Good to get out after seemingly relentless wind and rain.
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Boxing Day bimble, new tech 4 levers and ODI fork bumper Christmas presents fitted.
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A couple of days wombling around on the beach with an ebike and a backpack of pork pies and Christmas cake. Very pleasant.
Couple hours exploring the local bridleways and towpaths, heavily overbiked on my enduro sled 🙂 I had previously not bothered with any local riding as I mostly rode DH/jump trails, but I can see me getting something more pedal-friendly (still undecided on gravel or xc hardtail) so I can do more riding from my door. Very flat and smooth but still fun to get out riding.
10 laps of Newbold ComynÂ
early start this morning.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53422078877_62437b2341_k.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53422078877_62437b2341_k.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2poJ7Rt ]20231226_071143[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/91703444@N06/ ]20ston[/url], on Flickr
Not my year for the boys so after dropping them off I went to Mt Battock and Clach-na-Ben with a brew in the bothy. Weather worsened as the day went on but I got a white Xmas and I broke a chain 4 miles from the car. Quicklink in but bottle going every time I loaded it.
Shortish local loop squeezed in on Boxing day. Spent half the time praising the gap in the bad weather and the other half cursing the local farmers with their versions of a working gate and a link section in the middle that's been used to move heavy machinery and cattle in the last couple of weeks, making it unrideable.
Glad I was able to grab the opportunity to get out yesterday on a lovely afternoon. Sat in the sun half way round, ate christmas cake and drank tea. Watched a short eared owl hunting.
[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53424037766_340d4faad7_h.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53424037766_340d4faad7_h.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2poUaaq ]IMG_1762[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/queenie2010/ ]Bindylou[/url], on Flickr
Well, the plan was a nice loop up from Hadfield near Glossop to ride Doctors Gate.
About 3 miles of flat along the reservoirs before going steeply up Torside Clough.
The trail then goes around a steep valley side (seen above) where the worst thing that could happen is that you fall left.
Overly conscious of this, I clip my right pedal on the bank, stumble and then fall over the bike left.
Luckily, onto a grassy bit of hill before the main drop below. Grabbing handfuls of grass to stop myself sliding 😳
My gears started to misbehave and I stopped several times to try to tweak cables, stops and indexing.
I noticed my cassette was wobbling around quite a lot and the gears were wandering like mad.
Took the wheel out to have a look and the cassette just pulled off with the freehub and I could see loose pawls and a collapsed bearing 😐
Game over.
I stuck it all back in and went back down the techy climb I'd just come up to the valley floor.
Then 3 miles of balance biking back to the start! Shins bleeding from catching pedals while balance biking.
Still, fun while it lasted. 😊
Had a short ride round the hills above Accrington while visiting. Stopped raining and wind had died down. Lots of fun on the downs. Love the fast, sketchy in the wet rocky descents.
Club ride out at Woburn today to shake off the Twixtmas fug. I'd not been before but I'll be back. Felt like best bang for my buck within about an hour of home (the alternatives are basically Sherwood and Chicksands).
Finally got out (First ride since xmas eve) Really felt the excess food/drink on the first climb! Set out to avoid the worse slop but still ended up ploughing through it due to my terrible sense of direction, bridleways were rivers but good to get out none the less!
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Was supposed to go to Llandegla and ride World's End but after advice on here kept it localish and explored Holcombe Hill and Peel Tower
Luckily no snipers around
Classic Gap. Classic conditions. Even had some freezing rain. Trails like rivers, mad wind, Â HT horror climbing up the roman road. Tailwind tho and they've resurfaced the canal path! Result. Love this ride, even when the sun comes out the second we finished. Full on rain jackets all day before then.
Didn't see any other riders surprisingly 🙂
Blue skys but very windy today.
A few from my last ride of 2023
Nice morning riding around Dickie Buccluech's back garden. Feeling the festive excess but still a muddy slidey hoot was had.
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