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 unitsContinue reading “Why I’m writing this….”
Trying something different.
Today I considered a trail ride. I could ride to the top of Great Hill but would it be worth it with the downhill trails being so wet? I didn’t want to ride the man made trails at Healey Nab because I’d need to be cautious on the berms to avoid potential disaster in theContinue reading “Trying something different.”
Riding in the snow.
Since my last ride we’ve had a couple of days with some snow. Temperatures since Saturday have hovered around freezing but by this afternoon could have climbed to 12 celcius, though this may be a brief respite from the cold. I walked the dog this morning and found that further into Duxbury Woods the groundContinue reading “Riding in the snow.”
Sliding around in the autumn.
Reaching the limit of grip on a mountain bike is nirvana for me! I know a lot of riders may hate to reach the point where the wheels start to slide but I’ve always thought that, at this point, I’m going as quickly as it’s possible to go so it’s always been a destination forContinue reading “Sliding around in the autumn.”
The Road to Wigan Pier.
This is not a review of the book of the same title by George Orwell, written in 1937. In fact the only Orwell novel I’ve read was 1984 and I bet you can guess when I read that! Wigan isn’t by the sea and so doesn’t exactly have a pier but a number of buildingsContinue reading “The Road to Wigan Pier.”
Hill climb training.
The weather was rather gloomy today. It was overcast and whilst it wasn’t exactly raining I could feel tiny drops of water in the air as I started my ride. I thought today that I’d concentrate on some hill climbs which, whilst short, are very steep. This is the kind of terrain which differentiates mountainContinue reading “Hill climb training.”
Winter training.
I’m sure that some mountain bikers will reduce their riding in winter merely to avoid unpleasant weather and ground conditions. I’m lucky that due to the maritime climate in the north west of England we are rarely unable to ride. I don’t want to allow my fitness to fall during winter and then need toContinue reading “Winter training.”
A ride of two halves.
I thought for a while, whilst walking the dog, about where I should ride my mountain bike today. I decided on a mainly off road route but in two distinct halves. I joined the Leeds/Liverpool canal near home to ride north to the village of Wheelton. I’ve really gained a new appreciation of this fabulousContinue reading “A ride of two halves.”
A good training ride.
The windy weather was bound to have dried the mountain biking trails, at least in the open. I thought it would be good to ride to the top of Great Hill today but not to use my favourite woodland trails on the descent. Instead I’d continue across the open moorland before committing to a particularContinue reading “A good training ride.”
Checking out some winter riding.
The weather in the north west of England is unpredictable. Yesterday started with our first frost, then was gloriously sunny. Later clouds came over and have remained overnight and today. With winds from the north yesterday it was suddenly colder than it had been so it feels as if we are slipping into winter. OfContinue reading “Checking out some winter riding.”
Great Hill with my dog.
I walk our dog, Freddie, every day but don’t usually think of our walks as exercise. Today, though, in glorious sunshine, I decided we should walk to the top of Great Hill. I usually arrive at the top by mountain bike which I ride from home but that would be too long for a dogContinue reading “Great Hill with my dog.”
Bike or boat in the wet weather?
We’ve had an awful lot of rain recently and the ground is thoroughly soaked. I wondered whether I’d be better to use my pedal powered boat for exercise since the mountain biking trails would be in a bad state. There were many years when I had the alternative of mountain biking or running but whenContinue reading “Bike or boat in the wet weather?”
The bike for winter.
I have a Trek Fuel EX8 mountain bike which I inherited from my son. It has 29″ wheels and 120 mm of suspension travel at each end. The picture above is from early this year when I was last using it. It’s a 2014 model which was a time of transition in mountain bike design.Continue reading “The bike for winter.”
Cross training.
By choice I’ve tended to use only my mountain bike for training for many years. I had a restaurant business until 2012 and since then I’ve had the ability to ride in daylight hours so there has been no need to supplement mountain biking with other training. Before 2012 I’d often do a midweek runContinue reading “Cross training.”
Getting ready for winter mountain biking.
The weather isn’t too bad at the moment. Today has been dry with the temperature at 12 Celcius and a light breeze. These are good conditions for a mountain bike ride because I was never going to be too warm or too cold. Having said that it’s no longer summer and the trails are damp,Continue reading “Getting ready for winter mountain biking.”
Returning after a cold.
I hadn’t had a cold in around 2 years but have now endured 2 in quick succession. It started last Friday and only yesterday did I feel well enough to return to my regular exercise regime. I can only presume that my resistance to colds has been reduced by not having to fight one inContinue reading “Returning after a cold.”
A video of my boat!
It’s a small world. I’ve had a message from James Cameron-Clarke who is someone I’ve never met. He had watched a Youtube video about a trip by a narrow boat along the canal near where I live. James lives in Blackburn about 10 miles from my home town of Chorley and he realised that he’sContinue reading “A video of my boat!”
An old school ride.
With autumn undeniably with us I have to consider the likely trail conditions before every ride. I remembered back to around 25 years ago when I’d ride with my mates to Rivington and particularly the western flanks of Winter Hill. We’d ride the area at weekends right through the winter so surely it would beContinue reading “An old school ride.”
Great Hill for a great trail ride.
I had no aim on my ride today except to ride to the top of Great Hill at 1,250 feet to enjoy the fabulous downhill into Brinscall Woods. From there I’d climb the back of Healey Nab for a shorter descent towards home. I walked our dog, Fredddie, under cloud this morning but by theContinue reading “Great Hill for a great trail ride.”
A boat based workout.
My homemade pedal powered boat had been close to perfect but I couldn’t pedal quickly enough. This was barely making me breathe but stressing the leg muscles so I knew it would be difficult to cover longer distances on the canal where I sail. I added a chain and sprockets to double the pedalling speedContinue reading “A boat based workout.”
A lovely day for a trail ride.
Today was a great autumn day where temperatures must have climbed to around 20 celcius. I walked the dog and noticed that in the open the ground was quite dry. We’ve had only light rain this week and despite some muddy puddles under the cover of trees things looked favourable for a mountain bike ride.Continue reading “A lovely day for a trail ride.”
Mountainbiker 