cut gate

today i had a day off and went with alex and alan to ride my favourite trail in england - cut gate from langsett to the derwent valley and back again.
the original plan was to do a loop around cut-throat bridge but with the failing light, worsening weather and the fact that we had each worn through our brake pads on the outward leg, discretion smacked-down valour and we headed back.

the trail has had some major work done on it since my last visit. some sections are greatly improved. they may even have used a mountain biker to assist with some of the maintenance as things like line choice and speed into difficult sections look to have been thought about. but at the same time, the last descent back to the car had had all of the water bar jumps removed and the whole section coated in a layer of orange swarfega (at least that's what the clay-y clag felt like).

i rode like a complete arse. not able to get any flow or rhythm. some of it was the weather, some of it being put-off by the sound of the metal back plate of my disc pad rubbing against the disc every time i braked and the lack of confidence that gives. but mostly it was because i just don't ride a mountainbike as much as i used to.

riding on the road is great.
not having to undress outside - putting everything i took with me into a bin liner to transfer to the washing machine is also great.
but there is something about the way your cheeks glow, the way your fingers ache from braking effort and just the scale of a day doing something pretty bloody dangerous in a remote area that you just don't get riding a road bike every day...

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