After a couple of local(ish) rides this weekend I’m more convinced than ever that we’ve got some amazing riding & scenery on our doorsteps – and it was a pleasure to share it with the likes of Nick, Greg, ChrisJ, Scott and Greg & Robin (Team Ayrshire). Top riding & chat this weekend guys!
Three of us set out to Carron Valley in the fog this Sunday (30/03/14). The weather was very miserable and dense fog covered the trail which made it pretty atmospheric and a bit spooky. Chris from Dales joined us, and was on hand to deliver some basic trail tips like what the prepared rider should have and why. We then went on to discuss trail side repairs. How to use your emergency spares and how you can get yourself up the road with the basics. Topics included chain repair with Powerlink and other options for when Powerlink wasnt available, tube repair, tyre repair, extreme cable tie and toe strap fixes. We then decided to get on with riding the trails and popped back to look at certain areas of trail and identify areas of weakness, which we worked on for around an hour or so afterwards. After a refuel at the car park we set off once again into the mist to practice wheelies, trackstands and to put theory into practice. Despite a poor turn out and not ideal conditions it was an enjoyable ride with plenty of bike chat, and one we hope to try this again soon having had great feedback from Scott who’s new to MTB and GMBC. I would encourage members to attend these sessions when they are on as their really useful there was a few things i hadn’t considered and will take forward to future riding.
See you on the trails
Ruairdh
trail side repair tips
what to bring, (for a big ride)
Camping pods, barbeques, piri-piri chicken, rain, wind, nightrides, gnarr, beer, snoring, more wind, cold sausages, hot tea, porridge, sunshine, blue skies, snow, random encounter with Al from Dales, snow drifts, slow up, fast down, epic views, cold wind, moorlands, forest singletrack, Selkirk bannock snack attack, road slog, tired legs, 33 miles, 3400 feet of climbing. done.
NB: If this ride report has whetted your appetite then rest assured I’ll post this ride again when we have drier conditions but we’ll start from Selkirk to get more of the good singletrack descents in.
hi guys, Myself and a buddy of mine Chris (who’s a mechanic for Dales) are heading to Carron Valley this Sunday. Chris has very kindly offered to teach some basic mechanical and maintenance skills to gain some experience and get your feedback. This is a great opportunity for our new members who haven’t ridden in this area before or might have some questions regarding mechanical tweaks or what to do when things go wrong out on the trails (this happens occaisionally on GMBC rides). Aside from this, Carron Valley has a range of trails which vary in technical level. The maximum number for the tutorial is 4 but other riders are still welcome and the group can be split.
If you’d like to participate in the Mechanical tutorial please reply to rgilmo18@googlemail.com
For more info on Carron Valley visit- http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/visit/carron-valley
Meet at 10. In the car park
What’s not to like about the great weather today?
Post up if you are coming out for a spin tonight!
Meet at the clubhouse ready to leave at 7:45pm.
Anybody out tonight.
Forecast looks decent, so planning on being over for a 9am start
It’s usually a good omen when Dawn suggests a trip away someplace – the weather and the biking seems to turn out pretty darned good and this trip was no exception.
As many of you will know GMBC is gearing up to host our second SMBO event on the 12th of April. Last year a few of our very generous members provided some home baking which went down a storm with our orienteers on the day. we would like to ask if any of our brilliant bakers would like to help us bake our way to a successful event again this year.
If your planning on baking please post up what your plans are…
Hi. Fancy a beer (or two) and some banter? A few of us are heading along to Munro’s Pub (Great Western Road, St. Georges Cross) on 7:30pm, Fri 28th March for exactly that. From the chat on tonight’s ride, some folks will be going for food there beforehand. Whether you’re a new member or have been at the club for a while, it would be great to see you there. Post up if you’re coming along.
