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Well I was all set to go but it's really pissing down here in Kent!
Guitar, xbox and christmas socks seem a good option!
No?
I have been cooped up with my Wonderful Wife and Child for days and days...
Today, I am FREE.
The bike is in the Shed with shiny new bits ready to go.
The dog is on my lap and it is sooooo cosy here. What to do, what to do...?
to and from work. windy and rainy but entertaining and deserted roads. 🙂
Raining here in Camber ,the wifes at work ,i might hit Bedgebury around 1pm for a little mud plugging on my Beast,
Might be at Bedgebury Sunday, looks like it might not be raining!
It'll be muddy as hell though!
Bunch of 'kin mincers.
Raining yeh?......get out there & enjoy it!
Pouring here in MK so I doubt it 🙁
Nah... It's horrible out there and my stuff is still damp from previous attempts.
Gonna build a few bikes instead. Surly ogre in 24" and hopefully the ritchey road frame too.
Raining yeh?......get out there & enjoy it!
Said the person obviously not out in the rain at this point in time.
Yep decision made. Tinkering in garage, guitar, xbox and warm dry christmas socks.
Today I admit I am a southern pansy!
seems at the minute that if you do not ride in the rain you will not ride at all.
I'm cooking more food including a roast for lunch so no riding for me. Might be able to sneak out this afternoon.
Said the person obviously not out in the rain at this point in time
But I will be once Mrs Motorman take over child care duties later.
Mincers.
Yes, 45 mile road ride this morning, 40 miles yesterday, 3 mile run last night. Yesterday wasn't bad, but its blowing a gale today.
This afternoon I will be venturing out! I have decided to MTFU! (as long as it's not raining)!
I would be out (honest!) but I'm stuck behind a desk. It's also the one day a year that I drive to work rather than ride. What with working away and then Christmas, I've only been out riding once in 3 weeks...oh dear. 🙁
I suppose I [i]could[/i] go for a soggy night ride later...
had a road ride planned, tore myself away from warm bed, shower, into bibs... come back, pick up phone and he's bailed on me as "its too wet". I was quite up for it.
[i]I was quite up for it[/i]
You could have gone on your own?
Whilst on the rainy subject, how do you go about reproofing jacket and shorts?
But I will be once Mrs Motorman take over child care duties later.
Mincers.
Pffft. A non-mincer would pop the kids in the camelbak, and head out into the maelstrom.
God no, a few hours on the turbo in the warmies to try and bring my aching legs back to life.
Tell you what though, I'm having a bag of chips right after race team training tomorrow whatever the weather.
going to try, depends on what er'indoors has planned for me 🙄
Pontificating about it. It may do wonders for my miserable-itis virus.
Yup. To work and back only though.
Yup. To work and back only though.
3C and sleeting when I left the house for the 17 miles to work this morning. Going to be about 7C and wet for the ride home later. Filthy roads, covered in mud washed out from the fields.
Just get on with it, it's only a wee bit of water..
Only to and from work for me too. Was raining quite a lot this morning but I'm only just able to ride again after an injury so desparate to get out on the bike and I really couldn't face driving to work again. Why do people do it? 8 miles, mostly A road, and the bike is still quicker.
.
Note: much better now we have a clothes drying cupboard at work.
Been out. Third day in a row. Malverns wet, very windy and muddy off the ridge. Problem was the wind on the ridge was mental! Still had a good couple of hours trying not to get blown off (fnar) the trail. No riding tomorrow but back out Sunday whatever. All good 🙂
My washing machine, however, is in therapy.
Working today, unfortunately, but looking forward to riding on Arran tomorrow. Not ridden since christmas eve, and I'm bursting to get out. Only thing that will stop me is if the ferries are off, which, looking at the forecast, is entirely possible.
If so, I'll ride locally, rain, hail or shine.
[i]but looking forward to riding on Arran tomorrow[/i]
Hope its not a loop round the island on road! Windy, windy.
Today no, tomorrow I'll be going over Beda Fell and doing the Ullswater singletrack...
Good luck with the ferry Greg 🙂 . closest I have been to a bike ride in a week was retaping bars on CX this morning. Family stuff on tomorrow but definitely riding sun, whatever the weather
Tomorrow, a full day in the quantocks!!
Should be nice in the afternoon 🙂
30km local loop then walked into the cafe and received some great looks from drier patrons, felt drowned but very good. Pretty happy with wet / cold weather gear now so unless it's truly hostile usually get out. Wind is the killer and not too much of that today. Sorry no pics but being covered head to toe in water, mud and sand is no condition for using electronics...
