A fun local mainly offroad ride with singletrack sections on the gravel bike in the sun

 

Back to the offroad on todays local spin from Bearpark. My legs were tired before yesterdays ride and even more after the ride so today I planned a more offroad fun ride with some singletrack chucked in. I should have took my other Creo 2 with the 29 x 2.2" tyres on but the S-Works with 40c still managed just alittle slower and a more harsh / bumpy ride. Overnight rain again but there was only a few puddles and odd sections of semi hard mud, on the whole the tracks n trails are still dry and fast going. Again it was cold with the Garmin around 8 degress but the sun was shining for the whole ride. I did not really feel the wind as most of the tracks were mainly sheltered and not wide open. All in 24.5 miles in 2hrs 6mins with 1250ft of climbing. Below are a few snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon inc a Fresh Goodies blog with new Gobik clothing and some Silca bling! 

Back out on Co Durham's quiet lanes - transmitter route - Pontop Pike, Burnhope & Witton Gilbert

 

Time for a change! I have not been out for a local road ride in a very long time so thought I would get back out on one of my road loops taking in the three local transmitters. I also thought I would drag out the old Cannondale Neo Synapse as well but first I had to check it was charged up - 98%, pump up the tyres and knock the layers of dust off the old girl. The brake pads needed scrubbing back in after being parked up for a long time, apart from that it was riding well. There was heavy overnight rain but the roads were not too wet as I went out after the morning rush and the sun / wind had dried them off. The route was mainly on quieter / back roads but the inter linking main road sections were very busy with traffic for some reason. There was a good old fresh chilling wind on the ride with the Garmin hovering between 6 and 10 degrees. Below are a few snaps from the ride inc the route map. All in just under 30 miles in 2hrs 3mins with 2000ft of climbing, enjoy and hopefully more soon- 

Fresh Goodies - Lezyne S-Caddy Seat Bag

 

I was after a new small black saddle bag for my S-Works Creo 2 after my very old Altura one got covered in tubeless sealant and could not get it off. I did not want anything too fancy or expensive so when we were in Red Sky Bikes they had a good range of Lezyne saddle bags to pick from. I have one on my Cannondale Synapse Neo but a different model, thinks it is the micro caddy. As ever the quality looks as good as ever with Lezyne products. I will cover the saddle bag in more detail when I swap over all the contents of my other saddle bag into this one and fit it to the bike. 

RRP £18 and I paid £16.20 from Red Sky Bikes. Discount 10%.

Fresh Goods Sunday - Assos Mille GT Spring Fall 2/3 Bib Knickers C2 (Black Series TIR)

 

I have used bib knickers / 2/3 tights for many years now during the period between spring and summer and autumn to winter. I have always used Endura ones as I always used to use Endura winter tights but since I started using Assos kit this is the first pair of their bib knickers I have had from them. This is an older model as they look to have made some changes to this model for this autumn. Assos only make one model - Mille GT Spring Fall C2 in black. As ever with Assos the rrp is just eye watering. As ever the quality is superb. The material is not too thick and not too thin on the legs. The pad is comfortable enough and the leg grippers stay in place. This is the second season I have worn them and have had no problems with them. They wash and dry well, keep the cold wind off your legs. As ever shop around for a bargain at the end of the season, the new rrp is now £175! 

RRP £185.00 and I paid £125.80 from Assos Outlet inc 24hr p&p - 32% discount 

Manufacturers Blurb - 

Lightly insulated knickers for cool conditions and long-distance riding, with extended knee coverage and storm proof textiles. Updated with features to enhance stability, reduce seams, and improve support.

We redesigned the pre-shaped panels to reduce seam count, and we also shed grams without sacrificing the light compression and long-distance comfort MILLE embodies. The Knickers are updated with our race-inspired X-Frame bib design, which stabilizes the insert and body panels throughout the pedal motion and while cornering. The new model is also updated with our MILLE GT C2 insert, which adds 2mm of plush comfort for long rides maintaining form or building base miles for the coming season.