Staying Healthy?????

Well its been a long time since my last post so here goes a quick round up.

Have been commuting when I can due to working in Crawley (not this side of Christmas now!!Hooray)

Been out with the group both locally and up to the Lakes (North Face at Grizedale) which of course was nice.

Now the fun part, Tuesday just gone went to catch a plane (V heavy Ha,Ha) at Manchester airport (best place really) and journey was cut short by a trip in an ambulance to Wythenshaw hospital (suspected Heart attack????) then let out on weds evening to go home as I did not have a heart attack (let you in on the secret in next paragraph)
Then Saturday sat talking with Jayne in our dinning room and POW! another attack (whats going on????) trip to Bolton royal with suspected dodgy ticker! spent night in C.C.U (cardiac care unit) only to be let out next day???
Now you may ask "Whats going on" well I will tell you. It would appear that Iam classed as "Bradycardic" (slow heart/pulse standing below 60 B.B.P) with sleep at 35-40 B.B.P so whats happening is my "VEGUS Nerve" (controls heart,blood pressure,sweating and lots of other things) and it thinks that when I rest my Heart is going to stop so panics and floods my body with Adrenalin to kick it back into life.
Any way life back to some kind of normal and awaiting tests and answers.
The best bit is I am still allowed to ride my bike!!!

End of Summer!

Well its come around again, dark nights on the commute and the constant damp trail. Heres hoping that this warm front stays in for the next month so I can get use to the dark on the bike.
Have not been out on the old Steel steed much but hoping to cure this over the coming months.

Marin Trail and beyond!

Well, finely did it, the Marin trail in North Wales. Great down hills that are just the right side of scary and technical up hills long, tough and very boring after a while (all fire road) other than that it was brilliant and a great day out with the group (Richard, Phil,Dave and Rob) We didn't see allot of Phil as he had this loony idea of doing it twice (the mans an Animal) and he did, he is the oldest and fittest in the group.

After the ride we stoped just in the village before the bridge at a little tea room and had home made Tomatoe soup and a roll and a pot of tea which was nice.

Phil is not in the group shot as he was still riding his second loop while we relaxed and drank tea.

Been a long time waiting?

Well here at last, have a new lap top, well the wife does.

Bad news on the lego house front, they have torn it down as it was going to cost to much to move £50,000 (MP exspense's for 6 months) so the picture on here are just before they finnished.

Have been out on the bikes, but not as much as one would like. Missed a ride Sunday just gone, but went out previous with the usual gang and had a cracker, and it was nice to have everybody back together (see middlebrookvalleytrail for details and pics) talking of pics here are some of the lego house before its demise.

Also when I was staying at my parents house this old Green Godess brokedown outside their front gate.

Long time no update!!!

Well its been a long time since my last update and will be a little longer as I am updating on a borrowed computer. have new (old now) pics of Lego house and updates on Southern single track and Sunday rides.

No Sunday Ride (Plague)

Well no ride as planned due to waking up at 2.30 AM and feeling as rough as a dog, so had to text Phil and Richard to let them know I was not going, then spent the last 2 days feeling sorry for myself.
Down south again as of tomorrow so will see if I feel up to it (Fingers crossed) for short sharp rides.

2nd Visit South

Well went down on Monday 24th, it took me 6 Hrs. Did not go out on the trails but decided to ride out to Denbies Vineyard on the outskirts of Dorking and visit the Lego house that T.V's James May is having built. Most impressive, but still not finished, hoping it will be completed next week when I am down again, I will update with new pictures.

On the Tuesday I went out for a quick blast and found 2 new trails, Waggle dance and Crooked Furrow, very quick and loads of fun especially trying to climb up the track in the picture on the Left. the 2 routes join to make a fun, short, quick circular blast in the woods not far from the Plough at cold Harbour.

Thursday I decided to go a little further on the unofficial track that continues after Summer lightning, this runs out about 1 Km further down the woods and runs onto the Byway that leads down to the A24, I followed the trail that others have set into the narrow woods on the Left hand side of the track, Good fun until I realised that I had about 3 mile climb back up to the top, so I decided to try and be clever and find a new way back. By this time it was 19.15 and starting to lose some light. Anyway ended up exploring some trails (unofficial) back up to the top of Leith Hill to the Tower .

