Rich Rothwell

Really nice pics from the weekend’s race on the the Scottish BBC Website. I was lucky to be the subject of a great snap, (pic eight)  from Ian Linton, event photographer – it’s a great composition: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-13776470

Great number board too ; )

Some amazing things have happened this week.

Our lovely son, James John Rothwell arrived:

I won the Glentress 7:

I (finally) learnt how to piss whilst riding (yes, in my shorts). (Picture not supplied).

Let’s flesh this out a bit. Char had an emergency caesarean section. It was a pretty full on experience for both of us. After hours of contraction induced agony the decision to operate was made. Char’s body disappeared behind a screen. There was lots of tugging and pulling going on. Then silence. And, from behind the screen, I was handed a little boy. Like some weird Paul Daniels magic trick. Aint technology amazing!   

He’s been great so far.  Both Char and James are in great shape. Except after the operation Char is pretty immobile. And will be for weeks. The housework is killing me. I hope she gets well soon.

Amazingly, (touch wood) James has been sleeping brilliantly. So no horror sleep deprivation so far and a very relaxed happy time for us all. Hoorah!

And for this reason, the Glentress 7hr was on! Double hoorah! I was really looking forward to this one. It’s a race at Glentress innit! I knew it would be good but I was completely blown away by the course. Steep and long climbs. Brilliant singletrack. And loads of uber techy off piste descents that had been built especially for the race. This was the best endurance course I’ve ever ridden in fact. It was never going to be a pure fitness fest and this is one of the main reasons I love coming over the border. Health and Safety doesn’t travel this far north. They build courses to test mountain bikers in Scotland. The main descent would have fitted well into a pure DH course in fact.

As expected the start was fast. And up. For a long time. A solo tri guy took the lead followed by me, 3 or 4 solos and a couple of pairs riders. Eventually the pairs guys inched away and us solos pushed along in a fast train. It remained so until lap three when an early caffeine gel got me all excited and I went off the front hard. I stretched out a slender lead of a minute or so. In the transition I paid… getting off the bike for the timing mat triggered off cramp… Nooooo! I REALLY wanted to win this. My head was totally in the right place and I was totally fired up…. So I pushed through the pain instead of backing off. After about 6 laps one of the guys started to bridge the slender gap. And I was bursting for a piss! I knew if he got past me, psychologically he would have the edge… So I thought of everything wet, cold and trickly and Hey Presto! It worked! This may sound like a (slightly gross) small point, but piss stops eat away time and can be crucial at times like this. In fact, if it hadn’t happened, I don’t think I would have won the race…

We tore into each other. He really hit it hard to try and pass me but for almost a complete lap I redlined it, determined to not let him break away. He started showboating a bit…. cross ups over jumps, that sort of thing. I focused on making no mistakes as we were going warp speed, off camber and through trees at high speed… I held his wheel on the edge of control. At around 20mph he clipped a root. And then hit a tree with a sickening crunch. Shit! If he had hit his head or his back it would have been very serious, possibly fatal. OK, balls it up but don’t really hurt yourself… I stopped. After a few moments he got up. We weren’t far from transition. He half rode, half limped to his pit. I knew he was out of the race. You can’t hit a tree at that speed and keep riding. Don’t know how he is but if something wasn’t seriously damaged it would be a miracle. Didn’t get his name but I hope he is OK.

So I now had a gap. No idea what it was; I was self pitting. (And many thanks to Tom Hill who let me share his and his friends gazebo and even left some gels out for me as I had ripped through more than I thought I would need). I think self pitting helped my urgency and adrenalin levels to be honest. But the gap can’t have been huge, five or ten minutes at the most.  I had to keep pushing and it was really hurting now…. the cut off time for last lap was 4:45 and the lap needed to finish by 5:30. I got through at 4:44…. but with no pit support, I had no idea if anyone was on my tail. You just couldn’t see from the transition. So, after almost 7 hours of hurt I wasn’t going to take the chance and headed out again. It became apparent I was clear. I missed the cut off for my final lap by five minutes but I needed to be sure and besides, on a last lap I like to say thank you to the marshals which I hadn’t yet done. They were brilliant for the Glentress 7, even when the inevitable rain, cold, and mud kicked in half way through the race….

What a seat of your pants race! I loved it and was really pleased to win this all round test of endurance mountain biking. And a big up to local Jules Fearns who won the ladies solo; the north east takes the fight to the borders! The event was fantastic, the atmosphere fun and friendly, and the racing savage (as it usually is in Scotland!). I hope the Glentress 7  runs again next year.

