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[timthetinyhorse]

Still looking good 8 years on #specialized #specializedbikes #specializedenduro #fox36 #foxforks #hopetech #hopemonopro #sram #sramx9 #renthal #rockshox #reverb #maxxis #bike #mountainbike #clean #enduroelite #gravityrace #northerndownhill #singletrack #imb #dirt #trailbike

[timthetinyhorse]

First ever race shot taken Sunday #race #downhill #enduro #specialized #specializedbikes #specializedenduro #northerndownhill #hamsterlyforest #hamsterly #trail #trails #troyleedesigns #forest #winter

[timthetinyhorse]

Bike after yesterday's race #specialized #specializedbikes #specializedenduro #enduro #downhill #northerndownhill #hamsterly #hamsterlyforest #race #muddy

[timthetinyhorse]

Yesterday's #racenumber #northerndownhill #race #minidh #downhill #mountainbike #timetrial

[timthetinyhorse]

Cheeky trail head #trailhead #trail #nature #trees #bike #bikeride #genesis #genesisbikes #genesisalpitude #alpitude #forest #mtb #winter #training

[timthetinyhorse]

22 mile in to the ride coffee time #bike #bikeride #ride #riding #genesis #genesisbikes #alpitude #genesisalpitude #renthal #fox #fox32 #coast #dunes #sea #northsea #northumberland #lighthouse #pier #blyth #beach #winter #training

[timthetinyhorse]

Would much prefer to be dressed like this tonight than in work gear #riding #kit #helmet #urgehelmets #troyleedesigns #troylee #snow #hamsterly #descendhamsterly #trail #winter #allweatherriding #raceprep #racer #northeast #uk #dirt #bikeride #bringonsummer

[timthetinyhorse]

Two filthy bikes and two flat tyres #specializedbikes #genesisbikes #enduro #hardtail #fox #renthal #hopetech #avid

[timthetinyhorse]

Filthy gear drying #troyleedesigns #troylee #gloves #urge #urgehelmets #enduromatic #scott #goggles #fiveten #shoes #muddy #wet

[timthetinyhorse]

Nice day in the snow #bikeride #snow #hamsterly #enduro #xc #bike #orangebikes #specializedbikes #trail #uk #winter

[timthetinyhorse]

Enduro as anything! #enduro #snow #clown #urge #urgehelmets #bikeride #bike #winter #riding #troyleedesigns #troylee #goggles

[timthetinyhorse]

Turbo trainer luck

The idea of a turbo trainer has been bouncing around in my head for a little while now; do I need one; will I use it; are they worth the money?? Who knows; perhaps I will try one....... Anyhow decision made and it's time to place the order, so log on to PC at work and chose said product and a voice appears from over my shoulder. "You after a turbo trainer like" "indeed I am" is the reply to the welding contractor we have on site, "I'm about to throw one in the tip as I never use it" "how does a case of beer sound" deal done and I'm now the owner of a slightly aging but functional trainer; is it destined to gather dust or will it get used? Who knows but only time will tell.....

[timthetinyhorse]

