Todays ride

[RIP]

Otters and eagles! Impressive. But that's just winding us urbanites up .

In fact just noticed it's otters plural. Hah! Not fair .

[Keith74]

Otters and eagles! Impressive. But that's just winding us urbanites up .

In fact just noticed it's otters plural. Hah! Not fair .

Best not mention being able to wander down to the beach in the village and watch otters with my morning coffee.

To be fair it’s the first dry day in 2 weeks so it’s not all brilliant.

[redefined_cycles]

Did a 100 miles in these last 7 days of the year. All mountain bike and after being away from the bike(s) for almost 5 weeks. Raised over £600 for human rights so well worth the effort. Not technically today but I'm gonna share em anyway - cos they were unbelievably tough of which I never realised.

So, ride day one was a lovely 35 miler I'd crafted. Adding in some of the gnarliest off-road sections around Huddersfield. If I'm honest I think I overdid it but at least I managed to climb the 'curly' climb that has uneven cobbles that are greasy as anything and if you don't concentrate you're either slipping off on the cobbles, sliding away with the brown leaves, or don't managed to make the 'curl' and ride straight into the wall.

If you're really fortunate you end up coming off early and walk the 12% or whatever but then you have the adding risk of falling flat faced first! Added drama was that I'd brought my mate who's a roadie and newbie to mtb. Highlight of the ride was when he told me he was flagging at mile 23 or 25 so I didn't need to let him know that I too was falling apart.

Reminded me of the time my mate brought a Haglofs jacket (PC Kris) despite me protesting. Then at the top of Wessy Head it started hailing and I'd taken off my gloves waiting for the rest. Thankfully he started falling apart with hypothermia before me so we rescued him by findin shelter in a shop and putting the 'rambo' black bin liner over him after removing his Haglofs and everything else on the torso. Noone ever realised I'd be next!

Anyway, some pics...

I love this Strava map that proves to myself why I'm so knackered. After this there was 3 days recovery whilst I went to work.


My mate Zubair looking like he's being beamed in by the winter sun.



Next ride, he was off with full-on 'I've probably overdone it with an mtb marathon in winter on proper trails- flu'. So I had to go out myself. Being careful to not try and enter Huddersfield and them nasty trails... But at the same time keeping it real with lots of proper mountain biking. Twas greasy and muddy once again.


Maybe this was the highlight of the ride when the farmer pressed the remote-controlled gate open. Felt like royalty and gave him a big smile and thanks/wave... Maybe he thought I was a bit retarded but it was a real happy moment in my life. Possibly one of the best for 2022.


Ride 3 and it was meant to be my last day. But departure at 0500 soon became, after 12... So the 45 miler was ignored and a tiny 15 miler made. Thankfully I got back with another 12 miles under the belt and just about hanging in there. 68 miles complete with lots of slipperyud and psi in the rear tyre down to about 8 or 10 I reckon. Winter mountain biking I never realised would be this tough.

I was just so glad that Idnot gone for the full 45 miles. But tomorrow wasy last day to complete this self-resrticted charity challenge. Restricted to coincide with the Rapha500 ride which has the roadies doing 500km in these last 7 days. Money raised so far was about £350, so peanuts really...


This may have been a highlight pic of the ride that day.


The final day came and 33 miles ramaining. What's too hard about that I thought, but in the morning it all became too appparent. A start time of 0500, again shifted and eventually departing at 1330. That pic above reminded me what the 'zwifters' dont expereince. Everything in perfectly complete real life imagery (can we still call it pixels if it's full human-eye resolution) and it encouargedme on.

Today I had the difficulty of needing to complete at least 2 sets of preayers out on the trails. Thankfully the waterproof jacket wasntneeded early in the ride and I found water at just about the right time - just after I'd needed a wee and had already complete my first set (of prayers - Asar to be precise). Because the mileage wasn't going over the minimal limits of travel, I wouldn't be able to shorten/combine the prayers as is given tot he traveller.


That little water-works was spied coming out of some rocks.


Thankfully it was 'not cold enough' that I could strip off the fleecy jacket in prep for making ablution. The scramble down and up was a bit daunting.


But I somehow managed to get down the muddy bank. Make my whudu (ablution), fill up the water bottle and get back up. Prayers could now wait until sunset when maghrib would start but with only a small window of about an hour. Thankfully I found somewhere that I could put down my waterproof jacket (as the prayer mat) without it becoming a soggy mess.


