...the Glentress 'Trailfairies' that is. The ardent crew who've built what are surely some of, if not the best mountain bike trails in the UK at the Glentress mountain bike centre(http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/achs-5rnfvj). Their creations include this great section of boardwalk and other joys such as the 'wall of death' (which, incidentally was closed today - worrying).Well, I decided to head down there and hire a bike for the day as my steed is currently in pieces in the workshop of Edinburgh Bicycle for a prolonged and increasingly expensive service (I think I could probably have bought myself a motorbike complete with fuel for my trip for the amount this is going to cost).
If I were to be honest, I was a touch hesitant about going there so close to my departure as the last time I went for a spin there I ended up with a very large haematoma under my rib cage having fallen....badly....in the car park....onto a flower pot. It was actually more embarrassing than it was painful but it was trip-to-casualty-for-chest-x-ray sore. I was even more nervous today when the only bike I could get to hire was too small for me, had loose front suspension and a knackered saddle. Thankfully, though, all went well. And when the tails are as good as this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvGvXJT05x8 then who needs four grand's worth of full suspension machinery.
As an aside, I did actually see one of the elusive trailbuilders in the forest today - he looked about 17 stone, wielding a shovel and was about to get into a JCB - yup, I decided against calling him a fairy.
