43 miles from home onto the Pennines and back, glorious out there !

2nd outing on the new burly gravel bike, this morning :

Howgills, Bowderdale (epic singletrack), Ravenstonedale and then back over Murthwaite and Cautley BWs. Glorious. Forgot just how steep it was, but only had to push a short bit up Bram Rigg. As always much quieter than Central Lakes and everyone we met was friendly.

Last time we rode there I was stuck in Sedbergh entertaining a toddler on the playground. Fast forward another 14 years and today he beat us up and down everything 🙂

Hmmmnnn.

Started out on my usual Sunday bimble round the woods. Got 10km in and the rear wheel suddenly locked. Looked like chain had caught so untangled that but wheel still locked. Managed to ‘massage’ it back into mobility but weird stiff spots still happening and chain was dumping itself under backpedalling. Decided it better to turn back (less far to walk if it totally chucked its toys out). Seemed to free off a bit so had a little play on the way back (trying to remember not to back pedal). Got home without further drama but think I might need to use some of my Easter Monday to strip the wheel/hub down and see what’s going on…

Tay loop (Dundee, Fife, Perth, Carse of Gowrie), 60 miles, fab weather

a ‘wee’ trip around the Monadhliaths.

Out the door, meet up in Inverness, head over the old military road(s) to Tomatin (for a coffee stop at the store) then back on the Wade over Sluggan Bridge and on to Nethy Bridge.
SSW to Aviemore then the Druie cafe for more coffee, Lochan Eilan and the Inriach Bothy path popping out on the road to the Boathouse for food. Bivvied at Uath Lochans.

Up in the morning and still trying to pick up the military roads out past Ruthven, cross the A9 a bunch of times, past the Centre of Scotland and an early lunch at Laggan Stores before teh Corrieyarick (where I lost the powers of verbal communcation before the top). Descent into Fort Augustus for pizza and chips (and dodge the rain). Headed out the South Loch Ness Trail and bivvied at Loch Tarff.

Bit of an effort to crest the top of the hill on the trail first thing but a cracking descent (fully loaded) and on to Foyers for food/coffee at Camerons. We decided to risk the road closed for forestry (it is easter weekend) and over the hills and descent back towards Loch Ness before climbing straight back out of it on the Corkscrew Road… The Fair Haired Lads Pass was the most technical part of the trip and I could’ve done with a bit more pad on my rear brake before on to Dores Inn for something to drink and a snack then (mostly) NCN78 back to Inverness. Some of us had the 20km home too…

Thanks to Scotroutes for the route wrangling (and David) for the company.

Now, where the hell is my digdig tool?

Early start today but boy was it worth it

3am start Helvellyn sunrise

Saturday night after a 25 mile pub crawl
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2ewb4YY]58376614_10157353692261474_4986516357039259648_n[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr
Sunday Night
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2fxuotm]58462135_10157356338916474_3007191562124787712_n[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2fxuoDw]57852550_10157354947066474_604390250319446016_n[/url] by Richard Munro, on Flickr

Peak District

Laggan Stores before the Corrieyarick

did that 20 odd years ago on a ridgid orange C16r. would like to do it again

@metalheart @stevedoc @postierich – stunning photos the lot of you!

Bluebells are properly out on our local trails. Dirt is perfect. Dust and beer day 🙂

A good weekend for riding, 16 miles round local trails on Saturday morning, then another 15 miles round surrey hills today.

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Summer is finally here! 15 miles round Surrey Hills #mtb #vitus #surreyhills #summer #vitusbikes

A post shared by Paul Sims (@tallpaul.s) on Apr 22, 2019 at 7:46am PDT

A good day for progression today, managed 2 drops/jumps which I’d chickened out of on the first run up, and then had second thoughts about. Turned around and hit them both twice, and then wondered what all the fuss was about afterwards… 😀

Shuttling at Stainburn was brilliant, all dry and dusty, new bike and laps till I couldn’t hold my body up on the bars 😀 Many thanks to MrsTH for being my uplift…

Got up early and went for a play in Wharncliffe and then a few runs over in Greno before it got mad. Can’t remember the last time I saw it so dry.
Now back, beer and barbeque to follow

BPW Friday, Saturday was a rest day. Sunday road ride to Halfords, today trails to Wantage then walking in bluebells.

