Are you sure? As with loads of other people I’ve been amazed at the trails I have discovered locally during lockdown.

Maybe the type of bike makes the difference, I’m still amazed at the quantity (and quality) of new trails I’ve been finding since I went full CX for the winter. Anything muddy is fair game, no matter if it’s flat, downhill or uphill. Every ride in the last two or three months has involved new trails and even more trails spotted but un-ridden.

Had a fabulous (snow)drifty and icy ride around Rossendale (again) 🙂

60km ride NW of Leeds yesterday afternoon. Frozen solid everywhere, really rough going due to the churned up frozen mud.
16km run this morning, again some rough bits but rock solid ground everywhere.
Didn’t get hardly any mud on myself or the bike!

Some well overdue pre ride maintainence followed by the local moors. Awesome out there, Rains here now though 🙁

Just a hack around Rossendale on the new Camino.

It was still perishing after first putting on enough merino wool layers from a field full of New Zealand sheep.

Where is that Monty?

Trails were still hard when I took the dog out for a ride. Just managed to get back before the heavens opened. The temperature has gone up a few degrees but it was still bitterly cold in the wind.

Slackboy, cart up Burnley Road East, turn right up to the Deerplay and this gate is almost level with the War Memorial just as it levels out before you cart down through Wear

Totally bottled it this weekend. Yesterday everything was sheet ice with no give and a bitter easterly wind. So I went on a pub crawl instead.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLPXirMgS8f/

Today the wind was stronger and colder and the rain started. Made a good choice to do nowt all day.

Envious of some nice looking ride pics though, back at it this week in the mud no doubt

 Burnley Road East, turn right up to the Deerplay

Thanks, explains why I don’t recognise it. Don’t get up that end much.

Ride out towards Scammonden and Rishworth, awesome conditions on the trails.

I’d share a photo but know idea how to

Snowy (and Slushy, and icy) ride here down sarf, don’t get much chance to ride in the snow.

Was feeling a strange vibration once per revolution in the rear wheel, but bearings fine and tyre straight. Then I realised its probably the sealant which had frozen into a solid block at the bottom of the tyre given that it only just got to 0 degreeds today.

Struggling for motivation currently. Don’t 20 miles in total this year. Short ride tomorrow if I can be bothered.
January and February are never good months so not too concerned.

Took my newly built hardtail out for a shake down ride in the local park. Not got actual any trails but haven’t been out since October. Need to change saddle and adjust bar roll. Arse is killing me lol

Nipped up QE Park Sunday morning on the hardtail. Apart from the temperature, summer-like conditions… on summer tyres. Nice.

Rode my local loop on Saturday evening, which was fine until I got back to my estate, where the roads were like glassy ice. Even though I was extremely careful I had a moment when 1 second I was teetering along, the next I was on my back, looking up at an upstairs window where the occupant was laughing at the fool who’d just fallen off his bike..

Sunday was spent in the local forest where the trails were rutty, grippy, mostly frozen funtime goodness.

Fortunately had booked the week off. Ridden over 100 miles outside in the last 10 days. It’s been fantastic but hard conditions. Last Sunday a 16 mile trip round stanage burbage and houndkirk resulted in frozen mechs and toes!
Tuesday Did a 44 mile road ride Sheffield to bakewell and back. Saturday did white edge and froggat from home. Via longshaw for a mega hot chocolate. The burbage bridleway was sheet ice though and I’ve got a sore hip where I slipped off.
Best week of riding in the last year easily.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CLPJtcNHDr8/?igshid=w0mmp0cz2zld

After 2 months the snow and ice has finally buggered off from our low lying areas….

Only minus 3 this week over ogden in West Yorkshire but I’ve never seen so much ice there before.

Even the back roads were lethal

I fell on my arse a fair few times #bambi on ice