Saturday 13 July 2013

3 passes

More nice weather, really pleased with how this summer is going so far. Did My annual "the tour is on so let's do a road ride" ride on Friday, Johnnie was ill so couldn't make it, we had planned to practice drafting/working together for our upcoming (maybe/possibly/whenever) coast to coast ride, so I went out on my own. Not much to say except I managed to thrash my legs in just 3.5hours possibly a new record.

Me and Si hit the lakes sunday, parked up in kentmere, rode the boat over to sadgill and descended the tech off camber rocky track, erm which isn't tech or off camber anymore, it's now stone pitched and boring, ho hum. The climb up longsledale was a drag but I was riding well, managed to get almost upto the cobbled corners, furthest I've ever got. Then after i remounted I managed to climb the cobbled corner and part of the next bit, another first. Woohoo go me! The climb upto gatesgarth neither of us even attempted, we just settled in to a steady trudge pushing the bikes and looking back down the valley, sadgill looked a hell of a long way away, funny how far you can get on a bike.

Sun was beating down as we hit the top and veered onto the cheek up to Harter fell. Riding across the top of little Harter fell there was a massive bang, oh dear that'll be my rear tyre exploding again. Downhill tube installed, tubeless spaff wiped off hands and off we went again. Stopped for a bite to eat near the top, drank in the awesome views then set off down to Nan bield. Me and Johnnie did this last year, proper tech but this time I was riding better and getting more creative with my lines, one alternate run in was exposed and I had to get over a big slab, tricky but it would set me p for the next bit. First run I stalled on the slab and almost pitched over and down a big drop. Went back tried again almost a perfect repeat. Lined up again from further back, little more speed and I made it. Woot! On a another bit Si was watching, he saw my line and took a sharp intake of breath sucking through his teeth, you know, the sound plumbers and builders make just before they give you the bad news, he obviously thought my line looked a bit wreckless, i made it tho :-)

We were both riding well so after that nan bield was almost a doddle. Zig zagged our way down without incident. I really like hollow bank quarter, we zoomed down there and I managed to get Simon to follow me down a steep roll in I've tried and failed to get Johnnie and burk to ride, kudos! That was mainly incident free tho on one fast section I was braking and wondering was the buzzing noise was, that'll be my back tyre completely failing to grip or impede my progress in anyway, oops grass braking is rubbish. Si had similar problems on that section too. We did the pedally trail back into kentmere, refuel at the car then did the kentmere hall climb where Si pointed out the castle turret-esque bit of the hall, half a dozen times I've ridden passed and never noticed, doh. A nice pedal across kentmere park, only spoilt by Si's chain exploding.

ooh look, a tree.
The climb up to dubbs rd was a drag, our legs tired, got to garburn road which I had warned Si was a technical nightmare of a climb, steep and rocky both loose and fixed rock......and currently as smooth as a sustrans track! Oh, more trail sanitisation, however as this was the last climb of the day and my legs were already fried I wasn't complaining, infact as I got to the steep bit and realised I could still breath and even take my hands off the bars to wipe my face I realised I might actually clean this. (Not hyperventilating, no sweat stinging my eyes or running down my nose to be inhaled, awesome!) My legs were burning but I wasn't feeling too bad otherwise so I trudged on to the top, wow a garburn rd "clean", cheating I know but you have to play the hand you're dealt. Last time I rode garburn was at the end of a monster ride and I just held of for dear life, this time I had a bit of energy left to actually enjoy it until I flatted again, DH tubes just don't cut it I'm afraid. Minced the last bit on xc tube and back to the car feeling battered but having bagged another cracking ride.

he's just heard it's downhill all the way to the car :-)

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