Well, like Kim Kardashian, I'm all behind, so not much of a write up this, but still, here we go, let's see what happens.

I hadn't planned another ride for yesterday (Sunday), but after an uncomfortable night trying to sleep and being awake early in the morning and seeing what a cracking looking day it was again outside, I thought I'd chance getting out, and I'm rather glad I did.

So, at just before 8am, I set out on Fatso aiming for Ladock Woods. It really was a stunning morning once again. Like on my previous ride on Friday, there wasn't a breath of wind, but it was pretty chilly to say the least.

For getting out and about, I much prefer early morning to the evenings, as everywhere is quiet and still, and the mind and body are (hopefully) fresh. Once again there was some mist lurking in the dips and valleys as I pottered along, making for some wonderful views, though I was wondering if I'd made a mistake in wearing the short fingered gloves, so cold were my fingers.

Stopping for a quick ride by selfie near Trevella Stream the air was pierced by the rat a tat of a Woodpecker getting busy, or maybe farmers use Uzis these days, but it was the only sound to be heard as I messed about setting up a photo. Moments like that can create a lasting memory, and I really need to get into doing video too, to fully capture these views and sounds together.

Cold fingers aside, the lanes were a beautiful place to be riding early yesterday morning, here above, near Tregear, on the road to Ladock.

One of the great things about the recent good weather is once again being able to do a big wash and get everything dry again on the same day, and I'd done just that on Saturday, including washing the trousers I wear on the bike. I have other pairs too of course, but with this pair freshly dry and to hand, I put them on again. So with my strides all clean again and smelling of Cherry blossom or whatever flavour of washing goo I bought last time, Ladock Woods wasn't perhaps the wisest choice for a ride, as it can be pretty boggy away from the main path through. But never mind, I'm a rufty tufty mountain biker, don't mince about trying not to get dirty, go hard or go home, or something like that.

Who said Fatbikes are slow? Bozzing along in the sunshine approaching Ladock Woods.

Whatever, instead of following the main path as I often do, I turned left by the entrance to the woods onto a much narrower track and immediately upset the locals in the trees above me. My word the crows there make some noise when they get the hump. I don't know why they panic and warn each other that there's one of those upright things wandering around down below, I've no intention of shinning up the trees to come and annoy them or set up home in one of their nests or anything, so I wish they'd chill out a bit sometimes. I say wandering, as I was at that point pushing. Bradley Wiggins here had made the mistake of not changing into a lower gear on arriving at the woods, and attempting to climb the narrow and very muddy hill on the smallest cog at the back had met with instant failure. so rather than ride back down, I went forwards, pushing Fatso until the track levelled out and I could climb aboard, heave on the pedals and swiftly shift down a few gears. Once that was achieved, Fatso once again proved huge fun ploughing on through the mud without losing traction. Those clean trousers were suffering mind, good job I'm not married any more that's for sure, as in the past I would've copped a right old earful had I got some freshly washed item of clothing so mucky first time out.

These woods are Duchy of Cornwall owned, and far muddier than the Forestry Commission's Idless Woods. But never fear, Fatso's here! As long as I keep pedaling, Fatso keeps a grippin' and unscheduled bale outs were avoided. This section above wasn't the worst though by far.

Fatso wuz here...

Cornish Doctor Who (the Doctor's poorer cousin) was out on the beers again Saturday night by the look of it, and his Tardis had a bit of a hard landing...

Poking about I seemed to have the woods all to myself, until I met a couple of friendly dogs on the path, and a few seconds later their owner. She was the only other person I saw in the wood though which is unusual as it is a popular place for dog walkers and Sunday strollers, but it was still early for a Sunday. 

It's not all boggy biking, there is some solid going to be had, but by now bike and trousers were already rather glooped.

I got a lovely smile and 'hello' from these female roadies, as I usually do from girls on road bikes - they just seem more fiendly. It's the blokes who are more likely to ignore me, but just a few seconds after passing these two, a male roadie came along and greeted me with a hearty 'Morning!' so maybe the fine weather was putting everyone in a good mood!

Despite the last few days being dry and fine, there is still a lot of water running off the fields. In this case it runs down the hill on the roadside before disappearing into a drain that emerges into this stream.

