When the weathers bad or to link up off-road trails it is unavoidable to traverse some of the journey on the road, what do you do to make the ride more fun? a couple of ideas to get started…

Ride on the pavement! much better on a night ride when the pavements are generally deserted but sometimes riding on the path can be a lot more fun. The older type of pavement with large slabs can be loads of fun if they’re all broken up and like all higgiltey piggiltey, all up n down, sometimes it’s better than some off-road tracks. You can do little jumps off where the pavement rises and falls to the kerb where a drive is. Weaving in and out residential drives & jumping off high curbs back onto the road.

If the road is clear move out to ride straight over the big white arrows and pretend you’re on super mario kart and the big arrow gives you a speed boost, childish? maybe, but hey we’re all big kids really.

bouncing, hop on & off kerbs
fastest no pedal aero tuck game
fun for at least 5 mins

in the end of the day it’s why trail centres are ace, they work when it’s minging out there.

Race mates, it always happens. One goes off the front with a sneaky dig, then it’s like watching sheep follow food, we all chase him down, then someone else will ride alongside, chat, asses your breathing and pace then dig off the front again, and so it repeats until we hit the trail.

Do a ‘how long can i wheelie for’ game.
Currently i can wheelie for around 50 yards 😐

depending on how far you have to go, i enjoy practicing manuals, wheelies, proper bunny hops… anything to pass time and help me improve at the same time

tyre buzzing never gets old.

Especially on tractors.

See how far you can pedal with just one leg.

In the old days, on a road bike with drops, we used to put our right foot in the drop, pedal with the left, and have our hands by our sides. I got called to the marshall for doing that at the end of one race.

As long as there’s a kerb to jump off/sidehop up, I am happy. Well, until I fail a sidehop and crash.

Failing that, stand on top tube. I don’t do that any more but it was the only way to travel when I was 15 😀

20min threshold intervals.

I like pain 😈

Try to track stand when waiting for traffic lights to go green!

When there’s lots of folk around (riding though town/a park for example) playing with the dropper post. Some priceless looks!

Rolling stoppies (not to be advised when it is icy).

Swap hands over so arms are crossed then re attempt all of the above suggestions

Derbying in carparks

bikebouy – Member
asses your breathing

I don’t like the sound of that!

You need a very specific bit of road, but wallrides on the side of humpback bridges are fun…

Bunnyhop manhole covers, drains, potholes (really good in Sheff!)

Overtake roadies, in lycra, on expensive “fast” narrow tyred bikes. Especially good when you have proper knobblies on so they can hear you coming from miles back…………. 😉

@rOcKeTdOg – what is ‘Derbying’? done a google search but all that turns up is cycling routes around Derby!

Unless it’s them buzzing you.

Always found rear mech tapping was good fun, unless on the receiving end….

tomhoward – Member
When there’s lots of folk around (riding though town/a park for example) playing with the dropper post. Some priceless looks!

😆 I can just imagine some of the expressions.

TBH I’m amazed that no-one has mentioned Silly Commuter Racing yet.

Always good for a laugh if you ride on a relatively busy bike route to work.