. One of the big draws at Salcey Forest is the Tree Top Walk, one day I WILL ride a bike up it
We did 17.5 miles before going our separate ways.......some pix:
Klein & EWR
Tree Top Walk
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Monday, March 8
Salcey Forest - Sunday Ride
by
Billy Goat
on Mon 08 Mar 2010 12:57 GMT
Met up with another RetroBike member yesterday for a leisurely ride around Salcey Forest in Northamptonshire, despite the cold temperature, some of the first sunshine for months drew the crowds so it was a little busy there and people were blissfully unaware they were walking on a Bike Trail
. One of the big draws at Salcey Forest is the Tree Top Walk, one day I WILL ride a bike up it We did 17.5 miles before going our separate ways.......some pix: Klein & EWR Tree Top Walk Monday, January 4
World SPD Stamping Championships 2010
by
Billy Goat
on Mon 04 Jan 2010 11:50 GMT
For a year or so now my riding buddies have been extolling the virtues of SPD's and trying to sell the idea to me, you see, I still live in the world of the Toeclip so I can't see the sense. I never fall off my bike, never have much trouble 'getting in' to my toeclips and to be honest, in recent months I've gone back to flat pedals with no clips at all.
Yesterday was what turned out to be a large RetroBike meet at Thetford Forest, the largest lowland Pine Forest in Great Britain, down in deepest Suffolk with 22 riders attending. Also present in large quantities was snow and ice.....LOTS of it, which, much to my amusement, seems to be THE Achilles Heel of SPD pedals  The tranquil, picture postcard 'snowscape' scenery was shattered by the sound of dozens of MTB riders furiously stamping on their frozen/useless SPD's, wobbling and dabbing the ground...hence the title of this blog post  Joking aside a great day was had by all during the two sub-zero rides we did yesterday......some pictures: Chin Wag  Art Haus  Wobble Fun  Watching the 'Bomber Kidz'  Snow Road  All Along The Watchtower  Iced Mech  Xntrick Machinery  Alien Sunset  More pictures and words can be found HERE Friday, December 4
Thetford Forest Ride - Primordial Shitfest
by
Billy Goat
on Fri 04 Dec 2009 23:28 GMT
Main Entry: penis en·vy
Pronunciation: -"en-vE Function: noun : the supposed coveting of the penis by a young human female which is held inpsychoanalytic theory to lead to feelings of inferiority and defensive or compensatory behavior. Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc. ...a little twist on this: Main Entry: 29er en·vy Pronunciation: -"en-vE Function: noun : the supposed coveting of a 29" bicycle by a man which leads to feelings of inferiority and defensive or compensatory behavior by owning a 26" bicycle when the fact dawns on him he has just been 'outgunned' by superior technology.....so, NEVER try and keep up with someone on a 29er, especially when you are on an early 90's fully rigid 26" MTB  It was like a Roadrunner cartoon....Jango was off into the distance, casually pedalling while still seated, as if he was on a genteel Sunday amble. I was Wile.E. Coyote (Pure Genius) pedalling crazily like a schoolkid on a BMX, bouncing off tree roots, slipping all over the trail, vibrations from the trail jarring my body, repeatedly looking down at my gears as if there was something wrong or about to fall off.....there wasn't, I was just riding 'Old Tech' and the 29er, as horribly modern and soul-less as it is, this was was the superior machine on the day.....it was like trying to follow a Cruise Missile in downtown Bagdad (remember the Speederbike chases in Star Wars?)  Thetford was cold and wet but the sun was out and the clouds had gone, only two of us turned out for the smallest Mini-Meet in history. Thetford Forest's trails had turned into Primordial Ooze.....it was a Shitfest of the highest order, gloopy brackish slimey puddles, slippery trails and a cold wind but it was great riding. We did most of the Dusk Till Dawn route, plus some of the Black Route and The Beast in the morning (12 miles) then back to Brandon for Macaroni Cheese and unedible Bread Pudding before hitting the trails again after lunch, our bottom brackets feeling like someone had packed them full of sand and refitted them and our rear mechs complaining bitterly about all the gritty shit they were being force fed  The afternoon was a shorter 7 mile route on the Visitor Center side with some great flowing Singletrack. A brilliant days riding, cold wet legs and some very dirty bikes!! Daddy Tractor and Baby Tractor  Sunny Fire road  Dangerous times?...Health & Safety paranoia  Oh well.......not NOS anymore  Halfway point  A cold, wet and HUNGRY Billy Goat   Shitfest got my EWR  Shitfest got my EWR - Part 2  Shitfest got my EWR - Part 3  Thursday, October 1
Mr K's Day in the Peaks - RetroBike Meet
by
Billy Goat
on Thu 01 Oct 2009 13:16 BST
Mr K's Day in the Peaks came around again for another year and despite initial scepticism about numbers, around 23 vintage MTB's turned out for the 22 mile ride in Derbyshire's Peak District. A good day was had by all and no serious injuries were incurred. I took my Pace RC200 as it seemed the perfect choice for the terrain, plus my EWR wasn't quite ready
 The Pace has Gore RideOn cables to keep all the mud and shit out, excellent brakes and 22-32-42/11-32 gearing for all them big hills It got ridden hard all day, getting airborne more times that I would have liked and ridden over large rocks, tree roots, loose gravel, streams and anything else that got in the way. Lots of comments and pix can be found HERE and some great photo's can be found HERE. Below are a few pix of my Pace in action... Nearing the end of the climb to the Radio Mast near Brough (Gus, me, Mark and Ned)  Amphibious Pace....  Meet the local wildlife  Mam Tor heading for Hollins Cross  Jaggers Clough  |
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