Hard Tracks

Lochend woods, Dunbar. I rode home a different long way than usual - I usually take the coast road but tonight I fancied the woods. It was a dreich sort of day which I started wearing head to toe waterproofs and as a result, sweating on the train. You can't win - wet either way.

The Lochend Community Woodland has won runner up in the very slightly obscure category of... wait for it... Scotland's Finest Woods Awards (run by independent charity, Scotland's Finest Woods) Winners 2011, "Tim Stead Trophy for Community Woodlands in the Central Scotland Green Network Activity Area." Eh, well done. Sure is nice.

Continuing the bike series, here's the hardtail. This was put together with bits in the garage and an ebay £30 frame that I literally won in the last second. I built the wheels myself, the forks are off a Commencale I bought back in 2000 or so, the brakes are those infamous squeaky XT V's, the gears are classic Deore thumbies (of which more on my old site), the steering is matching DMR Wingbars and Conrod stem. It's not perfect but it was certainly more fun after I realised the brakes were jammed against the rear wheel. Doh.