And it was all going so well…..

A favourite homily of my Granny C’s was the pithy caution that, ‘Pride comes before a fall’

She was so right.

Midges and Maniacs: Part 2

Beyond exhausted, the shock finally set in. Shaking and tearful, I refused to get out of the car – so that’s where we stayed, listening to the rain and waiting for dawn.

Continued from the previous post….

Unplanned dismounts (or How to fall off a mountain bike)

Mountain biking, as it turns out, is quite a technical thing! After having spent most of the winter bruised and battered, falling off in prickly bushes or muddy ditches, I decided it was high time to have some tuition.

To learn the art of tearing effortlessly downhill, the tricks and skills of the trail, and of course, how to fall off properly.

One’s Company

This weekend I have decided two things:

1) I much prefer cycling on my own

2) I’m going to join a mountain bike riding club

At first glance these 2 statements may appear a little contradictory but there is method in my madness.

Road Wars

I can feel the car pulling across in front of me before I can see it. The nice clear road that was ahead of me just seconds before is now filled with a large chunk of solid metal bearing down across my path and cutting me off entirely.

The bike fishtails as I brake so hard the pads are squealing and there’s a distinct aroma of burning rubber as I slew helplessly towards the metal flank of the large saloon vehicle blocking my path. In that moment of clarity I realise that there’s nothing more I can do.