Walked across this nasty puddle that was the size of the trail and about 7 metres long. The Cateye light worked excellent though to help me find my footing on the only rocks/bricks that were available. So no need to test how waterproof my 'cld rdy' Adidas winter boots actually were.

A bit further down I realised the drizzle was becoming a bit toouch for comfort, so stopped and put on all my waterproofs - top and bottom. I also ate one of the sarnies I'd been saving yo try and pace the ride/solid food. Within 15 minutes though and I'd stopped and eaten the other sarnie too.


This was probably the highlight of the 'oh shizzle, where have I come'. Remember I said (implied) I wasn't gonna come to Huddersfield again. Well, I was in Last of the Summer Wine country now and this bridleway was some sprt of joke. Thankfully I had no newbies with me so didn't need to become victim of some violent attack of 'where the heck have you brought us'.

Best way to describe is that it was a narrow gully. Climbing to the steepest section of the entire route. With no footholds on either side and them hardcore thorns on one side - you know, the ones that them horrible farmers lay out on the bridleways to try and attack out tubeless tires!

Managed to somehow get up it by balancing against the bike whilst it rolled on one side and I leaned on it whilst being on the other (side of the gully). Got to the top and needed to scramble up a rocky stream that seemed to have been formed from the soggy weather of the previous weeks. It was lovely in the dark!!

Alhamdulillah it was after this that I'd met the aforementioned bench (where I put on my 'proofs' and ate the sarnies) and it could be argued that the rest of the 15 miles home were plain sailing.


Met a wall and realised how much rockery a tiny section of dry stone walling actually takes. I did'nt break it!

Met some sheep and they were all, 'the black sheep'. So they must bully any poor white brother that comes along - hopefully not...



Then included this little geezer in my final Strava ride as the main pic. Beautiful little man who's part of the 'the syrian families'. A group of 40 families who live on a building site in Turkey. My mate (Fazl, the German in London) and his family/friends help support these families with meals and vouchers etc to try and cover their expenses - if anyone ever wants to help em out a little then feel free and I can pass on the details of this legendary individual...

THE END

Oh... money raised thus far, is now just short of £700 and I'm confident this poor soul - they call her, Lady Al Qaeda in the media but thatsonly to dehumanise her and normalise the various rapes and tortures, Guantanamos and Bargrams shesbeen through. She's a loving person who specialised in teachin kids (that was the nature of her pHD AFAIK) and she has 2 lovely children at home waiting her return. She also holds the evidence of various pigs that abused her and may God give her the justice she deserves...

https://tinyurl.com/hs284k29 in case anyone wants to spare a few quid, but no pressure and totally understand why most people are/can be reluctant!

[fatbikephil]

Continuing the sploshy rides them, I did the first circuit of the year round my local hills....



The weekend before xmas I spent 3 hours pushing the fatty through knee deep windslab up here. This is all that's left....



Just a few dots of snow now, more left up north but you need to be above 900 metres for it to be of any use.
The trails weren't actually too bad - soggy but not completely awash as I'd expected; and I managed to get all the way up the first climb (50-725m) clean. The bike ended up covered in grass rather than mud.

[PaulE]

2 very muddy, slow and hugely enjoyable laps of Sheffield today on the stooge. Course check and then sweeping/removing the signs from the Round Sheffield Run so the second lap was interrupted every 10-200m by having a sign to take down and put in my bag...

Spent the last 18km riding with a runner who was in his first event back after a stroke - nearly an hour slower than the others in his class, and 10 minutes behind everyone else on course, but I was hugely proud of him and happy to be part of his comeback!

Had to chuck the bike in a river 3 times during the day to clear mud off, but was surprised how good the maxxis chronicle (which I forgot to swap for something knobblier last night) was in the mud.

[redefined_cycles]

2 very muddy, slow and hugely enjoyable laps of Sheffield today on the stooge. Course check and then sweeping/removing the signs from the Round Sheffield Run so the second lap was interrupted every 10-200m by having a sign to take down and put in my bag...

Spent the last 18km riding with a runner who was in his first event back after a stroke - nearly an hour slower than the others in his class, and 10 minutes behind everyone else on course, but I was hugely proud of him and happy to be part of his comeback!

Had to chuck the bike in a river 3 times during the day to clear mud off, but was surprised how good the maxxis chronicle (which I forgot to swap for something knobblier last night) was in the mud.

