Seize the moment.

Snowing here in the Peaks. It started last night, so as I'm on late shift this week I decided to get up early and ride this morning. Nothing too long or too demanding, just getting out on the fatbike for a short local play in the snow. As a bonus, my beard froze.

Sometimes its important to just seize the moment, get up get out and do something outside of your usual routine. For me it takes a good fall of snow for that. Must try harder!

Anyway, some pics;

First offroad section, downhill in ruts.

At the top of a fairly hard climb, made worse by the soft snow clinging to and clogging my back tyre.

Combs Moss in the distance.

Lou.

Bud.

Mr Frostybeard.

Heading back to Buxton.

Apologies for the grey photos, forgot to set the camera to 'snow'!

Paul.

Lady Cannings.

The fatbike has been out of action for a few weeks, due to the front brake lever having a seized piston, a common fault with Sram Guide R brakes it seems. So I've bought a complete secondhand set from that ebay place as a quick fix and swapped over the dodgy lever to one from the 'new' set. I did think about going for broke and forking out for a new Hope front brake, but money is a bit tight and anyway I like the feel of the Sram jobs. So, the plan is to try and make these brakes last for another year or three and only replace when I need to. Yesterday I did a short road ride to make sure that everything was hunky dory, which it was. Just as well really as a big steep hill figured in my route choice.

Today however, Dani and myself loaded up the van and headed across towards Sheffield for a visit to Lady Cannings Plantation, home to a couple of purpose built mountain bike tracks. First however we stopped in Hathersage, so that Dani could swim in the open air pool and test out her new Alpkit wetsuit. I just watched, drinking tea, whilst Dani braved the water. Which she very much enjoyed. After more tea and a plate of cheese and chips we headed out again.

We found a parking space just south of Burbage North, unloaded the bikes and hit tarmac. And a headwind. A cold one at that. I've fitted Confucius bars on the bike, which proved their worth as I could use the front loop and tuck into a more aerodynamic position, well more aero for a fatbike rider anyway, which made riding into the wind a lot easier.

On reaching the plantation we had two choices, Cooking on Gas, a new trail sponsored by Go Outdoors, and the older Blue Steel trail. Both start and end close to each other, with a climb back up to the start. Once my hands warmed up again we chose to go Cooking, and did a couple of runs down. A nice flowing trail, with berms aplenty and smooth lines, but all over too quickly. Our second run was of course an improvement on the first as we got into the flow, but there is room for yet more improvement. I don't ride much singletrack these days.

Blue Steel has a different feel, apart from being muddy near the top (Cooking was bone dry) its a lot more technical, with more rollers and tighter corners. Again we did two runs, but my second run wasn't quite as good as Bud slipped sideways a touch. Bud is my front tyre, Surly's finest 4.8 rubber. It has slipped before, in snow, but always finds grip. However, I was put off a bit and held back a touch on the top section. Surly have a habit of naming tyres after people they know, my back tyre is Lou and they also make an Edna, Nate and a Big Fat Larry (true!).

After those four runs we headed back to the van, with a tailwind this time, holding a good pace. Then home for huge mugs of tea and home made muffins. Post ride tea and cake, there's little in this world better.

Paul.

Sherwood bloody Pines.

I've been riding at Sherwood Pines a couple of times recently. Trail centres aren't really my thing these days, but there was a time when I lived in Bedfordshire and myself and my regular riding partner Dave used to travel to Wales on a regular basis to ride either Coad-y-Brenin, Afon or Cym Carn. Nowadays, living in the Peaks means that I'm spoilt for good quality riding without having to travel far, or at all.

Gas van and Inbred.

There have been a couple of all-female rides over at Sherwood recently, which Dani was keen to join. So we packed the bikes in the van (an ex-Scottish Gas VW Caddy which has now replaced my aged Landy) and headed over. Of course, being all female rides I couldn't join in so I rode alone, not a problem to be honest even though I enjoy riding with my wife.

One fuckin' speed.

Both occasions coincided with my fatbike being off the road, the first time with a knackered rear wheel and today with a dead front brake (the lever piston has seized). So, I used my ancient (circa 2000/2001) fully rigid On-One Inbred. This was one of the first batch of Inbreds, when you had the choice of either one gear and V brakes or one gear and V brakes. I love this bike, and rode it all over Bedfordshire when I lived down there. Nowadays its looking a bit dated, with it narrow riser bars, 26" wheels and low front end (due to the steerer tube being cut right down). Having a low front means neck ache for me these days.

One thing that I have remembered from riding the Inbred recently is just how much I love riding singlespeed. Yes its hard work at times, but I love the simplicity of the set up, the lack of noise from gearshifts, the fact that you're concentrating on your line and not on your gear choice, and the directness. By directness I mean the way all of your power goes straight to the back wheel as soon as you crank the pedals, something which is hard to describe and is best experienced. I'm now thinking of building a new singlespeed bike, something in steel, fully rigid, plus sized wheels and with more up to date geometry.

And onto the trails. every trail centre has its own character. Sherwood's trails are mostly fairly flat singletrack, twisting through the trees, bermed here, flat there, nothing too technical (apart from one rocky man made drop off). There is a jump park and downhill course, but I have yet to explore them. The red trail takes about an hour to ride, depending on conditions, on my first visit the ground was hard and dry but today it was muddy. Very muddy in fact, which added to my time.

I have to say that I did enjoy my visits there. Trail centres aren't my favourite riding locations, but sometimes it is nice to just go out and hammer some singletrack, singletrack being a bit lacking in the Peaks. I'm sure that we'll be back soon, as the terrain is very similar to a typical cross country race course so riding there will be good practice for Dani to get her prepared for the race season.

Dani, in her race top.

Yours truly, with extra mud and winter beard.

Paul.