Llandegla, Monday 25th Feb am.

[ColinJ]

Fkin layabout

You are not familiar with my (lack of) mountain biking skilz!

I was out on my first ride on my new mountain bike. Up on the hills I encountered a guy from Keighley who said that he'd show me some good bridleways so I decided to ride with him for an hour or two. Eventually, we came to a long fast stretch of bridleway and he really blasted down it ahead of me. There were big boulders all around and in front of us was a huge muddy lake of a puddle in a dip. He carved his way through the puddle and shot up the slope on the other side. I was about 50 metres behind and hit the puddle at full speed. My front wheel dug down into the mud and I was launched into the air over the bars. I seemed to be in the air for seconds and screamed in terror as I plummeted down towards two big boulders. I landed face down in thick mud between the boulders so, amazingly, I was completely uninjured. As I prised myself out of the mud looking like The Creature from the Black Lagoon, I heard the sound of riotous applause. I looked up to see a big group of mountain bikers sitting on the grass behind the boulders eating sandwiches. One guy shouted out - "F***ing brilliant mate - do it again!"

I did something like that at Coed-y-Brenin, except I was lucky ... as I flew through the air, I spotted a small tree just to the side of me, stuck my hand out and grabbed it, which span me round and I landed back on the trail on my feet, while my bike clattered about 15 feet down the slope! I got a round of applause for that one from some witnesses ...

 

[si_c]

Great ride today, awesome weather and managed to meet up with Si for the second lap

The rate of attrition was quite high. Si managed to snap his chain and his dad also fell off on their first lap. Then Si & me headed off to go round again and I managed to lose it shortly after we started on the first downhill section! I landed quite hard and with some speed which forced my left leg under me awkwardly. It blooming hurt and I think it might have come quite close to dislocating something. After a couple of minutes to let the pain subside we continued and Si didn't want to be the odd one out so threw himself and bike off the track with near tedious regularity
Once the ride was finished we both agreed that there is probably a good reason we normally only do one lap....
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I appreciate you not mentioning my ending up in a ditch 15ft below the track with my bike above my head.

Going riding with skolly is an education. He's good.

Definitely. This wouldn't ordinarily be a problem except for the fact that I am demonstrably not.

 

[I like Skol]

I appreciate you not mentioning my ending up in a ditch 15ft below the track with my bike above my head

Only because I didn't see it. If I had I'm not sure I would have been able to stop laughing enough to get the camera out....

 

[si_c]

Only because I didn't see it. If I had I'm not sure I would have been able to stop laughing enough to get the camera out....

One should be thankful for small mercies I suppose. Are you still wearing a hat?

 

[I like Skol]

One should be thankful for small mercies I suppose. Are you still wearing a hat?

Leg is the main issue. I was in the shower, moving it around trying to work out what I had done. Suddenly it gave way and I nearly ended in a heap. It also hurt, a lot! Don't want to do that again in a hurry.....