So I am lucky where I live, which is the North of England; what also makes me lucky is that a good friend organises what I genuinely think are the best routes in the North (look him up if interested! Yorkshire Divide); better still, I have friends who like me really relish gnarly stuff, love them ‘ills, the mud, the drops, and ride to have fun, make photos, eat chocolate muffins, and at times, due to the scary stuff of gnarly stuff, break out in giggles. Today was the perfect day for me, and it also marked the start of the MTB season (in earnest, as I ride all year round, I do much more in Autumn  and Winter when I prefer to be off-road)

This was an organised ride over the moors of Yorkshire, with dark chocolate muffins provided at the start - PERFECTION - I will have 2 please 😂 (I would have had more but feared that would have seemed rude 😂)! Plus as I do quite a bit it's so nice to meet up with friends and see familiar faces before you set off. I know the Moors well, but today I found many little tracks I didn’t know, which is always a bonus. Plus I do like my downhill thrills: that moment where you look down, and your brain isn’t quite computing, as it’s EEK and doing it anyway over rocks, boulders, roots, through mud, with at the bottom needing a breather 😆 as the adrenaline is pumping so hard you’re a little shaky! Woop woop, I had plenty of those moments!

This was proper soul food, and I'm lucky to have a wonderful dented MTB that manages it all, plus the realisation that my 49-year-old body is rather strong too! But what makes me chuckle also (sorry guys) is that whenever I am out, EVERY SINGLE TIME, I get "advice" 😂 I did not ask for from some random bloke 😂 somehow thinking I have never been on an MTB before. 😂 Today I was told one descent might not be suitable for me, as it’s “very hard” 😂… yep, it’s why I am here (and why I have done it plenty of times and why I end up at the bottom sooner than he did! I am not actually competitive but do get wound up by this).

LOVED TODAY! Love playing around on my mini bike!

For anyone interested (I like to do ride reports so I thought I would share!)

CYCLING MOSHPITS, DJ ON A BIKE, UNITY & ACTIVISM.

This was my second time going to “Drum & Bass on a Bike” by DJ Dom Whiting in Sheffield; last year it was brilliant, but this year, due to excellent weather, it was even better…

One of the things I love about this, apart from great D’n’B beats and dancing and being surrounded by huge speakers on bike trailers!, is that it brings together a vast cycling community from all backgrounds with all sorts of bikes. It is rare to be cycling with a hoodie gang doing wheelies next to someone with a hand cycle donning a crochet top and multi-coloured flags, with ahead of you some 7-year-old wriggling to beats on a tiny little bike with handlebar tassels and some blokes drinking tinnies of Heineken and smoking “herbs”.

It has a feel of protest about it, and, indeed, it is not “organised,” with high-vis stewards, police attendance, or cordoned-off streets. This is a mosh pit a mile(s) long, with endless bikes taking over the streets where buses and cars simply, for once, need to make room (and stop) for cyclists. Cyclists DO HAVE THE RIGHT to be on the streets as much as vehicles, but all too often we, cyclists, need to make space for cars, be that on our rides or simply how infrastructure is built around cars...

This is without doubt a form of positive grassroots activism.

The amazing thing, also being with sooooo many people and bikes so packed so close together, is that everyone is there to have a good time, so 0 issues; you will get cycled into, you will ride into someone else, and that is all OK - it is totally also a family event!

It was great to meet up with Tammy, a Sheffield local, who introduced me to some of her friends who actually put on “Critical Mass” rides in Sheffield on a regular basis (going out as a group with sound) to ride together and build a cycling community... really inspired and where I am sure it starts for many families also - as to see all the happy kids is just great!

Also, it was great to hear how Tammy is involved with trying to get more women of colour into cycling; I was truly inspired! I wish I could do more - I will stick with women and cycling, as I do believe that these peer-driven initiatives of women of colour need to be driven by women of colour, as what do I know being so white - I have not had the same experiences or barriers! But these initiatives do still need the support of all women (and all cyclists).