Well done you for bearing with this new/old runner. Reminds me of my first ever mtb event. It was for the local cricket club up at Golcar/Huddersfield and their scouts club. Colne Valley MTB Challenge that hit the northern most part of the Peaks and my first event ever (sorry, I know I said that already).

Anyway, before this I never actually knew what mountain biking was - nor the difference between the long green dashed line and short one - and used to ride the canal towpaths thinking this is it. Turned up in my tshirt but with my mechanical gear etc. 30 miler loop of 4k elevation and lots of gnarl. Jonny (I'll never forget what he did for me) followed me in his 4x4 and never let on how slow I was. He was the chap taking down the arrows and even offered a lift to which I'd refused.

Probabyly took me about 6 hours on a route that's supposed to be sub4 for the slowest rider. I'll try and find the haitorical finish times, but my point is that this chap/chappette willnever forgrt what you did for him/her yesterday. Well done Paul (and thanks.

[redefined_cycles]

Oh... and the Chronicles. There's a reason why they clean up so easily and well in the mud. Almost killed me a on a few slides in winter mud

[PaulE]

Oh... and the Chronicles. There's a reason why they clean up so easily and well in the mud. Almost killed me a on a few slides in winter mud

Thanks for the positivity above, I lead out and sweep a few running events each year and the folk who are only just scraping round always make me proud - not sure it's running, but it's definitely an achievement!

Chronicle (front only, got a cannoli on the back, but forgot to put the front on in time) was wierdly cyclo-cross feeling in grip... Sometimes great, and others completely useless, but at least it did not turn into a massive clay and slop coated mess like minions and other knobbly but not very spaced out tyres tend to.

[sean_iow]

the folk who are only just scraping round always make me proud - not sure it's running, but it's definitely an achievement!

Bit OT but... I competed at a Duathalon a few years back. Everyone had finished apart from one guy, turns out he'd got confused by the arrows and run and extra 5k or more. They were about to start the prize giving when I suggested we wait for him, the organiser wanted to get on with it. I spotted him on the horizon and said 'there he is' and with that everyone left the tent and went over to the finish (apart from the organiser left stood on his own) to wait for him.

He finished to a well earned standing ovation from all the competitors and spectators which left him slightly confused having come last. He wasn't the quickest of runners/riders and the marshals had offered him a lift back when they realised he'd gone the wrong way but he wanted to finish under his own steam, so he deserved the applause more than anyone else who'd finished.

[Lazarus]

the living proof that if you dont quit you will finish

[fatbikephil]

More snowy fun today. Nice to be giving the Ice cream truck a bit of stick this year as it got neglected last year due to a fairly disappointing winter...
Conditions were a bit 'variable.' Plenty snow fell yesterday and obviously got blown about before melting then freezing = crust tastic. Lower down it was shallow enough to not cause too much problems but higher up it was hard work. I was saved by long sections of frozen snow over the boggy bits (which would have been a swamp yesterday,) sniggering as I saw all the footprints punching through the ice into the glaur below. The buds just sailed across it all.


Winter at last!


Proper mountains looking very snowy.


Some big drifts here and there, these could be ridden over easily. It was the shallower stuff that was causing the most problems.


I bivvied under this tree in January 2020 but it fell over during storm Arwen back in '21. Still alive but the space under the branches I slept in is no more.

[summittoppler]

A dusting of snow this morning meant that the snowflakes in charge of my place of work (a college) closed it due to the 'adverse weather'. So that meant an early ride out this morning in the 30mm drifts before it melts this afternoon! Tbh its not that often we get snow on the beach so was nice to get out...

20230117_083250 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230117_084049-01 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Funny how you were charged the same on a bike or with a wheelbarrow!
20230117_084038 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230117_084704-01 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

20230117_084913-01 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

Drone time!
DJI_0580 by Jeff Price, on Flickr

[RIP]

Last night.... through the woods, down the hill, along the canal we went.. including new recruit Stu (no, not Stu, Stu)... everything iced up... a few close shaves with the canal due to icy towpath....

The traditional Boner art of "talking complete rubbish" was indulged in at the pub....

Whilst reminiscing about our infamous Covid lockdown "Four Compass Points Tours", with their severe constraints due to circumstances... but constraints which in fact resulted in tours that wildly exceeded our expectations (such as finding the actual lock of lockdown in a field next to the M1).... we decided that in fact total freedom is a burden rather than the opposite.

