RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted April 28 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 28 Managed to dodge the rain for three outdoor rides this week. First up, last Monday the CliMachX MTB trail in the Dyfi forest (2 laps, attempting to keep up with Mrs F on her e-bike on the climbs). If you look closely you can just about see the narrow gauge line at Corris in this photo. Wednesday night was 20 mile loop around local lanes on the gravel bike, then Friday night a quick blast around some of the trails on Cannock Chase. Great to get out without getting soaked, but this did mean today ended up being a bike maintenance day. On Friday's ride, I noticed that the freehub on my hardtail was quieter than usual, I telltale sign that the pawls and springs were in need of some preventative maintenance. Degreased, cleaned up and new springs fitted. Quite a satisfying little job and that should keep it going a while longer. Other than the bike that lives on our turbo, this is the last bike on our household running 11 speed - might upgrade to 12 speed in the summer. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldgunner Posted April 28 Share Posted April 28 (edited) Heading up to Scotland for a week with mum, and we've got room to pack my bike in the car, so gotta do a bit of fettling this week to make sure it'll be fine. Heading to the west coast, scoped it out on street view and looks to be a nice coastal path. I'll gauge the hills when I get there to see if I want to try going inland. As a flatlander her in Peterborough, hills are not known to me. Edited April 28 by Coldgunner 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldgunner Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 Today I crashed, quite badly and due to my own idiocy. Mucking about in the woods and there was a downhill , maybe 45 degrees for about 8 feet with a small (maybe 1 ft high "jump"). Me being an idiot decided to have a go. Front wheel dug in, I went over the handlebars and landed full body on my head. Helmet took the brunt and is cracked and dented. I've cut the bridge of my nose, got a stiff neck and really banged my head. I seem to have bruised my chest too, I really came down hard. The kicker? I set up a camera to capture the jump, so the whole thing is on video, with a mic recording me talking. If it weren't for my helmet, it could have been a snuff film. I was also on my own. I'm thinking about what to do with the footage, I think I should use it as a warning. You can see a dent in the top. There's also cracks in the foam so this helmet is compromised. It could have been a lot worse, but wasn't thankfully. If you're gonna try stunts, wear a helmet and make sure you've got someone with you, also know your limits. I'm not concussed and didn't black out. I've not felt sick or dizzy, just really sore. Now to settle down and watch Oppenheimer. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted April 30 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 30 46 minutes ago, Coldgunner said: Today I crashed, quite badly and due to my own idiocy. Wishing you a speedy recovery, take it easy. I've given myself concussion a couple of times; once on a section of blue graded trail centre and once on a red graded trail that I must have ridden 100s of times before. Sometimes it just goes wrong, often when you least expect it - for that reason I don't ride without a helmet (and always replace a damaged helmet). 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted April 30 Share Posted April 30 Yes, rest up, and don’t do any energetic stuff for a few days. It can take time for concussion to have any noticeable effect. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldgunner Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 Got around to digging out the video footage of my crash earlier this week. Recorded a bit of talking to camera to provide a bit of context, but I do emphasise that it may be a bit hard for some to watch. I'm mostly fine now, still got a few aches but overall I'll be ok in a few more days. https://youtu.be/rd70Lty54vQ 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted May 4 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 4 1 hour ago, Coldgunner said: Got around to digging out the video footage of my crash earlier this week. Recorded a bit of talking to camera to provide a bit of context, but I do emphasise that it may be a bit hard for some to watch. I'm mostly fine now, still got a few aches but overall I'll be ok in a few more days. https://youtu.be/rd70Lty54vQ Firstly, great news that you're on the mend, secondly kudos for sharing your experience. From the video, it looks like you hit the take off in the saddle; getting out of the saddle is likely to make a huge difference and go some way to preventing an exit through the front door scenario like this as it will move the centre of gravity towards the rear of the bike. Have a look at PFP's body position in the useful slo-mo here: https://www.facebook.com/share/aHGa1i2A67mg8wGA/ Note how she is standing up and behind the saddle at take off (pushing the bike away from her so effectively it is travelling slightly faster than she is when it leaves the ground). Slightly bent knees and elbows on landing to absorb some of the impact. She makes it look effortless; it's all about getting the timing right, which takes practice. Take it easy and stay safe. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldgunner Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 Yeah, its not discouraging me to try and push what I can do, but I think I need to be sensible and make smaller steps. Like you say I noticed how my body position did seem to put my weight forward, and of course I was still seated. I'll continue practicing little jumps off kerbs etc and build up confidence and technique. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted May 4 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 4 1 hour ago, Coldgunner said: Yeah, it’s not discouraging me to try and push what I can do, but I think I need to be sensible and make smaller steps. Like you say I noticed how my body position did seem to put my weight forward, and of course I was still seated. I'll continue practicing little jumps off kerbs etc and build up confidence and technique. I just saw an elegant dismount 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldgunner Posted May 7 Share Posted May 7 (edited) Went to local shop, picked up a new helmet, got one with the MIPS interior and have attached my gopro and light already. Old helmet is damaged so I can't trust it, bought a new one as heading up to Scotland to ride. I could have gotten cheaper online, but the helmet is something that I need to buy in person to get the fit right. Also, crash replacement guarantee lol! While I was there, did take a look at the bikes available to see what I can get when I have the money to upgrade my steed. Seem to be able to get a decent hard-tail for £1k (my budget). If I can get a full suspension for that or a few quid more I'd be happy enough. Off to Scotland this week and the bike is coming with me. Think I got a good deal. Edited May 7 by Coldgunner 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted May 7 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 7 At last, a bit of a break in the weather! The past two weeks, I've managed to get out three times a week without getting soaked. This week, we (that's Mrs F and me) are on holiday so we're expecting the rain to start again, but so far so good. Today we drove down to Talybont-on-Usk for a ride in the Bannau Brycheiniog national park, which included the Brinore Tramway and The Gap descent. Excellent facilities at the Bike Hub in Talybont village too. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldgunner Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 Back from spending a week in Scotland, took the bike with me but only went out a few times. Hills are really something when you're not used to them, had to accept I need to walk up some hills... but coming down some was bordering madness... and fun! A short bit of video will follow later. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 (edited) I wouldn’t get too concerned about having to jump off and push on some hills; we all sometimes bite off more than we can chew, or at least I sometimes do, and some hills have definitely got steeper and higher since I was a lad. Edited May 21 by Nearholmer 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Butler Henderson Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 I did a touch too much on Sunday - with the weather the way its been getting out on anything other than the ebike for a shopping trip has been rare event. 50.8 miles on the road bike almost doubled its distance covered this year and after around 40 miles I got cramp in my left leg and then around 7 miles later in my right leg. The first was pedalled away, the second I had just got off the bike (chain off) and it locked solid for a minute. Was a rare ride for me against the wind outbound, remain unconvinced that its that much advantage having spent many ride outbound with a tail wind and battling the westerly back. Indeed a tail wind westerly is neccessity to clamber up a nasty hill when hardly warmed up - Sunday the wind was a NNE and with the heat of the sun I avoided it by using a cycle route with shorter steep climbs; a rare route for the road bike. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldgunner Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 Going a bit fast in my video :D 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Smeeton Posted May 21 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 21 Looks like Wemyss Bay to me. Did you browse the bookshop. Regards Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coldgunner Posted May 21 Share Posted May 21 You're spot on! I did have a browse but didn't pick anything up. There's a fantastic Scotrail service that links Glasgow with the Bute ferry, good pie and chips near the terminal too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted May 21 RMweb Premium Share Posted May 21 Second Audax of the year done on Saturday - Dales and Abbots 100km starting out from Werrington in Stoke on Trent. A really well organised and planned ride and route. We passed Croxden Abbey, Sudbury Hall and Tutbury. Heading back north towards we were on familiar territory, passing within a few miles of home with a control stop and feed at the Co-Op in Hixon. Arguably, we could have started the ride from home and ridden it at any time, but it was nice to do it as an event. As always, we learnt a bit about roadie riding etiquette and also about fuelling for longer rides (you need lots). Although we were on gravel bikes, we kept up with the pace of plenty of people on much faster/lighter bikes. 65 miles and 3800' done - which took the total for last week to 108 miles and 8725'. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold tractionman Posted Monday at 09:07 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted Monday at 09:07 Anyone else got out on the bike over the long weekend? Bit of sunshine on Saturday :-) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Mark Forrest Posted Monday at 14:14 RMweb Premium Share Posted Monday at 14:14 Spent most of Saturday doing bike maintenance chores, yesterday I went to Railex. Today was a bike day. 35 mile XC loop from Bishops Castle, finishing with a cheeky pint in The Three Tuns. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nearholmer Posted Monday at 14:54 Share Posted Monday at 14:54 (edited) I had a “proper bike ride” on Friday, but family busy-ness and visitors have predominated since, so the furthest I’ve been is to the shop, three times, returning with heavily laden panniers on each occasion! I could have gone out 0600-1000 yesterday, but it was pouring down, so I wimped-out. Edited Monday at 15:09 by Nearholmer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Nickey Line Posted Monday at 18:33 RMweb Gold Share Posted Monday at 18:33 3 hours ago, Nearholmer said: but it was pouring down, so I wimped-out Don't let a bit of rain stop you! This was Clare in Suffolk last Wednesday afternoon... Big flood part2 480p.mp4 By no means the only flood we encountered, but probably the worst! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernowtim Posted 14 hours ago Share Posted 14 hours ago Haven't been out a great deal other than the daily commute, although I have tried to add a few extra miles onto the return journey, Weather has been better today so escaped from gardening to do a couple of short rides! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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