Finished my fag and set off was a little worried as this time I was much earlier and the car park was full.
Still I slinked out of the car park and I don't think anyone noticed how bad my bike was, zipped through the forest park and on to the uphill problem one squeek squeeek squeeeeek front disc rotor was catching mildy annoying, but seems ok when you quicken up...nope it's doing my head in bend the rotor a little seems to fix it a bit...but it doesn't and the entire uphill section my brake is squeeling like a banshee so I end up mighty pissed off by the time I hit the hidden valley, I let some guy who I've been overtaking on the uphills all morning go by because I want to see another person technique down it, but it's academic because slipping into the big ring my chain comes off.
Felt way more comfortable riding it this time than previous and I'm getting the hang of getting something out of my bike.
Sidewinder was a blast and again feel way faster through the berms but fcuk those tree roots on the exits! nice little leaping bumps though.
rest of the ride fine oh and the bloody river crossing chain slips off the granny ring...methinketh might adjust my front mechs limit screws!
back down the centre have a quick fag
1hr45mins
Cafe grab a lucozade which some bastard has drunk half of, overhear a conversation about you'd be hard pressed to get round again so I shit myself thinking yeah it does get dark about 4 better head off I've got no torches.
Back around for the second lap, little bit of cramp and I can tell I'm tired when I fall off on that raised first bit before the first wooded section.
brakes a re still squeeling but I get around ....jesus i'm bored writing this bollocks.....anwya get round to the end it's still sunny and I'm in cardiff before it gets dark.
1hr 20m
Moral is...never listen to other peoples conversations you'll end up going round to quick and getting cramp.
ooh so now I have a blog...I can write a bunch of crap that nobody can comment upon right? Awesome!
Ok so a little about myself and my bike.
I'm about 30 and a graphic designer, I started riding MTB's in the early 1990's after riding one at a BMX race from there I got hooked rode for a number of years my favourite bikes of those halcyon days being a Kona Explosif and a Pace RC200 which when University loomed got sold for beer and women.
I went back to riding BMX and this year my beloved Angel Of Death got knicked so I stopped riding altogether.
A couple of months ago I was walking past one of those cash converters stores where chavs flog off the products of last nights robbing and saw this Dawes Mountain bike, picked it up.. not too heavy, wheels...not too shabby, fork, bit dump gears not too bad and well it was dirt cheap so i bought it for the daily ride to work.
So anyway [b]skip to the end[/b] I hadn't realised I live 30mins from Afan forest trails and start riding out there every weekend, the poor Dawes is suffering as I progressively get my skill and speed up to par with old and once again looks like I'm hooked.
I've been popping into sunset-mtb drooling over several bikes wondering if I should go against everything I call holy and get some Hire purchase for a Kona Kula or something similar.
Anyway come summer and the missus will have finished all her courses and be back on two wages so I can treat myself!
Hopefully by then I'll be fit enough and skilled enough to warrant a £1k bike again!
Black Heart Billy
