Todays ride

[MuddyPete]

...as I was departing I nosily asked if her partner rode at all. Nope, can't, so he's next! And so the snowball rolls......

Perhaps take the 8g stove, brew kit, tarp and introduce the family to the simple pleasure of stopping for "a nice cup of tea and a sit-down" .


But mebbe leave the table, tea-set and cake stand at home....for now .

[whitestone]

The weather was a bit pants around Skipton but it looked as if it would be better further north so we headed up to have a ride around Swaledale. We parked up at Castle Bolton and then rode up to cross the oddly named Redmire Forest, nary a tree in sight - gets in the sightlines of the knobs and their targets

Our initial aim was a bridleway across the moor that neither of us had done before. I'd sort of memorised the route to pick it up but on the ground there were rather more tracks than on the map With a bit of luck (and coming across another shooting hut suitable for a bivy) we got on the right line



The bridleway is one of those silly ones that stops in the middle of nowhere at another curious name - Snowden Man, a boundary stone, don't think that the shooting huts have anything to do with that. It started off nice and grassy



There were a few soft spots but most were rideable until a particularly soggy one.





Shortly after the above shot the BW joined a wider track and dropped down to the road at one of the bridges that had been washed out in the storm 18 months ago. This was the scene of the well known shot from the 2014 Tour de France.



A bit of lunch and a chat at Dales Bike Centre then back up onto Harkerside Moor.



This was into the wind so the descent into Apedale was a bit chilly. The long expected rain arrived just as we were descending back to the start.

The initial BW just happened to cross a VV square that extended my max cluster by 27 squares

[fatbikephil]

Looks a good route Bob - I like that area around Apedale (despite the post industrial devastation!) but never done that bit over Redmire moor either. Mum and Dad were at a holiday cottage in Askrigg last month and had said the campsite behind the pub looked good so I'm planning an excursion there as part of my YD300 trip and will check that route out.

[Boab]

Decided to go for a ride this morning to try and get the new tyres sealed up. Opened the shed to find both totally flat, which wasn't a good start. Rather than doing one large loop, I decided to do a short figure of eight, so I could pass the house and pump the tyres up if needed.


At the end of the first loop, the rear was practically flat and the drag was horrific. So I pumped them up, and off we went again, although it was pretty obvious that the sealant wasn't do a very good job of sealing anything...


I decided to try and find the limit of the new tyres, which wasn't very hard, and I ended up on my arse in a nettle patch. Other than that, they're better than the GravelKing SKs in the slop, but once they're covered in poor show, they're no different to any other tyre. Back to the house, pump up the tyres, head off on another loop. Back to the house, pump up the tyres, head off on another loop.


I quite fancied doing another couple of loops, but I was getting bored of pumping the tyres up every 10 - 12 km. On the final loop, the front only lost ~5psi, which the rear has lost ~15psi. I've pumped them both up to 50psi and I'll see how flat they are in a few hours. My initial impressions are that Végétalex and WTB tyres are not compatible, disappointing...

[Boab]

When I got out the the shed this morning, both tyres were still inflated, which was a good start. They'd both lost some where around 20psi over night though. I set them up at 35psi on the front and 40psi on the rear, then headed out into the fens. Unfortunately, when I stopped to take my first photograph, I found that they were still pissing sealant out of the sidewalls:


Ah, the fens...


Such brilliant riding...


I don't know what happened, but I was cycling down the middle of a slightly rutted byway, then I was doing an impersonation of Superman straight into a drainage ditch. Initially I thought it was just a bruised ego, but when I whipped my knee warmers off in the house, the inside of my right knee must have hit the bike, or something in the ditch, and I've lost a load of skin. Could've been I could've landed in the bottom of the ditch, rather than on the other side.


By this point, it was obvious that the tyres had lost some pressure, but I was in no mood to stop and faff, so it was a slow grind back to the house. Both tyres had lost around 15psi, so I can only conclude that Effetto Mariposa Végétalex is poor show at sealing WTB tyres...

