERY wet and muddy Downslink all the way to Shoreham, then carried on in the road home..

Was super chuffed to get the KOM on the WHOLE of the downslink heading south!
1hr 47 minutes for the KOM!
The whole ride (2hs 25 today) was an average of 262 watts!

had a proper muddy backside though!

DrP

Cheeky razz around Gisburn Forest today.
Rough as, on a pingy hardtail.

Grim down south Malverns were covered in Fog and a fair bit of rain these pictures from Scotland are good least I know the sun and blue sky does exist December in Gloucestershire has been dull/damp and dark.

Grim in Sheffield, but good to get back out there.

https://imgur.com/a/mb9P2ls

Dusty Cwmcarn off piste today.

Short local doorstep ride, but slow going across the marshes, very flat & damp, semi-slick on rear so bit slidey but fun had. Not cold.

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I've fallen out of love with biking over the past few years but a gravel bike has got me back out and thoroughly enjoying it.

Hopefully out this afternoon, has hardly stopped raining here in Dorset since Xmas Eve, need an Ark not an MTB 🙂 Today is supposedly dry, but just with 40-50mph wind gusts!

The local tracks are all solid ice so I took to the road yesterday.

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We were out local yesterday, the trails were in a bit of a mess so needed a bit of bike feeling when we got back.
We just got back before the heavy rain and it's still bouncing outside
For as long as I can remember we have always kept the local trails cut back for all to use and never had a problem. For the first time yesterday inbetween walking the dog in the morning and riding in the afternoon some one had cut down a silver birch, the diameter of my thigh, and pulled it across one of the DHs. Some one must be grumpy 🤔

Out again today.  Glen ogle and a few other bits around there.  Cracking day - not even too cold

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51781831022_949de21f39_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51781831022_949de21f39_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2mTMqj3 ]20211228_125758[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/25846484@N04/ ]TandemJeremy[/url], on Flickr

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Bit gloopy on the local trails today.

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Lovely pics TJ 🙂

Classic gap, classic conditions, never really poured but wet last 75% of the ride and proper howling headwinds. Going through the actual gap was like being in a very damp, cold tumble drier.

https://flic.kr/p/2mTU9fb

https://flic.kr/p/2mTXm3W

https://flic.kr/p/2mTU8Um

https://flic.kr/p/2mTXkK6

So basically a fantastic ride. Saw only one other bike the whole way round. Looking at GoPro vids, I think they'll do a better job of showing just how wet it was! I've done this ride, I dunno, 20 times mostly in the winter but that might be the wettest.

I trusted the Exmoor forecast & it was spot on, had a strong tailwind up the ridge on the way out and saw 12C

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The gloom lifted to about 1400 feet, the rain stopped, and a few sunny patches appeared - always not quite on me, but very nice all the same. Mud though, by god mud.

https://flic.kr/p/2mTVAf5

https://flic.kr/p/2mTXmBf

https://flic.kr/p/2mTRmgm

https://flic.kr/p/2mTPRd7

https://flic.kr/p/2mTPALm

.

Trails at Rivi still not quite dried out.

@chakaping - nice bit of "wattle & daub" instead of a shiny frame, should deter bike thieves at least 🙂

I don't think they could find the bike under that lot even if they were looking for it.

@cha****ng - that is impressive. We call those 'dust clods' 🙂

A few stills off my GoPro. Definitely waterproof !

https://flic.kr/p/2mUaGuR

https://flic.kr/p/2mUeTmB

https://flic.kr/p/2mUi5nS

I watched the Vid on the TV last night with the family. Their response was a) why would you go out in that and b) why hasn't this finished yet, its not very interesting 🙂

A couple of muddy laps of Comrie Croft this morning - felt like Bambi on ice after two weeks of no MTB...