winter hill, winter thrill

delcol
delcol Posts: 2,848
edited April 2008 in MTB beginners
just got back from winter hill (rivington) well all i can say is it was definatly what its name says winter hill aka winter thrill.

woke up this morning asked the missus to look over to winter thrill and see if it looks cloudy (as it was outside our house) she says no but its snowed up there, boom straight up looked text me brother get the bikes out i'm on my way home to pick you up.

get there before 10 this morn set off first time in snow what an adventure trails i know like the back of my hand were like virgin trails to me vision is so overrated or is it. how can one trail be so different than it was days ago, well it can when covered in snow and how much fun can it be (ok not the going up) but the down...

got to the pike on the hill ready for death evnetually i got my breath back (and bronchitis) from the cold air but was ready to go .off the side of the pike it gets quite steep stay off the brakes my head says the next thing i know im drifting shift my weight to keep sliding my fisrt ever drift, after the sketchiest of lines and looking like a five year old kid learnig to ride a bike minuss the stableisers i got to the bottom loving it.

up over the moor from the kennels was a long slippy walk tried rinding but impossable thank god or should that be thank what and mbuk for there winter shoes articles in the past my lake boots kept me dry and provided enough grip, eventually we reached the road mount up and ride all beit very slowly and slipping all over the shop in the snow we made it to the tv mast on winter thrill take the diversion through the peat bog which is more dangerous when cover by 5 iinch of snow to get to the decent off into belmont..

time to pad up knee and shinguards on i mount my bike looking down the trail not that you could see the trail just a few foot steps and trye tracks from the early birds, i set off on my quest confident i jump the first drainage thingy land and watch my front wheel slide shifting my weight my rear wheels slides dab of the brakes keep it slow and in control im thinking,. stil resembling that five year old kid i continue down rolling the drops not jumping (lesson learned) ....
just as i think iam finally getting the hang of this snow riding my front wheel finds a channel rear wheel goes the other way i control it then the rear breaks free again in my head i think im peaty in reality i look like a flailing idiot then it happens front wheel breaks free two wheel drift to much speed, i control the rear but the front goes and so do i over the bars this time i look like superman then a snowman when i land thank god or should that be crc for my pads,..

get up back on the bike off again slowly but in controll rolling the worst of the drops sliding gracefully in control getting the feel the vibe grinning loving every minute of it towards the bottom it gets slushy grip imroves melting snow equals running water (another top tip from wtb) you find most grip were theres running water it works as my speed increases and my arse gets wet all the way to the bottom...

then its a long hard hike back up but was well worth it.

its all down hill from back up at the top back over the moor to the kennels by now the sun has melted the worst of the snow and my new found talent for drifting is coming on leaps and bound as we fly back towards the car even rode that gully at the bottom of the moor near the kennels. then back to the car and home.

this was my fisrt expieriance on snow well on a bike anyway i wont lie it was hard i was sketchey but dam did i love it if you not yet had the pleasure of mtbing in the snow then i hope you do soon its a scream..
and those trails you know and love become like new again....

thanks for reading :P :shock: :D

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