The temperature yesterday never rose above freezing but this morning was more like 5 celcius. We had strong winds from the east yesterday whilst today the wind was still blowing strongly, now from a warmer southerly direction. With no rain or significant snow since early last week it’s amazing how dry the ground has become.Continue reading “Perfect winter conditions, and a broken bike.”
A dry day in winter.
I could tell when I walked my dog, Freddie, this morning that conditions were going to be good for mountain biking. After what’s seemed like a wet winter we now have a cold period. It’s colder than it’s been for at least 10 years with winds blowing from the east. We are more used toContinue reading “A dry day in winter.”
Safety first?
I enjoyed my last ride to the top of Great Hill. I climbed around 1,500 feet and loved the downhill, which lasted for over 15 minutes. I would have liked to do the same ride today but it snowed overnight so I thought about the potential dangers of riding an exposed area of high ground,Continue reading “Safety first?”
Returning to Great Hill.
My last ride was superb. The wind dried, frost hardened ground rode like it would have done in summer, in places. A real treat in our coldest winter in 10 years. I’d hoped that the cold conditions were going to persist to give me another good ride but things have warmed up by quite aContinue reading “Returning to Great Hill.”
Pretending it’s summer.
Due to the trail conditions, a mixture of ice, snow and sticky mud, my riding has been a little limited recently. I decided to improve the situation yesterday, by planning a trail ride for today suited to dry conditions and pretending it was summer. Yesterday was dry and windy whilst last night we had aContinue reading “Pretending it’s summer.”
Boat building. Part 1.
I don’t really know why I feel I must build a boat. I had a dinghy when I was a kid and my son, Dylan, and I briefly had a dinghy when he was younger. My boat will be pedal powered from a recumbent seating position, so it will give me similar exercise to cycling.Continue reading “Boat building. Part 1.”
Brushing up on my cornering technique.
Each month I receive a copy of Mountain Bike Ride magazine (MBR). I bought the first ever edition many years ago because it was clearly aimed at adults, whilst the other UK options at the time seemed to be oriented towards the youth. I haven’t always read the mag. but for a few years I’veContinue reading “Brushing up on my cornering technique.”
The difference between bikes and boats.
Stupid title? Read on if you’d like to know how differently bikes and boats perform as the speed increases. I’ve ridden bikes the whole of my life but only now am I building a boat. I haven’t had a big project for a good few years and had always intended to build a sixth sportsContinue reading “The difference between bikes and boats.”
Riding in the sunshine.
After days of rain and slushy snow the prospects for a mountain bike ride didn’t look good. This morning I walked the dog in a very muddy Duxbury Woods but towards the end of the walk the sun broke through. I realised that I might not get a better day for a while so IContinue reading “Riding in the sunshine.”
A new project.
Today I walked my dog, Freddie, up the canal bank. Our nearest canal is the 127 mile long Leeds/Liverpool and although it no longer carries commercial traffic it’s still busy with leisure craft. When I got back home I returned to the canal on my mountain bike. About 25 years ago I rode 100 milesContinue reading “A new project.”
Mountainbiker 