Berkhamsted
Today I finally got to meet Rob#2 (Rob's pal). Tsk, I can see these names getting confusing so hence forth I'll refer to my new buddy as "R2D2", which seems appropriate :p - I hope he's not offended.
Anyhow earlier this morning, I met R2D2 with his sparkling new rig - an absolute beauty btw. It's bling'g to the rafters and I can't think of "anything" you'd want to alter. Not only that but it's as cheap as chips and I can see these little known German beasts becoming very popular over here.
Much to my surprise Rob arrived on time but we hadn't even turned a knobbly before he started making excuses - for a moment I thought Dozer was there ;) To be fair Rob's not been on his bike much and after a few miles it was clear that he wasn't his usual "whippet" like self.
As R2D2 guided us around his local patch it became clear that he's a very lucky chap with such a rich mix of trails available. Ranging from bridleway, single track, canal, quiet country lanes and some fabulous scenery to feast your eyes on. Oh and there are some awesome "châteaus" dotted around.
The climbs didn't seem too bad (even with a clunky drive train) but there were a couple of noteable DH's which were long, fast and furious. I suspect that familiarity would easily have your eye's struggling to see what's ahead and the risk of injury soar. The smart "R2" kept a watchful eye on his buddies as they hammered down the sketchy gravel strewn trails but he soon swooped ahead on the flat/climbs.
Whilst twisting through the trees we clocked more than a few deer, much larger than the teeny monk jack's at Woburn. We were also fortunate enough to see loads of blue bells in all their glory, the timing was perfect.
I'd like to thank "R2" for a cracking morning ride that was great to blow away a tough week behind a desk, setting me up for a wkend of fun. Cheers.
Anyhow earlier this morning, I met R2D2 with his sparkling new rig - an absolute beauty btw. It's bling'g to the rafters and I can't think of "anything" you'd want to alter. Not only that but it's as cheap as chips and I can see these little known German beasts becoming very popular over here.
Much to my surprise Rob arrived on time but we hadn't even turned a knobbly before he started making excuses - for a moment I thought Dozer was there ;) To be fair Rob's not been on his bike much and after a few miles it was clear that he wasn't his usual "whippet" like self.
As R2D2 guided us around his local patch it became clear that he's a very lucky chap with such a rich mix of trails available. Ranging from bridleway, single track, canal, quiet country lanes and some fabulous scenery to feast your eyes on. Oh and there are some awesome "châteaus" dotted around.The climbs didn't seem too bad (even with a clunky drive train) but there were a couple of noteable DH's which were long, fast and furious. I suspect that familiarity would easily have your eye's struggling to see what's ahead and the risk of injury soar. The smart "R2" kept a watchful eye on his buddies as they hammered down the sketchy gravel strewn trails but he soon swooped ahead on the flat/climbs.
Whilst twisting through the trees we clocked more than a few deer, much larger than the teeny monk jack's at Woburn. We were also fortunate enough to see loads of blue bells in all their glory, the timing was perfect.
I'd like to thank "R2" for a cracking morning ride that was great to blow away a tough week behind a desk, setting me up for a wkend of fun. Cheers.
Route; Tracklog
Posse; Farqui (5Spot), Rob (Flux), R2D2 (Canyon)
Weather; Splendid clear blue skies, a perfect temperature around 20c with a cooling breeze.
Mechanicals; none on the ride but Rob's bottom bracket is probably on the way out and my eagle eyed chum confirmed that my chain rings (middle & inner) are starting to experience the dreaded chain suck.
Posse; Farqui (5Spot), Rob (Flux), R2D2 (Canyon)
Weather; Splendid clear blue skies, a perfect temperature around 20c with a cooling breeze.
Mechanicals; none on the ride but Rob's bottom bracket is probably on the way out and my eagle eyed chum confirmed that my chain rings (middle & inner) are starting to experience the dreaded chain suck.
3 Comments:
Rob#2 said...
It was a fine day and fun ride. We covered a few more country lanes than I'd normally prefer but I was determined to let Farqui and Rob enjoy the two long and quick downhill sections around Wendover. In fact, Farqui is a braver man then I and consequently very quick on the downhills. I'm not so sure I was keeping a watchful eye...I was just trying to keep up! My lasting memory of the day was watching Rob try to beat Farqui to the bottom of the final tarmac decent. He used that aerodynamic technique that I last adopted as a 5 year old...wrists below the handle bars, chin on top tube, nose on stem. I'm sure he overtook Farqui at about 40mph.
Look forward to riding with you again and at least we have that downhill section at Wendover to look forward to on the Ridgeway ride.
Oh, I'm OK with R2D2. Chewbakker would have upset me!
Rob said...
Excellent ride, excellent tracks and as Farqui says superb scenery.
Next time my place and with new BB bearings!!
Farqui said...
R2, Rob often gets confused with what to chomp down on and suckling his handle bar is part of his "no eating" diet ;-)
It's now clear that both visitors need to fix their rigs and I'm sorry if our clunky, rattlin' rig's drowned out your shiny new, svelte ride. Btw, how long was it before you succumbed and washed your Canyon ?
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