I think it’s interesting also that while we struggle in the cycling community to have diversity, events like these really, I feel, pack a punch… if we want more diversity, more unity, then having events where all types of cyclists come together is how we inspire people and inspire kids too to ride more. Events where the premise is truly and without judgement (on who you are or what you ride) is “if you pedal you’re a cyclist”. And “we” can at times be short of that level of campaigning; that is really the first barrier we need to overcome to get more people into cycling … not as a sport but simply as an activity that is fun with community behind it.

I have no idea if Dom Whithing started all this with a rebellious “reclaim the streets” angle, but it is the consequence; not only does he give us great beats, he also allows us all to forget the rest of the world, our divisions, our daily-life stresses and make us feel part of something bigger, that cycling can unify us.

So if you have not been to something like this, do keep an eye out, as he does loads of different cities and towns throughout the summer and it is all free; all you need is to turn up with a bike, plus shaking your bum on a bike to some beats is useful too!

A recycled man bag 🤣 as it’s for my man who wanted one and the previous one he found way too girly (it had orange accents 🤔 🤔🤣)

Ingredients
- broken cycling inner tubes
- lining: broken tent ground sheet
- zip: tent
- clasps: tent and broken handbag found in a skip
- strap and wedding: dog training lead (we no longer have a family of dogs)

NEW INGREDIENT
- white thread

Made the white squiggles myself just to try it out.

I cycle a lot so quickly my cycling jackets get unusable (covered in oil stains or no longer waterproof or get torn - mostly when I MTB 🤣) and waterproof jackets aren’t cheap so today (I’m hoping - fingers crossed 🤞) I made my own waterproof jacket from a broken tent.

It has, importantly, with no shoulder seams or upper arms exposed seams - I have added some reflective details and reused broken dog lead which also had some reflective stuff in it around the collar (one I found in the woods and washed) - zip is new. It’s longer in back as it should be.

Can’t wait to test it!

I made this today and I’m over the moon with it! I normally sew with recycled materials like bicycle tyres, furniture fabrics, vinyl and make bags for my bike when I need it or Christmas decos or wallets made from bicycle inner tubes - just not very often 😆.

With this, I made my own “pattern” on an old wall paper roll (I don’t have a clothing dummy or anything) with new fabrics (bargain bin labelled Christmas 😆) a green wool fabric that’s like felt, and some suit liner fabric also in the bin. Didn’t have enough fabric for full sleeves.

It’s come out so nice (I think 😆) I’ll be wearing this all the time now. It’s been a bit of revelation to actually sew with normal fabrics.

So happy 😃 I walk across farmland and woods every morning and I cannot wait to wear it tomorrow and just don’t care 😆 . I tried to create something outdoorsy but then ended up with this and something I like 🙌

Have not ironed as I couldn’t find the iron.

I restarted cycling 6 years ago after a 20 or so year gap, the main reason was to get to a better and more stable place mentally. I still cycle for my mental health.

I identify as a dorky amateur cyclist who simply pedals and loves it all (I do a variety of cycling on and off road etc).

This weekend I completed a big solo ride of over 180 miles with around 7700 feet of climbing (not loads but still enough to notice it when you ride) in a day in scorching heat, melting tarmac, hours of head wind. What was lovely also that a young family member cycled with me for the last few miles as a side rider.

I’m proud of my peri-menopausal 49 year old body… so yes this is me feeling emotional at the end! Next day incredibly I was totally fine (no aches or pains) but mentally totally knackered 😂

I’ve caught the bug of doing more longer distance as I enjoy it a lot - also the challenges you face.

Not in my wildest dreams did I think 6 years ago I would manage something like this, not even did I think it I would be able to finish last week!

Love cycling! Already thinking about my next big adventure with more miles and climbs and seeing how far I can take it!

Hi everyone, I am hoping for some knowledge! I would very much appreciate it!

Background: I am doing a major long-distance challenge for charity in a few weeks... I am not interested in going tubeless. I am getting a bit stuck on possibilities, not helped by being dyslexic and struggling with "dancing" numbers so getting a tad overwhelmed and would value ideas/recommendations/thoughts...

QUESTION 1 - Ultimate 3XS:

I want to utilise my road bike as a "backup bike" - it has very deep rims and currently has unsuitable tyres (I feel). As I will be riding across all sorts of terrain, I can't afford to feel anxious that my tyres won't stand up to it.

