I am a lifelong mountain biker who rarely lacks motivation. I had always ridden bikes off road like most kids but in 1976 I bought a "scrambler" for 70 pence. This was a bike which was dedicated to off road use. In 1977 I added a homemade suspension fork. I used the front suspension units … Continue reading Why I’m writing this….
A recovery ride, or not?
My last ride involved a fully committed section of trail which took over 15 minutes. OK, so it was a mainly downhill piece of trail but if you want to do it quickly you should still be maximising your effort when the trail turns down. Not only that but I had to get to the … Continue reading A recovery ride, or not?
For the ride. For the ultimate ride!
I've quoted from the movie "Point Break" in my writing in the past, as in the title of this account. The movie centres around surfing but it could perhaps have been written about mountain biking instead. Surfers and mountain bikers often seek that ultimate ride. Just as a lack of the right waves may hamper … Continue reading For the ride. For the ultimate ride!
Things are improving at Healey Nab.
Every time I've ridden up my local hill, Healey Nab recently, the mountain bike trails have improved. After 2,500 diseased larch trees were felled in March it looked as if we'd never get our man made trail system back but amazing progress has been made. The Coronavirus has prevented any calls for volunteers, so whoever … Continue reading Things are improving at Healey Nab.
First wet ride in over two months!
Today started with drizzle. You wouldn’t really call it rain, it was more like mist but it did dampen the ground. I’d walked the dog early on, before it started, but it didn’t look like it would wet me so off I went for a mountain bike ride. After my last ride on my 2004 … Continue reading First wet ride in over two months!
A target beaten. Just!
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 summit … Continue 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 I … Continue 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 inherent … Continue reading 13 minutes 50 seconds.
