Goodbye Summer

I think we can safely say cheerio to the Summer and welcome our new friend Autumn to the group. For the past few months the nights have been drawing in, rides after work now require the head torches, most folk reach for a base layer and possibly even a jacket as the temperature, while never that high up here, drops below double figures and I've even heard people talk about fitting some winter mud tyres.

I've been trying to get in as much riding as possible before the days and nights get even colder and people start finding other things to do that don't involve cold wet trails. Most of my riding this time of year is trail centre based, especially if it's a night ride but it's good to still mix it up and ride the Lakes Fells when possible.

Myself and two chums took a trip to Eskdale to try out a new route that looked ok on paper. It ended up being pretty wet and boggy and quite easy to lose your way on the less than obvious trails round Eskdale Moor and Burnmoor Tarn. The final descent into Boot was pretty good but it was a long slog to get to this point and i'd avoid the boggy area around the tarn next time.

A damp misty view over Burnmoor Tarn

Even though Autumn is obviously here I had a cracking ride at Drumlanrigg on Sunday. Drumlanrigg has a great natural feeling red loop (with good black extras) that is worth a visit. The new purpose built swoopy pump track style section is at odds with the rest of the trail but pretty fun. The trails were dry, the fallen leaves made a satisfying crunch as you rode through them, the sun even came out and it was warm enough to ride sans jacket.

Natural autumn goodness at Drumlanrigg

The best thing about this time of year is everywhere gets quieter so sometimes you have the trails to yourselves, this is great if you fancy exploring some of the cheeky areas that are usually too busy with walkers and it also means the queue for cake in the cafe is much shorter.