Forecast was good for once, after another dismally wet week. So I took today off and headed to Tollymore. The ground was still wet of course, but the place looked wonderful in the sunlight. With the birds twittering, it really was heavenly.
We're in the Lakes for the good ladies birthday, the sun shone and it felt pretty spring like but the trails were sopping! 
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Having said (above) that it felt springlike, it was proper bog snorkelling on the way from Donard back to Tollymore:
How is it decent weather in the Lakes and Ireland, but still pissing down in central England? 😡
This needs to change 🤣
Not in Perthshire apparently 😖
Planned a quick sunrise spin before a busy weekend, expected a dry cold morning, woke up to freezing temps and sleet 🥶
Screw that, turbo it is, will try again tomorrow 🙄
Back to the Quantocks after a month 👌choosing trails wisely was the key , brief close sighting of 5 young stags was a highlight 👌
Rainy and miserable here so I went for a run instead. Bit of flooding in the country park.
Not in Perthshire apparently 😖
Planned a quick sunrise spin before a busy weekend, expected a dry cold morning, woke up to freezing temps and sleet 🥶
Screw that, turbo it is, will try again tomorrow 🙄
I was stood on Stirling startion at 6.30am - frikkin' miserable. I was hoping for a nice ride on the MTB tomorrow - it's been out once in 2026...
First outdoor ride of the year for me yesterday
On my ride this morning, I was surprised by how dry the trails were, despite all the recent rain. So it turned out better than expected.
Daffs ride in Wiltshire
I managed to get a ride in yesterday and today in the end. Friday was wazzing it down and sloppy. Today was good weather, sunny if a bit windy!
My riding kit has taken a bashing this year so far, i feel sorry for the washing machine!
Bimbling round glentress today, a few puddles but mainly dry.
Even the bike looked reasonably clean at the end
Waited in all day for new sofas to arrive so only had time for the local woods today. Was still great to be out though, and to get home with a mostly clean bike.
Ended up boiling in the bag at Comrie, having dressed for the forecast rain and sleet. Instead it was blue skies, hopping bunnies and aerial dogfights between the local buzzards and red kites.
Had a bit of a lie down at one point when the top of a berm just sort of disintegrated under my front wheel.
And once again I took no pictures despite it being a glorious day out on the bike. 🙄
Creaky's picture looks a lot like some of the Suffolk lanes we were riding on last week only cleaner and slightly less damp.
Absolutely filthy this morning, wetter and colder than expected - and once I got to a decent bit of downhill singletrack I discovered that my brake pads were no more. So that was fun…
Leeds bike park with a few older and younger riders yesterday. My 5 year old loved it. Need to work on getting him to stand up more but he doesn’t seem keen yet. He particularly liked watching the braver riders doing the drops in the little quarry bit. 
My seven year old still doesn't like standing up. She'll do it on the way to school but not on bumpy bits of trail.
Expected to get wet at some point, but it was dry and mostly sunny. Curlews and peewits calling on the moors, spring is here, for today anyway! 45 km and 1400 m of up and down, tough wind was behind us mostly.....great ride. 
Warm and springy gravel ride today out around Washburn valley- 60km 1000m climbing - legs felt good👍
Otherwise I've actually had an ace week of riding so some bonus photos. Mega lovely commute from Wednesday
Singlespeeding / local tech lines on Thursday. This is a screengrab @hardtailonly took of me shitting myself sliding down a local steep line we found/made up. Doesn't look that steep here but gathering speed in a fairly uncontrolled manner - absolutely no chance of stopping and the run out ends in a load of janky rocks you can't really.see under fallen leaves
My seven year old still doesn't like standing up. She'll do it on the way to school but not on bumpy bits of trail.
Having done a fair bit of coaching young kids (including my own) my top tip for this is to get someone else's Dad to ride behind them and tell them when to stand up.
It's been a wet weekend here. Enough that Reeksy 1's riding was cancelled on Saturday. We went for a great walk on some of the off piste rainforest riding instead. Met a mate or two...
Sunday went for a couple of hours road/gravel/mud ride. Got fairly soaked... but in a nice way.
Monday morning, clinging on to the weekend a couple of hours of singletrack heaven.
I managed a night out in the tent. First for quite a while.
I was thinking of scribbling a few words about what was, ultimately, a boring, low-key affair. I've not seen a bivvy thread in here so might just start one up to follow folks adventures and get some inspiration.
My seven year old still doesn't like standing up. She'll do it on the way to school but not on bumpy bits of trail.
Having done a fair bit of coaching young kids (including my own) my top tip for this is to get someone else's Dad to ride behind them and tell them when to stand up.
That sounds like a grand idea. Might have to swap kids with a mate some time...
I've been a bit quiet on here (and the midweek thread) over the past few days, so here's a couple of updates.
As per @el_boufador 's post above, 3 of us doing some techy SS HT riding in the local woods. A couple more screen grabs of my mates doing it; I bottled it, will attempt on the FS bike in daylight first I reckon.
And then, on Saturday, did Richard Rothwell's social ride, a taste of "The Land Between", a 100km taster for the 500km ride coming up on August BH weekend. Headed up with @snownrock of this parish. Cold day out, and with some showers heading over on the return leg to Morpeth, but a great ride. Now the small matter of doing that distance again, plus another 4 times, come August!
Did a ride from Macc forest on Saturday. We had a big hail shower, some rain, and the odd bit of brightness. Running rivers down trails. I'd say winter was very much in full force. Next 7-10 days looks a bit more spring like, thankfully.
Complete denial is an appropriate preparation technique? @hardtailonly 😆 It was a great day out with some great company, thanks!
First outdoor ride on the road bike in what feels like months, was nice to get out and my consistent HIIT rollers sessions over the winter feel like they've paid off as I felt great on the bike today! I did almost get taken out on a roundabout towards the end though, luckily had enough in the tank to speed up and (just) get out of the way. Proper squeaky bum moment and some choice words may have been shouted.
The usual all weather route is a bog. 
@stcolin - interested in the general trail conditions around macc forest - might pop over that side of the pennines later in the week if the trails are ok. Is it a complete mud/rivers running down trails nightmare? Sounds like it might be from your post!