I lobbed in another reminiscence, about 1960s/1970s sweeties and the enormous variety that us kids had then... including four little chews for a penny... "flying saucers" sherbets... curly wurlies etc. I wondered what became of the bits they hacked out of curly wurlies to make the holes.... I don't remember those bits ever being available as a separate product, so what did they do with them eh? At this point it was declared that it would be highly amusing if church communion wafers were replaced with flying saucer sherberts.... although mixing the sherberts with the red wine consumption might well result in some devil-worshipping foaming red at the mouth. Stu (no not that Stu, that Stu) claimed that biting into a Polo mint resulted in the emission of light. Well I've never seen any. Maybe you'd have to be eating them in the dark? Anyway, my firm belief is that the holes in Polo mints are in fact a portal, or gateway if you will, into the infinite "many worlds" universes that are in parallel with ours. You could end up anywhere. And all just from a packet of Polos, what amazing value eh?

Talking of light, and quantum, and whatnot, there was a proposition that the Large Hadron Collider at Cern was actually called the Large Hardon Collider. Goodness only knows what things were smashed into each other at high speed causing enormous emissions. Of particles. There was also some confusion (no, honestly) about what role Brian Cocks, I mean Cox, played in the Large Hardon Collider's construction. Of course, protons and so on are like little balls really (no, don't start on me, you quantum physicists, I know they're fields not balls but...) so this neatly reminded me of our noble leader's (Stu. No, Stu, not that Stu) preoccupation with Cocks and balls.

On that note I referred back to the Polo mints, and we thought that the existence of anti-Polos, presumably similar to quarks and antiquarks. I guess if you brought one of each type, of Polo, too close to each other they would suddenly annihilate and you'd be left with some other sort of sweet in their place. Candy Shrimps or something maybe.

Stu's son (Stu's. Not that Stu's), Alfie, had come along too but mentioned that he had to get home to feed the ferrets. Bizarre idea for pets. I wondered if he allowed them down his trousers. Looking that up, I'm amazed that it's a fully-fledged pastime called "ferret-legging"! Apparently this is "an endurance test" which "may have originated when only the wealthy could keep animals for hunting, forcing poachers to hide their illicit ferrets down their trousers". The rules state that "competitors cannot be drunk or drugged nor can the ferrets be sedated". More ominously they are "not allowed to wear underwear beneath their trousers and the ferrets must have free access from one leg to the other". The ferrets "must have a full set of teeth". I think I'd have to be drunk to compete to be honest. Oh and the world champion is called Reg! (Mellor). Sadly "an attempt to introduce a female version where female contestants put ferrets down their blouses proved unsuccessful".

At last we managed to extract ourselves from the pub (more accurately, "were thrown out of") and ride home. I read this morning (in the book "How To Be Idle") that Samuel Johnson thought that "Whoever thinks of going to bed before twelve o'clock is a scoundrel". I retired to bed at 00:06 hours precisely so that let's me off that hook then.

So there you go. A proper night out.

[sean_iow]

I feel like I should read through that again to make sure I've read it correctly as I'm somewhat confused/bemused and my head feels like it's spinning

Vaguely related (close enough for here) did you watch the series where top chefs had to recreate iconic foods. One was the Kit Kat and they struggled to get the flavour of the creamy bit between the wafers right. Turns out that the secret ingredient is they recycle (crush up) any finished ones which fail quality control and add them to the creamy bit mix.... so how did they make the first ever ones as there were no rejects at that time

[psling]

Oooh, you little Imps

[RIP]

so how did they make the first ever ones as there were no rejects at that time

That's a very good question Sean. Maybe it's like the situation where we're always eating "leftovers" at The Perrinery, but I can't recall ever eating the original meal (the "rightovers"?). Presumably those must have been presented at some point in the dim and distant past but I don't remember them.

[psling]

... so how did they make the first ever ones as there were no rejects at that time

The first ones made may have been rejected for whatever reason and then chucked into the mix for the second batch which turned out good enough hence the recipe from then onwards included a mix of whatever was made the very first time round added into the new recipe
Talk of kit kats reminds me of the old joke about Joan Collins (but probably best we don't go there on this family forum )

[AndreR]

A dusting of snow this morning meant that the snowflakes in charge of my place of work (a college) closed it due to the 'adverse weather'. So that meant an early ride out this morning in the 30mm drifts before it melts this afternoon! Tbh its not that often we get snow on the beach so was nice to get out...

Those are some cracking photos, lovely atmosphere in them!

[Boab]

An absolute corker of a day. I said to myself, if the frost melts off our lawn I'll head out, the frost melted.



