A very windy but sunny local mainly gravel loop

 

Firstly apologies for the lack of blogs this week but I have been mega busy at work and no time for any cycling. We did have a walk around Durham city centre last night and had our tea from Bells - cod n chips take away £9 a pop! 

The weather has been a very mixed bag and the gale force winds have been back again for the last three days but I had to get out today to spin my legs. I had my leg slung over the saddle by 6am pedalling away into a 30+mph headwind. It felt freezing cold and I was back to three layers on the top and my 3/4 bib longs. The Garmin was hovering around 7 to 8 degrees to start with but increased to 10 degrees on the way back. The tracks, trails and lines were lovely and quiet first thing before the dog walkers started coming out. Just one of my usual loops and the lines have dried back out again with the sun and wind. Still damp in the wooded singletrack sections. 

All in 30 miles on the nose with 1500ft of climbing. A few photos below from the loop, enjoy and hopefully more soon and the wind does one! 

Fresh Goods Sunday - Salomon Custer GTX (Goretex) Trainers

 

I have bought and used Salomon trainers before and found them very comfortable in everyday use. The only problem I had with my previous pair was the trail / offroad sole wore out very quickly but I did use them for tarmac a lot as well. The rubber compound must be soft for grip when off road and the uppers were still in near perfect condition when I put them in the bin. This time I opted for a Goretex version as they were in the sale and probably better for my outdoor use all year around. Again they are very comfortable and have not had any problems with rubbing, chaffing, blistering of my feet. They don't need breaking in from new, the lave system is a simple pull the chord and nip up the plastic part. Tuck the remaining chord under the loop at the bottom and you are ready to go. They never become loose during use. Sometimes if its really warm and my feet expand I have to loosen the lace system off a little. Off-road they have great grip but again I have started to see signs of wear on the tread. The rrp is about right for a Goretex lined trainer but as ever shop around and you will find a bargain somewhere. 

RRP £115.00 and I paid £69.00 from Wiggle inc 48hr p&p - Discount 40%

Manufacturers blurb - 

The Salomon CUSTER GTX are the perfect shoes for both occasional tourism and experienced travellers. They feature the Gore-Tex waterproof membrane, Quicklace lacing and the Sensifit system for improved support. Put simply, you will be ready to face any challenge in these shoes.

• great outdoor shoes
• breathable and waterproof GORE-TEX® membrane keeps your feet perfectly dry
• Quicklace™ lacing system
• Sensifit system for improved support
• highly durable Contagrip® MD outsole with a pattern that provides grip for all types of surfaces
• easy to put on and take off
• OrthoLite® insole
• toe protection
• mud and dirt protection

Specifications

Product code	2252045747
Supplier code	L41231600
Upper	synthetic (water-repellent)
Midsole	EnergyCell, EVA foam
Outsole	Contagrip® MD
Membrane	GORE-TEX
Drop	10 mm
Midsole height	24 mm heel/ 14 mm toe
Water resistance	yes
Weight	13.76 oz (6.247 kg)
Technology	Quicklace, GORE-TEX®, Sensifit Overlap Construction, EVA, OrthoLite®, CONTAGRIP® MD, EnergyCell

NE XC MTB RD 4 Ponteland Sat 21st May

 

Short spin down the C2C old railway line n back up

 

Todays little spin out was a lovely simple out n back from South Pelaw down the C2C towards Sunderland for 10 miles, then turn n burn back up hill for 10 miles. Not much sun today and it was a lot cooler, typical as I just dug my bib shorts out instead of my 3/4 bibs. Not to worry as the line was pretty quiet with just a few other out and about. Very little broken glass or dog poo for a change. No punctures either compared to the last time I went down the C2C in the same place. All in 20 miles on the nose with an average speed of 13.9mph and 850ft of climbing. Below are a few snaps for the ride, enjoy and hopefully more soon- 

Local road loop taking in the transmitters at Pontop Pike & Burnhope

 

What another cracker of a day. The sun was blazing away from early doors and it was warm even with the 25+mph wind. That was the only killer especially when I had it full on in my face climbing up the gradients on my return leg. It was a slightly different local road loop but still managed to get in the two transmitters - Burnhope & Pontop Pike. Probably not the best locations to cycle to in the wind as they are rather exposed! The roads were not too busy and only a couple of close'ish passes today. Below are a few sunny snaps from the ride and a short video clip from Burnhope. All in just under 25 miles with an average speed of 16mph with 2100ft of climbing. Enjoy and hopefully more soon-