UKC

I'm quite excited. It seems to have been a long time since I got on a bike in anger. I think I've meandered through sickness all summer, and am only just starting to feel back to normal on the bike.

Soo - it was mental from a mountain biking perspective in the Peak District this weekend. Chinley trail quest meant that we were going against the flow of a quite interesting mix of people. Really good to see kind of normal people on bikes, not just those on high spec bikes, with lycra and an expression of determination. Lovely mix of folk out and about, and mostly friendly and not entirely serious and focussed. Lots of DofE bronze groups wandering around, and actually chatty with strangers which was a really cool change. Normally I feel like they are viewing me as some kind of closet child molester when I ask where they are going, how far, which level they are on etc. Was really really lovely.

Anyway, it also felt like that special day when you get a little piece of summer which somehow shouldn't have been there. Dry, dusty trails, other than those which are always stream-like. Lovely.

What did you all do?

In reply to AlisonSmiles:

My wife was doing the Yorkshire Dales 200 so yesterday I went up to Swaledale and did a bit of exploring to find a couple of descents I knew about but wasn't completely sure how to get to them, so got both of those sorted out. Then did a loop over Kisden (the hill near Keld that's in the middle of the dale).

Today I went for a road ride up towards Horton to see if I could spot my wife but missed her by about twenty minutes so headed back to town and hung around waiting for her to finish.

In reply to AlisonSmiles:

Still trading off last week's Three Peaks and the afterglow. Quick spin on Friday on the MTB which was an absolute blast. Forgotten how great they are after mincing around on a cx all summer. Love those little serendipitous chats - met an old friend of my mum's on top of the hill ...70 miles from home and 15 years later

In reply to SteveRi:

A wee spin in the North Pennines today with my son ( 14 ) and an old ( literally ) climbing partner ( 70 ish )

30 odd miles and a grand day out.

In reply to AlisonSmiles:

First time out on my bike for what seems like ages - last ride was up the Col du Petit St. Bernard, so Moscar Top was a bit of a change of scenery.

Cycled 30 miles, including a blast up the hill behind Shatton, which was no less gloriously hideous than last time.

In reply to AlisonSmiles:
Penmach & Marin with a bunch of mates for one of their Bdays. Amazing weather. Wales, in October!!

And did the Min-Marin (1st up - last down), late Friday afternoon on my own.

In reply to AlisonSmiles:

Did a few miles here and there with daughter on the back of the hybrid - I've got her bell zip-tied onto her seat and she's getting good at ringing it on request to warn pedestrians (lots of shared paths around here).

Actually got out on the mountain bike at Swinley Forest on Saturday, first time in months I've ridden it after mostly riding the road bike over the summer. Good catch-up with some friends I haven't seen for ages.

In reply to AlisonSmiles:

This weekend my in-laws were visiting so I couldn't do a big ride but what I enjoyed was ditching the whole 'gps tracker - electrolyte drink - repair kit - map - pump' checklist and using my bike for errands and general transport, wearing normal clothes instead of looking like a walking advert for Altura.

In reply to AlisonSmiles:

On Sunday I cycled the route of the "Matlock Top 4" with my son as prep for the upcoming Matlock top 10. It was a simply gorgeous day, though the climb to Riber Castle probably counts as "Type 2" fun

LR

In reply to AlisonSmiles:

An accidental 74 miles around the flatlands south of Worksop. Accidental in being the furthest I've ever ridden without having planned it out first, but such a lovely day and you find yourself on some picturesque quiet roads around there (and some busy straight roads much loved by the local boy racers/BMW drivers). And still managed over a 1000m of acent, but most of that was leaving Sheffield and getting lost in Meersbrook.

Lunch though was nowhere near as a good as last week, we we found ourselves in the middle of a street party in a village in the peak being greeted with the words "We've got too much food - please help yourself to as much cake as you can eat !"

In reply to AlisonSmiles:

BTW Hows it going with the quest to log 50 x 50 miles by the time you're 50 ? I've set myself the same target , currently on 36 (although my Eddington number is up to 45) and have got 16 months to go.

In reply to AlisonSmiles:

Saturday was a 50k on the cx bike. Mostly on road but pleasant non the less aside from a bad choice of route through the congested town centre.
Sunday short spin through the mostly dry local woods before bimbling off to the wall in the afternoon. Nettles starting to die back which is always a good thing.

In reply to Chris the Tall:

My all time E-number is 58 (I'm ahead!!! ) but for this year is just 33

In reply to Bob:

An annual Eddington - what fresh hell is this ? Mine is currently 25....

In reply to AlisonSmiles:

Saturday was foggy and overcast most of the day. However, I had been breaking concrete and sorting out our driveway most of the week, so went out for a quick 30 miler. Sunday was a perfect Autumn day. Bright sunshine, almost no breeze and nice and cool. Did a 50 mile loop out to Ellesmere in Shropshire, not a single mile on an A road and almost all of it on small country lanes.

In reply to AlisonSmiles:

I managed 7 miles, the most I've done for about 2 years, I'm not getting the Storck back out just yet.

In reply to SteveRi:

How did you get on? I had a puncture and a wheel change on Whernside which lost me a fair bit of time. Cracking day though. Have you heard anything about the lad just above Ribblehead who got airlifted off to hospital? He had a bit of mashed up face and various breaks apparently. He was a top lad, we got chatting after he noticed I was also on a single speed. Hopefully he is on the mend.

As for last weekend, I took my 4 year old for her first go on a MTB trail at Hicks Lodge. Perfect for kids as there isn't too much up and down and pretty smooth for small wheels.

In reply to Guy:

Oh alright I guess. Just under 5h - would have been happy with 20 mins quicker - but a bit of an odd year healthwise. Passed a couple of immobilised people on Whernside that gave pause for thought. Amazing weather though. How about you? Didn't notice many singlespeeds this year.

In reply to Guy:

The lad who got airlifted has had stitches to his face and a broken arm (I think its his arm) and was discharged same night.

I was one of the people doing sign-on demanding car registration details.

In reply to alisonk:

Ahh that is good news, yes pretty sure the mountain rescue leader said it was his arm and face.

Thanks for the sign-on, it was seamless and very friendly!

In reply to SteveRi:
Good to get under 5hrs if you were not feeling it.

Got 4:34, had major issues with cramp from Whernside so couldn't push on as hard as I wanted to. I have a feeling it was down in part to just getting over a cold and not warming up properly before that high spinning start! The punctures lost me 12-15mins as I had lost my CO2 in one of my over the bars descending Ingleborough (pesky peat!)

I saw another 3 or 4 singlespeeders. There were a couple of lads spectating who kept popping up around the course and shouting at all the singlespeeders. They certainly helped get me up that steep left hander near the bottom of Pen y Gent with their cheering!

In reply to alisonk:

Thank you
Volunteers seemed more helpful and cheerful than ever this year!

In reply to Chris the Tall:

Hehehe. I think it's at 42. I am going to need to plan things a little better. Unfortunately it seems to require a shift in balance from the MTB to the Road ... may not be worth it.