Todays ride

[frogatthefarriers]

My mate in work was telling me about a track from the radio masts by Llandegla, across the moors, down to Worlds End and then across the road and down along the Eglwyseg escarpment. I've ridden around the top of the rocks loads of times but couldn't picture how to get down to it. "Easy" I thought, "I'll just start at it from the other end and climb up to the top". A good idea? not as it tuned out, because what I thought was the end, wasn't.
I picked up a path below the rocks where generations of climbers have been going. A good path, fairly flat, with nice views and chats with the climbers (come form Anglesey), but it gradually petered out to a sheep track until this:-

This is at the top. To get there I carried/pushed up this:-

Half way :-


Eventually I found my way, via a carry/push of some 200 metres through waist-high heather/whinberry, to a path I knew I could follow. I crossed the top of Worlds End and along the lane to the start of the Offas' Dyke path across the moors to Llandegla forest. There I got talking to a young chap called Jamie about this escarpment track and he very kindly offered to show me where it started. The plan was to cross the moors, climb to the radio masts, then take a trail back down across the moors to the escarpment. But, crossing the moors to Llandegla, I was embarassed to be left far behind - Jamie was able to ride so much faster than me that he had to wait twice for me to catch up. In only a mile I didn't want to spoil his day by making him wait for me every few hundred metres, so at Llandegla we parted company, him into the trail centre, me to the radio masts and down to the car in Llangollen.

I was very touched by his kind offer to change his plans for the day. There are some nice people out there!

[redefined_cycles]

That scenery looks absolutely fab. Me and the siblings have fond memories of Llandeggla. Your pics make me wanna come and try find that track too well done

[redefined_cycles]

Managed to just get a Mary Townley Loop done. 2nd time. Conditions were near perfect for it and I got not as much mud over the bike and me as would be expected...

[pistonbroke]

My sequence of slightly surreal days out watching pro road racing continued today. The Volta a Cataluna, a 7 stage race which attracts all the top teams, came close to where we live so we decided to have a day out. MrsPB fancied some beach time so stationed herself in Cambrils where there was a points sprint on the prom whilst I headed off up into the mountains along some sections we use on the C2C trip. I ended up at the top of the 650m Coll de Alforja where an absolutely freezing wind quickly turned my fingers numb. Tried to get a few photos but was struggling to work the camera in the cold so as soon as the riders had passed, it was on the bike and back down to the warmth of the seaside. I'd worked out a route to avoid the race and possible road closures and as the descent levelled out a bit, I was suprised to catch up with a rider in full team Sky kit with matching Pinerello, being persued by a chap on a UK registered scooter with spare wheels on the back. Lo and behold it's God himself, Sir Dave Brailsford who seemed a bit taken aback by a Brit pulling alongside shouting "ay up Dave!" We chatted for a bit and he seemed aware of my helping the UCI on the Angrilu in 2017, the last time I'd seen him to talk to. The guy on the scooter was beckoned forward and we drafted him for a while until he turned off to go to the stage finish. Notwithstanding the cold, a grand day out, 50 mile circuit with 1,000+m of uphill and a chat with one of cycling's nice guys.

[middleagedmadness]

Thought to myself in the week sh#te my bimble round the bigbear is only a couple of weeks away better get some mileage and hills in , living in West mids I'm missing the hills part so I know what I used to do over two days down to Scotts I'll do in a day, headed off this morning down the canal over the million ,(the pink dungeon has now gone to anyone who knows the area ) then a few roads through enville dropped onto a nice bridleway through Arley and upto stottesdon ,feckin Garmin had a eppi so had to restart it (missing out about 2-3mile) up over the clee and some more lane work to wenlock edge only to find the edge was cordoned off as some cattle had got Ill, so loose the elevation I had gained and the road back into much wenlock ,up the bridleways and down to iron bridge , Telford and then back on to canal home all in all 97 mile and 5600ft alt gain , pretty happy with myself as 4 years ago didn't think I was keeping my leg and could just about manage a 6mile lap round the local trail center ,ooh and when I got to the top of the clee there was still a bit of snow left over

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[BigdummySteve]

Sterling work stu, I’m in a similar position regarding miles. Spanish coast to coast looming and I’m struggling for miles. With work and family stuff it’s difficult to put consistent miles in, the one encouraging thing is that after the last few big rides I’ve been very hungry for a day or so rather than hurting. Hopefully it’s the body shifting up a gear, a process which seems to happen to me on proper multi day rides. When I did my jogle I was eating an enormous amount and plodding along for 14 hours.

[RIP]

97 not out - yeah good effort matey.

'Big Bear'. 'bimble'. Er.

[middleagedmadness]

97 not out - yeah good effort matey.

'Big Bear'. 'bimble'. Er.

Well I can hardly state it's a itt effort when I only go slow and slower reg ,bit like a old diesel engine smoke a lot ,hard to get started and just keep plodding ,the only itt effort I can obtain is pints drunk in a bar ,but sadly seem to be lacking at this recently too

[RIP]

PS. it could still be an ITT chap - but you'd have the extra weight of a calendar to time yourself with

[ScotRoutes]

Today's "ride" involved running shoes and a 10km route from Glenlivet Distillery. I even managed a Veloviewer square.

