This is more like it...

Macclesfield Forest 30/04/09

This week Chris and I were joined by Tony - who's been riding in the area for 12 months but never had come out with us... a little aprehensive about his fitness (for now reason!) and the descending I think but he really enjoyed himself.

We did Charity Lane, which was wet but not a river this week... and then Tony encouraged us to do the bottom of the oven track - great stuff. The top half was a good laugh pumping the doubletrack for speed and launching off the little humps and yumps. Luckily I remembered as a I approached what looked like a big water bar jump on the horizon that it got a lot steeper - hell it was like dancing on ice on the loose stuff but great laugh. Trying not to kill myself without braking, not quite foot out flat out like Scott on Episode 7 but still - great fun. Then we showed Tony the singletrack which was a little wet and sketchy but worth it.

Lee Quarry
Ross and I are riding Lee Quarry on Saturday afternoon, hoping to be joined by Jon. Anyone else interested phone me or Facebook me.

Scotland
All plans are in place for the Scotland weekender - looking forward to it and riding with Scott again. Plans to fit three bikes in the Saxo though might not come to fruition. We'll have to see!

Bank holiday jaunt?

Does anyone fancy a ride up at Lee Quarry at some point over the bank holiday - I was thinking Saturday late morning and afternoon?

After Jon's glowing report the other week I thought it would serve as a good Scotland warm up and opportunity to get the video camera out for the first time in 2009!

Word from Warnock...

"Blue skies, 17 Degrees (felt like more), only 6 people on the trails all day...good stuff... Very rocky and dusty is how I'd sum up Ae at the moment... Deceiving "descend" sign. Down into Ups are my pet hates at trail centres"

Check out his Facebook photos via the link (click the photo).

Remember matey - wear your gloves!
See you in a few weeks for the Scotland weekender...

DVD update
First section on this years DVD is likely to be Lee Quarry in a few weeks though as warm up! :)

Wideopen Issue 9!

It's here - Wideopen Issue 9 has been some time in the making but go check out the new site and latest issue...

Word from Jamie:
Summer is here and the gate has dropped on the first races of the season… Seems like a bloody good time for a new issue of Wideopen magazine!

Yep – that’s right. Issue 9 of Wideopen is now online. As ever, it’s 100% free and online ready for you to download at http://www.wideopenmag.co.uk

It features over 100 pages of exclusive features, interviews, bike tests, goregeous photos and of course UK race reports:

- Tracy Moseley interview
- Propain Rage world exclusive test
- Exclusive look at ‘Rowan Sorrell’s’ proto DH bike
- Genesis Alpitude test
- Winter in Southern Spain with DHSpain
- Al Evans interview
- Gawton scene check
… and loads more

If that ‘aint enough we’ve completely re-launched our website to look better, work better and feature more great content between issues of the mag.

That’s it. Get over to http://www.wideopenmag.co.uk and check it out now!

***Can you help promo Wideopen? Here's 3 ways...***

- Update your status with "Wideopen issue 9 is ONLINE at www.wideopenmag.co.uk"

- Steal the wideopenmag.co.uk group photo and use it as your profile pic

- post a link to www.wideopenmag.co.uk on your profile.

Cheers everyone!

http://www.wideopenmag.co.uk

Dampened trail but not spirits...

Just Leo and I tonight... not sure what happened to Tony (think he was feeling a little ill) and Jon was stuck on his way back from York, but still it was good to get out despite the weather and Leo and I had good chat.

Was the first time Leo was out on the bike since Edale and although he's no lard arse I think he'd be the first to admit he was struggling for bike fitness. Riding my hardtail made it look easy for me though so I'll keep my mouth shut.

Charity Lane was great fun. I took the bull by the horns this week and was conciously thinking body shape... using the forks rather than riding the back of the bike and what a difference. Much more in control I had a lot of fun...

Less so for Leo who had a big spill on the steep section where he just lost it in a chain reaction kind of way... After dusting himself off it was his pride hurt more than anything else but good job he was padded up! Pushing on despite the weather we headed down the singletrack that was actually quite dry.

See you all in a fortnight as I'm on a course next week.
Leo is riding Edale this weekend if anyone is interested - hit him up via Facebook!

Macclesfield Forest 16/4/09

Macclesfield 9/4/09

I know it's late but Wideopen has been all consuming recently!! Well Jon and I headed out to Macclesfield Forest last week for the first weeknight ride of 2009.

Boy did it feel good to be back in the groove - and even with threatening skies we headed for the forest with anticipation of what the weather had done to the trails.

After admiring the Sam Dale air take off again we made good time and after a short breather Jon and I attacked Charity Lane. I'd forgotten how short the Chameleon was and felt I was struggling a little - good fun but more hanging on then really attacking. Since it had been dry we headed onto the singletrack for a blast down back to the cars in under an hour.

Macclesfield Forest 9/4/09

Lee Quarry.....with new sections!

Had a quick Lee Quarry trip over the weekend.
Had a change of route after the first climb and took a gentle trip over the moors the looped back into the Quarry.
Found two new sections, one just after the first trials area: - A few steep drops into high berms then a choice a fast berm or section of three drop offs both link up and climb back to the original red section, this leads onto a few berms and a fast drop onto two good size table tops and a double.
Black route is unchanged and then the second alerted section: - on the final descent just before the corner where we had to photo session, the original straight trail has gone and replaced with two large tabletops a double and a few small gaps!
All in all a good improvement which would have been better with both brakes working!
Who wants a trip??????