Autumn continues apace with its spectacular colours.
The last sail of the year?
Today started bright, sunny and still. After walking our dog I thought it was a good day to sail my pedal powered dinghy, perhaps for the last time this year. I towed the boat to the Leeds/Liverpool canal and set off northwards. I wanted to complete the longer than normal trip which I’d abandoned onContinue reading “The last sail of the year?”
Problems with my winter bike.
This winter I want to use my Trek Fuel EX8 mountain bike to save wear on my slightly newer bike. It has 29″ wheels and a 1 X 10 transmission. With only one chain ring at the front there’s less to go wrong in muddy, winter condition which add an extra burden of wear toContinue reading “Problems with my winter bike.”
My boat, in windy conditions.
Today was beautifully sunny with temperatures of around 16 celcius. A mountain bike ride was tempting but since the weather is unlikely to be so good for much longer I thought it more prudent to sail my pedal powered dinghy. The forecast was for some strong and gusty winds. I’ve sailed the boat in windyContinue reading “My boat, in windy conditions.”
Flower of the Week, 16th October.
We have a dozen or more acers which are starting to show their fabulous autumn colours.
Trying my winter bike.
Winter is hard on mountain bikes. The wet and grit cause lots of wear of all moving parts. The transmission is especially vulnerable but suspension bushes can also suffer badly. Ideally you wouldn’t want to put your best bike or bikes through this and classic mountain bikes are even more prone to wear from muddyContinue reading “Trying my winter bike.”
Boating whilst the weather holds.
I did a long trip on my scooter on Saturday and didn’t feel like putting in a big effort on the mountain bike yesterday. Today the weather has been good, with plenty of sunshine, so I thought it was an ideal opportunity to use my pedal powered boat. It gives me a useful training sessionContinue reading “Boating whilst the weather holds.”
My other two wheeled life.
Although I’m a fanatical mountain biker I’ve had an equally long association with motorcycles. I was desperate to get on the road at the tender age of 16 and have had a powered 2 wheeler ever since. In 1999 I bought my first scooter for the automatic transmission, practicality and more accommodating riding position. I’veContinue reading “My other two wheeled life.”
Flower of the Week, 7th October.
The colours of autumn are ephemeral, though no less attractive than the shades of other seasons. It’s worth going into our garden often to see sights which may only last a day or so.
Adding spice to a ride.
I didn’t have much time to ride this morning but after 3 days was keen to get out on my mountain bike. After a few days with heavy rain the trails would inevitably be muddy which would mean more time was required to clean the bike afterwards. A fairly short blast on the canal bankContinue reading “Adding spice to a ride.”
No pain, no gain?
To improve or even to maintain fitness, do you have to hurt yourself whilst training? I’m not training for any other reason than to enable me to continue to enjoy sport, especially mountain biking. Since, due to my age, I’m past my athletic peak it’s more about stopping the decline in my ability being tooContinue reading “No pain, no gain?”
Electrolytes and water.
I’ve always pursued athletic disciplines but have rarely given nutrition much thought. In my early 20s I can remember running in the mountains of the English Lake District for over 5 hours with no carbohydrate loading, no food along the way and water provided only by the mountain streams. I have occasionally made sure I’mContinue reading “Electrolytes and water.”
Training and enjoying it.
I have found that I have inadvertently allowed my fitness to slip this year so am now determined to reverse the decline. I’m now at an age when I should be playing bowls or ruining a perfectly good walk by enduring a game of golf, but mountain biking is still my greatest sporting passion. TodayContinue reading “Training and enjoying it.”
Full steam ahead.
I’m trying to train harder since I realised that I’ve allowed my fitness to decrease since last year. Due to the funeral of Her Majesty the Queen and a rainy day yesterday I’ve had a 4 day break but got back to training today in my pedal powered dinghy. The problem with working hard inContinue reading “Full steam ahead.”
Flower of the Week, 20th September.
Michealmas is a Christian festival which falls on the 29th September. Our Michealmas Daisies have reached their peak a week in advance. They bring a splash of delightful colour when so much else in the garden is past it’s zenith. Having said that the view from the back of our house is still good.
Proper training.
I’ve identified that I’ve lost some mountain biking fitness this year and am determined to reverse this trend. I’m trying to get out more often and make sure that when I’m out I’m working harder. I think I’ve got into a habit of spinning the pedals quickly but often with insufficient torque or turning force.Continue reading “Proper training.”
A boat trip and thoughts for the future.
Since realising that I’ve allowed my fitness to fall, I now want to make sure I get some real training value from every exercise session. 2 days after a high energy mountain bike ride I took my pedal powered dinghy down to the Leeds/Liverpool canal to sail for an hour. The sun came out asContinue reading “A boat trip and thoughts for the future.”
Work rate or fitness?
A while ago I questioned whether my fitness had fallen and tested myself by applying more effort during my next ride. I looked at the app. Strava after my ride and could see a distinct improvement in my performance. I concluded that my fitness was good and only my work rate had lagged. More recentlyContinue reading “Work rate or fitness?”
Flower of the Week, 12th September.
A hot, dry summer is causing an early onset of autumn but we still have some new colour in the garden. Our sunflowers self seed from bird food but next year I will nurture some seedlings to plant where I want them. It’s strange how far from our bird feeders the sunflowers have grown.
God save the King.
And did those feet in ancient timeWalk upon England’s mountains green?And was the holy Lamb of GodOn England’s pleasant pastures seen? And did the Countenance DivineShine forth upon our clouded hills?And was Jerusalem builded hereAmong these dark Satanic mills? Bring me my bow of burning gold:Bring me my arrows of desire:Bring me my spear: OContinue reading “God save the King.”
Mountainbiker 