merci bien sb. sound advice :)It is so easy when you are riding to concentrate on the trail or the actual pedalling or the speed, and not to look properly at your surroundings. Last night I just rode and looked at the trees and the fields and the views and I did come back feeling much happier.

Ash I agree, last night it did feel very free to just be out with a tube in my seat pack and a lipbalm in my pocket 🙂

Sounds like last nights ride was a good one then. I was so happy to get to the top of this hill I stopped to take a pic – rubbish quality as it was using my phone but I often take pictures of stuff when I feel like I have achieved something.

Bloomin heck MrsF – very surprised and sorry to read of your trouble. Having briefly met your goodself and GF this year for a great ride I thought you were (both) some of the more committed riders I’d met.
It’s diffcult to know what to say but from my own experience the only times I’ve got jaded with my riding was when regularly racing years ago I found I was just riding to get the miles in (mainly road) etc. and ultimately stopped enjoying riding, solution, stopped racing, result, riding for my enjoyment when and where I wanted with time to take it all in. I have since stopped road riding as I ceased to enjoy it, the traffic was doing me in and eventually I sold both road bikes. Recently I’ve been doing more riding than ever before and I think the key is variety, XC rides everywhere, DH days, free-riding, shorter local rides, mixing it all up and seeking to improve riding skills rather than stamina or fitness and always taking time to chill, sit down look around and enjoy a pasty or two!
Not sure if it helps but I guess that I’m suggesting variety.
Pictures of riding are usually in my head, but this looks like fun:-

Wallride

There’s nothing wrong with giving things up for a while…I did for 7yrs while the sprogs were little, but I’m back to it now. Know what you mean about the fitness thing…it is impossible to enjoy mtbing unless you are reasonably fit…and you can only get fit by riding your bike. 2 weeks off the bike and I’m back to square one!!
And beware about leaving your bike alone in the garage for any length of time…I did just that and when I went to ride again(7yrs later!! 8) ) there was only the frame and bar-ends left!!! MrFC swore he knew nothing about it!!! 😉

I reckon you have set yourself challenges like doing MM solo last yr and doing really well, and now need to get back into just riding for the fun. I got really into running last yr and loved it but then made the huge mistake of entering a half marathon. Pushed myself too hard training, injured myself and now have really bad sciatica which means I can’t run at all. I really regret it now as I can nolonger run for pleasure.
I don’t set challenges for myself anymore cos something always gets in the way.

I may be completely wrong about all of this…but nothing new there!
If you want to feel good about what kind of rider you are you’ll have to come on a ride with me!!! The kids outride me now…. 8)

Anyway enough of all of this…HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! 🙂

Ellie took her phone to school today and forgot to turn it off…your text came through during a lesson…she had put the phone in the teacher’s desk for safety…the teacher announced to the whole class she had a text from little Clare!!! 8)

Clare – I see your down as a ‘maybe’ for the 28th. We have had a few girls out on the rides since Rivi – come and have laugh – he can ride off to the front – you can just enjoy the company.

Here’s a reminder . . .

Hey Mrs Flash

I’ve been on the old Citalopram for 5 years now ( i think i’m a lost cause) and i’ve never really had any “nasty” side effects. The only thing i would say is remember to keep taking them, they boost serotonin levels and if you stop taking them suddenly for a couple of days (like i did once) it can feel pretty weird

I have dipped in and out of a few hobbies over the years while i’ve had this nonsense swilling around in my head and cycling is what i always come back to, if I have a bike i’ll use it, if I don’t i’ll want one – for me it’s the freedom, the challenges, being alone even for an hour or so, getting sunburnt, getting soaked, falling off, shredding my ankles with jaggy things, falling for no reason whatsoever and getting left behind by 5 year olds on steep climbs. I complain all the time but after every ride i am so happy even for a short time – it’s a feeling i get from nothing else 😀

For me that’s the key – doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you get that feeling, and if a break from the bike is what you need, then do it, just put you first!!!

D’you know FC when I sent that text I didn’t notice the time and then suddely realised I’d sent it at 9.05 and panicked that she would get it during a lesson and get it confiscated on the first day she had it! 😯 I hope the teacher wasn’t too cross!

DeeJay yes I think a nice ride with some STWers from Malham might be fun. the good thing about big group rides like that are we can both easily ride at our own pace and still have people to chat to, it’s nice not to each be worrying about where the other is, we just leave each other to it.

anyhow I’ve had 2 days of pills now and no side effects yet 😆