Didn't go far, or fast, as this is the first ride since the 2nd of November.



Did some stretching when I got back, stiff as a board in places. We'll see how the back responds tomorrow...

[ledburner]

Talk of kit kats reminds me of the old joke about Joan Collins (but probably best we don't go there on this family forum )

Don't worry norm &reg - still are having and afternoon nap...
Do tell all..
[Edit] that's if you can remember it from a few days ago

[Verena]

Not today, but last Saturday. It was going to be a cold, wall to wall sunshine kind of day, with still some snow on the ground, in other words, absolutely gorgeous to be out.

My default thought had been to do what I've decided is going to be my regular Saturday loop for the time being, but luckily I had a brainwave and thought, come on Verena, it's pretty special out there, you've got a mountain bike and the Brecon Beacons on your doorstep, that's got to be an ideal place to go play today, plus the lanes might still be icy....

And so they were, in places, where the water had run down them and frozen over....like here, where I found myself gently kissing the ground after losing any kind of traction going uphill. Even walking it was a challenge...

IMG_20230121_101350 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

You can't really see it, but just as I was going through the gate to the open hill, a bunch of sheep were being shepherded up onto the hillside by a young lad and a couple of sheepdogs, which was nice to watch for a bit.
IMG_20230121_103254 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

I'd chosen to go up the Gap road from the Brecon/ northern side, partly because it's closest to home, partly because that's the only way I've done it, and partly because I figured it would give me a nice long time to enjoy the fine views.... I was not disappointed.

IMG_20230121_104646 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

IMG_20230121_105805 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

IMG_20230121_104904 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

IMG_20230121_112313 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

IMG_20230121_112348 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

The very last bit before the top was amusing and surprisingly challenging, not sure if the picture shows it properly, and thank goodness I didn't have an audience. I'm sure there would've been and easier way of making it up there, like probably being on the right hand side and going up higher above the track, but hey I was on the left, there was just ice, and the bank a bit too step to get any decent foot holds. So it took me ages of taking one or two steps, shoving the bike up above me and sort of trying to wedge it into the bank, then try and clamber up to and past it, invariable fail, bike slides back down, I slide down behind it, repeat a few times - I got there eventually!

IMG_20230121_114044 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr

Just as I popped out the other side of the Gap, with amazing views to the other side, my phone completely passed out, presumably from the cold, so it must have been quite chilly (it was in the front chest pocket of my Buffalo). I hadn't seen a soul coming up, but suddenly it was like Piccadilly Circus, and the whole place and the track down the other side was busy with people doing the Fan Dance - everyone friendly and in good spirits.

For me, just smiling from ear to ear and I rolled down into Talybont, then rode home along the canal.

Brilliant day out.

[redefined_cycles]

Right. So I've not ridden my bike for a while now. Mainly due to sciatica but more related to the fact I decided to work and not be broke like usualy folk do!. Last night though I had a beautiful ride on my Santa Cruz Superlight which I sold more than 10 years ago.



So as I'm having 'the fun, down some gnarl' I get a few lovely comments about it being so lovely... and it always was. Then I stops to admire the thing and wonder on, 'I'm sure I sold this years ago, Shirley this must be a dream' and realise the front brake cables been eaten up (by rats!).

WTH, I knew them retro brake cables were never any good, but Shirley I always ran Avid Ultimates on this (I did) and then I wake up and realise I'm at work (sleep shift). Oh dear, back to real life it is, and I sneezed many times since and that sciatica pain seems to be back with a vengeance

[redefined_cycles]

Wow, just took a look at that ice V. That's proper riding (or slipping) that. You're absolutely more mental than everyone thought

[Verena]

Wow, just took a look at that ice V. That's proper riding (or slipping) that. You're absolutely more mental than everyone thought

Ha ha, don't know about that, but if it's meant as a compliment Shaf, thank you

Honestly though I think it's just the tbf gorgeous scenery that makes it, the ride itself is nothing fancy...if that hill was covered in trees, nobody would raise an eyebrow...
If you just pop over to one of the next valleys along, tree covered, there's far tougher riding there, but hardly anyone goes there or mentions it. Just saying.

[ledburner]

If you just pop over to one of the next valleys along, tree covered, there's far tougher riding there, but hardly anyone goes there or mentions it. Just saying.

Is there a pile of expired bikes & bodies* half way round?

* At 1st Ispeltbit as Pile of expired bikes & biddies


Respect! you got up a tough vertical ice rink you're bonkers