Leaving the woods and gaining speed on tarmac really did for my trousers though, and my jacket, even my face and trusty hat got clobbered by flying mud as Fatso's knobblies flung gert lumps of clag in all directions. A pleasant bimble around the lanes followed, before heading home and giving Fatso a much needed tickle from the pressure washer. Mucky trousers I can cope with, mucky bikes I cannot. Whilst I had all the cleaning gubbins out I also blasted the mud off the Voodoo as well, so it was a very enjoyable, and productive morning all round, and I'd say, the best day of the year so far weather wise. It finally felt properly spring like once the sun got some cosseting warmth into the day, and the week ahead is set to remain dry too, so hopefully we really have seen the back of the dreadful winter, and it's all good from here on in!

Once again, the map doesn't show all the off roadery that took place (to the right of the number 5 on the map) but the rest is here so it'll do. The bigger jobbie is Here

First Coffee Ride Of The Year.

Something I really enjoy is packing the stove and setting off with the intention of stopping somewhere relaxing and having a coffee. It's a great way to clear the mental cache, especially when the coffee in question is the first of the day, as it really hits the spot when I've earned it by riding a few miles with the Caffeine levels on empty.

Yesterday wasn't one of those days though, as I was so bleary eyed and fuzzy of head, I had to have coffee when I first got up, my systems just wouldn't have booted up without it, but otherwise, all the ingredients were there - It was a gorgeous morning for sure, a bit of frost, but clear blue skies and warming sunshine looked good for a ride, and better yet, there was no wind. Once my head had started to rid itself of the morning fug, I set off, heading for a regular coffee spot beside the river in Idless Woods.

Once out of the village and across the main road, the lanes worked their theraputic magic as mist hung in the valley bottoms and the roads were striped with sunlight and shadow. The feeling of peace and calm was enhanced by the very frequent reminders of the right hooley we had on Wednesday, when the region took a right battering from the wind. All was still now, but that wind brought down a lot of branches to litter the roads, and as I was to discover, quite a few trees too.

On reaching the entrance to the wood, I was rather surprised to find I had company, in the form of a youngish black Labrador. As I turned into the wood, he came trotting down the hill and started following me in. I had no idea if he was merely out for his daily constitutional, or was lost. He took a little coaxing to get close, but once we'd been formally introduced with a quick pat and then a good rub of his belly, it was clear we were now buddies. I tried to ring the number on his ID disc, but just as my call was answered, my phone lost service or something, whatever, it cut out. Deep joy. Meanwhile our relationship had moved on with quite some speed, as the dog had got his lipstick out and was clearly rather excited. Well that wouldn't do, we'd only just met after all, so I had to take other steps to find the dog's owner, literally as it happened. So it was a walk back down the hill to the house at the bottom to see if they knew who he might belong to. Luckily, this was in fact his home, so with one presumably sexually frustrated dog duly returned to his owner, I once again headed into the woods.

The lower path which runs beside the river through the woods was in the past, a bit of a no-go in winter, being very soggy and boggy indeed, but the forestry workers set about it a year or so ago, blading and packing it down hard, and now, it is far more accommodating for visitors, with only the occasional and small muddy puddle to negotiate. But with my new found mud plugging friend in Fatso, mud is less of a problem anyway. More of a possible issue was a downed tree, but conveniently, there was an easy walk around available by heading to the river bank and popping back out a few yards further down the track.

Signs of Wednesday's strong winds were all over the place.

The wreckage wasn't restricted to a few branches either, there were plenty of trees down in the woods, and around the lanes too. 

Just to the right but out of shot in this photo are the remains of an old gunpowder works, built to service the mining and quarrying industries. There is another similar ruin in another wood near Ponsanooth, as these gunpowder works, built beside rivers for the milling process, were placed in woods so the trees would absorb and limit the blast in the event of an accident. 

Target spot reached, Fatso was quickly parked to cool his tyres in the water while the Trangia was sparked into life. At least on this occasion the stove lit without fuss, unlike the last cold morning when all attempts at combustion failed miserably. This particular spot is a favourite of mine as not only is it a very pleasant place to while away an hour or so, but there is plenty of seating to be had, which with my knackered back, is much appreciated.

