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The descent from Novar wind farm (above Loch Glass) down to Loch Morie on my gravel bike. That was a study in concentration.
Noted for future reference, I think at one point I was planning this as the return leg of a much longer ride, bullet dodged by the sound of it.
40 posts and no-one has written “Your Mum”
I was sure someone had! I must be losing it, or did someone edit it?
I was sure someone had! I must be losing it, or did someone edit it?
It was there. Now gone.
I thought a reference to a sister was expected.
Random beach rocks and coast defences... Basically, I needed to trials, and I cannot trials. Great fun though and falling off onto sand is nicer than most alternatives.
Lower Avalanche at Golfie last weekend. Far from the steepest thing we rode, but I'm really not used to riding on a surface of loose rocks. When we got to the bottom we all agreed that we needed a bit more practise at it before riding the upper half.
My friends bike with tan walls and lime green grips was tricky last week.
Louise's mom.
impatientbull
Full MemberLower Avalanche at Golfie last weekend. Far from the steepest thing we rode, but I’m really not used to riding on a surface of loose rocks.
It is just horrible. A hillside so spiteful that it literally went on fire despite being made entirely out of stones.
Spent most of the past 18 months riding local trails around warrington, if you get 400m of climbing in 50km your doing well for climbing!
Just in the tweed valley this week including a inners uplift and golfie today, its all bit of a shock to the system 😲
Bringewood Downhill course last week
Albeit only the top half*
(* albeit on a rigid 29er with XC tyes 😮)
The Grand Union Canal from Birmingham to London over two days. First day started badly with the idiot in the neighbouring hotel room being arrested for asault after a huge fight that kept us awake most the night. Then I fell off riding down some steps and hurt my left hand and knee. Day 2 did exactly the same thing but injuring the right side and suffering severe embarrassment as these steps led into the beer garden!
I watched a couple do lower avalanche yesterday. Why? It looked awful.
The climb yesterday was the first time I’ve walked after the reservoir.
Hellish day.
Then went over the bars on repeat offender chasing the laddie.
Hellish hellish day
To be fair, the start of the descent from nan bield pass was pretty tricky today as well. Couldn't clean those tight, loose switchbacks. Never know whether to run a little bit and lean the bike (results in washout? or to slow down and try and hop around (usually results in front wheel getting caught on loose block).
ive ridden Golfie loads, some of it definitely out of my league but none of it is worse than that thing at Grizedale!!
A few that stand out for me are:
- Near Falkland Place (kind of).The crazy high north shore that dropped into a steep gully then went up the other side of the gully around a rather large tree then lined up for a double jump larger than a transit van stopping very close before the road.
- Innerleithen downhill trails. There was a steep rooty section that turned 90 degrees into a jump that went diagonally across the hill over the dry stone wall. I just could see how you could carry enough around the rooty corner that I could barely bumble around.
- Broon Troot (I think) at GT. There was a tight 90 degree turn with a 2-3' drop off landing onto roots with trees close on either side. I'm just couldn't work out how to get around.
I'm a half decent (in the right conditions and if the stars align) rider if there is some sort of flow to the trails and that are not too steep. It's taken a while to realise this though and now pick what I want to ride. I've no shame in walking bits.
I'll also add a chunky gravel (approx 50mm chunks) section I came across whilst riding at a decent pace up the Lammermuirs. I keep meaning to put a note on my cross bikes bars reminding me that it's not a mountain bike. 😄
Great Dun Fell on Monday, what a hill!
13thFloorMonk - trying to climb up that track from Loch Morie would ruin a ride completely 🤣. Glad I’ve been of assistance! I reckon it would be quite a hoot of a descent on a mountain bike though.
I loved lower Avalanche.
It was mental, in a good way
Riding home after work last night I took the gnarly singletrack route option (i think i was on this ride actually
).
Handcut steep switchbacks up and down, rainforest bog, overgrown bracken hiding the tracks, etc. And it was dark. It really needs headlights and bar lights to ride safely. Just as I get to the start of one of the tracks my Ayup headlight battery goes. No fear, i have a spare battery ready to go in my pack. But while i was fitting that the bar battery died too. D'oh.
