Making the most of a day off work
by Richard Selina
Like many of you I presume, I found myself stuck in the car trying to get up one of Berko's ungritted side streets on a snowy February morning. It was no use, struggling just 10 metres from the house and deciding the car was safer back on the drive, I contemplated how to use my bonus day off work: snowman, build a sledge, go back to bed? I chose the mountain bike.
I dug out my spikiest, narrowest, mud tyres, put on my warmest bike clothes and ventured onto the bridleways for some fun. What a stunning scene. No lazy day of slumber, it was tough riding out there. It took me back to my childhood, growing up in Yorkshire and conjoured memories of much harsher winters and the dreaded winter Sunday morning paper-round!
The trails were a little boggy under the snow and the going was hard, the hub-deep snow also covered some little surprises but the snow thankfully provided a soft landing on a number of occasions. The smile went from ear to ear as I searched out virgin trails to ride. They were hard to find - I wasn't the only person to have the idea of a winter ride. Potten End Common finally gave me that perfect trail and I admired my freshly laid tracks. I returned home shattered and soaked but without a single care for work.
