Tweed valley conditions.

Is there much snow, is it worth the 30 min drive? I like a snowy ride if it’s not too deep.

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This was the Golfie yesterday

Went to GT and conditions were excellent if you like a bit of snow and occasional ice patches.

Yah I think it’ll be pretty icy tomorrow but the snow feels like it’s lasting, going to try and get down for a slide tomorrow.

(everything still looks amazing where I am but the snow’s gone armour plated and there’s tons of remelt death-ice, all day yesterday was hovering around 0 for maximum peril)

Yair just had a small amount of snow today from about half way up.

Top by the Three Bros.

Most of the ice was on the climbs where at least it was rutted and crunchy so kinda grippy. The off piste stuff was all fine although it’s a bit more tricky when your shoes and pedals turn into ice cubes.

Down today for a couple of hours. First time for well over 2 years.

Most trails I rode seemed ok, but slippery in places. the open areas where there has been riding have iced up to form riding channels, which can get a bit exciting.

Spooky wood was a bit sketchy in places but that may have been my declining skills.

Bloody lovely there though, cloudless skies and narniaverse

Yeah it’s actually held together brilliantly, was great today. Lots of low branches covered in ice though, I rode into one thinking “it’s snow, I’ll just knock it out the way” and just about got knocked off 🙂 Quite hard work making progress on some bits just because of how it’s washboarded and frozen. Getting from Zorro to the Mast is pretty hard work too, where it’s drifted there’s no riding line yet and even walking’s not that easy in places. Everything else was mint.

https://imgur.com/gallery/let-snow-VtkkEcf

Maybe this is obvious to most people, but, I didn’t see it coming at all, when you’re riding around further up the hill and everything’s snowy you don’t need very much light and you can keep going way later than you planned. But, you still have to get to the bottom, so when you hit the snowline halfway down the fort you lose all the white reflectiveness and suddenly it’s just night.

Getting from Zorro to the Mast is pretty hard work too, where it’s drifted there’s no riding line yet and even walking’s not that easy in places.

We seemed to be the first down that today. Going the opposite way to you.

Totally untouched drifted snow stopped us dead.

Last night at Glentress. Strange lights from the north!

Great night to be out on a bike! Lots of ice / frozen puddles. Folk should pay extra for those kind of extras 🙂

Towards the mast got a bit more slidey but still doable.

I rode up to the mast from the cabins and it was fine, apart from dropping my spare gloves and having to back to look for them. I met someone on the way up who’d come up from the other side and they were questioning their life choices. The comedy low branches were in evidence on Carl’s lane. I managed 25km altogether, the worst bit was the push up the footpath to what’s left of zoom or bust.

It was bloomin’ lush today.  The way up from the far side of the mast was indeed difficult as it had drifted across the path to about 40cm depth where the gap is between the trees. I counted one set of footprints and a pair of wheel tracks in front of mine. Randomly met a group of ladies fell running down the track near the top, which was weird.

@Northwind it wasn’t you who fell into me comedically under the mast was it?

Garmin reckoned it was between -1 and -4°C most of the way around.  Had huge battery/control issues with the Whyte which could have been down to the cold. Serves me right for for being lazy arse I suppose.

In reckon it’ll be amazing and potentially dangerous over the next few days.

hot_fiat
Full Member

@Northwind it wasn’t you who fell into me comedically under the mast was it?

Not guilty, actually I didn’t see a single other bike except on the peebles cycle path, can’t remember that happening before except on night rides.