[whitestone]

Today's "ride" involved running shoes and a 10km route from Glenlivet Distillery.

That just sounds so wrong

[RIP]

It was only 1km in a straight line

[Alpinum]

This is at the top. To get there I carried/pushed up this:-

Half way :-

Good stuff

[summittoppler]

Ticked another summit of my list today. Pen Llithrig y Wrach in the Carneddau stands at 799m metres and the last 350m was a push/carry. The mist was just skipping the summit when I got there but within 10 minutes of leaving the blue skies appeared. After some off piste descending I made the track alongside Colwyd which lies beneath the mountain.
20190407_121546 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Cowlyd to the right and Eigiau to the left where i started from
20190407_112903 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Looking down to the Eigiau cottage which I've got booked for a night next week with my boys
20190407_102831 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Suns out!
20190407_123444 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Tryfan looking as splendid as always
20190407_130258 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Cowlyd
20190407_132640 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20190407_134754 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20190407_102905 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

[fatbikephil]

Good pics there folks, been two days of easterly winds and horizontal dreich here. Out for a good long ride round local trails today and encountered much mud, all good fun and the easterly made for a nice tailwind on the way home.

[gallowayboy]

Lovely pics summittoppler - Slippery hill of the witch is one of the best hill names anywhere, twice ended up knackered on there after long hot days climbing long easy routes on Craig yr ysfa. Now I'm envious as nearly all of my rides are local loops in the South Pennines - not as spectacular but still...
Spent an enjoyable couple of hours in the sun and wind this morning on the techier drops of Stoodley Pike..

Cant believe how weedy my Stanton looks next to mates Trek Stache!

[summittoppler]

Lovely pics summittoppler - Slippery hill of the witch is one of the best hill names anywhere,

Thanks, tbh I csn see this hill everyday from my front step (when its not cloudy) and have been itching to bag it for a while. I walked up with one of my sons a couple of years back and thought no chance. However after a few bevvies Saturday night my thoughts on Sunday morning were fuzzy!

[gallowayboy]

Did you push up from the top of Cwm eigiau and drop down the same way? Good effort!

[gallowayboy]

Ah I've worked out your route now....!

[Alan63]

First ride of the year to work. Gorgeous sunny day with a heavy frost on the ground. Roads quiet as schools still off. Hopefully all days will be like this!!

[JoseMcTavish]

Was a lovely, sunny but cold evening yesterday so I headed out straight from work on a ride I've been meaning to do for years but never got round to: The Seven Hills of Aberdeen

First up was Tullos Hill, which is about five minutes from work:


Not far away from here is Kincorth Hill, with it's slightly hidden trig point:


With this side of the river done, I crossed over and made my way along the Deeside railway line, before turning off and heading up Contlaw Hill. The trig here is ridiculously overgrown with spiky gorse:


Closer view after a bit of climbing and squeezing down an adjacent field:


Next, I made my way across to Blacktop and the climb up to the Kingshill trig point:


I found a new way off the hill that deposited me near Kingswells, from where I took the back way up Brimmond Hill:


After a swift tarmac descent I crossed the road and made my way round the rocky, rooty track to climb Elrick Hill (No trig here though):




The light was fading, but I reckoned I could manage hill number 7 before dark:


Some enjoyable singletrack got me to the A96, which I sprinted across and made my way on forestry tracks to conquer Tyrebagger Hill in the fading light:


Pleased with my night's work, I pootled off home on the usual mix of farm and park tracks to keep it feeling like a mountain bike ride.

[fatbikephil]

Top pics Jose!
Did a nice circuit in the Ben Alder area today including a new trail! Started at Dalwhinnie, down loch Ericht then across to Culra. From there I eschewed the bealach dhu (it looked a bit snowy) and jump over to the Alt Cam and up another ace single track up An Lairig. The trail faded out eventually and there was a bit of a gap (involving peat hags) to get through to pick up another fab path which linked back to Lochan Earba. Thereafter it was a steady ride up the Pattack into a stiff easterly breeze. Stopped to chat to a couple of lads from Glasgow with bikepacking kit then back to the car.
I;ve got photos but my new phone isn't speaking to my computer

It was sunny!

[ScotRoutes]

Phil - I walked that "missing" section many moons ago. I assumed it might have became a bit of a track since then though.

[fatbikephil]

Phil - I walked that "missing" section many moons ago. I assumed it might have became a bit of a track since then though.

There is a faint line through most of it and its rideable where its close to the burn. The last section of the marked path and the first few hundred metres of the gap is pretty rough over lots of peat hags. Fine yesterday as it was pretty dry but probably one to avoid in the wet... Where the marked trail starts again you only go about a half k then its onto a newish gravel track.

[whitestone]

If you look at the map on the "who owns scotland?" website http://www.whoownsscotland.org.uk/geo/i ... layers=B0T you can see there's an estate boundary (Ben Alder and Ardverikie) between the two tracks.