14th jan puncture joys

So it was, no big rides (well no rides that involve driving anywhere) in the calendar so time to drag out the genesis for local blast duties, not a long ride but some training all the same but as it would turn out it was more puncture repair training than actual riding...... 5 miles in after a joyful delight demolishing a road warrior up a steep bank came the first disaster, one big thorn and half a branch spinning with my tyre, great, tyre off, new tube in, off I go.....after a delightful 2 miles of super deep mud I pull out onto my next road section with the feeling that something isn't quite feeling the way it should; putting power to the pedals the rear of the bike feels like its on ice; a quick glance confirms that puncture two has decided to attack. Now here the puncture repair joys become a more complex and overall more entertaining affair; it's time to try the dubious spare!! We all have one, the tube in the garage with multiple repairs that gets taken along for just this moment and get presto, it holds air!! But will it last?? 1 mile of road joys over I drop onto a nice little bit if gravel single track through some bushes, as speed build and smiles begin to form on my fed up face it becomes apparent I'm using way more energy here than normal for a very slight decent, wye glance down number 3; it appears the masterfully fitted dubious tube has failed me!! No problem I think, find hole and repair and this I do; refit and pssssshhhhhhh....the heart sinks as the pump is removed and a snapped valve sits staring up at me in a slightly apologetic manor. BOLLOCKS! I retrieve punctured tube number 1 from my bag and make the required repairs (it's cold, raining a little and my hands are filthy so this isn't going to go well) and in 5min my tyre is inflated and a decision made to head for home, not far to go so shouldn't be too bad if I blast out a road section and head along the coast track. Perfect. It was not to be as simple as first expected as I'm sure from this delightful passage is all ready clear, both tyres now have slows so every 1km means another pumping session until I reach the coffee shop about 1 mile from the house, black coffee outside in the rain; what a delight after a shitter of a ride, sitting thick of clay mud sipping hot coffee (best coffee in the area) looking out into the grim North Sea. Caffeine hit reached and it's time for the last sprint, monster pressures applied to tyres, legs in full bore piston mode an I'm off, renthals swaying side to side like a kid on a bmx, grass mounds now form jumps and small walls are now my rampage drops; the hardtail suddenly makes sense! All negative "how shit are these continentals" thoughts have vanished! I'm blasting an urban trail, on my HT and loving it!! Perhaps after all the chew with tires this ride was worthwhile if only for this last mile! Bloody great! Pull onto the drive just as tires reach a pressure too low to ride and relax! Kit dumped in washer ready for the wife, bacon on the grill and the collective roam on the TV; what a perfect start to the day!

[timthetinyhorse]

Today's ride was a mud bath #mud #muddy #genesis #genesisbikes #bike #mountainbike #filthy #hope #raceface #crabkbros #bike

[timthetinyhorse]

Coffee stop to finish the 4 puncture tainted ride #genesis #alpitude #mountainbike #mtb #mud #ride #bike #bikeride #renthal #fox #troylee #coffee #break #espresso #lavazza

[timthetinyhorse]

Enduro spec #urge #enduromatic #helmet #goggles #race #safety #equipment #enduro #mountainbike

[timthetinyhorse]

So stupid horse it is.....

Amidst the greatness of riding bikes comes the other great joy that is related to the sport of riding bikes; this is of course the amazing crack that is spoken between mates. Saturday saw the first true ride of 2014 taken on “another day at hamsterly anyone?” So off we headed to try get more practice on the famed transmission trail but more on that to follow; for now I will focus on how “team stupid horse has come to be; bear with me this won’t take long. Last year or the year before my best riding mate Seb was presumably bored on the rather short drive over to thrunton woods, clapped eyes on a horse in a field and announced with great gusto at the too if his voice “STUPID HORSE” those words have never been forgotten so when trying to formulate a little team name eventually this was brought back from the past and stupid horse racing was born…..we have narrowly escaped being named “what noise does an alpaca make” but that’s a story to be told when out riding sometime. So back to the ride, we were blessed with far better weather allowing us to blast out the fire road segments nice and quick and make it to the top of transmission, seats down and it was time to smash some times out; a few Laos were ridden and some choice lines have begun to figure in my mind “can I gap off that and hip into the next berm??….yes I can” so confidence on this trail is most certainly growing as are my strava segment times; this can only be good news for racing. I’m not going to babble on about the finer details of this ride, it was the same as last time but with less mud,rain and wind so more successful . Other news in the magical riding world that is my brain reads as follows; how can I get pedal fit on the bike between shifts and not get cold and wet in the process? Ah yes you now have a garage, turbo trainer could be a good idea….yes that’s what I will do…..where are those amazon vouchers from Christmas, time to place an order. Watch this space for turbo trainer reports coming in. Only other news is I managed to semi-organise the team stupid horse stable so I can get better access to bikes, I call it project pile all of the things still to unpack from the move in the corner to make space for bikes…I won’t post a pic until the stable is fully finished though.