Its been a while!

Well, its been a long, long time since I put anything new on this Blog.
Where to start, well I'm still riding bikes as much as possible, even though the weather has done its best to drown me on more than one occasion. Still doing the commute with some interruption due to work duties changing.
Now have 12 chickens a set of teeth in the shape of a Border Terrier called Lissy, 4 cats, 6 rabbits, 2 Hamsters and a Snake.
Have been on a few rides in the Yorkshire dales with the usual suspects, and a few in the lakes, couple of charity rides both on and off rd.
I will en devour to update this blog as often as possible now.
I will write about all my weekend rides and hopefully include pictures.

Couple of cold ones :)

Well its been an age since I updated my Blog, so here goes. I have still been commuting when I can, I have been out at weekends, but mainly local, Rivi, Winterhill and surrounding area, but did have a couple of big day's out, the Altura trail at Winlatter, very good and well groomed and safe. Its a pity that it was snowing when myself & Richard went but added to the excitement, Went back to the Dales a little while ago to do Tunnels & Bridges with Richard, which was again short but a good blast, coffee and bacon barm stop at fiezor.

I will add some pictures at the end.

Today I did bit of an exploratory ride with some of the usual stuff at the end, good fun but slow and slippy in places, Coal pits was a better climb today than the other week, and the iron lamp run has got very sticky at the stream crossing, and Wilders wood has got smoother?? work has been done which has speeded things up in the woods.

Long way to Southport (bloody long way!)

Well it all started with Richard suggesting he wanted to try out the route he had previously done, again! alarm bells by this time should have been ringing, but I thought, hey, Southport, that's only 25 miles on the map how bad can it be, well lets go through this stage at a time (what I remember) First was the getting across to Richards, now normally not a problem as I do this every day but today it decided that it wanted to rain.
By the time I got to Richards I was perspiring rather, this was due to rain and extremely warm air which was a recipe for sticky body syndrome.
At Richards we saddled up after a very nice cup of posh coffee from Richards clever machine.
The first part was through houses and fields until we reached a constructed track (Trans Pennine link) here I got a puncture going through an underpass that some clever notrights had decided to pepper with glass.
Puncture fixed we were on the way again, we sped on for quite a distance before the first of 2 dog incidents, as usual people seem to think that dogs have a brain, they don't, they have an organ that lets them eat, shit and hump and that's it, they have no spacial awareness and are as thick as PIG SH*T. This dog decided that it was a good idea to throw itself under my front wheel, now on a normal road bike this would spell disaster but thanks to the invention of disc brakes I managed to put the nose into the ground and the rear wheel air born, my first front wheel wheelie.
Second incident was at Sale water park where 2 dogs belonging to a neanderthal decided to fight under my front wheel, "sorry mate" was the reply.
Any way the journey continued with me starting to wonder just how far is this route that Richard has us doing? don't get me wrong, I was enjoying the ride as it was all new terrain and with good company.
Anyway the last incident included a narrow path beside a rendering plant that smelt of death and an old lady out for the first time in years, it transpired that if she ran her handlebar down a slatted wooden fench and leave enough room to get a bus between us she could get passed me, but instead she decided to bounce off the fench then off me and back off the fench.
Well it came to pass that cheap bikes break and bend easy and that handle bars and breaks don't like to be spun around, my bike was fine but hers was a joke.
Now after this little incident we had a fun bit, some long shallow wooden stairs that go down a severe drop, the only draw back was the bike stops on every flight, still managed to have fun though.
Through Liverpool and some of its less salubrious areas ,Speke ,you don't break down or get a puncture here you pick the bike up and run, don't look back, just run!
Anyway the end, we made it to Southport and Richard decided to show off one more time with a set of steps down to the chippy, I did not bother as my legs were shot to buggery.
At the chippy we had sausage and chips and 2 cups of Tea and a mineral water, the old girl should have been wearing a ski mask and carrying a sorn off, this was not enough as when we got to the train station I had 2 Choc bars and a Choc milk shake.
We caught the 19.05 train back home, getting off at West Houghton as this was the most central and easiest stop for both of us.
Got home just gone 20.00 hrs and 84 enjoyable and achey miles later.
Will do the other half of the trans Pennine trail another summer as I think I need to spend the next 2 months getting in some good ole cross country we had started earlier in the year.

Coniston and Back! 22 Miles of PAIN!

"Today I have mostly been pushing my bike". I think from that stolen quote that you may surmise that it has been a very difficult day in the Lakes. Hard but good fun is another way of describing the "style" of riding today, I use the word "Style" very loosely as most of it has been pure luck and gravity.



The route started at the Lake side boating car park and straight up a very ridiculous tarmac hill for the first half that would see us then merge on to a track and onward and upward to follow the hill along, up and below the "Old man of Coniston". This track is very rocky and very difficult in very long stretches to pedal and meant that the term "Push Bike" became a reality.



For all the pain of going up ( just over 2100 ft and out of the clouds) we eventually came to the "Going down" bit which was again very rocky and very steep, I will add at this point I learnt the benefits of lowering my seat, as at one point I tried to get off the back in a hurry and failed and paid the price of " going arse over T*T".



The rest of the descent was done with the seat at a sensible height and went well.



