A few good rides, but in all a year that won’t be remembered for many highlights

It’s lock down (again). Let’s keep the riding local and explore those bits of Lancashire that are close but untapped.

Leeds-Liverpool Canal

River Run

Skirting around Darwen Moor

Over the top of Rivington Moor

The iconic Pigeon Tower, aka the Lookout Tower, then the Dovecote Tower was built at Rivington between 1905 and 1909.

Leafy Woods on the way back

So after fettling the brakes, next up was trying to sort out the Chameleon a bit more. First up some more grip up front for winter.

Secondly was trying to improve the shifting. Even with the new shifter, it still wasn’t great. There was a fair bit of play in the basic pressed steel derailleur and the all alloy construction of the X01 setup is definitely better.

It is still not perfect. About the only thing left to change is the cassette. Can it be that? New chain, chainring and cassette in the New Year will prove it…

So for whatever reason the Lake District is significantly under explored by me. This is largely because the Peak District up until to 2014 was within riding distance and it was a case of why bother, loads to explore on my (relatively speaking) doorstep.

Now living on the coast, yes I could ride a mountain bike to either of them (Edale about 50 miles and Ambleside about 60 miles), but I’d be in no fit state to do a decent ride and the bike home again. So bike wagon it is and driving north is a lot easier than east so the Lakes is now much more favourable, particularly as the Welsh have decided the English aren’t welcome at the moment.

There is a bit of irony that one of the most mountainous regions in the England doesn’t have more trail centres but what it lacks in man-made trails it more than makes up for in bridleways and spectacular scenery. Perhaps at its best at this time of year as the leaves on the trees turn into a riot of colour.

So Grizedale Forest it was, a good base for a half day big loop over to Coniston and around back up to Hawkshead. It rained, occasionally biblically all the way around, but it was worth it. Must go back more often.

Don’t need to go to Belgium for roubaix or New England for gravel. Plenty of both on the local doorstep if you know where to look…

#Keepingitlocal