The basic data: my wheel size is 27.5", and my wheels are DT Swiss ARC 1600 Dicut 50mm; currently, they have Schwalbe Pro One TLE (25mm).

Fork tyre clearance = 31MM. Frame tyre clearance = 32MM

I love my Schwalbe G-One tyres and would like to know if these wheels would take them. I am aware of Conti's GP5000, but they're out of budget, and I have been extremely happy with Schwalbe for years.

QUESTION 2 - Grail 2XS:

I found this packet in the back of my cupboard (see packet pic), but I'm unsure if this is actually a spare inner tube for my other bike, Grail (which has 27.5" wheels, 650s) with Schwalbe G-One Pros on it. I need an extra spare inner tube - is this the correct one?

(I stupidly forgot to mark the packet clearly with which bike this was for when I bought it!)

I had a SERIOUSLY fun 2-day event, even though there was no mud to play in 🤣 (too dry), so think sand and dust that gets up your nose!

So many nature highlights such as being super close up with a swallow murmuration, curlews, hares, and a big mamma cow (with tiny calf) not moving 🤣 . For me, a big part of off-roading is being so close to nature... where you almost feel like an intruder, quietly observing amazing sights. I

This was organised by a friend of mine, and it's ALWAYS brilliant (nature, vistas, tricky bits, far flung tracks), lots of hard work (hills!!), this time some technical bits but less than normal, which was a good thing as my brain was fried already with the heat!

I had a slight mechanical with my rear disc brake and rotor, but after prodding and attempting to bend it, putting it upside down, and generally looking like I knew what I was doing, it remained unresolved 🤣 but decided, as it was still sort of braking, to just live for the rest of the day with the worrying sounds that became quite irritating 🤣 .

The endurance this time was simply the heat and breaks were really all about either topping up water or finding some shade for 5 minutes to simply cool somewhat down.

Within the first hour on both days, totally soggy with sweat 🤣, and throughout I was, what can only be described as, damp, crispy, sticky... Second day, a friend joined me, and we had a right laugh about how some blokes on dating profiles ask for an "elegant lady" 🤣 and how we will never ever manage that! 🤣

As usual, my beloved mini hardtail (she is a 3XS) came home with a few more dents and scratches (warrior scars 🤣), and I need to look into this rear braking sound. She's absolutely not fancy, and there were lots of VERY VERY nice MTB's taking part, but she does me well! ❤️

Hi everyone,

The basic data: my wheel size is 27.5", and my wheels are DT Swiss ARC 1600 Dicut 50mm; currently, they have Schwalbe Pro One TLE (25mm). I am not tubeless and currently not interested in this. Added: Fork tyre clearance = 31MM. Frame tyre clearance = 32MM

I am getting a bit stuck on possibilities and would value ideas/recommendations/thoughts...

I am doing a massive charity challenge in June, which will take me along roads, cycle paths, towpaths, and, I am sure, some unexpected stuff... also in urban/city areas, so I do not feel my current tyres would be reliable enough for this. While this bike wouldn't be my main bike, I will need it as a backup, so I wondered if anyone could recommend some sturdier tyres that would fit these deep-rimmed wheels.

Thank you ☺️ I'd really appreciate some input.

So I’ve been trying to get more women into MTB and part of this means organising rides for my club with often disappointing uptake 🤣 (let’s be honest!) so imagine my surprise (read utter delight!) when recently on a cold evening in the hills a ride I together with a friend organised and 8 women and their bikes turned up! And I’m dead proud of them - particularly those women who are trying it out, for mustering the courage to join a group you don’t know and playing on very mixed terrain and in places pretty tough - particularly when it was getting dark. With a great age range too… from 20’s to 60’s. But yes some parts were so lumpy and bumpy "double suspension" was mentioned by some 😆

Slowly but surely, I’m seeing more women getting into off-road mayhem, and it’s SOOOOO fun! (this is not just locally btw).

Mtb women are great! Muddy women are 🤩 totally fabulous! 💪

So just wanting to share as it makes for something else than forks, NBD, wheels etc too 🤣