Friday afternoon and thoughts turn to cycling…. Summer is running out and the nettles are at their height, mushy mud and browning leaves will soon be here. I’m still mourning my Cornwall holiday and coastal riding but getting out local tomorrow evening.

What have you got planned?

Try out the tracks at Comrie oj my new Turner Sultan and have a tea and biscuit with my mum

Sounds good YGH!.

Arran tomoro, 7am ferry for a blast round all the good bits!.

Just about to nip out for a couple of laps of Philips Park before the parents arrive this evening, then will hopefully get out to the Peak on Sunday (weather and girlfriend permitting 😆 ).

I’ll be lucky if i can squeeze a road ride in.

Awaiting the posty with my new Burley trailer hitch so I could make up an excuse to make a massive picnic take the kids around Ladybower.

Back at the physio today after the knee dislocation and my weekend riding is limited to a 5 min spin in the lowest gear on the turbo! I am so frustrated!

from this mornings short jaunt

more of the same tomorrow and a road ride sunday

Llandegla in the morning with the girlfriend for her first blast around the red loop.

I’m doing the 16 mile Evans RideIt in the Peaks tomorrow, got a feeling a wee bit of walking might be involved.

road trip for me. Three of my riding buddies are riding from SW London to Milan. 1,000 miles or 1,700 km over ten or twelve days.

I’m accompanying them on the first leg to Folkstone early tomorrow for the Chunnel crossing then will head on to Whitstable to complete a circa 180km ride and get the train home.

I was invited on the Milan trip and would have loved to go but I’ve had three weeks holiday already since June (including two weeks away cycling) and have another two booked in Italy in September so couldn’t really justify it to myself, my wife or my line manager.

Next year…

Tonight, we’ll be Cocking around.
Or around Cocking.
First time on any of the SDW.
To deal with the new (to us) terrain, I’ve fitted a malt loaf to the rucksack.

A quick blast round Swinley will be the best I can get this weekend, but it’s better than nothing 😀

Just a 1hr bimble Saturday morning in preparation, then feet up and relax frantically pack suitcase ready for NC500 starting first thing Monday morning

Hoping to get a Peaks ride in – currently thinking some sort of Ladybower loop provided the trails aren’t too boggy from this week’s rain. Otherwise it’ll be a pub pootle!

Off to White Room tomorrow for a week. Can’t wait!

Hopefully I’ll be out on Sunday. Might go out with the road club for a spin round the Essex lanes as I’ve not been out with them for a few weeks due to holidays. Just brought my Epic down from Edinburgh though, so might do some exploring in the Epping and Hainult forests and maybe try for some Strava PB’s at the little off-road circuit at Hogg Hill (given my Epic should be a fair bit quicker than my BFe which was previously my London mountain bike).

Sobbing into my beer because my frame was meant to ready yesterday and now it’s tuesday so I’m going to miss the road trip to Dyfi with my mates.

Can’t be arsed, weather looks shite for tomorrow…i might put the mudhugger back on the rear of the bike in realization it’s not going to get any drier & summer ain’t coming back.

All my fleet is back home in Germany at the moment …

So tomorrow a cheeky xc ride on my mates borrowed trek and Sunday a long early road ride on the same mates borrowed road bike…

Hoping for good (dry!) weather…

Bit of a Cotswolds spin today after a bit of time off.

Was a bit of a slog if I’m honest. Too much thick grass and field edges. Still, turning pedals innit.
[/url]Dovecote. Naunton by [/url], on Flickr[/img]

Fod tomorrow I reckon.

Up round Ullswater if climbing partner bails out.

That was a fun ride in the Peaks, deep mud, rivers running down the tracks. I was quicker across the shooting cabins part of the loop compared to the pootle in January :-).

Photos from today can be found here

Do unplanned commute home rides that end up turning into a ~36 mile trip from Shirley to Cheesefoot Head and then back home to Bitterne with a tablet running on battery fumes, plus just half a 500ml bottle of diet coke to drink, count? 😆

Left work at 1336, got home at ~1600! 😈

But battery saver kicked it before Marwell, so Strava missed my fair effort at doing the ~7 mile ascent. 👿

… At least I spotted and turned off battery saver in the carpark and then headed home with evidence. 😛

Back of holiday today, got to get up early in the morning anyway to drop my mom off at the hospital so going to get up proper early and get around a bit of the Chase for an hour or so.

Afan made me not love my hardtail a bit so I’m hoping a local blat will reignite the spark.

Bredon hill today. Windy.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/XggfZ9]Bredon hill. August 2017[/url] by [/url], on Flickr

That was the plan but feeling crap.

so the reality has been more like

Afan today. Place was rammed with plenty of peeps on the trails.

FOD tomorrow. Going to go away from the main trails and try and find some quiet bits. Then I’ll head back to the cafe for cake 8)

Winlatter today… Sherwood Pine tomorrow.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/XEDzRB]20170819_162921[/url] by Martin Forrest, on Flickr

Did a steady small ride with my *little lad*, from Hutton Village. Very enjoyable.

*30 yrs old* 😆

Was supposed to ride over the Bealach na Bah today. Got to the meeting point at Achnasheen, no one there.

Looks like there’s a lack of enthusiasm for riding in the rainy end of the remnants of a hurricane. Can’t say I blamed them, I bailed then too. 🙂

Tomorrow is a different day though. No plans, just get up, eat, get on bike, follow front wheel.

Took the kids to Hicks Lodge on their Fatty’s.
They certainly earned their cake.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/XC3gw3]Hicks Lodge[/url] by pten2106, on Flickr

Circuit of Coniston Water including Walna Scar.

My legs hurt now.

Bumped in Gavgas also… which was very nice.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/XC36KQ]20170819_162719[/url] by Dave Lowe, on Flickr
[url=https://flic.kr/p/XEM2wa]20170819_133747[/url] by Dave Lowe, on Flickr

Surrey Alps tomo morning.

Start Kington, loop over Hergest Ridge, few green lanes and bridleways, back to finish then go to the vintage rally this afternoon and drive dad’s tractor home.

Had a great ride in the south wales valleys. 28 miles and 1500m of long ups and seriously steep descents. It was a cracker. Housework and then a BBQ withe the OH’s wok colleuges today. Then a loop of the Blorenge!

Had myself an evening jaunt to Cannock last night and despite the earlier rain the trails were perfect. I had a go at Lower cliff the wrong way and the climb was surprisingly easy and fun. Saw one other guy the whole time.

Yesterday was my first outside ride since fracturing my pelvis at Swinley in late April. Just over 8 miles (6 road, 2 bridleway). Main thing was a sore arse from being off the saddle for 3.5 months and swinging my leg over was tricky (!) but apart from that it’s good to be back.

Nothing special this weekend. kept it very clear due to other half’s 30th birthday party last night, but managed a few (windy) laps of Richmond Park on the road bike yesterday morning.

Inspired by Lowey yesterday, did a Broughton moor/dunnerdales loop

Check out my ride on Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/1142992353/shareable_images/photo_based/757877/1/48d7f590-1e7b-49a5-928f-207dde5eb5cb?hl=en-US&v=1503235617

Ended up riding Aberfoyle off-piste stuff, was wildly out of my depth on the blacks…very wet and boggy ruts, stupidly steep and deep narrow channels, i’ve no idea how to ride that without dying.