So rode the rest on a single light. Not the end of the world, but i did have to ride the rest of the way home with fingers crossed that the final battery wouldn't die 🙂
Me and some mates were in Tweed/Dunkeld/FtBill last week. I've ridden a lot of tough trails in England, Wales and Europe, but I had a very quick wake up call on our first day at GLentress. I thought GT was tamer than the others?! 1st trail of holiday, Trail Fairy. Steep, but all good fun and clean. Next was Hammer time. My mates had ridden it before, said it was good. It was wet and greasy and I had zero, zero grip! I was literally clinging on for dear life. I went where the bike went. I crashed (but only once! only crash of holiday!). Got to bottom and was shaken and said I aint doing that again lol!. Golfie tough for repetition of roots+bumps+steepness, but really good fun - loved "Spanner". Inners was good. Again, stupidly went into Cresta run in damp conditions as first run and then deviated into big step downs on Matador. Gold Run was great and better in the monsoon we had. Ft Bill WC, no where near as tough IMO. Dunkeld, beautiful and tamer.
Did this brutal workout last night on Zwift, was slightly relieved to see I struggled through it in winter 2020 to a lesser extent and it has a brutal reputation online too.
https://whatsonzwift.com/workouts/tt-tuneup/week-5-power-intervals-1
Tried to get down Cave Dale in the Peak on Saturday for the second time. Failed miserably!
I did manage Jacobs Ladder (descent, obviously) without a dab. I’ve only managed it once before - the first steep bit at the very top usually freaks me out. I knew a new bike was the answer and I was right 😆
Dark Side at Cademuir is the one that stands out recently. Very steep in places, completely exposed, insanely tight corners with zero room for error, some drops along the way. I was very glad when I got to the bottom alive
A few memorable trails for me are
Coaster at Callendar, walked a lot of the features. Want to go back to this one.
Upper DH at Dunkeld, steep and rough
Glwncoe Black, better second run, still walked 2 short bits.
Find Golfie relatively tame (not done avalanche).
A few memorable trails for me are
Coaster at Callendar, walked a lot of the features. Want to go back to this one.
Upper DH at Dunkeld, steep and rough
Glwncoe Black, better second run, still walked 2 short bits.
Find Golfie relatively tame (not done avalanche).
We missed the top part of Dunkeld DH. Wasnt on my route I was following, so joined at middle. Wish we had now as someone at bottom said it was good.
superfli
Full MemberMe and some mates were in Tweed/Dunkeld/FtBill last week. I’ve ridden a lot of tough trails in England, Wales and Europe, but I had a very quick wake up call on our first day at GLentress. I thought GT was tamer than the others?! 1st trail of holiday, Trail Fairy. Steep, but all good fun and clean. Next was Hammer time. My mates had ridden it before, said it was good. It was wet and greasy and I had zero, zero grip! I was literally clinging on for dear life. I went where the bike went. I crashed (but only once! only crash of holiday!). Got to bottom and was shaken and said I aint doing that again lol!
Hammertime's schizophrenic, in the wet it's definitely the hardest thing at GT imo, in the dry you can pretty much ignore all the wee roots and just focus on the main features and suddenly it's a totally different thing. They put it in a race last week and tbh if it wasn't for the heatwave there would have been some unhappy campers
Did this brutal workout last night on Zwift, was slightly relieved to see I struggled through it in winter 2020 to a lesser extent and it has a brutal reputation online too.
https://whatsonzwift.com/workouts/tt-tuneup/week-5-power-intervals-1/blockquote >
That looks absolutely impossible.
Anyone said Louise yet?
Yer Mom's easy. Yer Sister is pretty tight but goes. Yer Aunt is just a bit weird.
(All trails up the road from where I live)
Anyone said Louise yet?
Third post.
Yer Mom’s easy. Yer Sister is pretty tight but goes. Yer Aunt is just a bit weird.
Any where near Yer Maw and Yer Maw's Erse?
Anyone said Louise yet?
Third post.
Once is foolish, three times is BDSM
That zwift workout is classic zwift: designed by someone with absolutely no conception of valuable training.
6*2:30 @ 550W for a TT rider. A TT rider, not a CX racer or a MTB racer.