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I've just been out for a ride, and I am now really cold. It's minus 1, and it's gonna get colder before it gets warmer, at least my face fur keeps me warm... Just a training ride today, icier than last time, but faster, even though I was slower. Hmmf, it is quite hard to keep up the pace. Just have to keep at it.
Well old-ish. This from the nav ride I did. This fallen down old building is just where you have to cross the stream. Scary as hell, you wouldn't catch me in there after dark!
This pic is just over a week old now, but illustrates how my bike transporter can be used for other things too, like beer and booze... And a trials bike.
The first real snow came down on monday and I really wanted to ride and play, but I have done too much play-riding recently and not enough training. So I was very grown up and went out on the xc bike with studded tires and did a road ride of 20 km. It was cold and boring, but probably good for me. The snow makes everything beautiful, but the going is slow, I used about 10 minutes more than I usually do! Dressing for the cold is a challenge too. Too much clothing and you sweat uphill and freeze downhill, to little and you stiffen up. I taped up my shoes to stop airflow, but by the end of my ride I couldn't feel my toes. Oh well, better keep at it or I won't be in shape to enjoy next years good weather. No pain, no gain. No freezing my bolx off, no fun next season.
This is a botched pic of what I have started to call Mini Moab because of the slickrock. It's about 4 km from TTHQ and is a good place to have a bit of a break, play about and chill out. Yesterday, though, it was covered in a thin layer of ice. Oh well, next summer...
Yes winter is on it's way, minus one and a bit and I go riding. I patched together some trails and was out for several hours. It was ok as long as I kept moving, but otherwise it was quite cold. I took my newly attained folding tree saw with me and cleared some fallen trees out of the way. I doubt I will ever ride in the forest with out that saw, it is brilliant!
... That last monday's ride was with studded tires on snow and ice. Which wasn't so bad, it's still good, and I do love this bike too, for training. It keeps me in shape for real riding!
And after a good ride the star needs pampering. Especially when the trails are so wet in places. Washed and oiled and looking good. I have never taken so many pics of one bike before. 140mm travel. 2.35'' front, 2,1'' back tire, 9 gears, chain guide, flatties, 20mm axle front and 10mm bolt back. Gold Oro hydr brakes. Lovin' it!
This is the star of the show though. Riding alone or with friends this bike rocks. Uphill is fine, even a bit of transport on the road is fine, but if feel like hooning on a bit of a wallride or jump or just ride ultra technical stuff it's excells! Yesterday I rode half the ride of Saturday, and even though that means 4k of road it also means more downhill. Give and take.
The cool thing about having a friend visit is that you push yourself more. Ride a bit faster, play on more rocks or jumps, hoon more. I didn't get any pics cos we were to busy riding, but here's a bit of a launch taken the day after, yes I rode both days of the weekend!
... Well maybe not space, but certainly from Oslo. C joined me for a ride from home to work with no tarmac. Good company, good weather, good trails. Really technical for most of the way, and 9 degrees and sunny. We finished at the hotel spa swimming pool and sauna, which is the best wind-down after a ride. Thanks C!
It's great this satnav riding. Today I found more trails, this time near an age-old ice pond where ice was hacked up and sold to rich people before there were fridges. The trail was actually quite good, though over-grown in places (yes it's true!) The weather was good too for mid November, my shoes were still wet from sunday's ride so that wasn't too friendly, but otherwise a good ride.
On the way to a family birthday. The weather is directly from the arm-pit of satan himself... without the warmth. In fact it's not that bad. I went out for a bit of a ride on my 5, ragged about on my local trails for an hour. It was windy, but 8 degrees and dry, and then the rain came down, but it was still good to be out. It's difficult to get out this time of year, because of weather and darkness, so when you do go out it's totally bonus. I didn't ride for long or very far, but I ripped some corners and rode some technical stuff. I'm well happy with my skills. I rock!
Last Saturday I took a look at the GPS map of the area and marked out some points I wanted to ride to. Some of it on tarmac some of it on grit, even some singletrack. It didn't all hook up on the map, but with a GPS on the bike I found I could link up some trails. It was a good exercise and I got to see some places I don't usually see, like this lighthouse that I found all of a sudden stuck between dence forest and harsh sea. From here I just asked the GPS to take me home, and it did. A good 3 hour ride!
Yeah it's not every day the Crown Prince and Princess are down our way. In fact, we moved from Oslo to get away from all that jazz, but seeing as they were in the neighbourhood we thought it'd be nice to give them a warm reception at the hotel.
This is what I was looking for, open grit country roads with great views. Unfortunately this one was only a few km long. Nice though.
I probably shouldn't have done it like that. I was following a tractor trail in the forest when I came to a big deep puddle. I have it some wellie to get through, slipped the front wheel on a log and had to jump off, dropping my dear bike in the drink. I waded in to get it upright and try to start it, but not before I snapped this pic... which I probably shouldn't have done either, because it was a bugger to start afterwards. Double Do'h!
It started raining just as I was finished fitting GPS to my bike (motor), and I snagged my finger on a shelf yesterday and made a hole in myself to let some blood out. And now it stings when I hold stuff. Ps: looks this bad because I had a plaster on it too long.
