Here’s Chipps’ Monday Morning Debrief.

Monday Morning Debrief 32

What did you get up to?

Spent most of Saturday in Wharncliffe Woods. Our last big ride before setting off for two weeks with Bike Verbier on Thursday

QECP Gravity Enduro on Sunday, proper good it was too 😀

Transition stage was a bit, um, toasty…

Just sold my Rev’s to a mate to raise cash for my new build, so yesterday I took my Soul to Cannock and ragged it around with rigid forks on. It was lots more fun than you might think, especially passing several full sus riders along the way 😛

Swinley for the first time since the trail re-jig. Blue-Red-Blue. Top fun!

A Sunday morning schlep round the local woods. Ails now running so fast you have to brake on some fairly innocuous corners. Overgrowth trailside is going bonkers in places.

Had a nice ride on Sunday with my new house mate who is also new to mountain biking his second ever ride. We went Black rocks,Birch Woods, Shining Cliff Woods and Crich Chase a nice 30km in total with 1000m of accent. The cooler cloudy weather made for pleasant change so did the the greasy trails after the loose stuff of the last 3 weeks.

A weekend off the bike …. in the Lakes involving wild camping, Pinnacle Ridge scrambling, canoeing and swimming in Ullswater, Ghyll scrambling and beer ! Fantastic Fun 😀

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Spent the weekend fixing other peoples bikes. I did manage to squeeze a 10 mile shake down ride of my new Ultegra 11 speed kit on Friday night though from Llangynog to Llangedwyn which was a bit warm.

Early one for me I got on Friday.

Cheviots by Lee Collis, on Flickr

Climbing by Lee Collis, on Flickr

3 Ways Down by Lee Collis, on Flickr

Cheviot Goats by Lee Collis, on Flickr

Have fun in Verbier Tracey say hello to Phil and Lucy for me.

tapering, of sorts, so no riding for me.

Fixing drainpipes from precariously balanced ladders, replacing curtain pole pulled off the wall by over-enthusiastic children.
And 8 hours of the annual terrace bbq and beer yesterday.

Next sunday sees the start of the LEL. 1400km in 4 days. Get that over and done with and I can finally enjoy mtb riding again!

Spent most of the weekend being ill.

Still ill today, but figured that being in a vaugely air conditioned office was better than sweating it out at home, especially as it’s now the school hols too

Local trails only both Saturday and Sunday. I’ve managed to get out loads on my hardtail over the last few weeks and it has been superb. Shock off the FS is with Mojo at the moment and it has made me really appreciate the HT.

No riding Saturday.

Sunday we rode Penmachno, second time at that trail. The 2 lads I rode with had a couple of off’s, nothing serious though.

Then later on we drove to the Marin trail and done that aswell.

Fell off in the carpark messing about lol, and had a puncture due to a snakebite 🙁

All in all great day, riding the Marin was good after the legs had warmed up from Penmachno.

QECP Enduro – and what a cracker it was too. Even though my faint hopes that the format would finally reveal the trail ninja within were cruelly dashed, it was a blast.

Here’s me nearly making a right hash of a small jump

Another one for the QECP Enduro. What a day. Was crapping myself before it, not knowing what to expect, but after the first race run, just enjoyed myself. Bantering with the other racers (Hi to nos. 118 – 123! sorry, can’t remember any names!) and loving the great tracks. Cheers to the marshal who helped me when my knee cartilage popped out! Would’ve been stranded in the woods without him. Sore neck from OTB into the trees on stage 4, but got up and finished (with a final crash).
I even paid the photographer for photos.
I call this “Dez With Tongue”

Suffered mainly. My main recollection is climbing out of Dentdale swearing at random rocks and sheep, before getting beaten about by the descent off the shoulder of Whernside.

Lost 2kg riding 30 mile Nidderdale loop, the one from the mag, but with the good stuff* included 😉

*all BW good stuff, just doesn’t get ridden, included on loop maps etc…

14 mile marathon training run on Saturday, ending with a swim in the reservoir.

20 mile ride round Pitlochry yesterday in the *most amazing* Scottish summer conditions. Blue skies, sun, dry trails lined with lush green gras / ferns & purple heather, gentle breeze and most importantly, I stress MOST IMPORTANTLY, not a single midge to be seen or scratched. Seriously amazing. Oh, and river bombing at the end – even ‘not cold’ water…

After two weeks recovering from an injury sustained from crashing on the WHW I was back on the bike and out around the Pentlands on Saturday. Yesterday I was up there again, only to crash again. A few scrapes but I ripped a brake lever off and very nearly my right nipple. A bizarre and very sore injury.