Good fun and looking forward to next week.

Southern Sandy Single track

Well I did 2 evening rides on marked and some unmarked tails. The first was called "Summer Lightning" which is very twisty and rooty and a complete contrast to riding around the West Pennines and the Peaks, 2nd trail was a quick blast in the woods called "The regurgitator" pleasant name and very apt as it has you up and down very fast and around some very fast and tight switch backs which the old steel steed loved. With this riding you have to remember that trees do hurt and that whoever laid this singletrack down wanted you to feel as one with the tree's and if you do it fast enough you can see your rear wheel on some of the twisty tight rooty corners.

I am down there again next week and plan to do the same again and explore a little further afield

On a technical note I have had to change the Bottom bracket in my Steel steed after 8 1/2 Months so not too bad as it does get a thrashing.

Sundays Ride

Well got out and had a blast, we went to the reservoir off of Coal Pits track with the direction of Richard (middlebrookvalleytail) then over the bars on the way out as per the norm, then up coal pits and down the track at the back that goes to Belmont (Cheeky trail), this is a cracking down hill and requires every muscle and ounce of concentration that you can muster.

We met a group of lads at the bottom who were on posh full bouncers that they had on loan (Scott and a new Turner 5.5 frame) the latter being bike porn!

It was a great ride and in stark contrast to the riding down south in the woods and Bridleways of the South downs.

Hopefully out again Sunday but before that I have to go back down south for business so will be riding (fingers crossed) the Redland trails and Leith Hill, will update on my return with pictures and report.

Back from Holiday

Well, eventually made it to Graffham after the car decided to blow an inter cooler pipe which set us back 2 days but we made it on Wednesday.

Fantastic campsite, right in the middle of a wood so plenty of shelter and isolation.

Did not do allot of riding as spent time with the family but did find a quick 5 - 6 mile circuit around the surrounding hills and woods, great for an early morning blast to set you up for the day. It was fairly low but had some great techie rooty sections that you could take at speed and fly and blast for a laugh, very sandy though so bike had to be cleaned quite regular.

I took the 2 eldest on a short blast and had a whale of a time (as shown in pictures).

We are looking at going back as the weather was good and the surrounding area great for all abilities on the bike and walking is very easy and pleasant.

Mid Week Update (RANT!!!)

Well today started badly as I had the supremely daft idea of doing my commute on the main roads. I would rather do the "ice cream " run on Rivi with no brakes and blindfolded, what an absolutely stupid, brainless idea it turned out to be.
Nobody in a car it would seam at that time in the morning can see no more than the end of their bonnet and have an arc of vision no greater than straight ahead, how they don't kill each other, let alone kill more pedestrians and cyclists is any bodies guess.
Now it has become apparent that 8 Months of heavy regular commuting has killed my cassette and chain and they now require changing, this will have to wait until after my Holiday as all funds need to be directed at my trip and weekend bike for the next 2 weeks.

Wot no Ride!!!

Well no ride today as its been raining, now normally this would not bother me but I do not feel 100% and I cannot be bothered to clean my bike again. Also I have not had chance to burn my new brake pads in so I don't want to go wearing out 2 new sets in 1 ride.
Now this might seem like a set of very poor reasons but I will be on Holiday soon and I want to keep things working without too much fuss.
Richard was not up for a ride today and Rob may have been if he was not in the Lake District, will text later to find out if I missed out on as ride partner.
New tyres on the commute, got rid of big and knobbly, now I am running smooth and fast (Panaracer UFFDA?) City jump tyres (not for me) and they roll a lot faster but pick up more debris, oh well cant have everything.

Ladybower Loop (Brill)

Richard on top of First accent and view towards Derwent water.

