Went for a ride with a couple of riding buddies not seen for at least a year. Some fantastic trails I’ve not ridden in the Malvern hills before. Some proper steep and rooty stuff if you know where to look (I don’t so was very happy to be guided around)
Stunning day. So many great photos I should have taken but was too busy riding. Or in two cases, crashing 😉
Out taking some photos and checking a route for a magazine write-up (not STW). I did have to walk through a freezing cold river but it was still worth it.
Somewhat different to the death march of Dec 28 last year. 95% dry. A few more people unsurprisingly.
Managed to ‘lose’ the rear brake between home and car park. So that made for an entertaining ride. I expected it to come back a bit. It really didn’t. So just rode slowly and enjoyed the views.
Nice pictures @Alex.
May I ask where that is please?
I also rode today but it was rather dark in the woods so my phone stayed in my pocket.
Just imaging some dark woods with steep ruts in them that are half full of rocks and roots.😀
That’s the classic gap ride @singlespeedstu – lots of options to extend/change it but we start from Talybont, up the old tram track, over the moor, descend to close to heritage railway, then up the old roman road to the Gap itself and down the otherside into the Talybont valley. Finsih with 5km of canal path.
Route profile there, if you want a GPX let me know. If you’re ever down this way I’d be very happy to show you round if you don’t know it.
I find those rutted, rocky trails ride better in the half light 🙂 I don’t want to look at them!
You know what, I’ve done the Gap ride several times but i don’t think I’ve ever done it when there was a view.🤣
We’ve always started in Brecon though and done a slightly different route.
We even did The Brecon Beast one year when they sent us up the Gap. It’s OK though I’ve mostly blocked that climb out of my mind now.
Ah it’s okay. I have a one-off ridiculous time up there when I broke myself trying to see how fast I could do it. Nowadays I am far more relaxed. On a day like today, just spin and take in the view. Lovely.
The views for first.3 photos and last one is new to us (both in terms of not being mid winter and being sightly higher) pointed out by a lovely fella we met who we’d seen above where we were riding. He showed us the track to get up there (and pointed out a few others). I’ll definitely be back later this year to try out some alternatives.
I love riding in the forest, but there’s something about a big sky day.
It’s giving me palpitations just thinking about it. We saw an ebiker on his way up that way but he’d snapped his mech hanger. I’d be taking that as a sign 😂
No pic from the ride, but did a night ride last night, it was so dry (including the leaf covered trails which were running really fast) that I found dust on my fork stanchions afterwards. I cleaned the bike the day before so it wasn’t dust from not being used…
Regular service has resumed here in south east wales, the unseasonably dry conditions and hero dirt have finally buggered off. Still, it was fun while it lasted!
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2oia9x7]2023-02-21_04-47-22[/url] by StuartBrettle, on Flickr [url=https://flic.kr/p/2oicDXN]2023-02-21_04-48-02[/url] by StuartBrettle, on Flickr
I had a job to do in Balvicar near Oban yesterday, so drove up from Bournemouth Monday morning, and back down to Penrith last night after finishing the job, so I rode the Borrowdale bash route with the time I’d gained, before finishing the drive home, home just in time to put the boy to bed.
Solo Golfie ride this morning.
Half frozen half thawed.
Wasn’t really feeling it but still managed 1000 meters of descent.
A ride’s a ride though so can’t complain.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2oivUDY]Half Ice Half Mud.[/url] by StuartBrettle, on Flickr
Definitely felt a little spring like today.
Another 1000+ meters of descent and some friendly folks out today.
Only a couple of degrees but the trails are in prime condition.
We’re being spoiled at the moment with all the new trails appearing at the golfie.
Chatted to one of the diggers and he let me ride one of his unfinished trails* So nice to ride a fresh cut trail before it gets hammered to death.
*Its built but doesn’t have an entrance in off the fireroad yet.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2okLZRQ]Spring is in the air.[/url] by StuartBrettle, on Flickr
Had some fun on my last ride in Wiltshire (for a while – been here for work for 3 days each week for the last 6 weeks). Big skies and learning some new trails, including f finding some old Erlstoke downhill trails that are super steep and slippery! Wasn’t with my bike at the bottom of one of them! 😂
Rains held off this afternoon, so went back out tonight, still prime conditions with no evidence of this mornings down pours, snow forecast for overnight & tomorrow morning, followed by sleet and rain, so I think the Wednesday night group ride will be canned.
Clear, cold and crisp: frozen solid trails and bright moonlight last night with no hint of mud. Temporarily lost feeling in my fingers on the descent and my waterbottle was solid by the end. Happy times.
Not highest quality photos, just used my iPhone on night mode.