I had a plan for today's ride but I just hadn't expected the ground to be so muddy. We have not had much rain this week, as far as I recall, but last night at bedtime we did get a short, heavy shower. This morning the weather was good with a mixture of sunshine and … Continue reading How did all the mud get here?
After the driest spring on record in England we’ve had a very wet period. The temperatures have dropped from nearly 30 Celsius a couple of weeks ago to only 13 Celcius (55 Fahrenheit) for this morning’s ride. It is also windy now but the good news is that this will help to dry the soaking … Continue reading Changing trails.
After May being the sunniest month ever in England, June was not so good. 2 days into July and things haven't improved. At least I've got mountain biking to cheer me up! I have to take weather conditions into account to plan a ride. Even if it had been sunny earlier today the ground is … Continue reading High and dry.
Today started with drizzle. You wouldn’t really call it rain, it was more like mist but it did dampen the ground. I’d walked the dog early on, before it started, but it didn’t look like it would wet me so off I went for a mountain bike ride. After my last ride on my 2004 … Continue reading First wet ride in over two months!
I like to feel fit. It's a life affirming thing to feel that you're in a good physical position. I also know that it gets harder as you get older and through mountain biking I've measured some deterioration! It isn't something to be too sad about and failing to accept the inevitable march of time … Continue reading How can you know you’re getting fitter?
My last 2 rides have been quite intense. 5 days ago I rode 5 continuous, high speed laps of Healey Nab which took me 57 minutes and 48 seconds. 3 days ago I rode 30 minutes up the canal bank, which may seem easy in itself, but I then made sure I got back in … Continue reading An easier ride.
The rain has continued so today I thought it would be good to do a ride with more tarmac and less dirt. I haven't ridden to Hunter's Hill very often on my mountain bike but it was a place I rode as a child and youth. I lived then in Parbold, a village about 12 … Continue reading Places from my childhood.
We've had a period of heavy, summer rain and the trails were bound to be drenched. I left an empty bucket out last night and by this morning it had over an inch of rain in it so I realised that for my first ride in a week the only choice was Healey Nab. The … Continue reading The only choice.
We had a hot, dry Easter and the weather afterwards looked good. Since the beginning of June, though, things haven't looked so bright. Today's Wednesday, the eighth day of rain and the future is looking different to what we'd expect in June. The jet stream is the main determining factor in our weather in England. … Continue reading Summer?
After 5 days without a ride I was motivated to get out just to maintain my fitness. A bucket in my garden, which was empty last weekend, now has over 6 inches (15cm) of rain water in it. That's an awful lot of rain in just a week so I thought that riding off road would … Continue reading A ride for fitness.
