Easter Weekend Pt 2; Mr Blue Sky...

Scotland`s east coast weather is famous for how it changes, sometimes from warm westerly winds and sunshine to bitter damp cold easterly drizzle straight off the North Sea,
All months have their regular weather pattern and April is the month which is a classic for this;
Saturday evening was to nice to sit inside, waiting for Francis to come home i went a walk with Mowgli and soaked up the evening sunshine...
As the temperature dropped as the sun set you would have thought it was going to be a frosty night...

Sat on a rock i soaked up the calm weather and sinking sun...

But with the westerly breeze Sunday dawned with a thick damp mist,  visibility was around 100 yards, i was out on the golf course again this weekend for 2 hours and the greens were thick with dampness...

Home i was soon out on the Surly Karate Monkey drop bar 29er for the Sunday morning mash, usually a 2 hour cycle i do solo when nothing else planned,
Today i rode the 24 mile MTB loop i used to regularly do from home via the Garleton hills Ridge Road, then down to the River Tyne and along to East Linton and home via some of the John Muir Way...
All pics i took from the saddle on the mobile as i rode, so no mono pod ride by selfies today, but here is me!...

Up on the ridge road and the surrounds loured out the mist...

As i neared Barney Hill the mist started to burn away, it was now 10am and this is so typical at this time of year...

Up to the summit and blue sky!...

Descending the Plantains single track it was down to the river tyne trail...

And the single track was dry and buff!...

Look at that blue sky!...

Easter eggs being rolled down a slope at Hailes Castle...

Just here i saw a Kingfisher dart along the water, time i pulled the phone out it was gone. I put it away and another one darted past!!!... some things are meant to be unrecorded, that i guess is what makes some rides like this morning so memorable, things you treasure yourself...

Austin Mini, free uplift,  needs some TLC...

East Linton and leaving the tyne for the John Muir Way and home for lunch...

Nearly midday and warming up. It`s going to be a cracker, home for lunch, grab a Pugsley and Mowgli and head for John Muir Park...

More soon...

Quick spin around the woods...

Quick 2 hour fix around some of the local woods before sunset on the Surly Karate Monkey 29er. After a weeks rain the ground is pretty sodden and muddy away from the coast. New tyres were the bizz, keeping me upright and forward traction and cleaning as Minions do...

2.5" front, 2.3"  rear Maxxis DHF Minions, great winter tyres for the KM...

Great Autumn sun too...

Home for a cider and light the Chiminea...

Shot some film with the Go pro,
Song is ` Internal Sunshine` by Mr Sunshine
click on the cog icon to view in HD


Or view on Vimeo and go straight to HD and no pop up advert...

Minions!

Everyone needs a Minion!

I just got myself two! :)

Got some Maxxis 29 x 2.5 DHF skins for the Monkey for winter trails.  The tyres are nice and bloated on the Rabbit Hole rims and plenty tyre/chain clearance (3x9 with Monkey Nuts fitted). rims are heli taped so will do them tubeless when i can find my valve conversion end thingy in the man-cave :)

Gimme some Skin!;
I always used to ride with Minion tyres at Trail centres and Downhill Uplift days at Innerliethen,  good strong dependable tyres then have been. I hoped they would eventually bring out a wide 29er version. When i saw them i grabbed a pair, got a cheap price for them here; next day tyres.co.uk
I also have a new pair of 2.1 Maxxis High Rollers on the drop bar Monkey, they too are ideal for that bikes riding. Both bikes are now done at last!..

3" Surly Knard Tyre - Maxxis 2.5  on Rabbit Hole Rims size Comparison;
The 3" Surly Knard tyre on the left does not look that much bigger in this pic for comparison...

Though it it 5-8mm wider, and rides with more `cushioning` than the 2.5 Maxxis tyre...

But that was just bopping around the garden!, after sliding all over the place last week on that steep off camber descent i filmed on the bike with the old worn GEAX Gato tyres these new Minions will be a big improvement...

Not been out to try them yet this week so here is some other Minion film :)



More soon...