Category Archives: bikes

Newsham Moor bivvy ride

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“But what if a fox eats your face?”

Our friend Ann didn’t understand why I was going to sleep in a bag in a field on my own. I don’t think Sarah did either, but she’s used to me doing odd things by now.

So, sit at home and watch Graham Norton on TV, or go for a ride, kip somewhere and ride back again? I loaded up my bike.

Bike loaded with bivvy kit

I’ve plans for the summer, so this was a chance to test out my new Alpkit Hunka bivvy bag. I say new, but like most bivvy bags it’s sat accusingly in the wardrobe not being used for a year or so. It was also a chance for me to see just how terrifying it was to go to sleep along in a field.

It turns out, it’s not scary at all, though it is light until very, very late so I alternated between reading a book inside the bag when it rained and watching the clouds blow overhead and the lights coming on in the valley below when it didn’t rain.

Bedroom view

I slept on and off through the night. A £7 sleeping bag from Tesco is cheap and light, but not particularly warm, even when wearing a warm jacket and a merino base layer. Not cold enough to make me think about taking a heavier bag next time though.

As well as being light until very late, the sun makes a very early appearance, with the sky starting to get light at about 3:30. I probably only slept for two or three hours altogether.

Sunrise

So, at just after 4am, I packed up and headed home.

Packing up the next morning

Home by six for a couple of hours of coffee and internet before anyone else was up; not a bad way to spend a half a day.

I knew I’d either love or hate bivvying. I think I’m hooked…

Distance: 60km (30km there and 30km back)
Surface: Road
Time: 3:40 riding time, but out of the house for 11 hours
Weather: Warm, windy, a few showers
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ rear tyre on 32:17)

Kit/setup
Alpkit Hunka bivvy bag, with Tesco sleeping bags inside, in a 13l Alpkit Airlock Xtra dry bag and bungied to the bars. Bivvy bag was ace and sleeping bag adequate. Need to get better straps for next time as the bungy only just fit.
Alpkit Wee Airic camping mat carried in a 20l Alpkit Gourdon rucsac, along with warm/spare clothes, water, book, torch and some spare food. This was too heavy; need to look into a frame bag and/or seatpost pack.

Chasing old-me

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Chasing down me from years gone by. At the end of April, I’d ridden the shortest distance for that point in the year since records began*.

It’s the end of May and I’ve caught and passed me from 2007 (by 4 miles), 2009 (by 114 miles) and 2011 (by 113 miles). Take that past-me. I’m actually ahead of June-2011-me by 16 miles already.

2008-me is still 155 miles ahead and June 2008 is the only month I’ve every passed the 300 mile mark, so I’m not going to catch that me (this month). But 2010-me is only 99 miles ahead and I’m gonna get that me this month.

*2007 (I have spreadsheets)

Singlespeeding Sunny Swaledale Again

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Same route as last time, but an hour faster and with added chicken and lentil dahl, an extra litre of apple juice. And swapping the scone for caramel shortcake at Dales Bike Centre.

Plus even hotter and sunnier, with a pig of a headwind all the way home, that wasn’t there as a tailwind on the way in. Took some time off most of the Strava segments, partly by better planning of stops, but also by riding those bits harder.

I will take three minutes off my time for Great Pinseat (South Route) to get the KOM.

Distance: 108km (Strava – till Strava decided not to record anymore)
Surface: Road and off-road
Time: 8 hours
Weather: Very hot and sunny
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ rear tyre on 32:17)

Singlespeeding Sunny Swaledale

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Not ridden since the start of April, why not try a big ride and hurt myself? Oh, go on then.

Add in hot weather and it being the first ride since I started on a slow carb diet and let’s see what’ll happen. Turns out, I can ride quite well on no breakfast, three mini pork pies and a litre of apple juice (water only for the first hour), and a scone at Dales Bike Centre.

Distance: 108km (Strava – till the phone battery died)
Surface: Road and off-road
Time: 9 hours
Weather: Hot and sunny
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ rear tyre on 32:17)

Chasing History

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Totals at the end of April from previous years: 501, 710, 429, 602.5, 483. This year was 428 miles, so the lowest since I started recording in 2005. This is bad.

