Went out for a ride on my own after work this evening. Andy (Gretton - really need to find a way of differentiating the two Andys!) and Matt were supposed to be joining me but both had managed to find excuses since yesterday.

Being on my own I decided to have a bit of a scout around Beacon Hill to work out a loop we can use rather that heading up and down the same path which I always find a bit dull.

Andy (Clanchy... the other one!) had said he thought he'd found where the horse and cycle path split for the loop, so following his directions I set off for a bit of an explore.

The path starts from pretty much where we were a week or so ago, but instead of following it along the road to the bottom car park you head up the hill and through the woods and loop around the back of the hill, eventually ending up on the opposite side of the top car park the path we took last time.

The ride up through the woods was pretty nice - longer and not as steep as the other path, and littered on both sides with bluebells.

Once at the top car park I decided to be good this time and not venture beyond the "No Cycles Beyond This Point" sign, instead I just headed straight across the car park to the fantastic downhill track and back to the bottom.

Labels: biking

Read Full Post...

It's that time of year again when I say I'm not doing the Adventure Challenge this year and then end up doing it anyway.

This year is no exception, but one difference is a change of team members.

This year my team consists of myself and Tim - each on our 4th challenge - and Helena and Nicola from the admin team who don't quite know what they have let themselves in for this being their first challenge.

Helena and Nicola joined us on last nights after work bike ride as our first biking training session. I think we managed to persuade them that the ride up Beacon Hill may be a good idea next week...

This years challenge is in the Brecon Beacons on June 20th and consists of the usual cycle, canoe, hike. Cycling is round Talybont Reservoir, canoeing is a relay across Pontsticill Reservoir and then the hike takes in the Brecon Beacon Horsehoe and the fabulous Pen-Y-Fan.

Nicola has set up a just giving page for sponsorship donations - you can find it at http://www.justgiving.com/nicolaharrison9 - please give generously as we have a team target of £2500 to raise.

I'll post more training updates here as they happen, but this weekend will be pretty much training free as I'm off up to the lakes for John's wedding tomorrow night.

Labels: biking, challenge 2009

Read Full Post...

Well I failed in my three rides in three days over the bank holiday ambition.

I started the day full of optimism, and even got as far as Tony's house this morning, planning another trip to Sherwood.

In the end the weather was horrible - cold and wet with strong gusty winds - and my legs were feeling pretty weary after Saturday and Sunday, so I succumbed to some Wii bowling in a nice warm house instead of a ride.

The best laid plans, etc...

Labels: tired, wet

Read Full Post...

This mornings ride was Sherwood Pines.

I mentioned in my last post that I was expecting company here, but everybody seems to have found a reason not to turn up since agreeing the meeting time on Friday, so I was on my own.

The Forestry Commission and their band of willing volunteers have been doing a lot of trail work over winter, and it looks like those trails are now finished.

There are lots of new signs and actual official trail maps dotted around the forest, including a new red 'difficult' trail which is the one I decided to try.

The Kitchener's Trail (for that is the red trails name according to the sign) starts off on the opposite side of the car park to the rest of the trails and starts off heading away from the forest centre to the north before looping back across the entrance road and around the edge of the forest.

It turned out that I'd ridden a lot of the new singletrack this route uses on previous visits after it had been built but before it was part of an official route. These trails are pretty varied with twisty bits through the trees combined with some nice flowing singletrack where you can really hammer it.

While this was a pretty nice trail with some fairly taxing sections - mainly because of some interesting sideways action through the muddier bits - I wouldn't put this trail anywhere in the same league as Follow The Dog which is also a Red graded trail. One thing it really lacks that they do at Cannock is the implementation of a one way system on the trail - there is nothing worse than bombing down a track only to meet someone head on.

One other interesting new bit of trail building at Sherwood is happening around the jump park and what was the old Dual Descender. The Kitchener's trail takes you past this and I spotted some new construction in the form of a launch ramp at the top of the newly named "Downhill Course". From what I can see this is a slightly rerouted and resurfaced dual descender. There is apparently some North Shore to follow...

Fun Fun Fun...

Labels: biking

Read Full Post...

As it's a long weekend this weekend because of the bank holiday on Monday I'm aiming to get a decent bike ride a day in.

Off to a good start so far - just got back from a ride around Rutland Water, doing it my usual way by starting at Normanton and heading anticlockwise. I included the peninsular for some extra mileage.

Being a bank holiday and reasonably good weather it was fairly busy all the way round, so there was liberal use of the bell to try and shift people walking 5 abreast across the track.

Sherwood is in tomorrows plans, meeting up with Andy, Matt and possibly John.

Monday is yet to be decided...

Read Full Post...