I don't have any pics of the downhill. Imagine the steepest hill you could barely walk up, throw in some slippery, off camber roots, some loose rocks and make it around 10min long. Then ride down it on a 5 inch bike while swearing and hanging on for grim life. Yeah it was BRILLIANT! Really technical, sliding around and using ALL your bike skills in one sitting, and absolutely knackering! When you get down you just want to high 5 everyone. And that feeling lasts for ages! One week later and I'm still stoked!
This is the view from the top. Well worth all the up then.
After the tarmac and the grit road the singletrack was a welcome change. Unfortunately it was still up.
You gots to have the right tools for the job. C works as a personal trainer by day and I ride as much as possible. Oh yeah and we rode 5-6inch all mountain bikes.
Full faced helmets and kneepads hung on the backpacks we winched our way up the mountain. Averaging on about 6km an hour.
When doing an epic ride like this it is important to come prepared. Lots to drink and chocolate for when you wanna turn around. We sat down and had a break, but it was actually quite cold, so we didn't hang around. This after about an hour's riding.
When we finally found the right turn off we almost wished we hadn't. It was all up. For about 14km! No flat bits, no down, just unrelenting up.
C and me went to Hafjell to ride the Torchrunner. A leftover from the Olympics in 94, it's a really steep, technical dh, but with no lift. So we rode up. Here's me after riding for about 5 min, on the phone asking for directions.
Answers on the back of a postcard.
I was just looking through my phone pics from France and I saw this one that C sent me. He saw it on a barn door half way down Le Pleney on the single track (kitten run). What the... Is it supposed to look like a cock? Is this the original door 'knob'? Or are mountain folk just pervy? We never found out.
So I went for å ride. Just a short one before dinner. Or so I thought. Found some brilliant singletrack, and a sweet place to camp. But then I got lost. I tried making it to the road but the going got wetter and trees had fallen making the going very hard. So I turned around. It was getting darker too. Managed to find my way home. Now I make pancakes! I deserve them!
Not one to turn down a new experience, on saturday I got the chance to be a host at a team building event. All went smoothly, the punters, sorry, clients had fun and learnt some things about team work, and I really enjoyed myself. Again again!
That week flew past. One minute I was at the Birk and the next it's friday again and I've just walked a horse for several miles. So what has happened this week? Not much. Made it to Oslo and hung out with C, didn't ride at all, but had done so much trials that I was ok with that. Then all week it's been day job, and bike shop duties. Sold a bike to an 8 year old grown up, he loves his new bike. And tuned a bike for another. No rest for the wicked. Yesterday I rode 30km as fast as possible, 1:11 or so. Not unhappy with that. 15k then turn around. I'll be doing that again. Now dinner.
Here's our tent, about 25km from the start, but it took up 2 hours by bus to get here. The riders were tired but happy and appreciated our help. I am now really tired on the bus back to the start area to help out there. Today there were ca 3000 riders, tomorrow 16000!
While driving yesterday I wanted to know if I 'd remembered all my kit...
We've now been up for an hour, the merry band of mechanics for the Birkebeiner. The weather looks promising. Good luck to all... Especially those whose bikes we fix.
Well I'm off to the Birkebeiner to be a mechanic for å couple of days. Should be interesting.
Not last time, but the time before I was at Hafjell a stone bounced up from my front wheel and hit my foot. I shouted and cussed and hoped I wasn't gonna lose my big toenail, but didn't dare stop and take my shoe off to see the carnage. The pain was less than the fun I was having so I kept riding. Anyway this is what it looks like now, two weeks later. I'm not gonna lose it... I don't think. Keep your fingers crossed!
I must be living life properly... Seeing as I fell off my bike on the day before my 35th b-day. How? I was hooning this berm and just had too much speed, the tires lost traction and I went down. I'm pretty proud of it really, as I don't crash much any more, I tend to ride within my limits. Crashing usually means you've pushed just a tad too hard. Which is a good thing... Getting up afterwards is a good thing too, obviously.
Probably still drunk as a slunk just after it's 35th birthday I am up at the slope going up for another ride. Thanks to everyone for all the random drinks last night. I still don't feel my age!
I saved it, but today was the day to bring out the 'off duty racer' look. The weather at Hafjell was beautiful, perfect late August sun, warm, but not hot, and the ground was dry, but not dusty. A perfect day for a birthday boy, cos tomorrow I'm officialy old.
I've worked hard with bikes. I've read up on bikes, ridden the best, most expensive bikes, attended and lead bike courses, even designed bikes. All this so I may be humble enough to call myself a bike expert in the making. So it goes without saying that when I wanna ride at Hafjell I get a police escort. It's a matter of respect.
This is Simba's way of tackling the situation. He get's thrown out in the morning cos it's a nice day and he shouldn't be cooped up inside while we're at work. But his majesty was asleep and is grumpy when woken... So he takes it out on Bozo. Nice.
Ok I felt I was getting the back hops dialed, but today I really am! Hopping onto a plank or over sideways. I know it's not big yet, but it's really difficult! I'm proud of myself.
Anyway I'm home now, sitting on the steps outside. It's just getting dark, well the sun is below the horizon. My computer says I did 14.8km averaging at 12 km/h for 1hour 14minutes and maxed at 48.8km/h! But I left home at seven thirty and it's now just past 9. Must have had a break then. Shower time now. ;)
