Snap crackle and pop...

Great ride this evening - Jon, Chris and I out on hardtails this week as things were wet and I fancied a change from the big bike...

One thing that after all these years is still such a big part of mountainbiking for me after work is the 'therapy' of climbing up to Charity Lane. It gives you a good 30-40minutes to download work and life with your mates. Even better this week we got on to advising Chris on 2x10 setups and Jon dreaming of a hydraulic deraileur system.

Charity Lane is smoothing out, as it always does in the summer. Still loose and rocky but a line has emerged and I felt fast if a little loose. Good to take the full susser confidence back to the hardtail - you pick better faster lines and it keeps things interesting. Chris said I was pulling away from him which is cool, but Jon obliterated the pair of us - both on the downs and the climbs. Animal. Jon left us for a blast back to town - Chris and I headed down Bottom of the Oven - I was expecting to find it very loose and pretty sketchy but today I just felt on it down there, pinned and very quick with plenty of pumping and jumping (pop) at the top before careering down the steep loose bit with a bit of style.

Onwards and Jon snapped a chain (snap) on the way round to the viewpoint so we briefly caught him before he accelerated up the hill and out of site. Up to the viewpoint Chris and I had a relax and reflection on how lucky we are to live, work and ride in such beautiful countryside. Then down the old push up trail which was great apart from some walkers that slowed us right down - despite it clearly saying 'bike trail' grrrrr. Still we were polite to them. In the darkness it was slippery but great fun - tons of adrenaline pumping.

Sorry no 'crackle'. Couldn't think of anything to make the title work better than that. See you all next week!

That hit the spot...

Well tonight it was just Jon and I as numbers dwindled again. Kev is out long term with an ankle injury (due back on the big bike mid August I reckon - just in time for Scotland in September!). Chris was away with work, and Tony decorating...

So it's been wet the past few days but it didn't put us off. The usual climb proved to be very therapeutic as Jon and I ranted and got lots off our chests. Charity Lane is evolving again and the climb is a lot smoother already... I wondered if this would be translated over the summit. The full sus allows you to carry so much more speed into the rough stuff, but poor line choice meant Jon closed the gap right up and then with the more level smoother bottom section held my tail to the close - result!

We both reflected that last week (singletrack) felt to short, so decided to do the whole forest loop... not before Bottom of the Oven (awesome tonight), I feel so confident on the big bike. Up at the view point watching the sun start to drop in the sky I was reflecting about next year being 10 years of Fearingout. What a milestone...

Not reflecting long though before we nailed the final descent - and Jon was 'on it' pinning and railing the corners finding grip where I thought none existed. I could only just hold him and I felt flat out on the big bike.

Roll on next week - and the rest of the summer on two wheels.

A quick blast...

Four out tonight including a 'riding tanned' Jon back from a week ragging the Pitch over in the Sierras in Spain. Sounds like he had a wonderful time, I for one am very jealous. Good ride this evening, as Jon and I were joined by Chris and Tony. Just a dryish Charity Lane and slimy but drying singletrack this evening...

Even I felt though that the descents just aren't long enough.

Then I come home to find Dirt mag on the doorstep and an article on Whistler.
Damn it!

Riding with your mates starts young...

Bouncy bouncy...

What a ride! This evening Tony, Chris and I headed out. We've had rain in the last few weeks so we didn't know what the trails would be like but in the main dry and fast. Usual route plus extended round to the view point, all done in about 1h20 with a few stops for banter and fitting in Bottom of the Oven.

I took out the old full-susser today though - it's not been ridden since maintenance post Scotland back in September 2010 (at least as far as I can remember). It ran sweet as a nut today, clean shifting, no creaks or squeaks and oh my, I'd forgotten just how fast you can go with a bit of cushioning under your arse... absolutely flying today and so much fun I'll be out on it again next time :)

Tony wants to organise a weekend jaunt somewhere so drop me a line on Facebook/email/text (whatever) if you're keen.

Again, two days two rides...

This week Jon and I headed out last night for the week night ride, another warm, sunny, dry ride. I was out on the Cotic again and this week everything just clicked for me, I felt totally pinned. Charity Lane Jon sent me down first and the thought he was tailing me down sent me harder and faster than last week, it was awesome. The singletrack was wickedly quick and the ride was just perfect. Awesome...

Then instead of Friday morning riding with Ross this week Elly and I headed out to the forest for her first mountainbike ride on her pedal bike. She was fabulous, absolutely amazing and full of smiles and confidence.

Wideopen Issue 15

Two days two rides...

Two rides this week...

First up Thursday night Chris and I headed out after work... After the issues post ride last week with the Gamut chain device and me bending it, I wanted to test the Cotic out so was onboard the hardtail again this week... With a couple of weeks dry weather Chris and I decided to try the singletrack. A fantastic decision - it was absolutely bone dry and lightning quick.

Then this morning Ross and I headed out for a quick blast. I had tinkered with the chain device again last night with Elly's help! It worked much better today! With two days back to back I managed to pick a better line at the bottom of Charity Lane - still need to ride it a few more times before it's as quick as the old one. The singletrack was absolutely amazing today - really pumped the roots for rhythm and let it rip down the top section. Awesome - just wish we could session it!

Week 2 and old faces...

Well another week and another weeknight ride... this week Ross joined Chris and I for his first Macclesfield ride for about 12 months. I think he enjoyed himself!

We took the pace a little slower this evening (suited me too) with good chat as usual before taking on Charity Lane. A personal reflection - much more confident and 'on it' this week, although I need to push my fitness a little I think to get the most out of the run. The bottom end though really is super knarl these days, the winter has taken a lot of the softer material out of the rock strata on the bottom berm, and the freeze thaw has broken up the edges making the middle a boulder field - it's just not as fast as it used to be, well on a hardtail anyway.

Having seen some pretty mega tree felling from the cars we decided to do the full loop - so standing at the view point is quite different now! Cool to ride past the 'north shore steps' from days of old... the descent back to the cars was fast and fun. Lots of smiles...

Getting home I decided to replace my chain - easy task made difficult by me not sorting the cranks properly and wrapping the chain between the cranks and chain device upon testing causing some damage to the aluminium spider of the chain device. Some judicious bending has restored it's shape but it's still not quite right and the new chain needs to bed in a bit... Fingers crossed she doesn't play up too much next week.

Tomorrow, Jon is riding at Lee before heading up to Scotland with Leo and crew - have a good weekend riding lads!

Dennis the menace...

Good ride this evening - the first weeknight ride of 2011 and just Jon and I... the weather turned out well in the end and we resorted to the old favourite route wise.

First time down Charity Lane in anger on the Cotic and it felt bullet proof, but the lane was rough after a winter of freeze thaw cycles and I think I found the handling limit of my short frame and mid-range fork. Good fun though, got to remind myself it was the first time I'd ridden it flat out since last October! Smiles despite feeling a bit shaken around, no punctures and no scary moments!

Roll on next week!