UPDATE: Reviews section refreshed, redesigned, searchable: Go take a look
Early 53km techy/XC on the SS Moxie this morning. Good to get some mileage in the legs.
Up early to take the bus up to the Col de Joux Plane. It runs 5 times a day and has room for 6 bikes on the back. Once at the top it was a steady climb till we reached the start of the DH trail 7.7 km long and a drop of just over 1000m. Dry fast roots and rocks made it a perfect start to the day
Great trail and would recommend it to anyone who visits.
The trail drops out into the valley above Samoens and then a climb up the road to pick up another red descent. Not as steep but still technical and a blast all the way down.
Finished up with beers 🍻
Classic Gap. Not classic conditions. We normally do this between Xmas and New Year and it's generally a pretty full on day out. On the E, in the summer not so much. Works very well as a Friday skive ride- the views are always epic and the descents never fail to put a grin on your face.
Epic Exmoor Wednesday pub pootle this afternoon
Weird brake pad wear, checked the rotors and they're at 1.2mm 😳. Guess I'll be off to the LBS instead of my ride then.
Didn’t really feel like riding that much but Reeksy1 had coach training so I made myself go. Had a blast - a couple of the black dh tracks are running super fast at the moment. On one there was a photographer standing in the middle of the track with a massive zoom lens. I nearly hit her as she didn’t move until I was almost on her.
As usual, CBA with the pics but Boltby tech. In the trees - flippin brilliant. Anything out of the trees, a 6ft tall bracken jungle and the trails were unrideable.
Once again due to the heat the lift system stops at 1.45 and climbing in this heat is hard.
Still managed 27 miles and just over 3600 mtrs of descent on trails that are full of roots on steroids. I would hate to ride them in the wet.
Had to change the front pads as they were down to the spring. Not bad as they have lasted since Sept last year.
Just finishing a glorious week in the Morvan, lots of quite wild routes, stunning scenery, fascinating history, perfect coffee, boulangerie delights and great wine. Post ride pool dips are rather pleasant too 🙂 also found some fun downhill stuff today, which really pleased me and my daughter, less so my wife 🤣
BBQ at my brother's today, so offset all the burgers dragged my eldest 2 out to cycle there while my wife drive the younger ones
55k of canal towpaths and dusty downland
its parched out there, some delicious blackberries though
Burma Road, Aviemore (reverse)
Bit of a day. 6am start with a mate to do a 100km/1300m gravel ride. I had my second coffee in 6 weeks which meant I talked incessantly at him for five hours. Experienced all four seasons, every possible geology, a bakery and overtook a car on a tarmac descent. Good way to spend a morning I reckon.
The odd image of a tree is actually a competition wood chopper’s practice rig that I noticed in a property we passed (look it up if you don’t know what it is).
Home by lunch and time to take Reeksy1 for his first ever motorcycle ride out at a “secret location”. Sunday Funday alright!
No riding today. Just driven for 6 hours in 30° + and now parked up ready for the final drive home tomorrow Yesterday was our last day of riding on our trip. Great adventure with amazing trails and stunning scenery.
Some Stats
48 days in 4 Countries with 10 different locations
47150 mtrs of descent and 621 miles off road miles
165 miles of hiking and 10654 mtrs of descent
Both bikes have had one set of front and rear pads
One pedal smashed on a rock but might be able to repair
Both bikes will need new tyres before next trip in September
The 150mm cranks were worth it. Not caught anything
The radial rear tyre isn't for me as I cant tell any difference apart from cost
Its been a blast and smiles for miles chasing each other down the trails
Love the daughter of steamtb in front of that french building!
Random oak tree on my morning Wiltshire loop
Out on the big boned bike. Feel like I've not ridden my bike for weeks what with one thing and another so it was nice to get out for a spin even though only local.
It's a bit like the Serengeti out there just now.
@Tracey - we need a super like for that. It's how I hope my retirement goes...
Home road loop today, lovely weather indeed 🌞
Was planning on going somewhere a bit further away and more pedally like Cannock, but glad I didn't as I wasn't feeling it at all today. Just did a few local laps before calling it! Bike is fully coated in trail dust
Sweaty local ride in the dust.
My usual Sunday solo trip to Kirkhill. 23 miles and 2800ft of climbing. We had rain yesterday so the trails were running amazingly well.
I didn't manage to get out for a "long" ride last month. One thing and another. I had plans to put that right on Saturday but discovered on Friday that the rear brake on the FlareMAX isn't working. It appears to be Shimano Leaky Lever Syndrome. So, I had a local ride on Saturday morning. It's all very dry. I don't mind seeing the bracken dying back or Rhododendrons going droopy but a lot of Silver Birch have brown leaves.
Planned an early ride, overslept, did some chores then went in the absolute roasting heat of mid afternoon 🙄.
This is sub optimal for a middle aged bloke with middling fitness but took it easy (or I thought I did) and managed 25km before it was time to head for home. Somehow I still set several PRs on the route including some up bits.
I have lived down South and have been riding in the South Downs for nearly 30 years. I don't remember ever seeing it quite this brown.
Trails were super slippy from dust and tiny bits of gravel and loose dirt but good to be out. 
