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….
Wind in the willows.
“Believe me my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” So says Ratty to Mole in Kenneth Grahame’s classic novel ‘The Wind in the Willows’. I'm building my own boat so in the spring, when I launch it, I'll be able to confirm or … Continue reading Wind in the willows.
Training for 2021.
In recent weeks I've only ridden twice a week. I don't think I've been training myself well and probably not maintaining the same level of fitness I had last autumn. In many ways it doesn't matter because I don't have much to train for apart from 2 challenges which I've set for myself to achieve … Continue reading Training for 2021.
Spring can’t be far away.
It's easy to enthuse about a winter ride. You can enjoy it for it's good points but who are we kidding? Riding dry trails is far better. We seem to have had a wet winter after a strange summer. We barely saw a drop of rain in March, April and May then barely a dry … Continue reading Spring can’t be far away.
The mathematics of a boat.
Did you leave school and think you'd never need mathematics again? I didn't. I've been doing various engineering projects over the years including 5 self designed, self built sportscars, one of which was battery powered. I built a suspension fork for my Proflex mountain bike around 18 months ago. I built a timber framed extension … Continue reading The mathematics of a boat.
Perfect winter conditions, and a broken bike.
The temperature yesterday never rose above freezing but this morning was more like 5 celcius. We had strong winds from the east yesterday whilst today the wind was still blowing strongly, now from a warmer southerly direction. With no rain or significant snow since early last week it's amazing how dry the ground has become. … Continue reading Perfect winter conditions, and a broken bike.
A dry day in winter.
I could tell when I walked my dog, Freddie, this morning that conditions were going to be good for mountain biking. After what's seemed like a wet winter we now have a cold period. It's colder than it's been for at least 10 years with winds blowing from the east. We are more used to … Continue reading A dry day in winter.
Safety first?
I enjoyed my last ride to the top of Great Hill. I climbed around 1,500 feet and loved the downhill, which lasted for over 15 minutes. I would have liked to do the same ride today but it snowed overnight so I thought about the potential dangers of riding an exposed area of high ground, … Continue reading Safety first?
Returning to Great Hill.
My last ride was superb. The wind dried, frost hardened ground rode like it would have done in summer, in places. A real treat in our coldest winter in 10 years. I'd hoped that the cold conditions were going to persist to give me another good ride but things have warmed up by quite a … Continue reading Returning to Great Hill.
Pretending it’s summer.
Due to the trail conditions, a mixture of ice, snow and sticky mud, my riding has been a little limited recently. I decided to improve the situation yesterday, by planning a trail ride for today suited to dry conditions and pretending it was summer. Yesterday was dry and windy whilst last night we had a … Continue reading Pretending it’s summer.
Boat building. Part 1.
I don't really know why I feel I must build a boat. I had a dinghy when I was a kid and my son, Dylan, and I briefly had a dinghy when he was younger. My boat will be pedal powered from a recumbent seating position, so it will give me similar exercise to cycling. … Continue reading Boat building. Part 1.
