I can’t see a thread so….

I accidentally went and did a 100km gravel and road ride. Dunblane – Glascorrie – Crieff -.Loch Earn – Callander – Dunblane.

The soon to be finished gravel & traffic free cycle route from Comrie to Lochearnhead on the old railway is great already, it will be wonderful when completed.

A lot of storm Arwen damage around the whole route.

A rather driech day for it.

Went up the hills on the other side of the town today to see how many trails I could find, found a few new ones so happy days

found a few new ones so happy days

There’s new trails springing up all the time there. 😉

Heading to Pitlochry tomorrow.

Thursday we did our first night ride in years.
I’d forgotten how much fun it is.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2mYgkMM]First night ride in 4 years.[/url] by multispeedstu, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2mYbveo]Moon.[/url] by multispeedstu, on Flickr

Took the long way back from lunch at a cafe today.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2mYCkjd]Eildons.[/url] by multispeedstu, on Flickr

Looks nicer in those pics than the nightmare mud on the last 3 miles of the Kennet and Avon canal by Honey street went from 13 miles an hour to 3 front kept filling with mud never been so pleased to get on road most of the canal was fine.

A nice early morning local ride before the weather turned.

Rode at Aberfeldy on Friday for the first time. It was soooo slidey and muddy but was still an ace day out. I can’t wait to go back and experience the place when it’s dry.
I was on the last day of a course of antibiotics for an ear infection so was properly pooped by the end of the day, so today has been a chilled day.

no pictures today, though it was a brutal “daub” day this morning. An enjoyable trudge through the drying sludge.

Mount Wyddfa yesterday en route to Rhydd Ddu

Board not bike
Pershore Avon

Mount Wyddfa yesterday en route to Rhydd Ddu

Nae gloves? 😮

That snow and no gloves = Hardcore 🙂

Amazing conditions here in th FoD/Yat. Even risked taking the big bike out.

Fab light most of the day as well but still Jan cold riding home at 3pm. 11km of ‘are we there yet’ 😉

‘Twas stupidity ☺

I only had two pairs of gloves with me and wanted one for each descent. There was a constant wetting mizzle up top so I went with no gloves up the hill and then put the dry gloves on at the same time as kneepads, elbow pads waterproofs etc

( I do tend to cycle pretty warm TBH)

2022 Bivvy-a-month campaign is under way

I headed off after dinner to another favourite spot. The weather forecast was mild, low winds but 98% cloud cover. As I was riding there, I started seeing lots of stars so I knew something was amiss.

The area I wanted to bivvy in was a wee bit exposed but I carried on regardless, throwing the tarp up and getting comfy.

It was an opportunity to try some “astrophotography” using my new phone.

(The tarp edges on this one look a bit blurred as they were flapping in the wind).

5 minute exposure

I had a look around the woods for a suitable, more sheltered, bivvy spot but when I returned the wind had died so I just stayed where I was, got into my bag and fell asleep listening to some music. That was fine until the moon came out and woke me up as it was shining straight into my eyes,

Spooky skull post!

I had a bit of a fitful night as the wind picked up again but I couldn’t be bothered moving. Anyway, I was awake to see the sky going pink with the sunrise and packed up to head home.

Out the back door on the hardtail after 3 days of man flu (6 negative tests in those 3 days).

New bike weekend for me so a local one yesterday just to see if the suspension is OKish and a ride out to Wild Bank this morning

Got out on the FOD on the hardtail, just a gentle ride round the blue and the family trail though as I’ve somehow managed to bruise a rib so no jumps or drops. Still, managed to break a spoke in the rear wheel and make my lower back and wrists almost as sore as the ribs. Should have taken the full susser.

Some manky gravel, good to be out tho 👌

Spent all day making and swearing at drawers, left it too late to get out for a surf so thought I’d catch the sunset on the moors. Dartmoor had other ideas.

Thursday night

Sleepy badger stout & soreen making the -3° seem bearable

Saturday
Real life stopped play

Bit of a trail hazard today

Lots of slippery off camber action

Doing my best water boatman/pond skater impression

Nice ride in the Fod today
A few new trails and some favourites.

couple of clips from Pitlochry. Trails are running soo sweet right now.

Route wise it was nothing special but enjoyed my cycle with my 9 year old yesterday.

It was 16km in total with a mixture of road, canal path and muddy Singletrack. It’s great being able to share the trails I ride and even following my son’s line.

@rOcKeTdOg what happened to the car?

Went to the Manchester winter cycling festival hosted by Trek Wilmslow at Bruntwood Park where there were cyclocrosss races all day long, it was a superb event and a really good course. I did the combined Junior / Senior / V40 race and was well chuffed to come away with 12th overall and 5th placed Vet, plenty of tech sections, including a proper off-camber bank round the BMX track and very slippy sideway drifting in action on a lot of the corners.

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Thursday we did our first night ride in years.
I’d forgotten how much fun it is.

do a few more and you’ll remember why you have not bothered for years! 🙂

no new pictures in my phone – sure sign the riding has been too good!

Quiet part of D&G

My Biannual reminder why I should never ride in the Peaks. Castleton was like Blackpool with hills on Saturday.

A day trip to Peaslake on Saturday with a great crowd. Cold, but dry – and near perfect trail conditions.

Managed to clear the 1st big gap on Northern Monkey – I was rather chuffed!

Also saw the “Surrey Rampage” line that Brendog, Pilgrim etc have ridden. Looks relatively do-able on TV – the reality is completely mind boggling! Utter lunacy how someone could even think of getting a bike down there!

Saturday was a spin from the door up Ben Aigen.

A family ride at Fochabers yesterday.

My longest ride for a while today. Just under 20 miles from home in Loxley, up to Wharncliffe crags. Then down the other side of the crags, along the bridleway, then back up to the to of the crags again. Then home. Nearly 2000ft of climbing.

Met a few folk along the way. Walkers, dog-walkers, other cyclists, even e-bikers (😉)! Everyone said hello, everyone smiled. One of my favourite rides for a long time.