Into Seathwaite and pass the pub and then back again as we missed our turn just before the pub, but we decided to stop at the pub to partake of tea, coffee chocolate and half an Amstell for our very own Mountain goat Phil.



Then it was back to the very rocky and very steep climbing that had us walking again, but at the top was a very fast and very flowing piece of track that was spoilt by "Ramblers" who thought it OK to spread themselves across, along and on every part of the path so meaning we had to slow down to a sensible speed so as to avoid the "Red sock brigade". Any way we took another wrong turn and went down the wrong track and out onto a very fast and steep road which ended up costing us at least another 5-6 miles of climbing back up to the correct track through the woods where we should have arrived at earlier.
Any way we found the woods and went through them and we had fun, and then onto more TARMAC, damn stuff gets everywhere, and then own towards Coniston Water, but again the turn alluded us and it decided to do that thing that summer dose best and rain, and rain very hard it did all the way along the lake and back to the car park.

When we got back to the van it was coffees, teas all round after drying and changing.
22 miles of hard won but hard played by all.

A good but damn hard ride that we may return to when we run out of other ideas.

I have put a little video on here of our favourite mountain goat doing a nice little tricky section of track for the camera, you will notice towards the end of the section 2 gentlemen Ne loonies on Uni-cycles, fantastic to watch but bloody hard work.

Circuit of Fountains Fell (25/04/2010)

Well better late then never.

All 5 of us managed to get out for this "Killer Loop" which was brilliant as it meant more people to egg each other on.

Start was at a rain soaked car park in Stainforth, but thanks to Halbro we arrived in comfort and style.

First section was mainly on tarmac (1 1/2 to 2 miles) until the first climb (Holy Sh*t what a climb) it seemed to go on for ever, so Phil was off like a Priest in an orphanage!

After the long, long, long climb we came to the going along and then down bit, and by god did it go down.

Richard attached his new Mini Video to his bike and off we went for at least 2 miles of grass then rocky track, and then more rocky track and some water splashes until another long road section into ArncliffeWhen we got to Arncliffe we were met with a Horror story, 'NO CAFE or TEA ROOM' what a desolate place to arrive in, luckily we rode on and discovered a Caravan park that had a shop that sold Coffee and Chocolate (see pictures) so problem sorted.

Lucky we found the Chocolate as it was to be required on the next climb out of the Valley, which again was very, very long, so off went Phil again into the distance, he is not one to shy from a climbing challenge and this was a challenge. Any way, we eventually made it to Malham Tarn and the last long flowing section on very well groomed paths for the walkers, by this time Rob was having a seat issue, and Dave was on his chin straps (Chocolate had run out) but it was mainly down from here so luck was with them.

The last section of down hill on The Pennine way was rocky and fast and my calf muscles had decided that it was time to remind me that they wanted to go home.

What a brilliant, fantastic ride that has to be done again and again and again.

Introduction for the Y'Dales Virgins.

Well today was the first time for the others to sample some Yorkshire dales MTB. Not the route we had planned as things did not go as planned, 1st Richard called in sick (poor bugger had a Migraine), 2nd Phil was not sure about doing 25 miles in the pissing rain as he was worried about fitness (that coming from the human mountain goat.)

Sooo! I had to rethink what we were to do as a way of an intro???? Clapham Tunnels and Bridges was the first thought so I stuck with it.

Raining when we set off but not to harse so off we went up what has to be the bloody hardest start to any mountain bike ride, then along the farm double track which has cut up after the snow and matey on his quad bike (feeding sheep so cant complain) so it was very, very mucky, thankfully I had attached my cruds so was cleaner than the other 3.

Got to Feizor for a fuel stop (only a third in but hey what the hek) and had a superb Bacon and Egg Barm (bap, roll) you choose.

Then onwards, oh at this point I will mention the river crossings, they were a touch deep due to lots of rain, I have video of Phil riding a bridge over one and you can see how deep and fast they were running.

Every body had a good day and absolutely loved the final down hill section, buzzing and laughing at the end.

Rob had a run in with a boulder about the size of a football, it had decided that it liked his back wheel and wanted to go with it, he was unaware of this at the time (having too much of a good time) and then Dave thought seeing as it was Easter bank holiday and the 1st anniversary of his Peak pile up he would race past me and lose the arse end big style, luckily he held it and carried on in a semi straight line, I on the other hand had had to dive off into a deep rut to the right of him and stuck for 100 ft or so until I could get out.

A damn good day had by all, its such a shame that Richard was not well as I know he would have loved to have done this one again, still all summer to do it, which Rob assured me would be a good one!

Looking forward to our next adventure as 5 and hoping for better weather.

Settle Loop.

Today was probably the most knackering ride I have done since the 46 mile BHF charity ride in the Peaks 2 years ago.

The route is fantastic for scenery and true old fashion mountain biking, like it was in the early 90's. 22 miles of hard work and big grins and thumping heart, with lots of frozen snow and ice just to mix it up a bit, and Limestone that has the same level of grip as a politician has on reality . Saw some of the tourist sites that the DALES has to offer, and suffered the

crowds that go with them. Luckily they were just fleeting meetings.

Had a coffee and Bacon barm stop in Malham before the ridiculous climb out of Malham back to Settle, mental climb that I think even a horse would have problems with (my bike did!).

Will be back to do again when things warm up!