2019-04-22_04-43-19 by Steve Weeks – Flickr2BBcode
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Carried on the weekends riding yesterday with the Ladybower loop and due to head off out on a road ride blast this evening to end the weekends rides.

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Another belting bank holiday weekend ride, this time Ladybower! #girlswhoshred #girlswhoride #shredly

A post shared by Alison Clarke (@golfchick24) on Apr 22, 2019 at 2:32am PDT

Great pictures! How do I add an instagram picture here please?

No pics but 90 mins turbo Saturday, 60km zone 2 yesterday and today was the clubs Easter Classic sportive which was enjoyed by over 200 entrants.  Rode as a sweeper completing over 200km this weekend in some lovely weather and gaining some sharp tans lines!

Still suffering a bit, but had to get out, so dragged myself up Walna.

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Beautiful warm dusty evening in the woods, just me and the birds! 😎 pic.twitter.com/0m1McBqUfx

— Paul Veal (@PaulVealsReal) April 22, 2019

Lovely quiet evening in the woburn woods, just me and the birds, both of us busy “finding flow”… 😉

Great pictures! How do I add an instagram picture here please?

copy and paste the URL of the post, no tags or anything. forum will do the rest.

like this… (edit Ah, assuming your insta isn’t set to private…)

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwjj7MlgSllsm_oJw3Gkjaj6EFH84YoklsYBuA0/

its a pic of today at stainburn

Bit of egg rolling this morning followed by graft in the garden and managed to squeeze a blast round the lake in before tea.
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Still on the Winter bike, clad in winter tyres and guards… Felt a little out of sync with the weather but the tyres are surprisingly good in the dry and the little Bizango still continues to amaze me with how much fun it is to ride.

Will be breaching Trottiscliffe way next week and I bet that is still muddy!

Can’t compare with the pics and epic rides above! Still, beauty is where you find it, right?

Bimbled around the North Downs around Bluebell Hill area. Tried a holloway I haven’t been on before and tried some small drops that I’ve always wimped out of! This included a couple of comedy slo-mo offs.

The gnats were also out and had a bit of a feast on my back.

Saw a fair few riders,almost all giving a friendly hello as they passed me at speed.Lol

As usual,I felt the least fit guy in the trails but absolutely loved being out.👍

@weeksy – you’ve lost a lot of weight!

Still on the Winter bike, clad in winter tyres and guards… Felt a little out of sync with the weather but the tyres are surprisingly good in the dry and the little Bizango still continues to amaze me with how much fun it is to ride.

Will be breaching Trottiscliffe way next week and I bet that is still muddy!

Can’t compare with the pics and epic rides above! Still, beauty is where you find it, right?

Bimbled around the North Downs around Bluebell Hill area. Tried a holloway I haven’t been on before and tried some small drops that I’ve always wimped out of! This included a couple of comedy slo-mo offs.

The gnats were also out and had a bit of a feast on my back.

Saw a fair few riders,almost all giving a friendly hello as they passed me at speed.Lol
As usual,I felt the least fit guy in the trails but absolutely loved being out.👍

I don’t recognise any of those bits from bluebell hill! Mind you, there’s so many little tucked away (cheeky) parts that doesn’t surprise me.

Rode up a hill

Rode down a track

Chatted to some of the locals

Happy days.

@Kryton57 – great job with the LP Easter Classic, especially with the weather and cakes! 🙂 Thanks to you and all involved.

Great day out in the sun on the North Downs.

https://www.instagram.com/7ames.5chofield/p/Bwj-5ZxAO_f/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=4tckituupnwx

‘The Gap’ on Friday with some oldies, one of whom was on a new skool 27.5 fat bike and giggling like a five year old on the descents. Fat bikes on rocky trails get my vote. But I managed to improve my Strava pb by around two minutes on my skinny tyre FS 29er. Old skool rules.