The prize presentation was great too. No prizes set to categories. Each category winner took a ‘lucky dip’. A £100 Endura voucher, a meal at a local restaurant, a free fork and shock service at Flotec Suspension (which I won – thanks guys) and (the jackpot) a year’s supply of jam from a local farm shop. Ace!

My dad was here when I got home. We toasted the win and our son in style with the two Cs….

I’ve recently had the pleasure of riding with triple jump world record holder, BBC commentator, and all round good chap Jonathan Edwards. Here is an interview piece that I prepared which will soon be printed in a north east regional magazine. His new found enthusiasm for cycling and the fantastic north east environment  is infectious. I hope I have portrayed both this and Jonathan’s down to earth, friendly, and enthusiastic personality:

When the opportunity arose to go for a road ride with M Steels customer Jonathan Edwards, (Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic Champion, and World Record holder) I jumped at the chance. (Sorry Jonathan, had to get that out of the way early on!). The discipline that made him an international athletics star could not be more different to my own; triple jump compared too long distance mountain bike racing; sub ten second explosive efforts contrasting with hour after hour of aerobic endurance work. I was intrigued to find out why an athlete with his speciality had developed an interest in cycling. As it happens, Jonathan’s enthusiasm for riding was fuelled by similar motivations to my own.

We met up in Morpeth. I had suggested that we rode one of my favourite mid length rides; a challenging loop of just under fifty miles that takes in some of the finest road riding in Northumberland. The route I settled on included some incredibly quiet roads with fantastic scenery, (both are endearing features of the county) some demanding and substantial climbs, and plenty of twists and turns, which add an engaging technical element to the riding.

Within minutes we were out of the town and took a left turn onto the Pigdon and Netherwitton road. This is a great start as the traffic is virtually non-existent and the road flows and dips through picture postcard vibrant green farm land. Jonathan was test riding a pair of tubular shod Mavic Cosmic Carbone Ultimates on loan from M Steels and we both agreed that they were a perfect wheel for this type of undulating terrain. At a shade under 1200 grams for the pair, I suspected they would climb pretty well too!    

I asked Jonathan why he had decided to get into cycling, particularly as it was such a departure from the discipline which he had focused on so intensively;

“I decided that I wanted to get fit again after seven years of no real exercise. I had played golf during that time but it does not really boost your fitness. Cycling is also so different to my triple jump training; I’ve never done endurance work before so it’s a great challenge and I’m learning something new, training by heart rate for example. I’d like to get better at climbing, I’d love to fly up climbs!”

Well, that’s fortunate because after our gently undulating start there was going to be plenty of opportunity to practice climbing on this loop! We hit the first real ramp in the road; a short but steep pitch that takes you over and down to Forestburn Gate. At this point the Cheviots open out in front of you, Simonside sits serenely to the left, and the road dives satisfyingly through a tree shrouded ford.  

As we headed towards the front of Simonside we discussed the differences in our training regimes. Our worlds could not have been more alien! Specificity is a golden rule for athletic performance in general; one practices the activity itself or the key components of that activity which are then stitched together to make the whole. Jonathan had therefore focused on sprint work, explosive weight training, and jump specific technique. No need for an endurance base then! I explained some strategies for building a strong base and throughout the ride I highlighted the benefits and applications of various pedalling drills and cadence changes. Jonathan’s enquiring mind and understanding of the importance of technique tells me he is going to get the hang of this cycling lark pretty quickly…

Soon after the quite technically challenging ups and downs in front of Simonside we got into the meat of the ride. The Bilsmoor is a tough climb with a steep middle section and I was impressed in the way Jonathan span up this locally renowned hill. I think he was pleased too:

“I did this climb a few months ago and I must say I rode it much better this time”

Enjoying the Bilsmoor

He’s doing very well; after only riding on the road for less than a year, and pottering round the Lake District on a mountain bike for not much longer, Jonathan was coping admirably with what is essentially a tough loop; this is a ride I complete as a ‘tune up’ for a Marathon length mountain bike race of between 60 and 100 kilometres. So despite a very short history of endurance work, Jonathan was demonstrating a substantial base already.

It’s even more impressive when you consider the busy international schedule that the BBC athletics commentator follows. However, he has managed to squeeze in opportunities to develop his riding:

“I generally spend half the week in London and half the week at home in Newcastle. I don’t do lots of riding around London – it’s pretty scary! But I do have a singlespeed that I use on rollers in my London flat. It’s really good for technique”.

