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….”
Having fun on a bike.
I don’t mean to upset road riders but riding on the road is about the thrill of speed and the pleasure you get from pushing yourself to perform. Mountain biking has all of this but also gives you the chance to pit yourself against the trails which are determined to slow you down. There isContinue reading “Having fun on a bike.”
Great Hill.
Riding Great Hill is my favourite mountain bike ride. The hill looks unspectacular from many places because it’s at the end of a chain of hills and isn’t as high as some other points along the ridge. It perhaps got it’s name from those who approached from the other side of Chorley when the summitContinue reading “Great Hill.”
Flower of the Week, 21st May.
Camassia flower in May and are great self seeders. They are often purple but all ours are white.
Flower of the Week, 19th May.
Primulas come in various colours, in addition to the pinky red we have orange which will bloom later. We also have the related native primrose or cowslip which has already run to seed.
Another boat trip.
Last October I was satisfied with my homemade pedal powered dinghy. The pedal action had been too hard and slow so I’d added a gear system to make the pedals turn more quickly like a bicycle and all seemed well. Unfortunately on my trip before last the chain had derailled. I’d put it back onContinue reading “Another boat trip.”
A classic mountain bike and classic cars.
Today in our town of Chorley in Lancashire a classic car show was held in Astley Park. I thought the best way to get there, since my wife wasn’t going to go, was by bicycle. It had to be a classic, surely, so I used my 1996 Proflex Attack LE. 26 years ago cars we’reContinue reading “A classic mountain bike and classic cars.”
What if you’re tired?
I don’t know why I felt tired today. I didn’t ride yesterday or the day before and dog walking is about the most active thing I’ve done since my last ride. I suppose sometimes you just feel like that, with less than your expected level of get up and go. I firmly believe that youContinue reading “What if you’re tired?”
Seven go to Belgium.
In 2017 and for the following 2 years a number of us from the Preston and Chorley area did self planned scooter trips to Europe. The focus was always to visit areas of conflict and pay our respects to those who fought and, in many cases, perished for us. We have been to the WesternContinue reading “Seven go to Belgium.”
Back on the bike after a week.
I’ve been away to Europe on a scooter with 6 others and had a great time, which I’m currently writing an account of. I was glad to get home, though, and the next day was able to get out on my mountain bike. I last rode the day before I went away but that wasContinue reading “Back on the bike after a week.”
Flower of the Week, 11th May.
Having been away for 6 days the garden is transformed with lots of growth for so many plants. The azaleas in our front garden are reaching full bloom.
Seven days without riding.
It’s strange to contemplate a full week without riding my mountain bike but I have something very different to do. I’m riding by scooter to the Netherlands, Belgium and France with 6 good friends. We tend to focus such trips to Europe on commemorating the wars and in this case we’ll be visiting areas onContinue reading “Seven days without riding.”
Flower of the Week, 2nd May.
Corn flowers are another wild flower which have been adopted as a garden plant. In corn fields they grow from seeds after corn has been planted and set seed before it has been harvested. I love the geometric pattern of the buds.
Cornering technique.
I was determined to ride my mountain bike today but we have friends coming round this evening and it would, lets face it, be rude to fall asleep halfway through the evening. A short ride wouldn’t harm, though, but I still wanted the ride to have purpose. On my last ride I realised that, afterContinue reading “Cornering technique.”
Bike, Hike, Boat.
The title describes my last 3 days of activity beginning with a fairly long and certainly energetic mountain bike ride. Yesterday I returned to part of the area where I’d ridden not 24 hours previously to walk our dog, Freddie. Mountain biking is never far from my mind, though, and we walked down a fantasticContinue reading “Bike, Hike, Boat.”
The Egg Hillock.
As I walked the dog this morning I decided that, at just 11 celcius, I was more likely to enjoy a mountain bike ride than a trip in my boat. This thought raised another question, how could I possibly match either of my last 2 rides? They had both involved fast sections within a trailContinue reading “The Egg Hillock.”
Flower of the Week, 27th April.
We have at least a dozen Acer Palmatum or Japanese Maples. They give delightful fresh colours at this time of year and a spectacular final flourish in autumn.
Chasing the Dragon.
I hadn’t ridden my mountain bike for 5 days and it was all my own fault. When I was 17 years old I had salmonella food poisoning from an unknown source and when it seemed to be over I developed rheumatoid arthritis. It was seriously debilitating but faded after about 6 months, only to returnContinue reading “Chasing the Dragon.”
Flower of the Week, 22nd April.
All garden plants are derived from wild plants but many have been selectively bred until they are barely recognisable. We do, however, have some plants and flowers which are still in their native British form. More will bloom later in the season but we already have a few beginning to flower. At the top isContinue reading “Flower of the Week, 22nd April.”
Sessioning the Graveyard.
A strange title, perhaps, but by sessioning I mean riding a mountain bike trail several times in succession to learn it’s intricacies. This may allow you to go quicker the more times you ride the segment but today I was also keen to make riding the unfamiliar safer. I used the roads to reach theContinue reading “Sessioning the Graveyard.”
Flower of the Week, 17th April.
The garden is constantly changing with an increasing number of plants reaching their best, but what are we aiming at? I thought I’d show you what we are trying to achieve by posting some pictures taken over the last few years.
Mountainbiker 