Back to biking

[DaiTheDragon]

After a 10-year layoff I have decided to start mountain biking again. At the time I was doing XC and Downhill competitions on a very expensive bike. Since then I have become really, really unfit and sustained a broken ankle after crashing my motorbike. Although I do all my photography during walkabout it’s not really exercise as your normally walking slowly.
So to help me stop smoking and get fit I went to look at a few bikes a couple of days ago. I decided to get a mid priced bike as I don’t know if my ankle will be OK. When I phoned up to order the bike I had a nice surprise when the bloke told me that the price had dropped by £50 that day, so that covered the cost of some new SPD’s.
So now it’s train like heck to get fit and then I can ride some of the trails on the Black Mountains again.
Wish me luck.
Dai

[Ann2]

Good for you mate, wish I had the same motivation.

Ann

[Jez]

Good on you dai. I love bike culure. better for your fitness and well being and on the enviroment too. I ride 16 miles daily to work. Drop bar no geared freewheel and a 27 spd 650c recumbent high racer on nice free days. Why spend thousands on a car just to be stuck in a jam? big up to bike culture and to all that ride

[Mr Mag00]

go for it, you have great rides around you. I rode for many years, have now bought anew bike and i am getting back in to XC hopefully marathon racing this time next year and an ironman in the next 5 years.

[Jez]

All the best to you also mr.magoo keep us posted on the marathon racing. Same goes Dai. I can't enter such advents with a bent. But still enjoy a blast and a rides with my local ctc which welcome me and my steed along. You can't beat the sights sounds and smells of the open. You feel so much more as one with nature and your enviroment can't get my head round why millions of others still prefer the car even if it's just to pop to shops and back.

[naturelover]

hi i wish you luck i dont have a car and dont want one,they are a menace to wild life and the air we breath,i have never owned a car and i am now in my 60s,walk every where,kids of today wont know a thing about the world they live in,they are driven every where,i had to walk and i loved it so did my family,funny thing is i now have a bus pass have never yoused it,where are all the familys gone out for a walk you never see it anymore,no there stuck in front of what i am stuck in front of ha ha.

[Jez]

I think it's down to longer working hours, and travelling further to work for those who live in villages it's a shame really. sustrans the charity for sustainable transport have created 10,000 or miles or more of cycle network across the u.k (walkers,joggers,dog walker friendly). A lot are fantastic green corridors we now have to spotting herons and kingfishers on a canal towpath. Woodland rides to see squirrels, buzzards deer and jay. whilst at the same time keeping active and away from fast food joints that are are concern for obesety and litter. What better way to spend a family day out.

[Jez]

Sorry. A quick hello to you naturelover and Ann2

[seamusagleann]

i'm now involved in sustran , a new route is currently being developed between fort willam and oban, using most of the old railway line from ballachulish to oban . when it closed the forestry commission fell heir to the bits that bordered their land , now its being turned into a sustran route , with the result that me and another park ranger will do maintainance on the route. should be great ,all the spin off places to visit will be signposted ....can't wait!..

[Jez]

seamusagleann sounds old celtish, am i right? i do here that you scots are the the most active rangers, so that i hear! I'm also a ranger for route 45. Was a future ranger and helped rec the route in our area for what is now open sustrans track from kiddermister to bridgenorth, which runs through the wyre forest sssi and follows up the great river severn ( 20 miles and mostly off road ). Route 45 when complete will run from Glastonbury to Chester some 360 odd miles. On my route from kiddy to bridgenorth in paticular as i can comment is exellent for nature watching by bike! We have canals, forest/nature reserves-2 of including highley, chelmarsh resevoir, the severn itself then theres the severn valley railway if it all becomes to challenging. Like to here more on how yours is going> Keep up the good work, it's not a thankless role! Happy riding-jez

[Dan Salter]

Good luck !
With it being the summer hols for me and me now being a poor student for the first time in 19 years i have finally started putting my neglected ( and almost brand new) Specialized Hard Rock pro disc...to some use.

Loving it...have been riding in the early eves and explored all over the rural village we moved into at feb time and just discovered we have the most gorgeous allotments which is great news as my veg patch/ allotment in my end of the garden is destined to become a mini wildlife nature reserve/pond/paradise next year !

[Jez]

I'm attempting a native butterfly meadow 80% Native grasses 20% Native flowers the std rate to sow but have i'm adding a couple more flower varieties in this Autumn cuckoo flower for the orange tips and kidney vetch for the blues all being well. We have an alloment on route of my sustrans patch that i cover. I thought i't would be great to put a trailer on the bike and bring back dinner after checking the route for litter, vandalisim and signing. So i put my name down. 4 yrs on and still haven't a plot going. Still awaiting a phone call now. All the best hope you have better luck than i. For pond creation you may interested in looking at naturesape.co.uk. for your wild life garden