On one...

Not literally - although we should have an On-one successor (Ragley) in our midst in a month or so via Wideopen (to join the Cotic Bfe I'll be running)...

No on-one from a riding view point.

A crazy man thinks he's in control of life, and his ride, but I like to think that I can react fast to what the trail throws at me... tonight Jon and I really enjoyed the short Macclesfield Forest blast. Charity Lane was immense - I somehow held Jon at bay despite being on the hardtail and him being the fastest rider in Macc at the moment! Awesome. Singletrack was fun. Despite some extra scoping it still needs some effort to link things up... but safer (although I did lose the front end on the flowy grassy descent).

Rock on.

France 2010? My 30th? Hardtails? VW Camper?

If you're up for joining Leo, Jon and I let me know!

A different kind of hardcore hardtail...

Newcomer Tom joined regulars Chris and I this week for the jaunt around Macclesfield Forest. Rocking up on a very light-weight frame, featherweight aero bladed wheels, skinny tyres and carbon forks he wasn't sure what to make of Chris and I with the fat tyres, big forks & brakes and armour! Scorching pace up the climb he was certainly making the most of the weight advantage.

The tables were turned on Charity Lane however... Chris and I anihilated it today - awesome. I was running a little more tyre pressure than normal and it really seemed to make a big difference to my confidence and I was pretty much 'on it' 95% of the way down. Great feeling, a big whoop and holla - despite some agrivated dog walker being rude despite me being polite and warning her of other riders behind me! The bottom berm is getting really rocky now, really tricky to get a good line through there so it's about easing off into the berm so you don't kill yourself.

Anyways on to the singletrack and a second ride, un-interupted, on the new stuff and it was ok - but needs a lot of scouting to become flowing. A good back up and more required to make the potential realised, a great flowing final descent but hard work in the middle.

I'm out again tomorrow with Jon - otherwise until next Thursday...

When I'm 64...

Ten years. Chris and I have known each other over 10 years and I can't recall us ever falling out. We've been riding together for 7 years - Chris was one of the other founding members of Fearingout...

So why am I talking bollocks? Well we were wondering whether we'd still be here in another 10 years! Hope so!

So after a promising turnout only Chris and I headed out tonight. After Martyn's excuses of bad weather and Tony leaving later it was actually quite nice to be just the two of us - we'd a really good chat on the climb and good chortles on Charity Lane which was surprisingly dry given all the rain in the past 7 days... fast and flowy.

We then re-visited the 'verge ride' - hell yeah. Remember the iconic snap of Scott on his Stinky pulling high out of this one? Well unfortunately you only have Chris and I to re-live the action - but I managed to get the bars turned a little. Tribute (and surprisingly good fun to just stop, chat, and mess about - just like the 'old days').

Onwards to the singletrack and we scoped out some new possibilities. Look forward to showing the trusted few what we've found. It looks really good fun and was great exploring in the woods. Taking it back to the roots - literally.

Cheese mode off - good ride, good laugh, good chat. Great weather, great company and great skills. See you next week!

Macclesfield Forest 11/6/09

September visit...

Word from Warnock:

"Hope to make it down for a Friday in Macc, Saturday ride, Sat night in Manc... not until September though, as I'm hitting 6+2 (i.e. 2 days off instead of 4) for 8 weeks of summer soon. Plan to absolutely reinstate myself around Macc Forest on the Commy!"

Good news - it'll be great to get out with him on 'home territory'.

Update from Jon:
"Hardtail choices narrowed down - test rides planned!
* Cotic BFe
* Cotic Soul
* Ragley BluePig

plus new brakes (possibly SLX on offer at CRC)."

The Cotic BFe should be a new longterm test for Wideopen this summer, and the Ragley is also on the cards. All definitely worth a look if you're struggling for inspiration one lunchtime.

A website also worth checking out is the 'Great Rock Blog' from fellow Peak Districters over towards Hebden Bridge (and the Singletrack crew!)

Also news just in... Mr Larking (formerly of this parish when we ran the FO team) is planning a summer visit! :)

Hopefully that little lot will pass some time before Thursday's ride... see you all out on the trails?

The latest rig in the Hilton household...

Elly's first bike arrived today - a German made PUKY. Awesome, dead light. Great build quality. I'm in trouble for choosing the red one over the pink one but I liked it better!

I won't tell you how much it was - suffice to say it's Elly's main birthday present! She's 2 in July. Time flies, but start them young.

Elly's new PUKY - 4/6/09

New bike syndrome hits Jon...

Yes you read it here first - Jon is seriously considering getting another bike/frame to replace his Sub-Zero. He wants more of an 'all rounder' - whatever that means. Apparently he feels the Sub-Zero is too much of a comprimise for longer rides and is too short...
I see a Cotic Bfe on the cards!!