For CJ

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BIG day out on the North Downs. Big miles, big smiles and big sunburnt cheeks. Love days like these. #cantquitcartel #mtblife #stantonbikes #huntwheels #outsideadventures #outsideisfree #lifebehindbars #fromwhereiride #steelisrealmtb #stantonowners #mtbr #getoutandride #mtbphotography #instabike #rideyourbike #mtbrider #yeticycles

A post shared by @ 7ames.5chofield on Apr 22, 2019 at 8:06am PDT

today trails to Wantage

Hey Weeksy was that you on the Ridgeway at the top of Scutch heading towards Wantage about 1ish? I was the dubious bloke in black with the skinny tyres.
I popped out to try a couple of road climbs that had previously defeated me on the SS and after getting up out of Upton I thought it was a nice day so ended up ascending Hawthorns and Death by Chalk with a descent of Corkscrew and Scutch. Only supposed to be out for 4o minutes and ended up doing a bit under 40 miles.

Up the hill from Upton above the top of the A34 out of Didcot:

Gravel! Or rather chalk¡, but at least it is dry chalk up to the Ridgeway today:

Went down here two times, luckily I knew that no matter how bad the surface is on the way down, nothing prepares you for the broken surface and gravel wash at the 90° bend at the bottom:

Just outside Didcot and on my old commute route near the office. They should be coming down soon.

About three miles from home and I can see this from the train as I head back from the coast. You can see the old field boundary, but unless you’re a bird of prey you cant see the Peregrine nest not too far from here.

Only 1500ft of climbing but a fun day of Grrrrrrravel.

Great long weekend of riding for me in Kent. Poopscoop you will be doing well to find any significant mud out Trosley/Trottiscliffe way-Pilgrims Way and North Downs Way is bone dry and just about running dusty.

Thanks Tom. No idea what happened there..

gravesendgrunt

Member
Great long weekend of riding for me in Kent. Poopscoop you will be doing well to find any significant mud out Trosley/Trottiscliffe way-Pilgrims Way and North Downs Way is bone dry and just about running dusty.

Great pics there mate.

Good to hear it’s dry over that way. I did a night ride to Trottiscliffe a few weeks back and parts were a proper mud fest. Will be great to go back with the bluebells out and the trails dry… and in the day light👍

Early morning blast on sunday, I had ran a local hill race last wednesday, always assumed that they ran across an open moor, didn’t realise the path was actually a lovely wee ribbon of awesomeness, saturday was revisit but with the Bronson this time, not the Asics…

Sweet descent, though got first tick of the season. 1200′ to sea level, braw.

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Stormin mornin up the moor with @olddickson66 this morning, riding a descent I've (unbelievably!) Never rode before! Was well worth the climb (twice!) #kaimhillrace #ridetherun #runnersroute #santacruzbikes #sprocketscycles #focusbikes

A post shared by Greg Bowie (@ayrshirealps) on Apr 21, 2019 at 9:47am PDT

Friday – Howgill loop. Ruined me. really struggled to be honest. One of those days where your body just doesnt want to work. Disapointed with Bowderdale too. The track is 1 to 2′ deep trench in places. Mind you its probably 10 years since I last rode it.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2ecm5mB]20190419_131521[/url] by Dave Lowe, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2ecm6t6]20190419_124857[/url] by Dave Lowe, on Flickr
Monday. local ride. The Four Towers. Damn near killed me.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2fCAffz]20190422_162130[/url] by Dave Lowe, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/25216ui]20190422_134231[/url] by Dave Lowe, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/25216sp]20190422_133246[/url] by Dave Lowe, on Flickr

Where’s that last pic Dave? Didn’t notice any ‘surfacing’ when I was last up there. EDIT: Should learn to read properly. 🙂

You’re right about the Bowderdale ride though. It’s a lot physically harder than the mileage and elevation suggests, particularly the return leg from Ravenstonedale. And you have to work really hard to find flow on the main descent.

On a day like yesterday I’d have been suffering horribly on that one.

Which 4 towers?

I’ve done Darwen, Rivi and Peel before, I’m guessing your 4th is Stoodley?
Not surprised it nearly killed you!

you’ve lost a lot of weight!

Kryton, i think it’s more a flattering pic than me losing weight.

Eddie, no mate, we were in the 4 points @ Aldworth by then in the car, we did the lower path to Wantage and then car back to pub.