Morvélo Test Team

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Out of season

It seemed very strange fitting the crossbike with summer tyres and heading out in the glorious sun. Normally it's mud tyres all the way and it only gets dragged out the shed when it's hammering with rain. I felt like I'd done too much road recently and not enough trails, especially in light of all this dry weather. MTB was without forks so the CX bike was the only choice. And a good one too as it transpired.

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TTFU - Toughen The Fuck Up - which is what I needed to do it seemed. Climbing up onto the Downs, the shelter given by the full summer foliage of the tress made the trail a sauna, with the rocks, roots and dry hoof marks rattling my arms. Definitely too used to smooth tarmac and suspension. The cool breeze at the top was a welcome relief as I set about doing a slightly re-jigged version of "The Three Peaks".

Just because it was sunny and dry didn't make any of these three steep climbs any easier, but it was faster. It was a welcome relief not to have to deal with wheelspin on the normally wet and greasy roads and rocks. Back at the top of the Downs again after the climb up Streat Hill I did some off-piste to try and find a decent route back down to the base of the downs. I was successful but only after a lot of portaging and rummaging around the undergrowth. Still nice day for it.

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Rather than straight down and back up Ditchling Beacon on the road, I used the bone dry bridleway to the side and held on for grim death. Fast, loose and sketchy are the best words to describe it but still not a patch on what it would be like in the wet. Each time I climb Ditchling Beacon I'm always look out for the deteriorating "Pantini" sign just near the summit. Placed at such a point of the climb where the top is within site but the legs are really stinging, it's a fitting ode to this great and flawed climbing legend. It's a shame that it's just the specks of yellow that remain and I for one would love to see it restored to it's former glory.

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Dropping down in the University it was hard not to finish of such an unusual cross ride with a trip up banks and down steps, always a good deal more terrifying when you're locked in on the drops.

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Even more unusual was to see this thing called "Dust" that had settled all over the bike. 

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A first for sure and this ride was whet the appetite for the forth coming cross season. Only a few weeks away now. Best out the mud tyres back on . . .

Posted by Morvélo