WRPT - Making up for lost time

Nice rainbow over sheff after I got a proper soaking. 

My work rota means I normally can't ride evenings or weekends. Nice quality to the light this evening following afternoon rain; sun and shadows at unfamiliar angles. Fourth Everest of the year in the bag.

Started after 5pm, 20 miles, 1900’ and didn’t need lights. Happy days.

Rode a lap or two of some of the local trails in La Chapelle, near Chatel yesterday. Last day is today before heading home tomorrow.

Dyfi Bikepark 

First time there so a pretty rad day. 😊🤟

  Different kind of riding today 😃

Not sure witch is more impressive, this ladies commitment to tweed or pink!

Are tweed outfits not sweaty as anything?

Are tweed outfits not sweaty as anything?

I think it took about 6hrs to cover 12 miles 😅

Tweedrun.com

Steady ride out, first time since my little episode last ride and didn't want to push it. 

My pictures don't do them justice but for any Matlock locals looking for bluebells, Clough Wood is resplendent with blankets of them, probably the best I've ever seen it up there

Lovely afternoon at Dalbeattie and really enjoyed it despite my coordination being slightly off and tyres were struggling with the slimey rocks 

Local woods Singletrack with my son. Great.  

Short ride yesterday, I’m knackered at the moment. But the best blue bells I’ve seen. I went back later with the camera and my wife and sister. Oh and massively improved the comfort of the Stooge Rambler by turning the brake hoods outwards, for some reason i had them pointing inwards

That time of year

I quite often don't bother with bluebell pictures as you can so rarely catch the amazing colour but those pictures are lovely ampthill 👏

Picked up a Megatower v2 from a fella in Ascot on Friday, and got home put some pedals on then got straight out. 

A quick ride again on Saturday morning before heading up to the Tottenham Hotspur stadium to see Brighton play spurs 

Finally Sunday morning I spent a bit of time getting the bike set up properly and feels so much better. 

Cold and some heavy showers, which I didn’t manage to dodge..

Big ride with a couple of mates yesterday (47km / 1300m) on the big bike, out from NW Leeds over the Chevin, across to Ilkley Moor for a few runs, and then the train back. It's one of my favourite rides from the door; local urban singletrack, some great natural and built descents off the Chevin, techy moorland riding, then however many Enduro runs you've got the time/legs for on Ilkley. 18mph headwind on the way over was pretty energy sapping.

Just the one picture unfortunately ...

Then, today, an hour & a half on the gravel bike taking in some of the best bluebells locally.

Into Stanmer woods this morning to catch the bluebells before they're past their best. Despite all the ash clearance work the best spots are still a carpet of blue, that never seems to come out in pictures as well as nature. Dave got his shirt slightly the wrong shade of blue.  

Hope Jimmy748 is having dinner w wild garlic pesto this weekend....that is an impressive spread for a good forage

Loch Katrine at the back ,aiming to go to Ben Venue and back to Aberfoyle.  

After a week of uplifts, it was back on the trail bike for Bluebell day in the FoD. 1315m of climbing in 57km. Biggest day out since coming back from splattering my collarbone. And I'm properly tired. It was worth it tho, absolutely amazing bluebells, trails were running sweet and there was beer before a rather slow 10km ride home 😉

Second ride of the 5010 this year. That's a great bike and quite a bit lighter than the Bronson. For which I was extremely happy especially towards the end of the ride 😉

No home made pesto, but another ride along the coast.

Those woods “Garlic Woods” are actually right next to Old Harry’s Cliff one of the most visited spots, the woods you barely see anyone.

A very dry and sandy Woburn today. Just went for a quick loop of the Longslade with my son, most of it is still too much for him tbh with a lot of pushing and towing him, but we still had fun!

Cracking day at Kirkhill today. Conditions were ideal.

Waited until probably the worst moment weather-wise of the weekend to go for a ride last night: dodged most of the showers but the ground was saturated, mucky and slick AF. Looking at other local rider's pics, conditions were far better at all other times over the weekend 🤣 

But I was out riding and I enjoyed it! Dumyat and local woods, a quick 1.5hr ride while kids at sports training:

Almost perfect weather all weekend, not too warm but a tad windy on Saturday for an afternoon at Phoenix BikePark.  Good times though, bloody love bikes!

Friday - local XC with Bluebells from Temu 🙂 

Saturday - Phoenix in the wind  

Sunday - Surrey Frickin' Hills!

Late to the party but Saturday was a spin around Boltby followed by standard breakfast at High Paradise Farm:

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/204410815@N06/55223488660/in/dateposted-public/" title="Bashing Boltby"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55223488660_32a4b69474.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="Bashing Boltby"/></a>//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

Then had a random few hours free Sunday afternoon so had a very quick local lap on the gravel bike and found the winner of the local fly tipping competition (yes, thats a fly tipped boat!):

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/204410815@N06/55223490535/in/dateposted-public/" title="Fly tipping winner"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55223490535_36a8e142d7.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Fly tipping winner"/></a>//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js