[Verena]

...was warm, dry, sunny, reasonably flat, and on quiet, beautifully smooth tarmac roads.
You'd have hated it.
(From Holyhead along north coast of Anglesey/ copper trail-ish, past Wylfa, lunchtime sea swim, then back via Parys Mountain, the two big lakes in the middle, and RAF Valley then Treaddur bay. I know they are noisy, polluting, and evil machines of war and all that, but it isn't half exciting to have fighter jets in formation fly past so close several times)

[Boab]

Horrible murky and drizzly conditions this morning; jacket on, jacket off, jacket on, jacket off. Cold and wet by the time I got back to the house.

[Mariner]

First day it was not lashing with rain on Wednesday so went for the tentative ride for first time in several weeks. Just round the block type of bimble. Went well so tried a hill to see how fit I was and managed it without using lowest gear. When I reached the junction where it is right to head back home or left for carry on up the steep hill I turned left. Cleaned it but not without some effort well in the red.


Second big hill is the worst. Fifteen minutes on a Devon Lane used as a rat run by people in 4x4s late for picking the kids up. Up to that point I had been full of love and peace to all but by the time I got home it had somewhat evaporated.
Riding on a brand new saddle that appears to be working and decided to dump all the local bumbling stuff on the bike. Over the last day or so removed mudguards and saddle bag, replaced saddle, replaced Selcof carbon bar and 50mm stem and refitted Loops with 70mm stem.
Feels like a new bike.

[Boab]

Should've gone for my BAM last night, but the rain that was forecast for exactly the time I would be heading for my stop put me off. Instead, I got up early and headed out on a 165km loop. It ended up being 168km, as I got 1.5km down the road and realised I'd forgotten a mask, which I'd need for the cafe stops.

Conditions were variable.



Some byways and bridleways were still in OK condition, but most has reverted to unridable slop, at least my skill level meant they were unridable. You know you're flogging a dead horse when your front wheel bogs down and you come to a shuddering halt while going downhill.



I had to take shelter in an open sided barn at one point, as it was hosing it down. Full of hay bails, with a perfect sleeping platform, I may have to return. Shortly there after, we came to a ploughed and tilled field, given the state of the chap who'd just ridden over it on a proper mountain bike, I escaped around the edge, life it too short.



I was struggling after the second cafe stop, with my average speed dropping right down and I just had to concentrate on turning the pedals. Then at about 150km the wheels properly fell off, everything hurt, hyperventilating, barely able to make any forward progress. We eventually made it home, and had to spend about half an hour flat on my back with my legs up, and it was a couple of hours before we started feeling "normal" again.

[MuddyPete]

...well, yesterday's.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPiNDl2BLo0 ... =copy_link

A delightfully sunny bimble involving slobbering horses; steep ups; blisteringly-fast and long downs ; massive handlebars; bi-planes and paragliders; Land Rovers in their natural habitat; despondent gnomes ; rural mansions with stone letterboxes; sublime sunsets.

[faustus]

Good effort K1100T!

Luckily dried out a lot here and it's 24'C again! Got out for the first time in a couple of weeks at lunchtime today and it was lovely. My favourite local loop, which is only about 10 miles but has lots of lovely off road bits and variety, and a beautiful bit of trail just a few yards from a road but you wouldn't know it. Now to make hay while the sun shines...

[ScotRoutes]

Sunday ride was helping Piemonster recce the Cairngorm Loop route.

Started in Blair Atholl, with a ride up Glen Tilt. Looks like they've completed shooting the scenes for the new Star Wars movie, with just some props left.







Then on to the Falls of Tarf





For those that don't know Glen Tilt, there's a high penalty for failure on some of the singletrack sections.





Still some snow on the south-facing Cairngorm summits



Geldie-Feshie watershed was pretty dry.



Still some water flowing down the Eidart though!





Colins Howff still stands. I had dreams of trying to repair this a little but I doubt it has much time left.



Glen Feshie looking resplendent. Lots of new growth with the ongoing zero deer policy.



Piemonster on one of the rare times I was ahead of him (only because he'd stopped for a moment).



The crossing of the Allt Loch an Duin. Looking a lot more tame than it did two years ago.






We made it back to Blair Atholl just before Food in the Park closed so inhaled a chippy!!

[Jurassic]

I'm just back from an overnighter gravel exploration of the Knapdale area with a friend with a nice camp spot with views of Islay and Jura.
Knapdale bikepacking. by Jurassic690, on Flickr

[Verena]

Nice! Got to love a night by the sea!