Well I got out with the new bars and helmet and had a blast of a day with Richard.
We did the Ladybower loop, and it was hard work but bloody good fun, technical in places (by technical I mean you had to push) it was a day of new experiences and skills, it was FAB (still buzzing).
We kicked off from the car park opposite Ladybower Damn and headed straight into an extremely technical climb!!! by a Pub (did not see name) this was when the first batch of rain caught us, not to much trouble as it was drizzle more than anything else, we had 2 bad bouts but it was warm come the afternoon so it did not worry us.
Any way will not go into too much detail as it will bore you, but if you have a spare 4 to 5 hrs go and do it, but check you have plenty of disc pads as they wear away very quickly with the grit stone paste (will be changing both ends tomorrow).
Again great ride with Richard, had a blast and a laugh and will be doing it again as soon as I can.

Mid Week rant!!!

Why oh Why oh Why do I bother driving a car (only when I have to) for work.
I had the misfortune of having to get in a car and travel down to sunny West Sussex on weds 15th, aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! what horrible things cars are and the people that drive them, if i had one idiot thinking he was Jenson button I had a Thousand, Reps? I know they have a job to do but does it have to involve speaking on the phone, drinking a skinny latte and looking at themselves in the mirror!!!! I miss the commute.
God I love my bikes, at least you can get off road and think and breath without the fear of Johnny small in the trouser dept rep boy trying to kill you and 100 other unfortunates around you.
Any way bike matters now. New cranks on the commute still fine, have now fitted new bars to crashed bike and have tried it out, much better in feel and width from previous so well happy.
Hoping to try them out big style on Sunday as Richard has suggested the "Ladybower Loop" he has done previous so here's hoping nothing goes wrong.

No Ride!!!

Well as mentioned in the last post no ride Sunday! this was to help get over the little crunch last Sunday, as I have been suffering a bit with the ribs.
What did happen is Richard came over with his old Giant full sus with a bag of bits that needed fitting, now normally fitting bits to bikes is straight forward, but when you mix old and new, things are never that straight forward as we discovered 5 hours later and only a new bottom bracket, some very posh XT shifters and some "Peaty"(bit flash but comfy) lock on grips later, we discovered that new rear and front derailleur's do not mix with 9 year old bike design.
So Richard is now looking for "bits that fit" and then we can give it another go.
Hopefully I will be back out Sunday as I have managed to commute daily with only slight discomfort (usual of bad drivers, incontinent dogs and deaf school kids) so fitness has been kept up.
Here's looking forward to Sunday.

Sunday Ride (Crash)

Well Sunday did not go quite as planned, 1st we changed venue from Tockholes to Winterhill and Rivington, then I decided to cut the ride short by doing a spectacular Endo that ended with me flying 15 feet through the air and managing to knock every ounce of wind out of me, as well as cutting short my flying lesson with my head (new helmet now acquired), damaged shoulder and bruised ribs I managed to bend my bars.
Bit of a day as you can see but the other 3 went on there way after making sure that I was O.K and able to get my sorry behind home.
New bars already ordered courtesy of the On -One (Planet X) sale very cheap bars at present and new shiny helmet (Matt black) stealth I believe.
Gave the bike full check over, Forks are fine so decided to service headset while it was apart so at least some good came from it.
Word to the wise, 18 stone at 20 mph and 15 ft travel are not a good recipe for a relaxing Sunday ride! but fun all the same.
Don't know if I will be out this Sunday as pain is very intense (not as young as I once was).

Sunday's Ride

Well after a 2 week break from riding off road I will be out this Sunday with the gang over at Tockholes. We did this ride about 2 months ago and decided it needed further exploration for alternative routes. looking forward to it as the view from Darwin tower is superb, here's hoping for the weather.
New chain set seems to be behaving, and is much better than the old square taper as more power seems to go to the back wheel (gear or 2 higher) so meaning a quicker time to work.

New chainset

Well, it had to happen, the old square taper on the commute has died and joined the parts bin in the shed.
Have just fitted the new Deore External bearing cranks, hope the bearings last as well as they have on my other bike.
Not exciting news but seeing as this all new to me I will soon figure out what is interesting and what is dull.

First Time!!

Having now dragged myself into the 21st century, here goes.
I am hoping to record all my riding and commuting stories here.
I ride with Richard (middlebrookvalleytrial) at weekends and we pass on our commutes.