A very cold but sunny ride from Consett to Parkhead / Crawleyside n back

 

The forecast was looking good so I was up and away early doors. I left Consett before sunrise and it was real nippy. The Garmin was dropping as I was climbing and it nearly reached minus -4 degrees. There was very little wind and the track was frozen all the way from Consett to Parkhead. Once on the open moor section the sun had come up and through which warmed me up nicely for the last long leg over the open moor. It was also lovely and quiet so no slowing down. On the return leg the sun was mainly in my eyes, not that I was complaining but as I descended it was like riding back into a freezer! There was a few out n about around Hownsgill / Consett way but I was nearly back to the van by then. All in 22 miles with 900ft of climbing and no mud for a change! Below are a few cold and sunny snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon - 

Fresh Goods Sunday - Pace Cycles x Mint Sauce T Shirt

 

Following on from the Pace Cycles mug review a few weeks ago I also bought a T shirt when we visited Pace Cycles in Thornton Le Dale. There are four designs to pick from and one is currently in the sale. Sizing is from Small to XXL. The sizing is alittle on the small side and there is no size guide on their website. I opted for the one with the Mint Sauce logo on the back. The quality of the T shirt is thin to say the least. There is no weight to the cotton. To be honest it would either have to be worn when its red hot or under a sweatshirt / hoodie etc. If you are not collecting from the shop there is £15 p&p to pay on top of the £25 making it £40! 

RRP £24.99 and I paid £24.99 from Pace Cycles 

Manufacturers blurb - 

You asked so we did. Organic 100% cotton tees, manufactured solely using renewable green energy from wind and solar panel. White Pace logo on the front with Jo Burt's Mint Sauce 'sit on my Pace and tell me you love me' design on the back.

A day trip down to Whitby

 

It was time for a day trip out and what better place for a spin was down to Whitby. Angus was supposed to be off but got called into work so it was me, Jane and Arran. The roads down were quiet with some heavy drizzle but the closer we were getting to the coast the clearer it was getting. We got parked up and had a walk around the shops as we needed some shopping. We also had a hike up the famous steps to the take a few snaps looking over the piers. Fish and chips for dinner before having a walk along the pier to the light house before hiking up the other cliff before heading back to the car park. The roads were busier on the way home but not too bad. I called in past BikeScene for a headset bearing and NRG for some new bib shorts, more on these soon. Below are a few snaps, enjoy and hopefully more soon-

This Weeks Fresh Goodies - Assos & Mountain Equipment

 

There has been a couple of deliveries this week. The first one was a couple of Assos jackets that I did not know I really needed but they were in the sale so thought I would stock up for the years to come. I am not sure I will keep both of them or send one back. I have just started wearing a new Gorewear jacket that I have had I in storage for a couple of years. 

The models I have bought are - 

Assos GT EVO Winter Jacket - Winter Series £140.80 rrp £225

Assos Mile GT Ultraz EVO Winter Jacket - Fluo Yellow £177.52 rrp £300

The second delivery was some new outdoor trousers. I bought a pair of these years ago and are the best winter trousers I have ever worn by a long way and are starting to show signs of wear and tear. I found same trousers in the sale from LD Mountain Centre - Newcastle. More on them in a Fresh Goods Sunday in the coming months. RRP £150

A Spin through to Bishop Auckland and collected my van on the way back

 

Todays spin was a ride to collect my van via a diversion along to Bishop Auckland n back. I was also bedding in my new back tyre I fitted recently. More on this in an up coming blog but its nice to have some extra grip again! It was mainly overcast with a huge headwind on the way out with some drizzle chucked in but once I got to Bishop and turned the sun came out and I had a strong tailwind so I was flying back along. The old railway lines were drying out nicely but the rain last night turned them muddy again in places. There was loads of other people out which was slowing me down several times which was ok when they would move from the centre of track to one side or grab hold of their dog! On the way back it was alot quieter, not sure where everybody had gone. I called into the garage to pay the bill and collect my van, just needs a good wash and clean now. All in just over 23 miles with 1000ft of climbing. Below are a few snaps from the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon -