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Folks,

Got a couple of hours in Queens Wood today. Met some other friendly riders and together we sessioned some drops over tree roots.

One is tough as lands steep, muddy and really off camber and the other is bigger but has little space to get speed up so is more technique.

Then did a lap of the wood and did some more manual and endo practice. Manuals are frustrating me. Helps to push your heals down but doesn't help to feather your back brake on mud

Think I wiped out 4 times today in total. Once as on one of the drops I landed off camber really fast and there were some people in the way so I swerved and went flying into a wooden rope swing. Hit me straight in the jaw. Still really hurts and I have a lovely red neck and chin that is growing as the evening progresses

Tomorrow just found I am free from midday so will need to plan a ride in. Where is everyone else riding?. I need inspiration.

laters

Sweet ride in Chicksands today. Didn't know until yesterday I had the afternoon free and only had two hours of riding time so headed north up the A1.

Took Stumpy and started with a whizz around the xc to warm up. Great route but I did wonder half way through if it was shut and I had missed the signs as loads of tree felling going on and had to improvise on the route as it kept dissapearing

Then headed over to the Northshore area and tried to get my confidence back up on this since having a dismal day here with my Big Hit finding her too heavy (or me too weak to get her up the ramps).

I practiced my balance for 20 minutes on the really low to the ground (half a foot) skinny (in my book) training plank. Managed to do it in the end both ways around 5 times each and moved on to the piece that threw me out on my Big Hit. It's an easy piece that leads up a ramp then has a little curvy bit over a pyramid thing that takes you round a berm where you can then leave or go up higher. I attempted this maybe 12 times and did it 6 times which was sweet. I found I always need to put my foot down at the top of the ramp which I want to avoid but hey next time but more I had killed the demon I had created here previous.

Then on to the dual slalom (I promised myself jut one for the road). 30 minutes later as the moon peeked it's head out I realised they drug you on this thing and once on you can not get off. So had one final go down a small little route with a couple of fun kickers (one a decent size) and headed to the car for a victory KFC dinner and back.

Would love to see what queens wood looks like if theres any pics floating around, looks great from the OS contours.

I just been out on foot - kicking branches off the old trails @ wharncliffe viaduct and finished with a bit of scouting around the area (hanwell). Im pretty stoked to have found a half-decent spot close to home, but also gutted at how much lush real-estate theyve fenced off.

Been only doing singletracks this Sunday: went about three times up and down the same trail to get used to my cleats on singletracks. Then went up to another level and did from there another singletrack down. Feel much more confident with my cleats now and have improved my wheelies as well now, yippie.

Combine this with a hectic yoga exercise on Saturday and guess what, could hardly walk on Sunday afternoon...

Sweet Nicky.. pleased you getting at one with your cleats. Psych Queens Wood is small but has potential for some small runs being developed but I think doing that legally will be tough. It has a few natural features but more kills an hour and more is a London wood that doesn't have a no cycling sign (I hate these) on it. I'll take some pics next time I'm out and post them up. I might even do a trail post on it but that is a joke. Are you sure you are not getting confused with the other Queens Wood up in Scotland