2021, riding mileage and updates

[Rp1]

Cool looking forward to it already

[Bigyin]

Finally back out on the bike after a weeks DIY project. As local government are fining lots of people travelling to the area to walk on the coast I had my usual dune playground pretty much all to myself for miles and miles. 16 miles today and fairly hard work off the roads in the sand





Think the bike might need a clean though

[Bigyin]

I was laughing the other day when out at Goring jumps, it seems i'm the only one of the parents who tries and attempts the jumps.

I think part of it is trying to get acceptance from the kids, partly justifying turning up on a 160mm bike and partly just because i bloody love it !

I do struggle at times to find the next level on certain jumps though. I did about 40-50 runs at this jump and i still need another 3-4 pedal strokes to nail it 100% every time, it's a decent drop into a bowl then out the other side. But as i'm approaching the bowl i have a desire to drag/tap the brakes to modulate my speed and it's really hard to get past it and carry that extra little bit of speed. I'm really hoping we have a few more dry weeks so i can head over again and again, keep sessioning it and just getting it 'right'. The thing is though, as you're going up the slope it really does feel like you're going to land in another county. ! Keeping it going that little bit faster is really tough.

Try not to spanner yourself before trackday season

[Bigyin]

Whilst giving the bike a clean today i remembered on my last road ride the brakes didnt seem up to much which i assumed was down to the pissing rain at the time and i dont use them much when on the dunes so didnt really concern me yesterday. Decided to take the calipers off to clean out all the sand and shit and then realised the crap braking was down to the pad material having pretty much vanished. Still some there before it hits mounting pad so time to source and fit some replacement pads as the local bike shop appears to have some in stock ....... the bike might even stop after that

[weeksy]

Always wise to be able to stop

[MingtheMerciless]

Rubbish ride today with Mrs M. No go, no mojo and riding like a kook. Mrs M also fell off and has borked her thumb, knee and calf as well as breaking her light bracket which as I can't find the spare bayonet clamps has just cost me £30. And it appears she’s broken one of her VERY expensive heated gloves as well.

Also not helped by the poisonous Harpy that screamed "shut the gate" at us after we rode through it and we didn't close it with a nano second of passing through it and the walkers we past who moaned at us to slow down as there was a horse ahead (we were just over walking pace and the horse was 50m+ away).

So I'm taking the dogs for a walk now to see if I can further upset the general public but as I've got 3 Staffies that shouldn't be too difficult.

[weeksy]

Off out with the boy this afternoon to the jumps... There's one in particular i'm planning on doing today... it's not huge, it's not scary, but i have to say i'm a bit daunted by it and concerned lol. I'm hoping i can find the balls to hit it and make it, but it's giving me the heebie jeebies

[formula400]

Go for it. I am quite jealous, my mates are texting saying when we riding, I've still got another 5/7 days before I can ride. then its pissing it down.
went for a run yesterday and even that was sore, well my rib, think that got bruised.

[weeksy]

Go for it. I am quite jealous, my mates are texting saying when we riding, I've still got another 5/7 days before I can ride. then its pissing it down.
went for a run yesterday and even that was sore, well my rib, think that got bruised.

I'm in a very enviable position when it comes to MTBing currently in the fact that my lad is also my mate, we get along brilliantly, i also have fun with his other mate too, they're good lads and bubbling with enthusiasm and ability

"it's OK daddy, you've got this, you're really good"

When clearly he's absolutely full of shit as i'm bloody rubbish.... hahaahaha. But he does give me a little push on at times.

[formula400]

that's quality, can't beat stuff like that. plus he knows the better you get, the better stuff and bikes your be getting the 2 of you

[weeksy]

that's quality, can't beat stuff like that. plus he knows the better you get, the better stuff and bikes your be getting the 2 of you

Hahahahaa he's got a Specialized SWorks, you can't really buy much better ! Well, i'm sure in the coming years you can, but for now, him and his mate are pretty damn lucky, his mate has a Pivot Mach6 carbon. He's 12 as well. But they really do deserve and appreciate them, so both me and his dad are fine with them having top bikes.

He's really looking forward to getting to some decent riding as soon as we're allowed though. But if i'm honest, the stuff we're riding today, well that's great training, both for me and them as there's enough in a really small area to push us both in different ways.

