Cold and very, very dry.

This week saw us riding on Thursday instead of Wednesday, as Maz was working on Wednesday meaning I get to curl up in front of the fire with Maria instead of hitting the trails. Admittedly, after getting out of the car at fencebay near fairlie, I was thinking the fire may have been a better option, as a cold unusual easterly wind was as biting as it was fierce.

Anyway, onwards and upwards, as upwards is the only way to begin at fairlie, Craig and myself went armed with bowsaw and axe, with the intention of removing some of the face height branches that had been slowing us down in previous weeks on the kilruskin descent. We rolled into the carpark a good hour before Robin and Klaus were due, so we had the luxury of some daylight on a nightride, the first since around October time.

After clearing the eye pokers out the way, we descended the lower kilruskin back to the car park to meet the hairy one and the little one. From here on was just our usual fairlie nightride figure-of-eight loop, but two things stood out from the norm. For some bizarre reason, Robin decided to turn up on a fully rigid bike, don't think he'll do that again. The other very, very unusual thing was the state of the trails. Drier than professor of dry at Oxford university. Incredibly, even the section along the top of the estate, which is notoriously minging, was pretty good. I can honestly say, I haven't seen the trails this hard and crisp since 2011. Hopefully a sign of the summer to come.

So, rolling back into the village, we only had time for Craig to wreck a chain, and me to walk his bike back along the main road, while he headed off on my cotic to come back and get me in the car. I was glad to get back into the car, as the wind was making me very cold again due to cooling down whilst walking with Craig's bike.

These weekly night rides with the two big climbs up the moor road are having a noticeable effect on my climbing. Allied to the twice weekly spin classes, I'll be in good order for the summer to come. Sweet.

 

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