SSUK2012 - You're in

woohoo, I will be doing atleast one event this year!

(assuming my cousin doesn't patch things up with her fiancé)

interesting read

I like this, The real speed of cars is only 3.7mph

Also from the same site and following on from a discussion with Si last night of my biking anorak-ory
In Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Adventure of the Priory School, Sherlock Holmes demonstrated his ability to identify bicycle tyre treads:

“I am familiar with forty-two different impressions left by tyres.”
I reckon I know atleast 50 so bum to you sherlock :-)

Doing the business

Managed a couple of decent rides tho no the big easter night ride i had planned (rained off). Last week I rode up to rivi to meet up with Johnnie for a quick nightride. Did 2 lads and ICR, it's been a while and ICR has changed, big gully before the first berm and for some reason I was having trouble lifting the front end so not elegant but made it down OK. Met up and headed up AICR then had a play in the gardens for a change, found some interesting stuff did a drop I've done a few times again didn't the front end and bottomed out my floats for the first time ever I think. More riding in the gardens then down wildes and split I went home via barrow bridge again. Nice night, lots of riders around.
Sunday me and Si headed up to the lakes to redo the grizedale ride. Saw lots of Cube bikes on the way, set off up the start of northface trail but at mustard hill decided to try a shortcut to high parkamoor skipping low parkamoor and the hippy commune. Only missed one fast (but not that exciting) descent and some nice views (cloud permitting) but got us straight onto moor lane, first descent of the day, what a cracker! Bit wet but plenty of grip and lots of fun. Managed to clean the Breasty Haw (snigger) climb and bleaberry hill was ace shorter but almost as sweet as moor lane. Slackwood was fun and not as slippy as usual. Rode over to claiffe and lucked out with most of the gates following a bequaded farmer and then some walkers we only had to open 1 ourselves then near the top we saw some riders ahead I started to put the power down to catch them, KERCHUNG chain dropped to granny KERCHUNG chain dropped off, hmm. One mangled link was the cause, dunno what did it, our quarry escaped, Si broke out the choccy oatcakes while I fixed it. Successfully navigated the forest and did colthouse descent fun but festooned with walkers and wary of my reputation slowed right down and was courteous to each and every one, didn't stop a few having faces like slapped arses tho. Big climb out of hawkshead, some more northface trail then titties track to finish, well nearly, at the bottom of titties we saw the new black run so I quickly rode up for go of that, went off course and nearly crashed on the second corner starting too quick, after that I merely made my way down the rest, no finesse, no style, very little air. Looks good tho, berms jumps and drops, couple of runs to get into the flow of it and it'll be a right laugh. Down the last fun cheeky bit and back to the car.
Excellent, every mtber should do this ride atleast once, packs a lot of fun descents in and it's all rideable, no hiking or pushing needed and it's doable in any weather.

How was it for you?

Well that's summer gone, hope you made the most of it. As mentioned I haven't maximised my riding but it's been ok. Back on the road last week, incident of note, coming home I briefly join the Manchester ring road, bit of dual carriageway, I could see on the other side a posh audi pulled up in lane 2 (of 2) cars behind him queueing up, honking and when they got the chance speeding around him with much revving of engines and grinding of teeth. On closer inspection he was looking out for a guy lying down, his head on central reservation, his feet in the road, dunno if he'd been hit or what but no-one else seemed to care except audi man. "what a load of uncaring gits" I though closely followed by "hmm wonder what's for tea" then followed by "that makes me and uncaring git too doesn't it" U-turn go back and help. Guy is OK just a bit befuddled having trouble walking, probably booze but don't like to assume. Me and audi man help him across the road out of harms way, one passer-by also asks if he can help but we've got it, another says "hur hur big pisshead" (well done!) car drivers don't make it easy for us even tho we are quite obviously helping a struggling man across a busy but slow moving road. Guy thanks us, we get going feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Good deed done. Posh bloke in big expensive car turns out to be a nice bloke....

...unlike Jag driver this morning who starts off to my left at the lights, he's in lane 2 me in 3, we set off he gets just slightly ahead then cuts in front of me I slow, move to his right between 3 and 4, he slows so I start to overtake then he cut's infront of me again to join lane 4, when I make comment on this he gets irate and as I pass (I've slowed behind him and moved back into lane 3 now) starts to rev and steer towards me. Dick. Fortunately he's stuck in traffic so I ride off. Will have to keep an eye out for that nutter in the next few days in case he carries a grudge.