I might even charge up the go pro today for some footage, of him, not me

Every time we go to these places i get "where's yours" from Couchie when i send him vids, even though i often do the jumps they do, i'm not as spectacular and don't feel i should be in the vids lol.

[Bigyin]

I might even charge up the go pro today for some footage, of him, not me

Every time we go to these places i get "where's yours" from Couchie when i send him vids, even though i often do the jumps they do, i'm not as spectacular and don't feel i should be in the vids lol.

Yeah but if you cock it up just think how much enjoyment you will provide to the rest of us

Back to my brakes, as it decided to rain this afternoon i decided to work indoors



Nice shiny new parts



Perfect timing for changing i would say .....ok maybe a bit late

[weeksy]

Well today went damn well. I didn't cock anything up and i completed both the bit bowl/table jump and completed the step-up too. Better than i expected ! Sure there's a massive gap in terms of ability and progression compared to my lad, but i've got nothing to fear in terms of being better than the rest of the parents anyway.

It astounds me how they just see a jump and BLAM they hit it at speed, whereas i take a few build ups to get there and need to ease myself into a new jump. I'm slightly different when it's mid-trail as you're mid flow and you just hit it. But when it's a dedicated jump line, i am far more intimidated by it. I'd love to know how/why and how to get around it.

But, i'm getting there.

[Bigyin]

It astounds me how they just see a jump and BLAM they hit it at speed, whereas i take a few build ups to get there and need to ease myself into a new jump. I'm slightly different when it's mid-trail as you're mid flow and you just hit it. But when it's a dedicated jump line, i am far more intimidated by it. I'd love to know how/why and how to get around it.

I recall the lunacy as a kid jumping push bikes, standing on a home made skateboard and taking off down a 200m steep hill KNOWING you are probably coming off and doing it anyway ....... we bounce and heal quicker as teenagers.

I have had 2 fairly bike bike accidents in about 35 years road riding. The first one at 18 i hit the side of a car at 50 mph went over the roof and landed about 20 feet up the road and rolled and slid for a bit. 5 hours later i went clubbing with my mates. A few bruises and mild aches but a non event injury wise

Fast forward to the second one a couple of years ago i got thrown off the bike at 70 -80 mph and bounced along the road. I could barely move off the couch for about 3 days and felt like i had been hit by a fucking bus. It was about 10 days before i could walk properly without limping

Thats why you think about it on the take off approach as you KNOW its going to fucking hurt longer if you cock it up

[MingtheMerciless]

[Mr Moofo]

The Sarf Downs from Truleigh to Edburton were running well - after the weekend's slop fest. Then the down the steep bridle way to Edburton - Fulking- Hefield via bridleways and Downslink home. ( Passing some knob on a MX style motorcycle )
Didn't seem to upset any walkers ....

A quick 30ks ...
I am riding the Cotic as a mullet at the moment - so a 27.5 2.6 rear tyre. It's crap. Why anyone bothers is beyond me. I'm doing it because by shimano cassette on the other wheel is failing , and I couldn't be arsed to change it.

[Bigyin]

20 miles on roads today on the MTB then a 5 mile loop thrown in around the dunes as it was so nice before the high winds and rain coming for rest of the week

[weeksy]

I was proper tired yesterday, my lad was too so decided not to ride... but then the sun was out and it was lovely, so i went out on my own exploring.

There's not many sections of woods i don't know locally, but there are some, it does mean about 10-12km to get to them, but it was worth it with some cracking trails, woods, twists, turns. Nothing massively tech but great fun to be out.
Ended up 2 hours 30 or so before i got home, the wife thought i'd got lost.... I kinda did a little, but not massively. I was trying to follow the setting sun as i needed to go West to end up in a particular forest.... but the trails kept shooting off in different directions to the one i wanted. Was only 344m of elevation, but honestly it felt more with some of the draggy climbs and mud.

[weeksy]

Ewwww that was tough today. Mud and slop a plenty. I think I could've walked half the ride quicker. Had a comedy crash into a right hander where the bike just disappeared from under me in the slimey mud.

Then went jumping with the 12 year olds for a while.

[MingtheMerciless]

No energy after a night shift but still wanted a ride, having the motor really helped today.