I've no idea what the remains here are, but are also probably linked to the gunpowder manufacturing that took place. Now, it makes a nice spot for a linger.

Beverage of choice was a Latte Caramel. The pound shops stock lots of these three in one type coffees, which are ideal for this kind of use.

No wind shield required as it was pretty much totally still, just a whisper of a breeze occasionally to blow the flame out from under the kettle. 

Old giffer chilling out. I do get some funny looks sometimes when brewing up, but knickers to 'em, flask coffee tastes 'orrible and this beats coffee shops every time for me.

Where to go next? That is always the big question, and I really wasn't sure, but decided in the end to not go too far, but would go and check out the fields of Daffodils up near the Crematorium. Heading up there means a right old slog up a long and grizzly hill, but the views down into the valley and back across to Idless Woods make it a picturesque way to burst your lungs to say the least.

It's funny how the gradient of a hill rarely shows up in photos, but this was half way up a right old slog.

At least the hill comes out from under the tree cover to offer the out of breath a nice view to admire while your lungs explode.

There are many signs that spring has sprung – lambs gambolling in the fields, Snowdrops on the verges, and elastic bands, massed thick like rugs, on the road surface. A sure sign that the Daffodils are out that is. That and the presence of yellow flowers all over the place of course, but still. The lazzie bands suggest the pickers have been active, but in the fields I could see no sign of them. The Daffs all looked ripe for picking, maybe even past their best although the ones on the edges and in view probably suffer more from the elements and may not look their best. Usually the roads are muddy, and lined with Eastern European registered people carriers and mini buses when the pickers are at their back breaking work, but all was quiet, which is a bit odd.

I don't envy the Daffodil pickers one bit. These fields are huge and the work back breakingly hard. 

Photos taken, the quick route home would be along the very close by main road, but beggar that for a laugh, it's too busy and too narrow for my liking so it was back down the hill to Idless and round the lanes to home rather than short cutting back through the woods again.

Taking the road route home saw me passing a field that belongs to the nearby Llama Land, where presumably some of the attractions go on their day off to relax.

It might be Llama Land, but I think handsome here is an Alpaca. 

So the first coffee ride of the year and it was a good'un – a very enjoyable potter about in the sunshine along with some quality caffeination. Proper job.

The maps I use here don't show off road riding, and as that was a major part of the yesterday's bimbling, I haven't uploaded it as it bears little relation to what I actually did. But I did 11 miles, climbed a lot and the journey time was... oh ages.

Waxing, And Bimbling About Is Actually Enjoyable - Gosh!

What it's all about, for me at least.

After a sudden burst of biking activity which saw three rides in a few days towards the end of February, it had been all quiet on the pedaling front for a week. I'd told myself I was going to get out, even got all dressed up in my scruffy cycling gear on two occasions, but never made it out of the door. The first aborted attempt was down to the IBS making itself felt, the second time it was the weather. I am getting old and wimpy, but dodging horizontal hail showers isn't a whole lot of fun really. Hail stones really flipping sting when being propelled by the sort of gusts that were raging when I looked out of the window prior to mounting up. Beggar that for a laugh then, I stayed in.

Yesterday though, I did finally get rolling again. During the week I'd given the freshly washed Fatso some real tlc involving a couple of coats of wax – DoDo Juice Diamond White followed a couple of days later by a coat of Rubbish Boy's Juiced Edition. Both are waxes I have left over from when I had my van, and was also very much into the whole vehicle detailing lark, as I have been really since I was a kid cleaning my early 'pushies'. So it follows I still like to keep my bikes clean and so may as well use these products on them, although on this occasion I didn't treat the tyres with a dressing, but only because it was locked away in the shed and I couldn't be bothered to go and fetch it. Having had the attentions of my pressure washer, the tyres looked agreeably clean and black anyway, so my laziness wasn't really spoiling the overall impression.

A clean bike is a happy bike. Well maybe a happy owner, but anyway, Fatso was looking properly peachy having had a bit of a tickle. Didn't get under the front mudguards though...

So it was a clean and glossy Fatso that I rolled out ready for action, and into a mischievous north westerly wind. It wasn't as stiff and gusty as the forecast suggested, but it was still enough to make sure all possible gaps in my clothing were sealed shut. I enjoy the fresh air immensely, but strictly on my terms and that means no flipping draughts!

