Happy Trails

Knowing I had the day to myself today I was in a quandary over what to do. The lead idea, for a long time, was to take the cross bike round the red route at Glentress. I've been wanting to do that for ages, so in the end the ride out into the countryside, the urban century (another longstanding idea that will be done before long), and going out birding, were all put to one side. Even so I started having doubts about my ability, having not ridden any MTB trails for about a decade.

Indeed the last time I did, on a mountain bike (my first gen Cotic Soul that I still regret having sold, despite the frame being rust-riddled after a couple of years of winter commutes), I ended up getting a short article in Singletrack about 'rediscovering the fear' of riding this sort of stuff. But at the same time, with better fitness for the climbs, and a knowledge that it's this sort of terrain in cross races that I do better on, I was looking forward to the choice for the day. Even when, parking up, the car's thermometer told me it was 4 below zero, and from there I'd only be at higher altitude.

In the end I needn't have worried. Granted it took the first mile of climbing to get my legs warmed up, but the bike was handling the uphill switchbacks and rocks no bother, and breaking out above a temperature inversion raised the spirits. The climb was always where the light weight of the cross bike, and lack of suspension, would see it succeed, and right enough a few of the early-bird mountain bikers were reeled in.

Spooky Wood would be the first chance to see what it was like heading back down again, and the answer was 'really not bad at all'. Okay, so this is probably the most flowy section of the route, but it was nice to close the gap on a rider ahead, and have a guy behind (who was catching me in turn) generously point out the reasonably quick pace, with both thinking it was nuts to be there on the cross bike.

Granted there were downhills that were rock strewn and rooted, and these became a little more tentative, picking the right line to avoid any faceplant potential. Most of the other riders seemed to be intent on doing the short red loop, but I carried on for the full experience, and arrived back at the car park full of grins. Coffee in the 'nice but a little sterile and playing the sound on some rad mountain biking videos on two big tv screens too loud' café (the last time I was there it was still the wee 'Hub' place, which also dates it nicely) then into Innerleithen for an easy-going lunch chatting with Ali and Caroline (whose wedding I photographed), rounded off the main part of the day beautifully. And during that lunch I was completely oblivious to the fact Tracy Moseley was sitting behind us. Dammit.

Definitely the right choice, given the weather which would have enveloped a road ride, but which didn't matter as you belted between trees, intent on the trail ahead, and making sure you don't fall off.

Tired.

(Found out later in the evening I was (briefly) on the telly with footage of the Peebles LoveCross event, which I won as part of a relay duo. Which was nice).