After plummeting down to Elsdon, we had little respite before the rhythm breaking ascent of Winter’s Gibbert. I too have long been an advocate of pinching training time here and there; you don’t have to ride climbs like this day in day out to develop your climbing ability and technique. Skills sessions on rollers or the turbo trainer pay off on days like this so that you can enjoy a challenging ride in beautiful scenery. I wondered whether Jonathan felt the unspoilt north east environment had helped cultivate his interest in cycling;

“Definitely! It’s a total revelation. From my home in Newcastle it’s literally five miles until I am out into unchartered territory. I’ve found some stunning places in Northumberland, simply through getting out on my bike. Sweethope Lough is beautiful and this loop we are doing today is pretty special too. I’d also like to get out towards Alwinton at some time. The low car count is perfect. It’s great for training”.  

We cruised past Harwood Forest, a favourite road of my own. With a wall of trees to the left, rolling copse dotted fells to the right, and a big sky above, the sense of space is dramatic yet tranquil at the same time. Soon after, we passed the Dyke Neuk and cruised through an undulating quiet lane to Mitford, the end of the ride in sight.

Jonathan really rated the Mavic Cosmic wheels he had been testing. The wheels were noticeably helping him carry speed, particularly through these types of dips and rolls in the road, a characteristic of high end deep section wheels. They are a great example of the quality stock that M Steels carries and I asked Jonathan why he was a customer of M Steels:

“You have to Steel yourself before you go in! (That’s one each in the bad pun stakes Mr Edwards!) You have to tell yourself that you aren’t going to spend any money… but it’s like an Aladdin’s Cave. The new shop is excellent and a huge improvement on the old premises. The service is friendly and the guys really know about cycling. Whenever I visit I’m well looked after”.      

We rolled into Morpeth to finish a classic route. Both of us had enjoyed a great morning in the saddle and agreed how invigorating a good ride could be. With his new found and infectious enthusiasm for cycling, interest in equipment, and the technical aspects of riding I wondered whether Jonathan had any specific cycling goals;

“I’m not particularly event orientated. I just want to improve. I was very stats orientated as an athlete so even an average speed increase of half a mile an hour would be very satisfying. I think the best thing about cycling though is that I feel much better in myself – it’s a general feeling of wellbeing. A vibrant everyday feeling of having more energy”. 

These are the core reasons that I ride too. Competition is extremely exhilarating but the main reasons I ride are the huge health benefits and the simple enjoyment of being on a bike. There are few better places to ride a road bike than in Northumberland and I hope that Jonathan continues to enjoy his exploration of our incredible landscape. We are so lucky to have this amazing environment on our doorstep and a bike ride is the perfect way to experience it.

Kielder holds a certain curse over me race wise. I took a wrong turn there at the Border Raid last year, and at the start of this year I got 5,000 punctures in as many metres (ok it was 3. Punctures). And had to pull out. 

But beyond this, I wasn’t sure of the logic in doing the Border Raid this year, the next weekend on from the UK24; my legs still felt shot (my UK24 race report is on the M Steels blog here:) http://blog.msteelcycles.co.uk/2011/05/10/exposure-uk-24-hour-solo-championships/

Anyways, I had the toss up between the Border Raid and the next round of the Nutcracker. I enjoyed the last Nutcracker but decided I didn’t want to drive to Yorkshire for one and half hours of racing. Besides, I like the Border Raid; a big loop taking in Bloody Bush Road, bits of Newcastleton, and back over to Kielder. Besides some protracted fire road sections on this version, it’s generally one of my favourite training rides.

So off we set; sharp starter in some rooty singletrack. Popped out with Ian Palmer from Wheelbase on my wheel. Climb. Descend. Climb. T-junction. No sign…. (well, I was later assured that there was but I didn’t see it). Tossed a mental coin and chose right. Next junction. No sign (well, there wouldn’t be!). Went left to take a route to the border crossing… After a while it became apparent I was wildly off track… I’d taken Ian and one or two others with me. Sorry guys! Back to the original junction and left this time. OK; saw a Marshal! Back on track!

