I haven’t been able to ride my mountain bike for a whole week because of the snow. Yes, I could have ridden but I’ve never found that riding on snow is as entertaining as you might imagine. My only exercise has therefore been walking our dog, Freddie, including a very tough walk the day beforeContinue reading “Getting out after the snow.”
Category Archives: MTB
Short but sweet.
I’ve been continuing to work hard on some non mountain biking projects which has left my leg muscles feeling somewhat jaded. I’ve sold the pedal powered dinghy which I built in 2021 and have engaged on the build of an exciting new boat. The building process is very physical but I’m enjoying the process, whichContinue reading “Short but sweet.”
What a treat!
The weather in Northern England can change rapidly. It’s often like 4 seasons in one day! Our town of Chorley in Lancashire is actually said to be the second cloudiest place in Britain, probably due to our local hill, Healey Nab, trapping the cloud over the town as it spills in from the coast. ThisContinue reading “What a treat!”
A trail ride and a challenge.
After several days of surprisingly physical work in the garden it was time to ride my mountain bike. I even contemplated riding one of my classic bikes from the glorious days when full suspension was being rapidly developed. The ground has dried up considerably after many days without rain but it seemed more convenient toContinue reading “A trail ride and a challenge.”
Should I rise to a challenge?
A few years ago I discovered, through the app. Strava, a local mountain bike circuit. Only 3 riders have ever attempted it but joyfully, on my first serious attempt, I captured the King of the Mountains title for the fastest lap so far. I exchanged the title with “The Otter”, who reduced the time eventuallyContinue reading “Should I rise to a challenge?”
Trail riding with plenty of climbing.
Climbing is an excellent way to build fitness for mountain biking. Today I decided to ride to the hills around Rivington to get some ascent done. It’s a 4 mile road ride first, leading to a continuous 750 feet climb to Rivington Pike. The gradient varies and in places needed my lowest gear ratio andContinue reading “Trail riding with plenty of climbing.”
Time to train.
I noticed on the app. Strava that I’d only ridden my mountain bike 4 times so far in January so yesterday, the 24th, I knew it was time to train. I like to maintain my fitness year round but this winter has brought us some snow and ice which has impacted on my riding. TheContinue reading “Time to train.”
Riding in wet weather.
We’ve had an awful lot of rain in the 6 days since my last ride. The local trails would be very wet so not only was this unlikely to provide the usual level of entertainment but could also damage the trail. I wanted some exercise but don’t enjoy riding on the road on a mountainContinue reading “Riding in wet weather.”
When it’s too wet to ride but you ride anyway.
I planned a trail ride but as soon as I left the house it started to rain. It was fairly light rain and continued throughout the ride but once I was out I wasn’t going to turn back. I wanted the ride to be oriented towards stamina so would ride at a steady pace, gettingContinue reading “When it’s too wet to ride but you ride anyway.”
Training for recovery.
I need to train for recovery this year. I don’t mean recovery after a ride but rather after a big effort, such as a hill climb, during a mountain bike ride. It will be a big help as I negotiate my planned ride with 6 ascents totalling around 4,500 feet. I wanted a ride todayContinue reading “Training for recovery.”
Mountainbiker 