MBR Killer Loop – Just get out there and do it.
Despite the horrendous weather we had a good MTB ride last night.
Dave, John, Myles and I were greeted by driving rain and 50 mph winds in the car park at Pendam but we soon set off along the track in our waterproof jackets and shorts ready for a ride around the MBR Killer Loop. Myles had just got back from the Alps so the weather was a bit of a shock to him, but it was to all of us as it’s been a while since we’d been out in typical Welsh conditions.
I was suffering with sore ribs after my windsurfing session earlier in the day. Breathing hurt, as did any form of bending, twisting or bumping over bumpy things – Maybe Mountain Biking wasn’t the best idea! The ride out to and along the Bont Goch descent went pretty much without incident, there was one point when Dave, John and i went around what we knew to be a particularly deep puddle whilst Myles ploughed through it at full speed created a huge wall of water and disappearing from sight. He just made it through the water which was up to the top of his forks.
Somehow the wind seemed to be in our faces the whole way around. When we set off it was SW which would have given us a helping hand up the big climb back up to Nant y Moch, but by the time we got there the wind had swung to the SE and seemed to be in our faces for much of the climb.
Myles and I had quite a battle going up the climb. I was on the limit and my ribs were killing me, but Myles was sat right behind me and sometimes alongside me. I could tell he was suffering with the pace too though so couldn’t ease up and had to keep pushing on. It was hard work but good as it kept us both working hard.
We met Andrew going the other way just over the top of the climb – (he was out for some secret training on his own!) but we might get him to join us soon. The rest of the ride was fairly uneventful, some good descents along the MX trails up towards Angler’s Retreat and then back up towards Sidewinder, along the trails to Syfyddrin and then up to Hippity Hop. I think my windsurf and turbo trainer session earlier in the day had taken it out of me a little though as I was feeling tired come the end. Mind you, Myles was as well so maybe it was the hard climb earlier in the ride.
It was a good ride though with a good group of people and once riding the weather wasn’t really a problem – It just goes to show, you’ve just got to get out there and do it.
