This morning Geraint, Mark, Chris, Rob and I went on a muddy slog around Stourhead.
Geraint led the way with Rob keen to keep up the pace, Mark, Chris and I were more than happy pootling along behind, pretending to be nonchalant, while actually struggling like hell.
The weather was glorious and the route very scenic. It's always great to be shown somewhere new.
After some 2:1 ratio mud (for every 2 wheel rotations, you only move 1 forwards) and puddle splashing antics (in your FACE mark!) we attempted to ride back to the cars with Geraint only able to use his drive side crank as the other one had fallen off! In sympathy I rode the last decent one footed too, but gave up pretty quick on the final climb. Embarrassingly though, Geraint was quicker on the final stretch with just one leg than I was with two.
To join us on the next ride, or to organise your own, check out the forum (where Mark organised this one): http://www.southerndownhill.com/forum/index.php/topic,205047.45.html
Welcome back to the reality of winter XC! It may have been energy sappingly soggy…but the guys riding over at Hindon had 8 punctures between fourof them! At least it was only me with my dying crank arm that needed mechanical surgery. Yup. almost spring like weather and empty trails (except those two walkers and exhuberant dog ruining my careering downhill descent on that penultimate singletrack drop), Stourhead/Penselwood always delivers! And I definitely will not be choosing the unidexter option in future, very difficult to hang yer a**e over the back wheel on a gnarly descent when you’ve only got one pedal!
Geraint.