Swinley Sunday 😀
seems at the minute that if you do not ride in the rain you will not ride at all
Just back from a couple of hours, including a bit of trail clearance, intermittent rain here. Doesn't hurt, honest.
Though I too am worried about the washing machine 😆
I feel this is an appropriate time to re-post this from my Boxing Day ride
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8492/8310399177_8911945fe4_z.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexleigh/8310399177/ ]That's not going to do the hub bearings much good[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/alexleigh/ ]Alex Leigh[/url], on Flickr
TimR - maybe we can set up a 'washing machines anonymous' where abused and gritty machines can get together 'Hello my name is Miele and it's been 2 day since he last through in all his horrible kit' 😉
Not raining here today, although it is pretty wet. But we're not made of sugar are we? Great fun..
Just back from a 15 mile loop around Macc Forest, as soon as I got half-way up to Charity Lane I disappeared into the cloud. Found a new bit of Singletrack through the forest that one of the DH guys had told me about - it'll be good when it dries out 🙂
Pics from the ride:
Friendly Ram
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Some Deer - alright, they're not wild but they were nosey!!
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
Three Shires Head in full effect
[IMG] 
[/IMG]
It's been raining incessantly all week which is why I'm glad I'm doing the Festive500 as without that I'd have no motivation to get out there to be honest. I really want hydraulic disc brakes to come out sooner on road bikes. They are essential for this weather. I almost killed myself descending a steep hill with a tail wind into Eastbourne the other day. I couldn't stop and went straight through a set of red lights over a road crossing. Sure I suprised the driver of a car who almost ran into me. I felt extremely guilty but there was nothing I could do.
Dragged myself out today. Nowt techy, just a zip along the waskerly way. Felt like a 40km ride going out, felt like 4km coming back. I hate the wind.
Gorgeous sunny (albeit cold) day here in Madrid, had a lovely hour and a half run this morning.
HTH.
I decided to stay in a do some housework for the wife as i need some brownie points,not gonna get out till 5th Jan due to work .
Been out all morning (postman). Just getting dry and warm.
Afan tomorrow, keeping it local. 😀
Looking forward to Whinlatter tomorrow come rain or shine. (It's not gonna be bloody shine is it!) 🙂
Been out for a very wet ride round the lanes of Kent. Not really raining as such, just drizzle/mist in the air. And a LOT of water on the roads.
Forced myself out. Raining when I left house, but just misty on top once I got there.
Trails were terribly washed out.
So tried to stick to as many paths as possible ... still got covered from head to toe in mud from the few forestry trails I did ride.
Not alot to see either ..
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Just back from Cannock Chase - pretty good conditions actually. Some standing water, not too much mud.
Just back from a low level circuit, mud and washed out trails. Ride ruined by Stella Artois, broken bottle in some long grass sliced up the tyre and inner tube. W Heath Robinson fixes got me home. Now sitting in front of log fire with a big mug of tea. Bike shop at 9am for new rubber, then out again tomorrow.
Yep, just finished getting the bike and me clean...In 18 years of riding MTB's I've finally succumbed to something I swore I'd never do!....Bought a gopping rear crud catcher 👿
I wouldnt mind but I still came back caked in shite 😯
pebblebeach - Member
but looking forward to riding on Arran tomorrowHope its not a loop round the island on road! Windy, windy.
POSTED 3 HOURS AGO # REPORT-POST
Much as I like the Arran circular road ride, nope, all off road tomorrow!. I'll try and get some pics.
rogerthecat - Member
Just back from a low level circuit, mud and washed out trails. Ride ruined by Stella Artois, broken bottle in some long grass sliced up the tyre and inner tube. W Heath Robinson fixes got me home. Now sitting in front of log fire with a big mug of tea. Bike shop at 9am for new rubber, then out again tomorrow.
Tell me you stuffed the tyre with grass!, always wanted to see someone do that old chesnut. 😀
Quick 25 miles on the road this morning. Off-road planned tomorrow, despite the weather forecast to be minging, again.
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8083/8319116932_b0f8ee939b.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/75907446@N02/8319116932/ ]image[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/75907446@N02/ ]Sticking2glueing[/url], on Flickr
Road ride to check the office hadn't burned down (sadly not) and back the long way round, pissed it down from start to finish, ruddy marvellous.
I saw a car crash on the way round. Very poor visibility and wet roads, but neither vehicle had lights or high-viz, they really should make them take a test or something tsk tsk.
Yep, planned to do 2 laps of a trail, one guy bailed after 30 minutes it was horrible.
