Today started cloudy with a light breeze wafting from the north. I decided to have my second try at one of the two targets which I’ve set myself for this year’s mountain biking. It’s a simple matter of beating my best time from last year from the top of Edge Gate Lane to the summitContinue reading “A target beaten. Just!”
Exploring a new hill.
Today I rode to my nearest hill, Healey nab. So what made it a new hill to explore? The felling of 2,500 larch trees and massive damage by the tree felling equipment left little available to ride but in just a month trails are now emerging which I’ve ridden a number of times. Today IContinue reading “Exploring a new hill.”
13 minutes 50 seconds.
Thirteen minutes and fifty seconds was the time I set last time I rode from the top of Great Hill down a big, mainly downhill trail to the Goit, which is a straightened river. Today my plan was to ride the same downhill but making sure it wasn’t a race against myself, with the inherentContinue reading “13 minutes 50 seconds.”
Back to reality.
My last ride was something special. I rode a long downhill, shaving over a minute and a half from my previous time. I also set a new fastest ever time for a segment of the downhill on the app. Strava. I beat my previous best time by 2 seconds and crucially was a second fasterContinue reading “Back to reality.”
15 minutes 27 seconds.
Today I thought I’d ride a long, by local standards, downhill mountain bike trail which I’ve only ridden in it’s entirety once before. That was on the 20th April and it took me 15 minutes and 27 seconds. I had to slow for walkers and dogs a few times on that occasion but I don’tContinue reading “15 minutes 27 seconds.”
Strava. Creating a segment.
After a few days of showery rain I rode Healey Nab today. It’s our nearest significant hill and rises to 680 feet above sea level. From our side the climb starts on pasture where sheep, and occasionally cows, sometimes graze. There are two steeper parts which provide excitement riding down. Today I took it fairyContinue reading “Strava. Creating a segment.”
Trophies.
Some people have lots of trophies in their houses from things they’ve competed in or won at school. Ours is not such a house. My son has won trophies in the Scouts, for instance, but had to hand them back after having it for a year. I’ve never bothered saving things like the medals youContinue reading “Trophies.”
I can’t stop riding my new favourite trail!
I have fitted a new 11 speed cassette to my Boardman FS Pro mountain bike. That means that this year it’s had a new mech. and the 3 components of the transmission, chain, chainring and now cassette. This must have cost me over £200 in total but should last a couple of years, though IContinue reading “I can’t stop riding my new favourite trail!”
Bike and body maintenance.
I recently changed the chainring of my Boardman FS Pro mountain bike. I’d been losing the chain occasionally so thought it was time. The 3 components of the drive train, chain, chainring and cassette of, in this case 11 gears, all wear together so often if you change one part the chain slips and youContinue reading “Bike and body maintenance.”
Finding Valhalla.
To a viking warrior heaven was Valhalla, a paradise of drinking, eating and fighting. In my personal Valhalla I’d drop the fighting and replace it with mountain biking! The north of England had a long history of Viking invasion, starting with raids as far back as 793 AD. Vikings were not just raiders and thievesContinue reading “Finding Valhalla.”
Mountainbiker 