08 February 2010
Roll on Spring
| I don't know if its just me, but this winter really does seem to be dragging on now. The trails are generally in a pretty poor state, very muddy and with quite a lot of debris such as broken branches from the heavy snow falls. | |||||
| I honestly don't remember it being quite so bad in previous years. That's not to say that riding in the snow wasn't fun, just that despite all the cold weather the ground seems more waterlogged than previous years, and hasn't hard frozen so much. | |||||
| At least there is now a noticeable difference in the evenings as the daylight is getting longer (although as I type its snowing again), a sure sign that spring is on the way, I have even noticed a few flowers starting to come out in the garden. | |||||
| Still, despite all the damp, cold, and wet weather I have managed to get a bit of riding done which is a bit of a relief after my January germ that really was quite nasty. | |||||
| The past 3 weeks I have made the Wednesday night rides, with the poor conditions we haven't ventured as far as usual opting to stay on Leith and Holmbury Hills and trying to search out dryish trails with little success. Still, the beer in the Plough and Kings Head has been up to the usual standard so can't complain about that at all. | |||||
| Last Wednesday on Holmbury Hill it has to be said that I've never seen the conditions so bad. We had to make a diversion due to logging on one route and even then the fire road alternative was a mess, churned up by the logging machinery it was like riding through porridge in places. | |||||
| Leith Hill wasn't much better although there was one particular long piece of singletrack that was in very good condition, not a built trail but one that seems to have fallen out of favour with people for some reason and is all the better for it. | |||||
| I have also managed a couple of short Tuesday evening rides up to Coldharbour via Redlands wood to get to the Plough for darts matches which have been ok as long as you stay on the main tracks. | |||||
| On Saturdays I have ventured a little further getting as far as Newlands Corner a couple of weekends ago for a well earned bacon, egg and tomato roll and then last weekend going beyond that all the way over to Jacobs Well and back. These rides have, in the current conditions, been very long (34 miles ish) and tiring. | |||||
| Still, at least the miles are starting to build up again now and with a trip to Coed y Brenin at the end of the month booked up its looking like Feb. might be a good one. | |||||
