Out in the snow!- 8th February 2009

I was due to ride the Track n trail event today and travel up there with Adam Blake, who was also going to ride, but as everyone knows with the country in a state of ‘lets see who can build the best snowman’, they were forced to cancel, bloody weather again!

So, Adam suggested that with got off our arses and got the bikes out and went to do some green laning on the roads, tracks and trails around Bodmin moor.
After a short 20 minute drive I met up with Adam, then I followed him in for about another 10 minutes through some icy, snow covered lanes ending up in what seemed to be ’the middle of nowhere’ before we stopped and unloaded the vans and got ready for some riding.
A couple of riders on trials bikes were there as we turned up, nice to know we’re not the only ones that were mad enough to ride in the conditions!

The snow covered peaks of the moor and surrounding area looked like a image from a catalogue advertising skiing holidays, but nevertheless I was looking forward to the challenge of riding in the white stuff.
Off we set then, and it wasn’t long before we came across an icy covered silty bog on one of the trails which I managed to plant myself in! I over balanced and put my right arm right through the ice and up to the elbow to stop myself falling in and then promptly stood on my right leg to stand up which also went through the ice and past my knee, sh*t it was cold! After only 10 mins my right side was plastered in freezing cold silt and instantly my right hand started to go numb, great start!

Next it was onto some seriously steep hills and climbs that were both rutted and slippery. Adam being the expert class rider that he is, showed me how it’s done, easy I thought, not a chance in hell as I came off time and time again. Once I finally mastered one, it was onto another where I done exactly the same thing, came off, got back on, and had another go until I made it to the top, then moved on to another, great fun and good training!
Sometimes I’d just ‘throw’ the bike up to the top if I knew I wasn’t going to make the last few yards, then go back down and have another go, that way at least the bike was there waiting for you so you could just kick her over and be on your way again without dragging the thing all the way back down the hill!

Adam did a classic (I was I had my camera on me), right near the top of a really steep climb he ‘flipped it’ and went on his arse with the bike landing upside down and coming to rest on it’s handlebars and saddle with both wheels pointing towards the sky. Just goes to show, even the experts have fun as well!

After a couple of hours of ‘throwing’ myself around on the snow covered ground, and getting freezing cold and wet, we both decided to make our way back to the vans on yet more slippery roads and trails and call it a day.