I rode Healey Nab today because I knew that the man made trail would be rideable. The strong winds over the past couple of days had even dried things out in the more open areas. I covered 9.6 miles in 3 laps with over 1000 feet of climbing.
https://www.strava.com/activities/2075741508
https://www.strava.com/activities/2075741508/embed/a79211c02573b717500d68809ad7a70ebe8768f5
I rode 2 laps of the excellent red graded trail and with the surprisingly dry conditions I lapped around a minute quicker than some of my recent efforts. There were a few other riders there today who were riding the downhills but pushing their bikes back up by the shortest route. Personally I’ve never liked to push the bike unless absolutely necessary.
I’m so much looking forwards to spring when Brinscall woods and other nearby areas become worth riding. For now I’m just trying to maintain my fitness by regular riding but due to not wanting to leave the dog on his own for too long I’m rarely riding for more than 90 minutes. Today my wife was at home so I could have gone for longer but in the gloomy weather it’s not too appealing to do a big ride.
I’ll probably ride on Tuesday and may well choose Birkacre since I’ve enjoyed my last two rides there so much. It’s a relatively rarely ridden place with some good natural riding and a jumps area which is a bit rich for my taste! In 2016 I broke a collarbone and a couple of ribs in an accident that could hardly have been predicted. I hit a small jump at a slight angle and the front wheel slid. As I crested the jump the bike turned on it’s side and smacked me hard onto the ground. It was my second bone breaking incident in 7 months and helped me to be a lot more cautious in wet conditions.
Here’s hoping I can get through this year with all bones in tact!
Mountainbiker 