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….”
Post Covid capers.
Eight days after my Covid 19 infection I was able to ride again today. I hadn’t been ill with the virus, tiredness being the only significant symptom. Today the weather was cold with gentle sunshine. With no rain for a few days the trails have started to dry but still have plenty of muddy puddles.Continue reading “Post Covid capers.”
My mountain biking targets for 2022.
Having been infected with Covid 19 I haven’t been able to ride for 7 days. Today is my last day of self isolation so I should be out tomorrow though yesterday I was still testing positive. My wife is still testing positive after around 11 days but apparently you cease to be able to passContinue reading “My mountain biking targets for 2022.”
Oh no, I’m Covid 19 positive!
After my mountain bike ride today I felt fine but since we’d acquired some new lateral flow tests for Covid 19 I decided to test myself, having tested twice and been negative twice over the last few days. Guess what? My wife and son had both tested positive on Saturday and now it’s Wednesday. IContinue reading “Oh no, I’m Covid 19 positive!”
First ride of 2022.
I’ve waited a few days before completing my first ride this year. The reason for this is that since New Year my son and wife have both tested positive for Covid 19. I started to develop cold symptoms and thought that I must also be infected but I keep testing negative and after a dayContinue reading “First ride of 2022.”
Last ride and review of 2021.
Today was bright, sunny and unseasonably warm at 13 celcius. A perfect opportunity on New Years Eve for a last ride of the year. After a considerable amount of rain since my last ride I chose Healey Nab for its well drained purpose built trails. But first, what has my mountain biking year been like?Continue reading “Last ride and review of 2021.”
First ride since Christmas.
I haven’t ridden since before Christmas and my last exercise wasn’t even a mountain bike ride. 5 days ago I went for a run for the first time in over 5 years, if memory serves, and I could still feel the effects whilst walking the dog this morning. Even during the run I could feelContinue reading “First ride since Christmas.”
Running.
When I was a teenager I had a bike for road and an off road bike which we used to call scramblers. I always thought that in the future I’d build myself a better scrambler using new parts rather than the battered, salvaged parts we used back then. It turned out that I needn’t haveContinue reading “Running.”
A bit of training before Christmas.
I hope that I’ll get another ride in before Christmas but today was a good opportunity for some training before the big day. I rode to my local hill, Healey Nab, to ride 3 energetic laps. Since I’ve been writing my blog I’ve often been reminded of how often I ride the same places andContinue reading “A bit of training before Christmas.”
Tyre installation and testing.
My winter bike, the Trek Fuel EX8, has 29″ wheels. It was fitted with a very grippy Maxxis Minion DHF tyre at the front and a rather worn Maxxis High roller II at the rear. The effect of this was that I found the rear wheel starting to slide before the front most of theContinue reading “Tyre installation and testing.”
Back on it.
I returned to cycling after 6 days, today. We spent a few days away in north Wales during last week and my Covid 19 booster hit me hard on Saturday. I felt very tired and somewhat feverish so couldn’t ride at the weekend. I firmly believe that vaccinations and boosters are a good thing. IfContinue reading “Back on it.”
My Covid booster.
I booked my Covid 19 booster a while a go when the rules were that you had to have a 6 month gap since your second vaccination. Now the gap has been reduced to 3 month. I had no effects from my first vaccination but my second had left me feeling tired for an evening.Continue reading “My Covid booster.”
Stormy weather and type 2 fun.
The weather has been far too wet over the last few days to make a mountain bike ride an appealing prospect. I do, however, have strategies to overcome the weather and still get out for a worthwhile ride. I know some relatively weatherproof trails and if these are likely to be too dismal, I alwaysContinue reading “Stormy weather and type 2 fun.”
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.”
Mountainbiker 