Most people treat Christmas as a time to rest, relax and pig-out. This year for me has been the opposite. Sure winter night riding is fun - getting out and clocking some miles when everyone around is sat in front of the TV, but a chance to ride in daylight, during the week, in the middle of winter couldn’t be wasted…
To make it easier to over-indulge with the riding, I spent the Christmas break with my family up in the Lake District. Where’s that? It’s the former home of Beatrix Potter, the highest mountain in England, picture postcard views at every corner and probably the most visited national park in Great Britain.
Add in perfect winter weather of clear blue skies, little wind and the thermometer hovering around 0c (32f) to ensure the ground was frozen solid led me and the Superfly to clock up 20 hours of riding on a whole host of amazing technical rocky trails - I daren’t imagine how much riding I would have done if it didn’t go dark at 4 o’clock at this time of year!
Despite the hours, it wasn’t the time or place for a proper training camp (I’m waiting for my Gary Fisher road bike to arrive before that happens) - there were no HRM’s or recovery drinks allowed and far too much grinning as I visited old favourite trails and discovered new gems. Coming from the swoopy forestry singletrack of home to the rock gardens of the Lake District is always a shock to the system. Flow is a hard won thing, with many of the climbs and descents requiring luck and determination to ride without dabbing. Thanks to my ever trusty Bontrager Tubeless Ready tyres I had zero punctures, while the ‘copter tape on my downtube protected the carbon from any errant rocks. These are trails that have been shaped by the weather, not the people who cross them. I have great respect for the local riders - riding here will make or break you and until someone proves me wrong, is an area that is impossible to ride entirely without a little pushing or shouldering of your bike - proper mountain biking in proper mountains. Home to some of the best singletrack I have ridden in the UK and definitely worth a visit.
Observations, Trails
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