What made you glad you went out?
Foggy and cold most of the journey there. Brilliant sunshine up in the hills. Foggy and cold most of the way back.
And I didn't fall off.
The sun and....
I slip streamed my son the first time ever, i think
Oh and this was our second attempt at a road ride together. On the first we both fell off on the same patch of ice. So staying upright was an improvement
didn't feel well as i have red tonsils but when my best mate text thursday and i had promised to ride today i was reluctantly dragged from my death pit this morning and thrown out into the cold air,
Cracking ride and good chats. you can't beat good company when you feel crap.
Making the effort to ride for 3hrs+ when it was -4 & freezing fog to start with..
Lots! Stunning early morning ride in the frost. Some fun jumps. Gratitude that I had a slime tube on!
Early morning coffee by a bonfire before I headed off. A great start to the day!
The hard work on the roller coaster singletrack, and the view -
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Surviving unscathed. Sunny but with loads of ice everywhere on the trails. Was lethal in parts. Great fun though
An awkward little climb on my local loop. It rears up at the top and coming as it does towards the end of the loop I usually CBA to put too much effort in and usually loose traction/overbalance/give up
Cleaned it today though. Go me
Chilled ride around the woods surrounding Pennyhill Park. Chilling with the lads after a successful friday night 8)
Cracking weather.
I got to ride my new bike with some good mates. Then I had brownies; they were very tasty.
I'm making bolognese for tea. Today is a good day.
I went to Cwmcarn for the first time in about 6 years on my new(ish) Hardtail. It was a hoot!
MrsLex came too, lunch at the pub was excellent, and when we got back, she said that she'd really enjoyed the riding.
No d1cks in cars spoiling the road sections.
I can now spend for two...
Raced a kid on a motorised scooter who was wearing a mohawk crash helmet. Beat him to bits 
After weeks of rides where I just felt knackered, I actually felt quite strong today.
PR on a regular hill despite stopping for a horse to pass.
Staying alive after a totally stupid pass/emergency stop by a dozy driver.
Keeping it rubber side down. It was pretty out there and any ride beats no riding, but most of the time it was just a case of trying to ride along an icy landrover wheel track and as soon as you slid off you were into mashed potato and stopped dead.
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Today's ride was dry and dusty and I saw 9 mates riding and enjoying my brand new trail, total result!
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out with the roadie crew and coaxed a newcomer to 17 miles.
his best to date had been 3 !!!!!
Been fighting off a cold all week, felt slightly better today, so I got out for a run, it was cold but lovely and sunny. I wasn't expecting much, but I managed a half marathon, my first one in 7 years!
Yes I know not a ride, but I am chuffed, and with London creeping up I am having to get the miles in running.
Managed to catch a front end slide on a muddy/icy downhill switchback and kept a good line round it. Normally I'd either be a) on my back before the turn or b) teetering on the edge first before a) happening anyway. The only downside was the guy I was with was coping with his own rear wheel trying to catch up his front that he didn't see my moment of glory
Met a badger coming down the road toward me out of the fog this morning - I stopped and he was about 3 feet from my front wheel before he noticed me - cue a great scrabbling of badger-claws as he stopped and did a swift 180 before legging it back the way he came. That was pretty cool - I only normally see badgers that have lost arguments with cars 🙁
Innerleithen fun. Found a new trail. Only crashed on it three times, but it was a hoot. Finally feel like the old mojo is showing it's face again. I like this. Very much. Hope it stays around.
Took the dog out on some local singletrack and she loved it, and my first time back on the geared hardtail in several months and it's riding really well.
Fun and games.
got up a steep climb that has been defeating me since going 1x9. and the sun 🙂
Nothing exciting - just a couple of bikes serviced but I wanted to say -what a nice thread topic so well done CapJ
For me it was making myself try a steep trail with gullied switch backs that I've not cleaned before and not ridden since the summer and getting down it without a dab and wondering what I'd been worried about. Also managing to get past the 20 mile mark as most rides have been more like 15 since winter kicked in.
My only ride today was between stations in London. So my victories were not getting knocked off and actually finding some empty roads in very central London at 11am on a Sunday morning. I enjoyed it so much that the 10 minute ride turned into an hour. It was bloody awesome.
Actually getting out was a victory.