But, for the first May ever, I’ve got no coursework to mark and the weekends are looking reasonably unbooked. Time to take the slightly longer way home from work, squeeze in some extra miles and chase the old me of each of the last five years, to beat ‘them’ at the end of May.

May 2012 miles needed to catch the me from previous years:

  • 2009 me – 154
  • 2011 me – 155
  • 2007 me – 264
  • 2010 me – 366.5
  • 2008 me – 422.5

Which Old Me will I catch?

Quick Darlington Fixietwat Spin

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Snook out for a quick spin round the town – Barmpton Gravel, North Park, Black Path, Motorway Bridleway and Baydale Beck – on the Solitude.

  • Fixed rooty singletrack is fun
  • The subtle clip of pedal on root
  • “Mister, your bars are on upside down”

Distance: 15 miles (Strava/map)
Surface: Road and off-road
Time: 1 hours 40 minutes
Weather: Warm and dry
Bike: Solitude Fixietwat (with 2.25″ tyres, 34:16)

Darlington – ‘new’ Hamsterley trails – Darlington

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I found them by following the Red; I think that might have been the long way round. They’re ace.

Rode up there and followed the Red from the DH Cabin to the Grove. Then rode home. I’d have proof on Strava of just how amazingly fast I was, but the app crashed and died and wouldn’t come back. I was awesome though. Watch the above video, but imagine it slower. 5 hours and a bit home-to-home.

Tweets:
“Made it to Woodland. Head wind. Slooooow.” @11:47
“At Woodland again, on the way home. Ace fun ride!” (pic) @13:39
“Home!” @15:18

Distance: Between 40 and 52 miles (20 miles to Hamsterley, ?ish miles round Hamsterley (the full Red is about 12 miles) and 20 miles home
Surface: Road and off-road
Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Weather: Warm and dry, occasional spits of rain. Windy – badass headwind on the way up
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ tyres, 32:17)

Darlington – Hamsterley Red/Blue/Black – Darlington

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Unlike the last ride, I didn’t feel crap. Usual route up to Woodland in the usual time, then dropped into Hamsterley using the tail end of the Black route. Rode the Red for the first time every, including the lovely new trails toward the end, followed by a sausage sarnie and a coffee. Then razzed around the Blue and the remainder of the Black before riding home again.

I’d post a link to the GPS of the route, but my phone battery died and then I left it on a bench in Woodland, because I’m an idiot.

Felt soooo much better than last time, though had a niggle in my right knee again part way round that went away after a bit of stretching. Felt fine when I got home, though stiffened up a lot sitting in a car back to Woodland to try (and fail) to retrieve my phone.

Bike worked fine, apart from almost losing the front brake again (I may have cocked up shortening the hose) and the rear wheel moving under braking and then pedalling (need to file down the axle a bit more, I think).

Distance: 68 miles (20 miles to Hamsterley, 28ish miles round Hamsterley (the Red, Blue and Black routes are about 12, 9 and 7 miles) and 20 miles home (phone battery died, so no GPS))
Surface: Road and off-road
Time: 8 hours (1:40, 5:00, 1:30)
Weather: Warm and dry
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ tyres, 32:17)

Darlington – Hamsterley Black Loop – Darlington

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First proper ride on my new bike, though it’s essentially the same as my old bike so no great surprises.

Got properly soaked riding up to Woodland; giggling because you’re so soaked and thinking it can’t possibly get any wetter, then it does. It shouldn’t be that dark at midday in July. Really impressed with how the 2.4″ Racing Ralph tyres roll. Did a lap of the Black loop, which was interesting in the wet when my front brake decided to fail.

Probably the fastest I’ve ever done the ride there and back, but slow on the off-road due to lack of braking.

I’m sure I could do this in 4 1/2 hours, which would make it a great ride to stick in with an early start on a Saturday morning.

Distance: 80km (30km to Woodland, 20km round Hamsterley and 30km home (phone battery died, so no GPS))
Surface: Road and off-road
Time: 5 hour (1:40, 1:52, 1:15)
Weather: Torrential
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ tyres, 32:17)