Elly's new bike...

Had a lovely family day with Elly and Cathy, headed down to Ludlow to pick up Elly's new bike. It's an Isla (www.islabikes.co.uk) Cnoc 14, and it's a present for her birthday. She's still a little small for it but it's love at first sight, she's so excited and has had me helping her around Mum and Dad's garden. It's pretty cool, nice and light, kids brake levers, cranks and pedals and nifty steering that won't turn all the way around!

So off road riding might be a year or so away - even so the next few months are going to be loads of fun!

Hopefully will get a review up in Wideopen (www.wideopenmag.co.uk) after a few months use.

James
Producer - Wideopenmag.co.uk

Sent from my Three mobile

Two days running...

This week's been 'mega' (my new favourite catch phrase).

Riding at Lee Quarry, and visiting Cragg Quarry with Great Rock's Ed Oxley was 'mega'. The trails were great fun and Jon and I are itching to get back to Cragg with a video camera. Kev came along, as did Dunc on photo duty - we're doing an article for the next Wideopen. Ed was a super nice guy, really chilled out, easy to talk to and did a great job guiding us around. Well worth a call if you fancy a decent training session or guide. The new trails were great fun too and you can see the Welsh influences with the 'mega' berms - and lots of them. Great fun!

Tonight out again, Macclesfield Forest, and Kev and I both out again - that's every week for us two still! Joined by Tony, Pete and another new comer - Pete (on the lovely white Commencal Meta 4). We did Charity Lane, Bottom of the Oven, then rode around the bridleway (where Pete showed us another hidden trail dissappearing off into the gloom) before ragging down the new singletrack and push up trail back to the cars.

Twice in one week is great fun!
I'll get some teaser snaps from Dunc and the Cragg Quarry trip later this week :)

Macclesfield 27/05/10

And now for something completely different...

Tonight was completely different for two reasons...
First up Kev and I headed out from HOME at 6.30pm (instead of straight from work) and second, we rode up Nessit Hill rather than Charity Lane...

Why?

From Macclesfield DH 20/05/10

Because Kev mentioned speaking to a few of the DH club a week or so ago and being shown one of the older courses, less extreme, that scooted down to the push up track and we both decided it was worth a further look...

From Macclesfield DH

So what did we find? Some good quality, twisty, technical singletrack! Result!
Great fun and we rode it three times, sessioning the third for a few snaps with the iPhone. Shame we didn't have a proper camera... and typically on his last run Kev got a puncture. Oh well! Lovely evening weather wise and a good ride... can't wait to show Jon next week!

Next Wednesday we're off to Lee Quarry at lunchtime for a ride around with Ed Oxley. Good stuff!

Macclesfield DH

A shot in the arm...

A lovely evening tonight and after a good day in work after a shit few weeks the Thursday night ride is an awesome shot, condensed dose of adrenaline and tonight was no exception!

Full sus and full face for me tonight and I was joined by Tony, Pete and Kev. Usual route and it was dry as a bone and almost too easy on the Coiler! I was getting tired pedalling downhill! We did bottom of the oven which really showed to me how much more stable the big bike is in the steep loose stuff. Then on to the grand finale and a fantastic mega dry mega quick blast down the singletrack! The full sus full face combo had me accelerating like I had an engine! Incredible fun!

Next week new route.

Now off for a curry and a beer or two! Lovely!

James

Producer - Wideopenmag.co.uk

Sent from my Three mobile

And then there were two...

Great ride tonight - just the two of us as Kev and I headed up for the usual route. Not much to say other than the climb was a good chance to catch up, Charity Lane was dry and fast, Bottom of the Oven was loose and sketchy and the singletrack rooty and fun.

We promised that next week we'd try something different - well maybe not next week, but soon!

In other news - checked out my Coiler Dee-lux tonight - and the gears are fine so will not change the cable just yet - but the bottom bracket is loose - so it's either a new one or a chance to upgrade? SLX? Saint? or another RaceFace? I do like the RaceFace Evolve XC - it's forged, light, stiff and stylish!

Scotland and Lee Quarry planning next week so keep your eyes on your inbox!