Well, today saw my second expedition into the Dark Peaks for some of the muddy stuff. It's was a great day weather wise, warm and fairly sunny so I was really looking forward to getting out after weeks and weeks of rain.
I headed to Buxton to follow a 25km route around the Goyt Valley. My last outing saw me take 2hr 45 for a 14km loop from New Mills so I wasn't sure how long I'd be out!
After my first ride a few weeks ago I realised 2 things:
1. I'm not very fit right now
2. My technical skills on a mountain bike leave something to be desired.
That said, by the end of my last ride I was a lot more relaxed and flowing over the rocky terrain far much more smoothly.
Today my first challenge came very early, after about 2km, in the form of a steeply climbing and collapsing tarmac road that was little more than a collection of loose rocks strewn on the ground. Luckily it was only short and I was able to recover from the bursting lungs on the following few km's of varied but relatively smooth terrain. After this I turned onto some rutted farmland tracks (complete with sheep either side) which was great fun! It's surprising how quickly you climb and suddenly I was looking out a some great views from the Hills above Buxton.
After a very "interesting" descent (good fun if a little hairy!), it was some more climbing on very very loose rocks. I've included a photo below which I don't think does justice to how difficult this stuff is to ride. Your back wheel just doesn't get a grip because every single one of those bloody rocks is loose.
Anyway, not to moan too much because this climb was followed by some great track riding which cumlinated in a couple of very fun descents. I think it was during one of these that I may have shouted "woo hoo" out loud. Well, only the sheep were there to hear me and it was awesome!
After a bit of woodland track stuff there was a mixed bag. A VERY steep tarmac section followed by a long trek across some moorland. After this there were some twisting rutted tracks which once again had me blowing out my arse. To add insult to my very injured lungs at this point I came across what should have been some nice smooth forest trails. Instead I found a total quagmire ripped up my some forestry machine's (see below) The track was impassable for about a mile which meant a lengthy detour through the surrounding woods.
A mile or so past the forestry monster machines it was a lengthy section of tarmac. Although smooth, this road section did climb continuously for 2-3 miles. I was thinking to myself that these roads would have been perfect for Grotty training rides!
Then came one of the best sections of the ride which happened to be the last 6km of the route back into Buxton. A length moorland section across very rocky tracks which, by this point, I was really getting the hang of riding.
Overall I had a very good and punishing day in the saddle and am looking forward to a winter of mountain terrain training. This one took 2hr 40, and worked me much harder than the same time on the road ever has. I kind of see them as outdoor turbo sessions, some of the climbs are so tough you don't think there's any hope of reaching the top without stopping. A great feeling when you do and, unlike the turbo, you're often rewarded with a great view after!
Roll on winter training!
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