Cwmcarn old Downhill track was the venue for Saturday.
Being a downhill course virgin ... unless you count the black run at Glyncorrwg ... I wasn't really sure what too expect so we pushed up the course to check it out.
The ground was a little damp and mushy in places but that wasn't going to put us off.
The lower part of the course has 4 jumps/drops and the run ups and landings were a bit dodgy so I decided I'd leave the 1st 2 out and do the last couple (which were bigger but more do-able in my head) They were both bigger than I'd done before but with my new found confidence and arm pads and a borrowed full face helmet ... I was ready ..
The top section is nice gnarly and steep singletrack so we "sessioned it" 4 times ;-)
We spent a good hour on the bottom section and I had a good few goes on the final 2 jumps. The sub5 isn't really a downhill bike but it faired well and I've realised I need to do this type of stuff much more.
Not a big fan of pushing back up, but it's worth it for the blast back down and I'm sure the descending must be good for improving general xc duties.
We were going to pop over to the freeride section but the weather was pants and the wind would have made the ladder drops a little tricky ... so we went home ... happy I'd lost my downhill course virginity ;-)

3 commutes this week with a bit of urban fun on the home journey ... but not too much as the weather wasn't behaving itself!

Sunday 18th ...
Just 2 of us for a local blast in the woods...
Started off with a nice rocky descent behind the castle ..... a good way to start ...
The rest of the ride was a nice leg spin xc type ... the trails were a bit muddy and the 2.5 timberwolf was floating over the gloopiest stuff which didn't help with the steering but was
fun...
Just under 2 hours later we arrived back at the car park .... And I remembered the nice rock drop from last week. Not having to be home at my usual time I had at least 10 sessions on it. The landing was a bit gloopy but I was having too much fun.

Time to go now so I added a bit more earth to the take off ready for the next rider to have fun ...


Bl**dy 'ell I enjoyed my riding this weekend ...........................

Saturday 17th ...........
Home alone this weekend so making the most of it!
Cwmcarn for 9am to miss the rush.

The climbs felt hard but good, maybe the Malt Wheaties and raisins are a special batch.

Two of the group were in a bit of a rush but I needed to stay at the freeride bit as I had made a deal with myself that I wasn't going home until I'd gone off the middle ladder ;-0

The rest of the group bar one set off on the descents but I was having too much fun on the small ladder. It was feeling good and I was getting nice air time and the landings were good. The final member of our group had to go and I found myself alone ........... So obviously now was the time. Not always the best to be on your todd when your trying new stuff but I knew I was going to get it right!

So off I set, hit the ladder ... which slowed me down a bit ... but all was ok ... pushed off the end ... in the air .. and landed nicely on the downslope ...... Hell that felt good!!! Much easier than my usual urban wall to flat .............

So much fun I had to do it another 8 times and even looked at the big one .... next time ...
Met a couple of the others in the car park and I still had a silly grin on me boat race....

Only 1 drive into work this week so a decent number of commutes and a couple of visits to the skate park for a bit of sessioning!

A local ride was decided for Sunday morning. The snow had melted leaving a nice slushy mess in places, but this only improves riding skills ready for the summer (honest)
The trails weren't really all that bad ... bit of a slog in places ... but still fun.
A river crossing drop/huck was sessioned a number of times by 2 of us while waiting for the rest of the group.
The sun was out and the mtbing world was a nice place to be in ;-)
After 2.1/2 hours we arrived back at the car park .... but it was not over yet!!
I was shown a nice rock drop that had been built up into a nice kicker. Not that high but the landing dropped away and was muddy and had trees in the way and on the run up the launch looks far higher than it really is...... I wouldn't normally bother but the little freeride-lite person inside me needed to have a go.
After a few run ups ............ I went for it ......... the landing was ok so I had another 6 goes ;-)
It was a good way to end a fun ride.
Maybe I can transfer my new confidence onto the middle ladder drop at Cwmcarn ...

After Thursdays snow the weather man & women said that was all .... So it came as a bit of a shock to have even more on Friday ...
The roads were full of cars so I put a knobbly on the front of the on-one and set of for the 6 mile commute.
After a bit of fun in the snow I arrived in work to be told everyone was going home due to the conditions! ... I'd like to see what we'd all do in a real crisis.
Anyway, after a coffee and hot x bun I set off home. 40 minutes later I arrived home looking like a cycling snowman.
A quick hose & lube of the bike to get the nasty salty stuff off and then off shopping!

Awoke to a nice covering of snow, which doesn't happen that often living so close to the sea ...
Started off on the on-one but the dmr tyres were doing great impressions of sledges so I turned back and picked up the sub5 ... knobblies are the way to go ...

Took a small detour and made the first tyre tracks in virgin snow ... only some rabbits had beat me to it (foot prints not tyre tracks obviously) then back on the roads ...... the gears got covered in snow which compressed to ice so I needed to stop a couple of times to sort it out .. and then arrived in work ;-)

Last nights commute home had a 45 minute skate park session.
I managed to wheely on and off stuff ..... even though my chain keeps trying to come off (maybe a chain device is required)
Did a bit more lifting the bike into the air with my pedals ... good fun!
.... Then race home to cook tea! ...

Sunday the 4th ... Cwmcarn ....
Fitness seems to have returned ... or maybe I'm just utilising the power better for climbs!
The weather was cold and the ground hard ... perfect winter riding AND no wind ...
With the climbs out of the way, the freeride area was sessioned as they say.. Some poor chappy had landed badly and has a suspected broken leg so the ambulance was called... He was ok though (and had people with him) so I kept flying off the small ladder drop. I had intended to ride off the middle one this time as the conditions were perfect ... but it wasn't to be today. However... one of the other riders said I was getting so much distance from the small one I was landing further down the slope than peeps dropping off the middle ladder! ... So I guess next time I'll HAVE to give it a go. Tis a head thing but there's always next time ;-)
The final descents were ace and I battered myself (and bike) while trying to keep up with my Patriot friends.
Another bl**dy good ride ;-)

Fridays ride home needed another visit to the skate park.
My son was there with a couple of his friends and I ended up getting them to lie down so I could jump over them ;-)
That's what dad's are for isn't it?

Passed the skate park on the way home on Wednesday and noticed that it was empty!
Took off my rucksack and lowered my seat ready for an hour of mucking about (in a sensible type way)
The run up to some of the jump boxes is a little short but a certain amount of air can still be gained ;-)
Spent some time on a block (I'm sure it's got a skate type name ...... ) stepping up, balancing (ish) then wheelying off ..... much fun.
I only left when I realised the time and a small boy with a couple of toy cars asked me why I hadn't gone home.