[RIP]

Went for a wobble round the woods last night with MuddyPete. Very convivial as we stopped for a drink using a tree stump as a suitable table, just enjoying the stillness of the warm evening. I believe Pete has some photos of the proceedings too.

There's all sorts of woodcarved sculptures dotted around the woods these days...



Pete explicitly wanted to see some rhododendrons. Well there were certainly a heck of a lot of them...



We were burbling on about something or other at one point and I remember saying "Well what's the worst that could happen?" and Pete's succinct response was "nothing", which I thought was easily the most thought-provoking moment of the day. Brilliant.

We'd originally mused on a longer ride but Pete offered that the Red Lion might be open so we rode there instead and unfortunately it was. We were given table 42 (strange - there were only about ten tables) which allowed me to continue the philosophical mood.... 42... beer... beer... 42... geddit?....



I seemed to be a bit shutter-happy last night with a lot of mistaken clicks. I can only assume my beer-affected judgment thought it would be a good idea to take one of my black shorts....



An information board seemed to have got a couple of its dates somewhat adrift!



We liked the chairs though. No idea why I took this one!



At one point I posed the question "What are the three events in your early life that led on to aspects that influenced and loomed large in your later life?". More specifically something someone encouraged you to get into or introduced you to, like a hobby or something. I won't tell you what our answers were but we had fun analysing them for quite a while. What would yours be?

We were having such a nice time that we'd omitted to note the encroaching dusk and darkness....



It had also started raining and I was only sporting a T shirt, shorts, sandals ( yee-e-e-es! ) and a sunhat. And no front light since we were only out for a short ride. Pete decided the best way home was along the canal towpath. I asked the earlier question again: "what could possibly go wrong?". In fact it was fantastically exhilarating - barrelling along in the glow of Pete's light inches from the water. Reminded me of my old Petzl Zoom days! Got back safely but wet through and reflected once again that the simple pleasure of extreme silliness is vastly underrated. Explaining our evening to the Normals would elicit baffled looks 99% of the time I'm sure.

[RIP]

Pete's asked me to park a couple of his pics up too....

[RIP]

Pete'd asked us to bring along something to drink. His beverage of choice was coffee made in his dinky pot and tiny mug - very nice. Unfortunately I'd misinterpreted what he meant by 'drink'. He says I'm being a bit cagey and should confess what I'd opted for. Go on then. Well come on it was a hot day....















(one of my fave shirts that ^)

Cheers!

[Verena]

ridiculous!!

What's next, ice cubes? A dynamo powered mini freezer?

(Please no, don't tell me such a thing exists already...)

[Boab]

[MuddyPete]

It's always a delight to spend time with the local vicar .

The scent of lime and alcohol wafting through the breeze was delicious...I was very envious...and so were those chaps toiling up the hill next to us as Reverend Reg imbibed and I sipped my espresso .

Not the ride I expected...and all the better for it . Serendipitous indeed.

[RIP]

It's always a delight to spend time with the local vicar .

Bless you my son

Not the ride I expected.

Seems to be a fixed feature of our outings

[frogatthefarriers]

Went for a wobble round the woods last night with MuddyPete. Very convivial as we stopped for a drink instead and unfortunately it was. We were given table 42 (strange - there were only about ten tables) which allowed me to continue the philosophical mood.... 42... beer... beer... 42... geddit?....

You don't get any more philosophical than that. According to Deep Thought (Hitchhikers Guide), the meaning of life is 42. According to us lesser mortals, it's beer. To get both together is remarkable. Thought provoking, at least….

[Boab]

Went out this morning. It was wet, then it got wetter. I need betterer waterproofs, by which I mean ones that actually breathe.

[ledburner]

Went for a wobble round the woods last night with MuddyPete. Very convivial as we stopped for a drink instead and unfortunately it was. We were given table 42 (strange - there were only about ten tables) which allowed me to continue the philosophical mood.... 42... beer... beer... 42... geddit?....

You don't get any more philosophical than that. According to Deep Thought (Hitchhikers Guide), the meaning of life is 42. According to us lesser mortals, it's beer. To get both together is remarkable. Thought provoking, at least….

better than 2 4 T!

[Boab]

I don't think I need to say much more...