Monday Baiku

3 days, 3 rides. Night. Social. Solo. Elements of all remain on a grey and tired Monday morning. Night - Lights charged, kit arranged, train home on time...yippee. I'm actually on time. Don't think I've ever knocked on Joe's door on time before. Shocked response. Train away - late. Time for stretching. and a debate on whether a purple Zooka will look pony or not on this frame. Head into the woods as the clouds leave the stage. Clear night, cold breath. Low full moon. Joe shoots ahead as always. The hooligan bags some trail kill. Poor thing never stood a chance against 30lbs of steel. Good climbs. On the money tonight. Through the singletrack recording faster times than in the day. Stars emerge as our eyes adjust. We asked for an audience and nature has obliged. Good turnout. Orion, Venus, the big saucepan, they're all in tonight. Over a road and into the next wood. This can't end it's simply the perfect ride. All elements in absolute balance and not a clue nor a care as to even what the time is. Spin home nice and quickly. Doggers, berated. Hoodies, ignored. (should be the other way round really.) Home for hot chocolate and and a smiley wife. Best ride of my life.

Feel :twisted: this day. Didn't do any cycling :twisted: Nice clean bikes :evil:
Focus on the 'peaks' meet Which bike to take :? Feel now

Monday night
Dark light
Batteries ready,
Wu on time.
Shock and awe.
Late train
Work fried brain
Please don't ruin a bike
Fallen tree negotiated, a small victory.
up-up into the failing light
moon bright on strange eyes.
rabbits run, not fast enough.
Brief sorrow drowned by the thrill of passing scenery
Chalk sparkles
Turbo-wu
A man possessed rides tonight
faster, faster through the clutching ferns
Cafe closed but smiles light the darkness
a moments rest under a sea of stars
Down, down. What a rush
Freehubs scream like mechanical daemons
Owls and badgers flee before the killing wheels.
Train station, the ride ends too soon.
20 mins to race the train.
Fast pace, a gang of 2 ride through deserted streets
Legs are screaming
Cold air hurts the lungs
Over the train, they don't know what they're missing.
Home for hot-choc and brandy.
Still smiling.

Same again tonight?

Trick of the Light

Feeling the chill in the air - my hand is drawn to the cold radiator.

Long trousers tickle my calves - humming PC says 'where you bin?' Put off the pile of post for another hour - the bills, the responsibilities that didn't go away.

Check my watch (again) - it says 3.12am, yet everyone is in the office - then I remember - it's only GMT.

Try to focus on something rational, sane or normal to get through this surreal phase - I think I'll ride tonight...

Neil

7:30pm, a pub car park in deepest Kent
Avoid the temptation to sack off the ride and sit in the pub for 3 hours
God it's much colder than last week
Football socks on and pulled up, fed up of combing mud out of legs hairs, Wiggle not delivered the tights yet
only 3 this week, me and the 2 downhill psychos
phew, ones on a cross bike
heavily rocked descent, cross bike blows big time, noise like saving private ryan
lots of climbs
more downhills
warmer now
Badger attempts to take all of us out
rabbit tries something similar
mud in the eye, wish i hadn't forgotten glasses
back in time for tea and medals
well, chat on retrobike and some grub anyway..

4 pm friday , leaving work , do I go straight home or go and ride for an hour .

it is pourring down .

lets go and ride .

wet , very wet , but doesnt matter .

the SS proflex doesnt seem to like the rain that much , especially the girvin stem , creaking like hell .

home for a nice beer .

its grey again, outside

ive work to do, but not so much that it wont wait

and theres my girlfriend, she doesnt see me enough, she says

why does a man with three bikes ride no bikes at all?

its grey outside

Bumped into bloke I bought tyres off Ebay from on commute. He recognised his tyres (1 red 1 blue). Nice bloke. Felt guilty - he only got £1 for the tyres as I picked up.