I decided to change the cassette and chain on the road bike, I'd picked the parts up earlier in the week so expected a quick fix.
Never think that.......
The chain splitter broke taking the old chain off so had to nip out and get another, then the gears where playing up so I changed the inners ( first time I'd done that on a road bike so took some sussing ) so only managed a quick 8 mile ride to check everything was working.
Getting out on my singlespeed and, towards the end of the ride, trying out some new sections of trail that I'd spent a bit of time prepping earlier in the week and finding that they rode really well - and, for a change, so did I.
Today was too icy to ride up here.
It wasn't to paddle. The pics say it all.
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7367/16287729900_7a87d18cd3_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7367/16287729900_7a87d18cd3_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/qPhSDj ]Loch Achray Canoe[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/88555557@N00/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/16287756520_daeb21137d_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/16287756520_daeb21137d_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/qPi1yh ]Loch Achray Canoe[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/88555557@N00/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7369/16287609180_c949baf4ea_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7369/16287609180_c949baf4ea_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/qPhfKW ]Loch Achray Canoe[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/88555557@N00/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7307/16475059375_d5d3682be0_b.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7307/16475059375_d5d3682be0_b.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/r6QZaR ]Loch Achray Canoe[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/people/88555557@N00/ ]matt_outandabout[/url], on Flickr
My parents had our boy overnight so my wife came out to enjoy the frozen trails too 🙂
Absolutely smashing the steep rooty berm chute on the Blade at Afan. I love riding bikes.
Forest of Dean the trails under the trees were dry in places amazing best I have seen it down there since September last year.Most of the mud was on the fire roads.Plus loads of sunshine warmest day for ages.Trails at Shutcastle were drier than last august great.
Was out at Afan too (W2 and Penhydd). Turned out to be a gloriously sunny day with clear skies and no wind. Around 8 degrees too so pleasant too!
Loads of little victories in catching slides on ice and thawed mud, cleared White's climb in one too 8)
Sounds like a lot of fun was had out there today.
I particularly enjoyed dropping the wheel sucker who stayed on my wheel up a mile long climb. I pulled away on the flat with the sun on my back, a smile on my face and this came on my iPod:
It was a perfect moment.
Always nice dropping wheel suckers 8)
Out for a post hangover ride this afternoon and hopped a small bomb hole that I've never managed before.
It felt like spring today out there so I'm glad I made the effort. Best thing was having no cold symptoms whilst riding after several days of coughing and sniffles. Their back with vengeance now though.
Yesterday I bodged a temporary fix for a chain device issue.
I was about a quarter of my way into the ride and really enjoying myself. The chain must have jumped up and into the back of the chain device, when I pedaled it dragged the device round, along with the bb cup. I took the actual guide bit of the device off, but the metal mount was flapping around. I 'borrowed' some rope that I found to tie the flappy bit to the down tube. I should have had zip ties, but had neglected to put them back in after giving my pack a very rare wash.
I'm really glad I managed to carry on, as the ground was still mostly frozen and it was the best I have ridden for at least a month.
Put a heron up. Riding along by a bourne, and all of a sudden, up it popped in front of me. Flew ahead of me for hundred yards or so before banking off back to the bourne.
Stunning.
Riding was yesterday, changed up the usual Delamere off-road ride for one with a bit more purpose, which was well received.
Maintenance victory today, I've long suspected that road external BB's are exactly the same geometry as MTB ones, save a lack of spacers and a different size middle sleeve. Turns out I'm right. My SS MTB now has Shimano road BB bearings, with RaceFace cranks, sleeve and spacers.
^^^ That heron story is great. I never tire of seeing herons.
Took the summer bike out for a spin today. Had to chase on to the back of the bunch at the reliability run I was on and got paced back up by a car. Felt pretty pro.
Yesterday I changed the BB.
Today it felt soo much easier to pedal that it was almost like cheating!
Yesterday - some unexpected PBs on icy Grizedale descents. Perhaps I was just too scared to touch the brakes...
Today, fixed gritted up front mech, and a slice I took out of my tubeless tyre on one of those descents.
Getting a KOM of 2015 on section 15 at swinley. It'll be beaten quickly and 5 secs slower than my best but is pleasing given my current asthma coughy wheezyness.
I did a local 15 mile loop. Started OK and for a short while I though it was going to be a bit less boggy than recently.
I was wrong.
The mud had dried a bit from last weekend, just enough to be bind itself to every available surface in thick, claggy lumps.
The highlights were:
- frequent stops to pull handfuls of mud from between the moving parts, just to get the wheels rotating again
- dragging the bike downhill (yes, DOWNHILL), with both wheels locked solid to get out of a field that looked like the Somme
- being barely able to lift the bike over a stile, due to it being tripled in weight by the clinging mud.
I was actually glad to find a short stretch of road with a slight decline, just to build up enough momentum to be hit in the face/arse/back of the head by the huge dollops of clag flying from the wheels.
Still, better than not riding, eh?
Heron,pah!
Climbing through the mist,snow piled almost a foot high at the side of the road, I saw one of these in the adjacent snowy field looking at me quizzically,whilst nibbling a paw full of hay[img] 
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then about five seconds later one of these fellas ran across the road [img] 
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My victory was staying upright!
Actually making it out for a ride. Long term illness has left me unable to get much time in the saddle. Only 3.32 miles but was a start.
GrumpyDave - MemberActually making it out for a ride. Long term illness has left me unable to get much time in the saddle. Only 3.32 miles but was a start.
+1 although I did manage 7 miles
Victory - my sunday ride route, was 2km/h faster on the average speed than normal, and I could feel it.
I also didn't die not wearing my helmet, which I realised I had forgotten half way
Actually going for a ride! First mountain bike ride in over two years thanks to a long term foot problem. Went to Cannock with a mate and did the Monkey. I was slow and rusty but ridiculously happy. And my foot wasn't too bad afterwards. I was/am a happy chappie 🙂
Took my 26inch NP Mega out for the first time in 4 months (ride my 29er FS most of the time). First hour was a bit odd in a 'why is the front wheels so small and why is it so far away?' sort of thing, but found some dry trails in the FoD and had beer in the sunshine. Dodgy knee didn't explode riding 1x10 as well. Conclusion was: all bikes are great 🙂
My victory was getting out at 5am despite the -5 degree temperature, freezing fog and icy roads. But I did get out 🙂
Finished the ride and realised that my kit was covered in ice...
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didn't meet anyone coming the other way on this section of shared path
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2 miles into my road ride I stopped to start strava on my phone and a guy in full team sky kit and nice carbon road bike goes past.. Obviously the gauntlet had been thrown down.
2 miles and a large Hill later I caught him. Just one of those silly competitive personal victories that means nothing but gets you pushing yourself at the time.
I rode all of six feet yesterday.
However it was worth it, for I not only successfully tested my new XT cranks (fitted to a PF30 frame no less), but I also managed to seat a UST tyre first time with only a couple of draughts from my elderly track pump.
Yesterday's ride = win.
Just getting out again. But taking one of the kids for his first trip round GT blue and watching the grins as he attacked every hill and berm before declaring "best day. ever." That was special
First ride of the year in the sun .. emptied the tank and bonked for the last mile.. it was all worth it.. now raring to go again next weekend 🙂
The almost complete absence of mud was a major victory!
Been off the bike since 8th October with a neck/shoulder injury so the < 8 mile family ride yesterday in the sun was the highlight of my weekend or winning a 'race' on a turbo trainer (fancy Tacx one with PC software etc), scouting fund raiser - even if the competition wasn't exactly challenging 🙂
got this finished
Bank - Bridge - Berm - Bridge - Bank
Was holding out quite well this winter until the walkers found it !! But now armoured up with gravel from the stream bed, should be okay for nother year .
I got out on the CX bike on the road in the sun. Pushed out the door by the wife as I have been off games pretty much since September. Did 23km in an hour with a reasonable amount of climbing, and had a nice cuppa at the cafe. Not only that but been out today commuting to site and the office and back home at lunch, back to the office and I will be heading home tonight on the bike, so another 1.5hrs gentle riding today without collapsing into a small pile of unwellness and fever. Legs feel like they are made of play dough today!
Now I just need to work on being less fat and slowly get a bit fitter, and maybe dig out the mtb if it stays dry (though I think I will need gears for a few weeks to start!)
Picked up a cheap DH bike(06 Big Hit) a couple of weeks ago, to see how I would like it, Finally got out on it today, most fun I have had on a bike in a long time.