Once I was out and caked in mud I stayed out for a couple of hours, so better than nothing.
Going tomorrow and Sunday too (sandier areas that drain well this time!)
No rain but lots of mud. I came back absolutely filthy. Great fun.
@nobeerinthefridge - not this time, glue, patches, gaffer tape and crisp packets.
Did the grass filled tyre this summer on Win Hill to get my youngest homewhen his second valve failed!
Xmoor
It was magnificent: solo crashes steep descents in the woods brake failure hurtling out of control soaked slugging up ludicrous steep roads.
Home now with hot drinks and the hum of the washing machine.
Ace
(except I still have to washy bike )
Lee quarry this morning!
Wet and very windy, but always great fun.
Bolt
Coupla hours on the cross bike this morning in the pissing Perthshire precipitation - same torrow with a bit of luck!
Done a 78 mile ride yesterday, wet through from start to finish.
Today done a simular ride today, glad it never rained!
🙂
I gave myself a stiff talking to and WTFU for a pootle on Salisbury Plain. Just some drizzle at the mid-way point. I frightened a fox and some cattle, not really many other folk out apart from the Landy brigade.
So pleased I made the effort. 🙂
Just for back in from a 15 mile loop round Chevin forest & it was my first night ride too. Got 2 CandBSeen lights for Christmas & it was so much fun! Probably couldn't have been a more challenging induction to solo night riding, but it was just great to be out when no-one else was 🙂 Love it!!
Today is our first ride in two weeks where it's not rained on us. 😀
Thought the trails are wetter than the bottom of a reservoir in the rainy season.
Dartmoor was as dry as a bone-shaped pond. Superb ride nonetheless.
Didn't get rained on todau
But the bogiest i've ever seen Woburn
Just about to head out up to the lakes, I may drown.
Just about to head into the South Downs, I may survive.
that looks familiar Jamesy - where abouts?
Just about to head to Cannock, don't make me, please 😥
Just been out for a couple of hours on the moors around chesterfield... Going to make a start on the Ark now I am back!! 😉 I can also confirm that waterproof clothing is only waterproof to a certain point, I think it was so wet even my skin may have leaked. Enjoy all, won't be long till summer!
Sruggling very badly with motivation. Haven't been out since last Friday, mainly due to xmas and relative visiting duties but my heart sank when I just got a text from a mate wanting to ride on Sunday! Normally I would be well up for it but the rain has seeped into my soul! [literally as well, my garage roof is leaking badly]
Ohh out again, bye folks.
Just done three and a half hours on the road bike in the pouring rain. Was out with a couple of mates, and it was strangely enjoyable even though the average speed was very slow due to the incredibly strong and gusty winds, and the dreadful road conditions.
Had a wicked ride this morning. Embraced the filth and crashed through puddles, slithered up singletracks then squirreled down again.
After an hour all my clothes were wet flapping rags, shorts and legs were one colour and mouth was full of grit.
It was fantastic!
Another SS ride in the bag
House stuff today . Qs tomorrow I hope.
I'm so done with this bloody weather, it is so waterlogged round here even the flat bits have little traction and there is soo much mud, my Hammershmidt jammed up, felt like chain suck only there wasn't any, totally wierd, have given it a bit of a blast but it's making not right noises now, think I may have to give it a bit of a strip down..
Today we've actually had half a day without rain , but it is ef off windy, I hate riding in the wind, there is no chance wind and gloopy mud, dare I think it, but it could be retire to roadbikeworld for a bit..
We had a classic example of its more fun with your mates. Pouring in Hamsterley at times, and very muddy in places, but it was our Christmas ride, so despite the weather it was a laugh.
[url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8351/8322478734_307a122ede.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/99252999@N00/8322478734/ ]Christmas ride at Hamsterley[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/99252999@N00/ ]dilligaf ! (mates photo)[/url], on Flickr
Not all of the merry band of men/woman we ride with, but most of them, and some who live away we haven't seen for a while!
The steep DH tracks were good fun despite the boggy berms and impossibly loose switchbacks, whilst the flatter and more popular singletrack has become a quagmire, though it's entertaining if you stay upright and have the legs to pedal up to speed (which thus ended my ride after a few hours). Not often the mud's so deep that you end up surfing on top of it going sideways but there was a lot of that today!
Headed out for an hour this morning around South Halifax. Gloop, pouring rain, slipping, sliding, swearing and smiling. Was good to get out and since I've been back I've planned an Ogden > Hebden > Ogden epic for the summer...