Getting Out.: Sunday morning spin with an old friend.

I've done very little riding this year, running has taken over somewhat, but just recently I've been missing the bike. So this morning I arose early, ate a banana, then headed out for a quick short spin. The old friend in the title refers not to a person but to my favourite ever bike, an On-One Inbred. Little used these days, due to the lack of disc brakes, this singlespeed lunatic device is one of the first Inbreds built, from the first batch made (of I think 60 bikes). The frame is Reynolds 853 and the forks rigid steel. I bought it back in I think 2000, direct off t'net on the strength of a magazine review. I'd been thinking of buying or building a s/s anyway, and had a hankering for a steel framed steed. Nowadays it resides in the loft, a shame because it rides well, has had a lot of upgrades, and always makes me smile.

I headed south down the A6, riding in the usual singlespeed style of spin/coast, listening to the purr of the White Industries freewheel (the Rolls Royce of freewheels), before turning off on the left to tackle a rather steep hill towards Cowdale;

Up there, on that?

Singlespeed specific 180mm cranks, Surly 32t chainring, fancy alloy chainring bolts.

Despite appearences the track doesn't go straight up, but zig-zags. Still damned steep though, I pushed most of it. I had to push last time I rode it as well, on my geared Kona, so quite why I thought that it was do-able on a s/s I don't know...

V brakes. How quaint...

Glamping comes to Buxton with luxury pods in beautifull locations...

The rest of the ride was on easier ground looping around to rejoin the A6 north of Buxton, mainly on tarmac with a couple of easy off-road sections, both byways, the last of which bisects a golf course. It was of course only a short ride, time and tired legs (I ran 14k yesterday) preventing anything more than a little loop, but it was just nice to get out and spin.