Local offroad spin with Angus on the Cube E Mtb's

The forecast was looking dry so Angus had a ride through to my work place and we headed off out on the Cube E Mtb's for a local mainly off road loop taking in the old railways lines from Spenny to Bishop and Bishop to Brandon. I covered just over 21 miles in the sun, wind, cloud and chill. The lines are nearly all bone dry now with very little muddy and are fast going. The couple of road sections we had to do to link up the lines were very busy in deed with the most traffic I have seen for ages. Not sure why everyone has decided to come out today but it was crazy. There was quite a few dog walkers out as well around Spenny and Bishop areas, all the rest was quiet. The bikes went well and Angus rode home after he passed my turn off to go back to work.
We are all off tomorrow and the forecast is still looking good. Below are a few snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon -

Fresh Goods Sunday - Park Tool DCW-3 Cone Spanner 17mm - 18mm

I have a selection of cone spanners going back many years but more modern bikes come with bigger cones now than the old 13mm - 15mm range. I have a couple of the better quality Park Tool SCW single ended cone spanners which are excellent quality / build. The last hub I stripped down I needed two cone spanners just on one side to loosen off  the lock nut whilst holding the inner cone nut. On the outer most nut you can normally use an adjustable spanner but not this time. I did not want to spend too much on another spanner and found this Park Tool one which also has a 18mm end which I did not have. The job is nice and simple now hat I have two 17mm cone spanners! There is not too much to these spanners and are simple, basic and cheap. If you are going to be using them all the time I would pay the extra and get the SCW models ranging from 13mm right the way through to 28mm in 1mm increments. If you are feeling super flush then you can buy a full set of ever size scw-set-3
RRP £7.00 and I paid £3.60

Manufacturers Blurb -
These cone wrenches are designed for the home mechanic or occasional user. They're made of thin steel and are nickel plated and heat treated for long use. Available in four popular sizes from 13mm to 18mm. DCW-1, 2, 3, 4. Their small size makes them ideal to carry along for quick repairs.,

• 17mm and 18mm,

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Hike around Stanhope Common / Fell and a 5k Trail Run + Meal out at the new Bells

I was back to work after Boxing day and it was a lovely day so took my running kit and did a 5K trot up the old railway line and back, nice and flat with only a couple of small clicks. It has been six months since I last ran a 5k so was hard going to say the least. I started out slow then once I got warmed up it was not too bad. Just over 35 mins! need to start loosing some weight and getting it under 30minutes again and hopefully back nearer to the 25 min mark! Friday I did not get out, no spare time and but got a few jobs down around the house once I got back in.
Yesterday the forecast was looking good with dry, warm, sunny weather so we headed off up to Stanhope. The only problem was the 59mph gale force winds. We parked up at the Dales Centre and me, Jane & Angus headed off on our normal route up through the quarry where the path is going to be closed for the next six months! Looks like they might be replacing the two bridges. Once we were out of the quarry and starting the next leg of the climb onto the moor you could hardly stand up. Once at the top we swung right, we had a massive tail wind. The wooded section was quite dry, we were expecting it to be ankle deep mud all the way.  With hardly no rain for weeks the steeping stones at the ford was possible. The temperature was reading 11 to 13 degrees in the van on the way home and the wind had gone. Below area some snaps, enjoy and hopefully more soon -

We have also been to the new Bells at Framwellgate Moor (part of the old GMD garage) we had a sit in meal and its pricey! Tenner for fish n chips and £2 for a small glass of pop! the takeaway around the side was also very busy. My sister has been to the takeaway and said the chips were very greasy! ours were ok in the restaurant.