Local local with Mrsstu this morning.

⬆⬆  Cool Fungi!  🍄

Went to do Fox House, Cannings, Stanage, Burbage

Punctures in Cannings and tubes that wouldn’t inflate aborted the mission. Gutted, not done that classic for some years

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/5jc76E97k7]GOPR0160_1691695579401[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

Went to the pub

Top of Blackford Hill in Edinburgh.

Took the ‘big dog” out for the first time in a while. It has a posh new damper in the Zebs and I was keen to try it out. Conditions locally are puddly but grippy. Blooming humid though. Luckily a suitable re-hydration point was located at the end of the ride 🙂

Went back to do the Fox House loop this afternoonv after yesterday’s failed attempt. Mint ride

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/0TbDQ3F9LZ]IMG-20230811-WA0000[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

A few more I’ve just dragged off my GoPro

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/4470F09m48]GOPR0163_1692003992844[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/p42335wzWZ]GOPR0173_1692003922483[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/BMP2NY6mr0]GOPR0169_1692003962125[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/2h110XAKDV]GOPR0174_ALTA1659283529018712803[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

No pics last night but got a few tonight, conditions are pretty good and was perfect riding weather in the Derbyshire Dales

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/ce0Yu8P9ra]GOPR0179_1692218509941~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/1683Qof5q2]GOPR0182_1692218509941~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/8Q3m39DKr1]GOPR0190_1692218509941~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/eapb33ivZt]GOPR0189_1692218509941~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

A sunrise ride this morning was a great way to start the end of the week.

Saw probably the largest echidna I’ve ever seen… though it tried to make sure I didn’t see it.

Fake internet points for anyone who can guess correctly which lift….

Clue: I think that’s Mont Blanc framed in the front triangle.

Took the eldest and youngest on the cockpit – howtown decent

more commuting…

Morning loop around the nearest hill.

36 miles – a mix of singletrack, fire road, road, farm track, rock tech and everything inbetween. Blummin size of a Magnum these days 🙁

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/XGL09041F5]20230822_115530~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/63E2p45E6P]20230822_115619~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/0qrS2YxZ28]20230822_123758~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/1xH35o806m]20230822_130822~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/Jx2T3hj754]20230822_130833~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/5j02TCsd4u]20230822_130859~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/84DJUn64p0]Screenshot_20230822_163534_Strava~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

Local loop, first ride back after broken bones in foot. Managed to go over the bars about 5 mins after taking this photo 😂

Rare Wednesday night club ride outing for me (during term time it’s tough to get home and out in time). Back to needing lights for the end of the ride, but allowed me to test the low light video capabilities of the Insta360 for the first time.

Last day working near this spot so had a good hit out before work.

Always meant to get a photo of this rotten pine stump.

Early morning Gravel commute.

Magnolia Trails, Nederland

Beautiful outing on the gravel bike yesterday from Auchterarder to Dundee (carefully planned route to take full advantage of westerly wind!).

Lots of dusty dry farm gravel, then the Fife Coastal Path from Lindorres Distillery with several lovely sections of singletrack through old growth forest.

More fast farm tracks then the icing on the cake was a full gas hoon along the stunning sand dune/coastal pine forest singletrack in Tentsmuir. It’s perfect for a gravel or CX bike as very few roots or rocks and basically flat with lots of little rollers and sand traps and endless fast corners and drifting back wheels. A fact not lost on me as I went chasing KOMs but closest I got was second by 2 seconds, d’oh!

Got a bit of catching up to do here. Some midweek rides from our summer road trip this year.

First up, a Tuesday in August.

Then a Monday…

A Wednesday…

Got home and managed to get out on a couple of Wednesday evening club rides, which is a nice rarity for me when school’s in.

Quiet ride over Long Mynd.

So grateful that I can ride round the Derbyshire Dales from my doorstep on a Wednesday night

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/7mdh08i2v2]GOPR0191_1693429395952~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/02QJH93cYQ]20230830_174227~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/S73e17264x]20230830_183036~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

[url=https://www.flickr.com/gp/85252658@N05/78v2513042]20230830_183112~2[/url] by davetheblade, on Flickr

Final Wednesday club ride until the Christmas holidays now.

Last nights hack around the tops of Rossendale.

one of those evenings when I just clicks and the troubles of the day melt away.

ow) ? oh : ow; var w = ffid === 1 ? ow : (oh > ow) ? ow : oh; var uh = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight || document.getElementsByTagName(‘body’)[0].clientHeight; var uw = window.innerWidth || document.documentElement.clientWidth || document.getElementsByTagName(‘body’)[0].clientWidth; setCookie(‘ezds’, encodeURIComponent(‘ffid=’+ffid+’,w=’+w+’,h=’+h), (31536e3*7)); setCookie(‘ezohw’, encodeURIComponent(‘w=’+uw+’,h=’+uh), (31536e3*7)); })();” alt=”Rossendale” />

Bit of a climb for us lowlanders… took over 4 hours of continuous climbing to reach the Devils Slide trestle at 11600ft on the old Rollins Pass railroad.

Try again

Last nights hack around the tops of Rossendale.

one of those evenings when I just clicks and the troubles of the day melt away.

ow) ? oh : ow; var w = ffid === 1 ? ow : (oh > ow) ? ow : oh; var uh = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight || document.getElementsByTagName(‘body’)[0].clientHeight; var uw = window.innerWidth || document.documentElement.clientWidth || document.getElementsByTagName(‘body’)[0].clientWidth; setCookie(‘ezds’, encodeURIComponent(‘ffid=’+ffid+’,w=’+w+’,h=’+h), (31536e3*7)); setCookie(‘ezohw’, encodeURIComponent(‘w=’+uw+’,h=’+uh), (31536e3*7)); })();” alt=”Rossendale” />

Maryland Trails, Black Hawk

ow) ? oh : ow; var w = ffid === 1 ? ow : (oh > ow) ? ow : oh; var uh = window.innerHeight || document.documentElement.clientHeight || document.getElementsByTagName(‘body’)[0].clientHeight; var uw = window.innerWidth || document.documentElement.clientWidth || document.getElementsByTagName(‘body’)[0].clientWidth; setCookie(‘ezds’, encodeURIComponent(‘ffid=’+ffid+’,w=’+w+’,h=’+h), (31536e3*7)); setCookie(‘ezohw’, encodeURIComponent(‘w=’+uw+’,h=’+uh), (31536e3*7)); })();” alt=”Above Les Lindarets” />

Plan was to head up Colorado highest 14er, Mt Elbert, but both suffering colds ended that idea so we biked up the trail until it got more hike-a-bike than fun, turned around and whizzed back down. Then went exploring Leadvilles “rich” history.

South Pennine roads, tracks and stuff round Luddenden, Haworth, Wycollar, Colden etc. – bloody hot but hell of a head wind coming back over the Watershed from Colne.

Much needed reward…..

Glorious day for it today.