 Trevella Stream looking peaceful.

The climb up from Trevella Stream to Five Turnings. Sky looking promising.

The banks and verges really are starting to come alive now as more and more Daffodils are flowering, and I was admiring one such display when I once again became the subject for some Sunday sport and got chased by a local Springer. This dog lives in a bungalow on one of my regular routes, and when loose, he never fails to give chase up the road, having a good old bark in the process, until that is, he meets the limit of 'his' patch and then just stops dead in his tracks. Most four legged chasers tail off (no pun intended) but this one slams on the brakes like there is an invisible wall he is about to run into. He's no bother though, it's more a game than an attack and he clearly enjoys himself, so it's all good fun really.

 But minutes later that sky had suddenly turned a bit grumpy looking. Thankfully though, it was a dry ride.

Hmmmm... I feel a theme coming on...

My presence led to more noise when I reached Boswiddle Ford. As is always the case there, the trees are home to a large number of crows but even their squawking was nearly drowned out by the water that crosses above the road falling into the stream on the far side. Not quite the roar of, let's say, the Niagara Falls perhaps, but it's no trickle either. As usual, I spent a while at the ford, it's one of those places I always stop at and have me a bit of a linger, as it just feels a nice place to be.

 Bothering the local Crows at Boswiddle Ford.

With the Crows... crowing and the water gushing, it's noisy, but peacefully noisy. Better than traffic and the neighbour's telly anyway.

The lanes on the whole ride made for a pretty agreeable experience though, as is to be expected. So it came as a bit of a surprise to see a thread on a cycling forum extolling the virtues of slow riding, and how pleasurable a thing it can be to ride a bike, unfast... Well I never knew it was a secret to be honest, the advantages seem flipping obvious to me, but to read the replies from some folk you'd think it had never occurred to them before. Cycling is of course many things to many people, amply demonstrated when I got home by switching on the telly and seeing the track championships once again filling the schedules. No live coverage to be had of me or anyone else for that matter pottering about the lanes or canal paths slowly, because that wouldn't be very exciting to watch. But I bet even the lycra clad speed fiends pelting round the banking of the Velodrome enjoy a leisurely pootle now and again.

 Variation on a theme number two.

Fat bike, big gate.

The bicycle is, in my opinion anyway, the best vehicle there is for low speed bimbling and general exploring. Motor bikes are pretty good – you can smell the smells and get the wind on your face if you opt for an open face lid, and they are pretty convenient to ride and park, but a bicycle beats them on all but the hills and distance available in a given time. On a pedal powered bi-wheeler you can hear what's going on around you, as well as seeing it and smelling it, and you can carefully and securely park your bicycle so easily by leaning it in the hedge or just lowering it slowly to the ground and onto its left side (never dropping it, nor placing it on its drive side unless it's a single speeder – derailleur side down just seems so wrong!) almost anywhere without impeding other traffic or worrying about it rolling off its stand or something. On a bicycle you can hang a 'uey' at the drop of a hat and go back for a second look at something, or to bag a photo or whatever. You can't do that in a car, or in my case, my old Vivaro van. 

The bicycle to me then, is the ultimate vehicle for going slowly and enjoying the surroundings. Sure it's not the only thing a bicycle can do, but it has to be the most obvious, but then the folk on forums never cease to amaze me these days, (well it's not just on forums, it's people everywhere to be honest!) and the surprise that a bike can be ridden slowly and enjoyably is nothing compared to some of the forehead slapping things people come out with, but that's a whole other rant, and maybe for another time!

 Variation on a theme number three. Not going to do much good lying there though...

 Water was gurgling and bubbling up and out of two storm drains beside the lane and then running down the hill and into a stream that passes beneath the road. All the seemingly constant heavy rain this winter has washed all sorts of mud and detritus into the roads and down drains, causing floods and blockages.

Although here, I couldn't see any particular blockage, it appears to be just the fact the culvert beneath the road is inadequate for the rainfall we've had. Whatever, I've not seen the water above the road here before.

A good old ride around some very peaceful lanes. Not as far as it looks perhaps on the above map, as my computer showed a total of 14.7 miles. I'm no endurance hero!

The bigger map can be found Here