Would this not be the perfect way to celebrate and a fun way to enjoy what was a slightly drizzly few days? In the car park I was all ready, kitted up and with the bike ready for anything. I rolled out onto the trail, overtaking a guy in jean-shorts and looking to take on the guy on the full-susser ahead. The hangover, from a night where I had unexpected ended up in a club kicked in, and the ride started a bit awkwardly, fighting the bike and my body and getting pulled away form by the guy in front.
The biggest problem seemed to be my chain skipping and I started to swear at it as the chain dropped twice. However, that would not be the extent of the problem and gradually it became apparent that I was looking at a freewheel on the way out, once again at the key point of a ride I had been looking forward to for ages.
By the road crossing the freewheel was done and only catching occasionally. I turned onto the forest drive road and set out to scoot, push and freewheel back to the car. All my week-long dreams of flowing over the fast sections of the trail evaporated in a soul destroying struggle back towards the car park. It was a case of pushing up hill and freezing down until I was able to pick up the final section of the route to get a few seconds of fun in an otherwise thoroughly depressing ride.
The trudge gave me a glimpse of the truly epic downhill course that I've not seen up close before, but that hardly made up for the disappointment.
Rather than a night in Wales and more riding the evening was made up of a drive back to London and then an internet search for a new wheel. Having had two Deore hubs fail like this I have aimed to trade up a little to keep the bike running through the winter and into next summer. As ever, expect news and updates as the replacement comes in.
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