Did a nice 20km ride with lots of climbing- improving technique really.
Heat went to my head so I ordered a fatty.

Sat- 10 hours taping and signage for the trails for QECP Gravity Enduro
Sun- Trying to make the event run as smooth as possible

Somehow it all went to plan 🙂

Tracey- your 2nd pic. That looks great, is that a new ‘feature’/trail? I’ve not seen that before. Must do Greno/Wharncliffe.

I rode alone and silly early this weekend (7am ride start). Sat zig zagging around Ladybower Res/cheeky, Sunday the other side/Hope/Win hill/Beast/Hagg/cheeky.

Felt a wee bit lonely on Sunday 🙁

Lived the yokel dream on Saturday, pig Fest in Ludlow in the morning and then Sheep Music festival in the evening.

Did the St Michales Hospice Wheelie Big Cycle 60 mile road event on Sunday. Nice course round my old haunts in North Herefordshire, fortunately it wasn’t eye wateringly hot.

Loch Muick loop from Kenny Wilson’s book. Top day out. The descent towards Glen Clova was just wild as was Corrie Chash :o)

Oh and also Scolty hill exploring and long BBQ!

Sat. 7 hrs taping trails at QECP for your enjoyment.

Sun. 9 hrs car park marshalling / heckling / videoing QECP gravity race. I really hope i caugt some of the crashooos on camera.

Raced home to indulge in a Golf/Cricket/TDF tv fest.

A nice 30k in the local area on Saturday, followed by a few beers at the bottom of my nearest trail. Hoping to get out on a full on all dayer soon and also looking to try some Bikepacking in the near future.

A load of drinking – 24 miles of riding total between pubs though!

Just the 32 miles along the North Downs last night. Ranmore looked primed for speedy carnage!

Rode and carried the cross bike up 4000+’ of climbing, ran over a rabbit, didn’t drink enough, had a chat with a secateur-wielding guerrilla gardener runner, lost a cleat, found a cleat, chuckled at a climber wondering whether to answer his phone halfway up a route. Scrambled eggs.

no pics, but saturday 5 hours riding some of the less-well-travelled stuff in FoD that riding budddies were generously shown by locals on an earlier trip (with pub lunch and a pint in Parkend to break the day up), sunday the Tour of the Cotswolds 80 mile sportif.

“heatwave”? The weekend was (thankfully) cooler than its been, or it is now, a gentle leg-spin recovery ride to work today.

Lots of local routes, but on Sunday found this exceptionally local route entirely new to me (in North Wales). 🙂

80k Road on Saturday followed by taking Jnr to the national balance bike champs at Gravesend’s new bike park.

A few tears later (he wanted a trophy but didn’t win one)solved by an ice lolly.

I did the South downs ride for British Heart Foundation, I only did the 35 miler, hats off to the peeps who did the full 100 mile version

64km on the road Saturday after work.
40km on the road to work Sunday where I nearly lost an arm waving to all the late Dynamo riders between Otley and Needham Market.
Followed by 105km to go home, had a nice pub stop in Earl Soham at the Victoria and watched the first of the Lattitude escapees go by. The comedy tan is coming along nicely.

Over 30 mins pushing up for this, time well spent 🙂

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9GulwUZXsY&feature=share&list=UUEIntr3YEbm0y0BCnG_7M7g[/video]

Took my youngest swimming then took my 4 year old out on his bike to get some new innards for the home pc. Even let him try a little bit on the road where it was nice and quiet to test his ability to follow instructions.WeCame back the off road way though which has a nice castle on it.

I am so proud of him for how he behaves on and rides a bike. Sat together and watched the end of the tour with him last night. Trying to explain grand tour tactics to a pre schooler was quite interesting!

Saturday afternoon riding with an old friend. Sunday morning single speeding with the club. Sunday afternoon riding with noobs at Ashton court. Good weekend

Saturday was so hot so we opted for a late afternoon ride. It just got hotter.
Anyway, cycled into New Mills, collected a friend on the way and rode up to Chinley Churn via New Allotments. Hubby cleaned the tricky rutted climb.
Around some fantastic cheeky trails, which have to be ridden in the driest of conditions. Back around Chinley Churn again, descending Far Phoside, which was scarily slippery being so dry and home by the Sette Valley trail and canal. still very warm into the evening. Quick stir fry in the garden and early to bed.

Mix of sustrans, cheeky coast path, bridleways and road from home, Pontardawe, to Rhossili on Gower and back on the cx bike – around 55 miles. 🙂