Dry dusty and killing it...

Kev, Ryan and I met a nice lad called James this evening. Always good to chat to a fellow rider and even better, he was f£&@in quick too to chasing him down Charity and Bottom of the Oven really pushed me to try new lines and hold it Wideopen in places where I'd be covering the brakes normally...

Awesome!

Ryan seemed to enjoy his first proper ride on his new to him Santa Cruz Heckler - I'm sure he'll find the sweet spot quickly as he settle in to it. Out same time same place next week. 

James

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Sunshine, dust and buzz...

When the sun shines there's no better place to be then on the bike riding dry trails...

Wonderful blast around the forest with Jon and Kev. We made good progress on the climbs and BIG smiles (as usual) on the descents - met the girls walking up Charity Lane again, think we need to either wait at the top or get down to the bottom earlier as we keep meeting them on the steep rough section which leads to a heart in mouth moment and hanging on hoping that you can hold your line and your nerve...

The buzz of riding is pretty much the best feeling in the world - and the buzz and zip of tyres through dusty trails add a physical and auditory sensation to the whole experience.

What better than some real ales for post-ride too!

Bike building with Ryan...

Well Jon Boy would turn in his grave at some of the mastery of bodging completed today! Ryan's Heckler is 95% complete! Just needing a front mech, chain rings, gear cables, grips oh and probably pedals to finish! The next time Ryan tells you he's got everything we need check!

James

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Back in the saddle...

This week Ryan was out and it was good to see him and catch up, share a few war stories and we both noticed what a difference having a proper chat on the hills seemed to make them a lot shorter!

I was on fire though - awesome fitness and really beginning to feel like I've found my skills again. The combination of strength, cardio and core balance that I've been working on over the winter has started to pay dividends and combined with the sublime handling of the Five is giving me real confidence. The next step will be to learn to jump again, as at the moment I'm bloody quick (for me at least) on both the rough stuff and starting to find my cornering skills... But jumping is something else again so perhaps a trip to Glentress beckons?

James

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In search of the perfect ride...

The passion we have for riding is not only infectious to those around us, it's actually an addiction for us as riders. The dopamine and adrenaline releases we get from riding bikes fast down hills is a feeling that is hard for others to comprehend and one that we would fight to sustain...

Riding the same trails, on the same bike, with the same faces week in week out, what keeps it fresh? Why do we come back for more? What drives us to ride familiarity? I've spoken in the past on this blog about the natural evolution of your local trails, and the physiological benefits of regular riding with your friends too - but I've noticed this year I'm being driven by other forces as well and in search of something quite specific... the perfect ride...

This week nearly nailed it - dry trails, great fitness, re-finding personal skill and confidence limits, amazing views, beautiful sunsets, wonderful wildlife - the whole package. I found myself slipping into the habit of pushing a little harder on the climbs. Not stopping for a breath like last year... Relaxing more on the descent, finding the bike's sweet spot and holding that. Establishing more confidence with the tyres and cornering... Reading the trail ahead... and hitting that line just a little better than last week...

And that's it, the perfect ride, the aspiration, is never achievable and the search for it brings us back week after week. Enjoy it, the passion and drive to swing your leg over your bike is keeping you both physically and psychologically fit. Enjoy every minute.

First weeknight blast of the year...

Great ride this evening - it feels such a long time since I'd been out on the bike, and the Orange was awesome tonight...

The Larsen tyres I found sketchy last summer were predictable fast and fun and my fitness post winter was more than respectable. Absolutely buzzing, few heart in mouth moments, tons of adrenaline and a great start to the year!

James

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First ride 2016...

It seems an age since Jon and I were last out on the bikes at the end of 2015... My bike thought so too! A stiff bottom bracket that wasn't diagnosed until mid week meant I had some extra 'training' effort due to the resistance - a replacement is ready to be fitted...

A good ride around the forest, it really is a great 'short' ride, hilly enough to get you fit, and technical enough to put a smile on your face. The winter has not made too much of a dent on the trails, and everything was pretty much still intact.

Ryan has a minor mechanical in that his rear mech seized up due to a rusty cable that then snapped! We managed to bodge it to run with a few of the middle gears (well Jon did) - excellent trail side repair skills!

Talk turned to the next outing in a fortnight - where we're hoping to head up to Ladybower.

Summer rubber...

I love mountainbiking - first ride tonight on 'summer' rubber and I'm sold, it's transformed the feel of the Five, it feels lighter and more nimble and so much more grip on the unsurfaced singletrack!!! Great ride with great friends tonight Ian, Kev and Ryan. Cheers lads!!!

More exploring...

Another good night exploring new trails with Ryan, Ian and Kev tonight! Some cool bits and good to re ride last weeks discoveries!

Bitten, stung, lost and still smiling...

Awesome ride last week with Chris, Ian and Kev, the forest was baking but like the old days we did some exploring. Chris mentioned he'd been walking at the weekend down the section we used to call 'Chris's trail' and had spotted some fresh stuff we'd not seen before. Just like old days that excitement of exploring and finding new challenges, with natural trails, no artificial surfacing or manicured berms - great fun and a lot of smiles, getting lost, bitten, stung and still coming out wishing it went on for longer!