First proper bit of MTB riding

Denny69

Well what can I say...third time on me bike in 2 years and like a bloody idiot I've decided to do 16.5 miles in the NYM!!!! But I LOVED IT!!!!!!!

So it goes like this...........

6 'o clock this morning my alarm goes off and I get out of bed like a child on Christmas day morning!!!! Go down stairs and fix myself some breakfast, which consisted of Tesco's finest Porridge, Ideal way to start the day or to re-decorate with!!!!

0750 (ish) Kiss wife, son and mad as a fish dog goodbye with a "be back by dinnertime babe!!", hit the road with stomach full of porridge and Lucozade.

Arrive at Sutton Bank VC approx 0855 (ish) with all the vigour of a man posessed!! chat to a foreign (I think they were Swedish) couple who are just setting off, right my turn.....get everything together, switch GPS on and away we go.....nice and steady as I know I've got 16.5 miles to do!!

5 miles in......knackered!!! take a breather and think " What the $£%"*&^ Hell have I let my self in for!!!" I worry that I might not finish!!

Start going like a bat out of hell thinking, this is easy then I see the bank I've got to climb (gulp) 6.5 miles in and I'm walking with sweat pouring out of me!!! Get on top of the moor and it levels off, nice, back in the saddle with a nice decent to a little car park nearly half way!!!! Me thinks " I might just do this yet!!"

Have a breather at the little car park, break out the map and check with GPS that I'm on the straight and narrow, I am...RESULT!!! head off on a gravel road taking it easy as there's a little climb. Get on top of the little climb and !BINGO! all downhill from here, sorted!! Get the gears up on the BIG RING and smallest sprocket...WHEEEEEEE!!! 35mph!!! Oh S**T that's a gate closing up on me very quickly!!!

Through the gate, GET IN downhill again.....hey I'm liking this MTB lark!! but fundamental murphy's law prevails and I forget one thing...If I've gone down I've got to go up!! DAMN! so I flew past my turnoff on the last d/hill section and my brakes have never had such a workout trying to slow me down (I do weigh a tad north of 20st ya know!!!) up a hill which I do on me feet!!! back in the saddle at the top and across the field, which is full of sheep looking at me and probably thinking " look at that fat B&%£$*D on that bike!!" then I come to the point I've been dreading all ride....the 1 strenuos climb that is mentioned in the guide....but first Down we go...a little bit sketchy as this is my first time in real MTB territory so I'm on the brakes most of the way......through a gate into some singletrack downhill, I start on it then think "NO" I have not got the technical ability to go down this confidently (wise move I think!)

Now a little break at the bottom, shoes off, socks off and feet in the rather clear cool water.

Right that BIG climb and I mean BIG it's like Jacobs Ladder only shorter, more evil and in singletrack mode.....bollocks to that I'm walking up, that was bad enough luckily for me there's a bench about 3/4 of the way up, so I have another rest soundng like something off the NYM railway!!!! Stock up on energy drink and look at the map for a short cut as I have serious doubts that I can finish the full ride....I find one and decide that when I get to the road I will make my decision.

When I get to the road I look at the map and the GPS...it tells me I've got 3.0 miles to do.....I look up and can see the mast near to the start, It's not that far away...come on legs don't fail me now!

I hit 14 miles in...christ I've only got 2.5 to do!!! my mental state is good and I'm convinced that I WILL FINISH.....but my legs are not that convinced and give up the ghost...every turn of the crank makes my left leg cramp up...only one thing to do, I stop.....take a massive amount of electrolyte/energy drink on board and wait for a couple of minutes to let it get into my system...!BINGO!

Mast in sight, slight bank to climb...but I've only got 2.5 to do...come on legs don't fail me now!! They don't, just as I thought I was going to fail and end up walking in I push myself harder than ever telling myself "there's the finish...there's the finish" I look down at the GPS 15 miles done....Hey up, only 1.5 to do...I've now got a sincere determination to finish this at any cost!!!

I look down at the GPS again...15.9 done and the mast is right next to me...Just over that little rise is the car "COME ON" I tell myself and give it everything...I'm on the pedals out of my seat giving the bike what for....I WILL FINISH!!! I do WAHEYYY. 16.5 miles and I'm absolutely screwed but I've proven it to myself that I can do it and I've got the grit and determination to do it. Back at home for 1330!!!

Not bad for a fat bloke eh!

If anyone has got memorymap software and wants to try it drop me an e-mail and I will e-mail the file to you.

davydesign

wahey, sounds like a good ride! Only one thing missing - you didn't fall off or crash, so no battle scars to show everyone.

Dave.

terra

Well done, I'd be interested to see the memory map for that ride as I can't quite place the route. I'll swap you some coz I've got dozens of MM routes for all over the NYM.

My name is John by the way, live in Billingham so just down the road from you, I run the website, http://www.terratrailblazers.co.uk, basically a bunch of bone-idle shift-workers from local industry, who meet up for weekday rides. Usually the quality of the mid/post ride cafe is the most important consideration. Nevertheless we do seem to have managed to explore a fair chunk of the moors.

My email is in my profile

cheers

jacktheoc

good story, where abouts was your start/finish location, curious as i only live in billingham

Denny69

Start and finish was at Sutton Bank Visitr Centre....

fabienno1

Thanks for that I really enjoyed it... possbily due to having a double free at school but oh well. Nice by the way