Despite feeling hollowed out from last week, I get an adrenalin rush from being at the back of the pack… and I buried myself well and truly (sank a caffeine gel half an hour into a race!). It took a long time to even reach the backmarkers… Up and over Bloody Bush Road and down to Newcastleton. Ray Honour got on my wheel for a mile or so and I was impressed with his tenacity. We hit the Newcastleton singletrack… Nobody was going to get time on me here! I could (and quite literally did last week) ride it with my eyes closed! I pulled away but Ray later said he crashed. Next I caught up with Dominic and Dieter Booth from Breeze Bikes in Amble. I was really straining by now as it had been a continual hard effort to get back on the pace. They kindly offered to work together and we took turns for a couple of miles through some draggy fireroad. I pulled away again after being told there was one rider left about two minutes up. Hard effort required again…. I caught him only to be told that ‘the leader is up the track’. Balls! I was running out of track. One more dig….

Made it! And then I promptly flew off a fireroad corner into a ditch. Doh! Back on and sprinting after him. Fortunately there was one susbstantial hill left and I passed the, (confused by my presence) lead rider.

I crossed the line a minute or so up to take the win. Thank goodness! I beat the curse! (Sort of). If I hadn’t got lost I would have posted a pretty good time. As it was, I really enjoyed the adrenalin of a chase from the back of the pack. Sort of fuels the inner hunter I suppose.

My form was quite encouraging; I felt floored from last weekend before the start of the Border Raid but could dig deep with a bit of nervous energy. Lost and found you could say.

Hurrah for Exposure!  If anyone asked me for a Desert Island Discs (kind of) of bike equipment, my Exposure lights would be right up there. Simple but brutally effective, they do exactly what you want them to do. This results in a ‘I’ve forgotten they’re there’ approach to riding through the night. (That’s really something when you think about it!) Quite a change from the technology of just a few years ago and some other modern lighting systems I’ve used.

…and they’ve got my name on them! Ace! Following the move of Rory Hitchens to Upgrade Bikes, John Cookson, all round good chap and fledgling 24 soloist, supplied me with these beauties, emblazoned with my name, as well as the Enigma and M Steels logos. Nice!

The Six Pack whacks out an incredible 1800 lumens and I intend to run it on mid setting right through the night at the UK24 in May. No changes. No hassles. The Diablo Mk II will run with a 3 cell piggyback; even the medium setting is badger tanning and provides a lovely wide even pool of white light. Brilliant. I’ve ridden with the Diablo alone recently and it’s been ample for slower speed twsity turny stuff. Mated with the Six Pack it is the perfect high power / light weight / long run time combo.

In other news…. had a great ride at the Whinlatter Challenge a few weeks back. Finished a respectable 5th with 3rd and 4th just out of reach (that’s XC!). Rob Jebb was a little further out of reach though… The full write up for the race is on the M Steels blog here.

More recently and very sadly, another visit to my mother in Spain was required. She has fought through an horrific cancer operation and continues to defy doctors by ‘just keeping on going’. With the prognosis amounting to a very bleak outlook, I took an emergency flight to spend five days with her in hospital. That was nearly two weeks ago and she is still hanging in there now. Incredible. I have seen characteristics in her that I simply never new existed. I am very proud of her and, despite this difficult time, I take great positivity from her.

Considering the circumstances, her incredible spirit lights up the darkness.

…pretty much defines the last month, even if not in that order. It’s been a bit of a rollercoaster. started off with an overload week… which was pretty harsh. In the middle was Hit the North, a race I would prefer to forget! OK, that’s not strictly true; Jason Miles organised a superb event and if I hadn’t been shattered from a stressful week of training and family troubles, I would have enjoyed it a whole lot more. On the first lap, I lost about five minutes to a bizarre mechanical and soon passed weekend companion Ian Leitch on the sidelines with an even more bizarre snapped seatpost that totally put him out of the race – must have been very frustrating as he was leading. I, on the other hand, was nowhere near a threat and just plodded round the course to finish a very disappointing 16th. Even without the mechanical, I was way off the pace.

After the race Ian and I headed to Keswick with the intention of an 8hr epic on the Sunday. We started on some classic Lakes trails in horrendous conditions…. horizontal freezing rain and icey cold winds. I was determined to see through my overload even if it killed me (climbing to Matterdale End nearly did) but after 4.5 hrs we binned it – this was not an 8hr hour kind of day… I felt distinctly Southern cutting things short but it was probably for the best as I was shattered – Saturday had hurt and I was up to around 25hrs of riding already….

