You are reading a single comment by @yoshy and its replies.
Click here to read the full conversation.
London Fixed Gear and Single-Speed is a community of predominantly fixed gear and single-speed cyclists in and around London, UK.
This site is supported almost exclusively by donations. Please consider donating a small amount regularly.
@yoshy
I finally got to do some of the type of riding I envisioned when buying and building this bike. I had been planning to bring my road bike up to my parents but if I'm never going to actually ride this I should just sell it. Decision made.
I asked around the local mtb people on instagram I knew, got a lot of downhill trails in woods type of suggestions, and I fancied more of a day-out xc kinda ride? Not sure on the terminology here. OS website + ridewithgps left me with a nice looking route out to Thrunton Woods for a little loop suggested by my cousin, up to Prendwick, across the hills to Ingram via Chesters, and back over to Prendwick on the Sandstone Way. Even found some very-local-to-home bridleways my parents didn't know about, which dad was visibly disappointed about.
I set off four hours late, down those local bridleways. Turns out they don't but cows on the map.
Skipped the loop in Thrunton trusting that the hills would be great.
Road to Prendwick was a bit of a slog but kinda nostalgic going through villages I'd spent a fair bit of time in as a drunk teenager.
Bridleways from here were lovely. Smooth doubletrack on the whole and super picturesque. Single-speed was tough - some walks/jogs/stops but that's alright.
Descending down towards Chesters was a revelation. Long flowey doubletrack with loads of different options and fun bits to play with. Even got both wheels off the ground! at once! More nostalgia of scout camps at Chesters before setting off down the now invisible bridleway (straight line across boggy field) into some woods where stuff got mega steep and technical fast. I'd done what the internet says and dropped my saddle (qr baby) but this was too much for me: pedal striking, dunno what's coming kinda anxiety too much. Nice couple by the stream asked how I was: 'out of my depth'. They laughed. 'At least there's a bridge here now!' they said - maybe I do still sound like a local? Clambered out and onto a little bit of SINGLETRACK which I actually attempted and didn't fall off on, before a long hike up the next climb.
More very fun descending down into Ingram valley (nostalgia yadda) along to the cafe for 2 cokes and some crisps before joining the Sandstone Way back up over the hills again. Caffeine was FLOWING and I was loving it like, so pulled out my phone for a picture of more sweet doubletrack, prompting my only fall of the day, uphill.
Descent down the other side was slightly less fun: it was wet and kinda minging stagnant looking water, and punctuated with a few nervy cow experiences. First a young curious cow started tailing me as I cautiously walked around their little group on the trail, then coming through a gate and having a group of bullocks all simultaneously look up at me. I dunno when I got so skittish around cows but christ I shit one. Went directly left downhill out of their line of sight and rejoined the trail a little way down for more puddles, swamped with flies now.
From there it was a happy tired road slog through the countryside home.
10/10 very good keeping the bike