Anyway just Jon and I tonight (although we know Chris tried to catch us - but I was on a time limit and couldn't wait - sorry matey!) and talk turned to new bikes (as mentioned). Nice weather, clouded over a little from the weekend which made the climbing bearable. Charity Lane was tinder dry and very quick. Some nice hard smooth sections appear in this weather and the only place Jon had an advantage on the full bouncer was through the rough chute where he could plough through and I picked a safer smoother line. Great fun!

Stopped on the singletrack to take some photos - I had the Panasonic with external flash - but unfortunately only the 16MB memory card - and the flash batteries died! Next time! Anyway we found a second track - though at present it leads no where - but, could it? Perhaps - a winter project.

Anyone fancy a weekend ride?

Macclesfield Forest 4/6/09

Delamere in the sun sun sun...

So that weather that started on Thursday night, it's lasted. Wow. 3 days of glorious weather (so I'm expecting a wet ride this week on Thursday).

Anyway with a beer festival Jon wanted to get back for things we headed out early and we met at the layby at Delamere at 9.45am. Myself and Tony made it there first, joined by Jon and girlfriend Emma, and finally Leo!! Anyhow off we set and headed straight for the skills area. After a tool about on the chute and small jump we had a few goes on the old 4X track before heading over to the mini DH (definitely mini) and had a few runs and a few snaps. Good fun. However the boys were keen on a ride so off we set on the 7 miler loop and that was that.

Good day - lovely weather. I could have stayed at the skills area all day though! :D

Delamere Forest 31/5/09

Envigorated

What a fantastic day!

Chris and I almost didn't go riding this evening - I'd not brought my bike due to an admin issue and Chris had forgotten his helmet. The weather was humid but the blue sky appearing convinced us to brave it - and boy was it worth it.

As a bit of a laugh I donned my checked short sleeve shirt and DH shorts! Check the snaps!

We put the world to rights on the fireroad climb, so much so we got up in no time (not as quick as the XC whippet on a Cannondale though - he was riding like he had an engine!). Charity Lane was quite wet, especially at the top. Somehow though it was a good wet. Fast, grippy, confidence inspiring.

I've had a few only ok descents of Charity Lane on the hardtail recently but something really just clicked today - Chris felt the same - really flying, pumping, flowing. Awesome awesome fun. Just when you think you've tired of the same old route it drags you back in.

Onwards after a whoop and a high five and the high spirits lead me to pull a bar tweak off the grass verge - another whoop and onto the singletrack. This was SLIPPERY and sensing danger we both took it a little more steady, good sideways action on the roots, the only reason I didn't kill myself coming off I think was the forward momentum so with a few dabs we were through. The undergrowth had re-established itself at the tree but Chris and I pushed through and that was that. Ride over.

Buzzing and can't wait for the next one...

Oh and did the shirt make a difference? Don't know. Cathy thinks it looks gash so it's good enough for me! :D

Macclesfield Forest 28/5/09

Next ride is on Sunday morning - current favourite is Delamere. Check your emails tomorrow!!

The story...

Taking us back to 2002

Choice of 3...
1) New BMX
2) New fork and wheels for Chameleon
3) New camera and slave flash setup

Decisions decisions.

Nostalgia's never a good thing!

It's been a funny old week. I've been reflecting on the weekend and reminiscing about the old days of Fearingout.

Back in the day we used to mock the guys on full sussers doing trails. We used to mock the guys wearing helmets, camelbaks, arm and knee pads. We thought we were it - xc hardtails with a few choice upgrades, GAP shorts and cotton t-shirts, Vans trainers - the only comprimise being decent gloves.
Then slowly over the years the toys and gadgets have crept in... admittedly as we got faster and crashed more helmets and pads became a must (we all have a day job unfortunately)... but with it came base layers, camelbaks, special shorts and coats.

Somewhere along the way I think I got lost.

Anyway enough of the nostalgia bollocks - what do I want to do about it I thought?
Well I'm thinking DH shorts paired with short sleeved chequed shirts - piss pot or full face helmets and flat pedals...

Maybe I'm just having a mid life crisis!

Anyway got an email from Scott about the video preview below - cheers mate - it's made me re-evaluate things. I really enjoy making films - films of us lot riding. It's never been about the amazing stunts but Scott mentioned something that got me thinking? Do you lot really value it? At Innerleithen I was really upset with the piss take slow riding past the camera - maybe you lot don't value it as much as I do?

Fearingout used to be a lot about messing around with your mates, pushing back up to get a better photo, pushing yourself further and riding new stuff.
I'm going to take it back to it's roots this summer. Camera wielding rather than video camera wielding...

So tonight then, good ride.
Changeable weather, but Jon and Chris joined me and we had a good laugh. Charity Lane was BONE DRY - very quick (not so quick with a streaming nose though - damn cold) and great fun. It all bode well for the singletrack... which turned out to be AMAZINGLY fast - wicked on the roots! We stopped half way to investigate alternative routes around the fallen tree and have started a new line above the fallen obstacle. It was fun. Scouting for lines. Messing about and feeling like this is really where it's at!

Oh and big up Jon for his retro chrome BMX bars! Good lad - they look awesome!

Macclesfield Forest 14/5/09