Self indulgent

My current favourite picture
"What chocolate? We don't know what you're talking about"

Egos writing cheques...

Another big plan to do a big ride let down by my feeble body. Monday was a little tough after Sundays exertions, ride to work, 5 aside, ride home I was pooped. Rest Tuesday, no-one out for weds night ride so howabout ride to work then ride straight to rivi, up winter hill over to darwen, big miles? Nope. I had to call home for my camelbak for one thing, doh. Commute was hard going, I've temporarily got heavier tyres on my etsx, well over a pound extra I reckon, suspension seemed too soft again but worst of all gears. First time I've ridden in to work xc with gears since July*, what a load of old faff they are (specially gears that need some TLC) up down up down all the bloody time, SS rocks for this route. On the way home I realised I had problems, legs were fried, I'm having trouble getting back into the routine of 4 commutes a week, football and weekend ride. Got home and nearly didn't leave but I just couldn't waste a perfect evening so ate half a pound of pick n mix** rehydrated and set off, slooooowly. Up to burnt edge met these long haired hippies

Get a haircut! Spotted various burnt moorland evidence of "numpties out in the sun" crawled up to 2 lads, ripped down there then halfway down wildes across to montcliffe back up to georges lane and home via barrow bridge. Short and sweet, best I could manage. Yesterdays commute was a slog, this morning felt a little easier but only coz I went so slow, building up fitness/endurance is slow going.

Nice couple of weeks but weather seems to be waning for easter :-(

*these are the kind of facts you can pluck out of the ether when you have a ride diary
**Mates wedding reception had a big pick n mix counter, still loads left at closing so I got myself a big bag of goodies for mid ride replenishment.

Sun, sex, suspension and scary corners.

How nice is this weather eh? Fan-bloody-tastic, I think this is our summer so you better make the most of it. I set a fine example by going to a wedding reception friday night and sleeping most of saturday day and spending the rest indoors at my mums. Ho hum, sunday would be different, sunday I had big plans for big rides. As it happened I fell into a bit of a slump, dunno why, just moped around saturday night, fired up the PC and spent most of the night trying to improve my K:D ratio. So sunday morning I wasn't fired up for riding at all, me and charlie had a play in the garden on our bikes, I found a problem with the suspension on my new purchase* which put me into even more of a downer. Fantastic weather, I'd got a pass out but just couldn't be arsed going out. About 3 I pulled myself together grabbed the etsx and stormed up to winter hill. 5mins in I realised my shock had lost pressure and I was at 50% sag just sat on the bike, but knew that if I went back for a shock pump I'd never get out again so I carried bob-ily on. Grrr you don't get these problems with hardtails! Up on burnt edge I collared another biker and he did indeed have a shock pump I could use (I'd only lost 5psi! put 10 in just to be sure) we had a chat, Frank rides the A6 from swinton to bolton then up rivi and back again, wow bit of a trek that. I said I'd mail him my xc commute route, should be more fun than the A6.

Wanted to get maximum hillage in and still be back for kids bath time so down 2 lads and wildeswood, both fast and almost completely dry, then back up wildes. Saw a couple getting jiggy at the side of the trail just below georges lane, as I passed I shouted "nice day for it" I got no response, but the guys hearing would have been muffled and the lady seemed to have other things on her mind. Up hole in the wall and over to san marino, flew down there no dramas, then spun around and rode back up (not very quickly) to do the trail down to the shooting hut. Climbed up to the res and did lowey's singletrack I did start to ride the alternate route towards egg hillock to see where that went but it was still pretty moist so turned back, the main trail was firm but needs another week or so of sun to get back to tip top condition. Got to "The Corner" and made the mistake of checking out the line first, this quite often causes me to jib out. Could see the line, keep right start to turn at the dog turd, aim straight down the centre of the slight gulley between the rocks. Had a bit of a mental wobble but manned up and chucked myself at it, off the brakes, turn in, instant acceleration, clatter over the rocks then grab handfuls of brake before the left hander. Phew, buzzing. Up to and down through the quarry, up horrocks fold and home via smithills, sharples and astley bridge.
Excellent ride and still plenty of time for more playing in the garden with the kids.

Could have been better if I'd got myself sorted but still a nice weekend.

*hopefully now dealt with