No pics yet as still out. Took my rear mech off climbing the Beast so had a bit of a push and a tow and a free wheel to get to Hope where the nice guys at 18 Bikes fit me another one. 😎
Yeah did a shirt ride today with the dog. The frost had given the claggy mud a nice crispy surface. Even though it was only an hour was really enjoyable, so much better than last weekend when it was horrible gunky mud.
Got a 70 mile road ride tomorrow, let’s hope for no frost here otherwise it’s back on the mountain bike or possibly the trainer.
We are in the Peak for the weekend. -3 on the dash this morning but not to be deterred we set of from Castleton do do a loop over to Ladybower and back.
First climb in the frosty mist was up the back of Win Hill and then along the top and down Potato Alley. Across to the other side and then down Lockerbrook and back up to go down Hagg Farm.
Up the Beast, near the top I smashed the rear mech on a rock and took it clean off. Bit of pushing, free wheeling and towing saw us back in Hope to get the bike fixed.
Still a great ride even with the mechanical.
@footflaps what tyre and size did you use this morning on your road ride?
Will be about 3 degrees when I set out tomorrow, but with it being wet overnight likely to be frosty and possibly icey on some sheltered areas.
I’ve got 3 choices of tyres… 32mm bontrager R2, heavy and a bit of a dull ride, 28mm Conti 5000 or 25mm Pro Ones. The Pro Ones are tubeless (on different wheels).
The frost soon went in Gloucestershire and Wiltshire the Savernake forest was nice and the Kennet and Avon canal was not to muddy along by Crofton etc bit of a chilly wind but lovely out there no one about much CX bike cuts through the mud like a dream.
Lovin the windsurfing shot. My new years resolution is to get back into it. So many years have gone by that I don’t even recognise the brands…Starboard and North?
Glad to see the fattys were out today – I did 30 miles on mine in some of the muddyest gloop for a while – hilarious but deffo not frozen
@footflaps what tyre and size did you use this morning on your road ride?
I was running 28mm GP4000s at about 70 psi. I didn’t pump them up this morning thinking I could use a bit of extra grip, normally run them at about 80psi, below that they are noticeably slower. Never once felt any loss of traction, although we did ride very gingerly round the corners for the first hour as it was decidedly black ice territory. Biggest problem was my hands, rode with fists in my gloves for the first two hours as my fingers wouldn’t warm up.
Boss let me have a last minute day off so my weekend started yesterday with a lovely ride in the Peak. Not a lot of frost in the pic but there was plenty around, plus lots of frozen puddles.
Today me and the Mrs went to Cannock, twas pretty bloody cold but the trails weren’t frozen unfortunately. I also worked out that the 2.3″ Shorty on the front of my hardtail isn’t great on the famous Cannock pebbles!
Back in the Peak tomorrow, hopefully for another sunny, frosty ride 🙂
Only night rides on frozen mud and icy slicks for me, last nights clear skies have given way to a more murky affair tonight. Got to try out the new Bikehut 1600 plus joystick combo though, i’m pleased, I think i’ve said bye bye to separate batteries and lights forever!
Some great pics as ever. So much better than rain and 8 degrees!
Frosty here this morning. Warmed up to a chilly 2 deg with a strong wind. But all of CwmCarn is now finally open again. Fantastic to ride both trails. Shame about the trees but it was a great day out after six hours of FoD Slop last week.
Didn’t take any pics today but the state of my bike tells you why we went to CwmCarn!
Went for a bivy last night above Malham. Got down to about -4/5C. Just lovely this morning, steady bimble across to Mastiles, and up to the top of Stockdale Lane. Met someone I hadn’t seen for over twenty years (!), second breakfast in the café in Airton then back.
I had a ride around ogden in West Yorkshire today trying out some new bigger rubber. Beautiful blue skies, minus 1. Riding through frozen puddles and there was a light dusting of snow. I was really enjoying the scenery until……..
No frost today in South Cambs, just loads of slop. Took the RAG+ out for a shake down, it would appear that I’ve traded a Hummer (fat bike), for a Lancia Stratos 😨. Spent most of the time on the bridleways and byways wondering if I’d made the right decision to get a gravel bike, but then when I hit the road I knew it was correct. It’ll be a flipping rocket ship when it stop raining and drys out.
A shake down ride wouldn’t be a shake down ride, without a bit of mid-ride adjustment.
Fat bike, or gravel bike, the local slop remains the same.
First proper outside ride since May, the heart and lungs wanted to get out of second gear, but the legs were screaming for mercy. Time to knuckle down and get the miles in, otherwise the Dirty Reiver 200 will be a death march.
Hard to judge road conditions alternating between grippyish white frost, damp but grippy, and shit! that’s black ice. 28mm GP4000s at 60psi approx and a relaxed attitude kept me upright. Then it started raining after my café stop, an unwelcome 1°C early shower. Still glad I braved it though.