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.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Again, two days two rides...
Friday, April 22, 2011
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!
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!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
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!
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!
Thursday, April 07, 2011
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!
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!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Wideopen BDS Round 1 video is MEGA!
If you've not seen it on the Wideopen site or via Facebook already, here it is - a mega video thanks to Paul and Tim for putting it together... pro!
Wideopenmag.co.uk: 2011 Halo BDS Rd1 Nant Gwrtheyrn from Wideopen Mag on Vimeo.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Back in the saddle at Lee and Cragg...
Great ride yesterday - the first ride of 2011 and Chris, Ross, Jon and I headed the short (hour) drive up to Lee and Cragg Quarry, on what promised to be a lovely sunny day.
The climb up from the car park is a killer - but we slogged it out. You get a little bit of the red route and two fun singletrack sections with drops and berms before you head off for Cragg across the moor - and this section is now surfaced with an all weather gravel - which hopefully will last! Over in Cragg Jon did nearly two full loops and the rest of us mere mortals just one. The first bit on the way out is ok, but the fun starts about a third into the loop, some awesome sections, loads of pump and flow... and the new sections are great - really build on what's there - Tony and his team have done a grand job.
After a quick breather in the sun we headed back down the moor to Lee - and the new cross moor section was very quick on the way back! We went back to the skills area and fooled about for a bit before finishing off with the last three sections of red singletrack - which finished so so well with the little section through the trees.
So what next? More rides planned for the rest of 2011, and week night rides start the week after next when the clocks change!
The climb up from the car park is a killer - but we slogged it out. You get a little bit of the red route and two fun singletrack sections with drops and berms before you head off for Cragg across the moor - and this section is now surfaced with an all weather gravel - which hopefully will last! Over in Cragg Jon did nearly two full loops and the rest of us mere mortals just one. The first bit on the way out is ok, but the fun starts about a third into the loop, some awesome sections, loads of pump and flow... and the new sections are great - really build on what's there - Tony and his team have done a grand job.
After a quick breather in the sun we headed back down the moor to Lee - and the new cross moor section was very quick on the way back! We went back to the skills area and fooled about for a bit before finishing off with the last three sections of red singletrack - which finished so so well with the little section through the trees.
So what next? More rides planned for the rest of 2011, and week night rides start the week after next when the clocks change!
 |
| Lee and Cragg Quarry 20/03/11 |
Sunday, January 02, 2011
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Cotic BFe build finished...
Hopefully the mild weather continues though and the snow and Ice recedes further!
So the build:
2010 Cotic BFe in XS
2009 RS Recon 351 Maxle Lite
Hope Mini Mono 180mm front, 160mm rear
Superstar Tech2 hubs and Voltage rims
Maxxis Minion 2.35 front 42a, rear 60a
Shimano Saint cranks 22/32
Gamut P30 chain device
Shimano SLX front and rear mech
Shimano XT 8 speed shifter, LX front shifter
DMR Wingbars and stem
Nukeproof post
Charge saddle
Outland pedals
She's heavy, hopefully stable and planted and will survive a Peak district winter battering. More in Wideopen (www.wideopenmag.co.uk) Issue 15 out in
March 2011.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
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