The ugly bit – my mum, who lives in southern Spain, is unwell and I went out on an emergency visit. As things turned out her operation was postponed so, on the positive side, we could spend some quality time together (I had anticipated playing nurse). We spent time doing what she does best – sitting in the sun outside a bar with the odd shandy or two and having a good old natter…. Fingers crossed all will be well over the next few weeks.

Now then. The other good bit. When my mum had her afternoon siesta I nipped out into the hills behind Benelmadena for some super steep and techy Spanish nadge-tech. (Glad I took my high volume Continental Rubber Queens  - perfect for this type of terrain, as well as the Lakes). I managed to sneak in a 7hr epic as well…. here are some choice pics. You’ll get the idea…

Hurrah! It’s time for another race! This time it’s in the Deep South. Manchester in fact. It’s Hit the North organised by that bastion of the endurance scene; Jason Miles. It turns out he is not only a top race organiser (I heard good things about last year’s race so was determined to get there for this edition) but he is also a helpful salt of the earth type; he gave me the heads up on the course and the type of bike required to put in a decent ride. What a good sport!

So… out comes the Enigma Ego…. ooooh it’s lovely. And it’s black and steel which I thought was a fitting postmodern statement to set against the rising phoenix of Manchester’s new economy. Or some bollocks like that. Well actually, black is the fastest colour and mud doesn’t stick to the skinny tubes as muchly as fat tubes. (Maybe. It sounds plausible?) It’s a win win situation.

And then I made a fatal error… I invited Mr Leitch to the party. He says I will give him a run for his money, but as I haven’t grown an extra lung since we last raced together I am unsure of his logic and deeply sceptical. But the punch line is this is all in the middle of a ‘why do I do this’ overload week so, following the race Ian and I will be heading to the Lakes for an 8hr recovery ride on Sunday… (If I can just get him on some steep rocks I might gap him…. sssshhhhhhh…. don’t tell him!)

So, it could be out with the black and into the red. I’ll be hanging before the weekend, never mind after it! Should be great fun though, hopefully interspersed with a few recovery drinks : P

Oh, and check out Jason’s great blog full of wholesome adventures, heroic deeds, and good ole Northern gritty determination.  http://40psi.wordpress.com/ Why, at times it would bring a smile to a Yorkshireman  : )

This Saturday was the first race of the year. I was particularly looking forward to it because I have been going so well recently, had a great run in, and, well, was just itching for a race! It was the first leg of the Kielder Marathon Series, which I won last year. So, with a big target on my back and a great new sponsor, (M Steels Cycles) the mix of adrenaline combined with a desire to do a good job meant I had the perfect balance of pre-race nervous energy.

On the start line was Chris Murley who has won the series in the past and I know to be a strong rider. My strategy was simple for this race: I wanted to get out in front even if it really hurt and see how long I could keep it together. The Kielder Marathon races are normally won in around 2.5 hrs so with three laps, I felt this strategy would be the best approach.

The lead car dropped off and I rode as hard as possible to get into the first excellent section of singletrack in front. As I expected Chris was on my wheel. We took in some of the best sections of the Kielder trails in the first 20 minutes. I noticed with my Top Fuel I was gaining ground over Chris on his hardtail, both on the technical climbs and the rough descents. I inched away and then put in some some substantial time on the big downhills. I was feeling super strong and kept the pace high.

I found out later that I had put about 4 mins lead in on the first lap and I was not going to slow… Then, the disaster vortex opened…. I split a Stan-ed tyre. Just as I was finishing putting a tube in and Chris went pass me. A big effort was needed. I downed a caffeine gel, (thought it was better taken now than saved for the last lap!) I caught him and put on my best, ”this is my comfortable pace, honest” face and built another slender lead.

And then I punctured again. Bollocks! Chris rode up to me and gave me his only spare tube! (We weren’t too far from transition) What an incredibly sporting thing to do! I saw him sail off into the distance and another rider passed me. I was starting to panic now….

Through transition L2 and I heard I was about 5 mins back. Do-able? I was feeling very good physically but it seemed a big ask, despite the 1hr+ laps. I got my answer about half a mile into L3… another bloody puncture!!!! A big thorn this time. I had no spare tube, there was latex everywhere…. I felt the adrenaline leave my body like water from a tap. The frustration was just too great and I pulled out. The first time I have ever pulled out of a race and it felt terrible. Defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory as they say. And well done to Chris for pulling through and taking the win.

Anyway, whilst the laps were probably a bit long for most of the punters, (Chris finished in 3hr 20 ish)  I personally thought it was the best Kielder Marathon course so far. Lots of technical interest, some long climbs, and some spectacular views on a back drop of cold, clear, blue sky. 

