Sonntag, 26. Februar 2012

One Out - the Other not Quite In


Splendid snow, extremely low temperatures (-15°C), icy conditions a week ago - now the top 5 cm thawed underneath still ice. When you ride, ride in the woods, on dirt tracks in the fields you build up so much solid mud that even pushing becomes a hell of an effort (carrying the bike is no option as the "dirt bike" weighs a tonne). So some give up, others treat such a situation more stoically and in the end squeeze out a smile on their faces when coming home from the ride. But spring is near, then the good times come rollin' along again for all of us.

Mittwoch, 1. Februar 2012

The Malta Experience

Right in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea there is a group of three islands, called the Maltese Archipelago. That's where I currently water my feet - literally so as it has been raining more than the average Maltese can remember and would appreciate - me neither. That makes for wet MTB-rides. So just last Sunday we rode - 8 bikers all in all, guided by Ron - for 5 hours, twisty and muddy 40 kms long and an elevational gain of 520 m. It was real fun and supports my notion that there'a trail for mountainbiking everywhere and that there's no unlikely area for trails. Gozo is awaiting us; let's see what it will be like. And it was perfect - sun was shining, temperatures in the milder tens and the trails along the cliffs technical and tough; I leraned the differnece between smooth and soft, when I crashed falling over the handlebar: the limestone was smooth but definitely not soft. As I have already stated: a perfect experience, just AWESOME !!!