Sunday dawned as warm and sunny as Saturday and I decided it was the perfect day for not just some mountain bike orienteering but also a lengthy trip in my Triumph Spitfire, fresh from a service and recent MOT. I’ve had the spitfire since I was 18 and this year it is 40 years young! With the bike on the back, it really shows how small it is compared to a modern car!
The venue, Hayfield is brutal, nestled in a valley near Manchester there are hills in what seems every direction. With my #pearlizumi #pichampion kit on I decided to not try and avoid them, just get on with it and soon I was off and pushing up rocky tracks towards the top of Chinley Churn. I then headed in a clockwise direction through New Mills before climbing seemingly never ending hills ending up to the North of Hayfield at ‘Robin Hood’s Picking Rods’, whatever they are, and Crown Edge Rocks.
I was a little early and ended up a slightly disappointing mid-table but I can feel my fitness slowly returning. Afterwards, there was a great atmosphere for the Winter Series prize giving – the man of titanium, Killian Lomas, again scooping the overall win.
On the way home the sun baking down on my bonce had me stopping in Buxton for some sun tan cream – spring must finally be here then!