And this was the first time I’ve ridden the Top Fuel properly dialed in. I wanted to wait for some quality riding (rather than snow, ice and/or deep mud) to really come to some conclusions on the ride….

This bike absolutely flies over rough ground  both uphill and downhill! It was really noticeable at Kielder where  it simply flew up rough climbs and was ultra stable, (perhaps due to the long wheelbase) on fast rough descents.

The tapered steerer fork and HUGE headtube add incredible steering accracy:

Rocker link also provides a stiff rear end and a very supple ride:

10 spd XT Dyna-Sys shifts beautifully and, with a dinner plate size cassette, you can ride in the middle ring up some pretty steep pitches. Apparently this optimises suspension efficiency. Whilst I  have no other Dyna-Sys bike to compare against, the suspension action felt very effective right through the middle ring range.

Whilst always being suspicious of hyperbole and acronyms, (often the same thing!)  one thing I am certain of is the effectiveness of the ABP feature (Active Braking Pivot). It greatly reduces brake jack and ’skip’ when braking late into rough or rippled corners. The traction advantage is very noticeable.  

However, I would say my favourite feature of the bike is the front and rear lockouts which just sit beside the grips. Just a nudge from the inside of your index finger is enough to release them and it is incredibly intuitive, becoming as natural as going through the gears. Simple but ergonomically perfect.

I’ve also had the bike Body Fitted and revised my set-up substantially. Took a while to get used to but I am genuinely feeling MUCH more efficient and if the two hours of Kielder I managed are anything to go by, many pieces of the jigsaw are falling in to place. I’m not one to come out with How Good I Am Going to Be This Season type blurb but I am feeling like a different rider and I’ve got a full sus that really suits my riding style.  Alongside my lovely Enigma hardtails, (for smooth courses and bad conditions) and some great support from M Steels, I have great kit and back up for the year.

So, despite Saturday’s disappointment positivity reigns! I love training and racing and for many, many reasons, I think 2011 is going to be the best year ever!

You love it or you hate it… Personally I love it. And a good job too. I can barely remember ‘not snow’ at the moment. The ridiculously low temperatures have resulted in lovely, grippy, freeze dried ground and, living in a semi rural area connected by a network of tracks between other towns / villages, even the huge dumps of snow did not result in ‘unrideable’. Here are a couple of favourite snaps from recent commutes:

I’ve also had some good away days. Keswick was ridiculously cold, but being the weekend before Christmas, remarkably quiet which is just the way I like it. I set off on a five hour ride at 7am. It was around minus ten. Had to keep stopping every few minutes to get some feeling back into my fingers. Ouch! And then after missing my, ’sip every 2 minutes’ regime, my hydration pack froze up…. which meant trying be dextrous…. which meant loosing feeling in the digits once again. The only solution was to stuff my two litre bladder up my jacket to get it to thaw. Cold liquid sloshing around on belly whilst doing interval efforts anyone? No, it wasn’t nice and resulted in one of those, ‘Why the hell am I doing this?’ moments. Which was quickly countered by views like these:

(You may notice a rather lovely carbon space ship in one of the pics… more on that soon).

Anyways, this festive season I’ve also had the pleasure of riding with Andrew Cockburn whose family live in Morpeth. He’s a very (very) strong all round mountain biker; the type I would like to ride with more often. Not only is he a top class rider, but he is also very modest of his abilities, which I appreciate.

This morning I rode with my good friend Glen, out from his back door (literally!) just south of the Tyne around the Beamish area. It was one of the best rides I have had in ages  and I am definitely heading back that way soon; it’s literally half an hour away on the A1 and is an absolute rabbit warren of top class woodland shennanigans made even more fun by soft melting snow and ice.

Bikes and snow; so wrong yet so right.

After not being well for some time I was itching to get back into some solid winter training… and then bang! The Next Ice Age! And Northumberland was the epicentre! It has made last year’s snow look like ‘a light dusting’. But, despite the huge and prolonged dumps of snow, with a hardtail + mud tyres it has remained remarkably rideable. I’ve had some great rides to work along some ‘just technical enough in the snow’ trails. The white stuff has been excellent quality; very grippy and, with snow ploughed and packed roads, I’ve been able to ride into the centre of the big local hills. This shot is from today’s four hour, interspersed with 10 x 3min hard efforts when traction allowed…. Tundra-tastic!