Let's talk about biking in English: La Pinilla Bike Park

[Kanza]

PS you can see my pics on the link below!!

Great photo's Verity, awesome 'capture of the moment' very nice, great talent!

[chainring]

Great photo's Verity, awesome 'capture of the moment' very nice, great talent!

Is her name Verity? But yeah, good pics. By the way, it seems the photographers in this forum tend to hang their pics in this thread. Some of them are just outstanding, professional level.

http://www.foromtb.com/showthread.ph...s-no-endureras

Funny! Oh my...maybe some of these 'skills videos' should make it clear it takes some time to build up to these things. lol, some of those launches into the air followed by a complete lack of clue on how to land are amazing.

I know it's taken me a lot of patience and practice to get to where I am today

[chainring]

So today Interaptor and I took the commuter train to Cercedilla and pedaled back. A good ride, and we were lucky the weather wasn't scorching hot. In fact in the Sierra the temperature was perfect.

We also stayed off the asphalt as much as possible. Once in Colmenar you can ride back in the bike lane, but none of that for Interaptor and me. We rode along, and through (though there isn't much water) the Arroyo de Tejada, then a bit of bike lane and back in the dirt to the Camino de la Muerte happily we survived Death Road. Then on home through the fields.

A good ride, and I think just about everything was new for Interaptor. So what was your favorite part? I know I particularly liked the technical uphills between the midieval bridge and Colmenar. But it was also nice when we were in the foothills of the Sierras: cooler and clean air, and there were technical sections there too, especially at first.

Too bad we didn't get any photos. Oh well, next time...

[Interaptor]

Yeah, a great ride today into the Sierra and back home, with caws, horses and snakes as our partners! I fully enjoyed my first ever “descent” on the dirt through that beautiful surroundings, I will came back for sure, it´s a very nice and enjoyable ride that Chainring chose. My lack of a better technique makes me think of all the way from Cercedilla to Manzanares el Real and La Pedriza as my favorite part being, when your energy is not affected at all by the millage and the landscape is simply… spectacular. Love that part of Madrid and the best way to see it is just by bike. We could see some cars bumper to bumper stuck in line as they were trying to get into the Pedriza forest. None of that for our bikes!

So the weather was perfect, my partner taking care of me when in difficult technical sections the landscape just wonderful. Next time I promise to take my camera with me to let you know how nice it is to ride on there!

Thank U very much David, we´ll keep in contact for future rides!

Verity, you there? Cercedilla is a cool place to take photos, this morning I saw it first hand…

[chainring]

Yeah, it was funny when we rode by the entrance to La Pedriza and there was a long line of cars waiting to be let in, and you shouted something like, "Get a bike!" That was good, and good advice. And we did see some animals, we saw the snake leaving Cercedilla, didn't we? And twice we had to ride through a herd of cattle, cattle with long horns I might add. My technique is to ride slowly and not look directly at them. In any case, I suppose they're used to cyclists riding by.

[Interaptor]

LOL I see, the book “How to survive on your bike” includes a chapter concerning livestock´s techniques!!!. You really did it right, especially when we almost run into that herd, a big cow eating some grass in the middle of our path, and you took the lead to apply those techniques as if you were John Wayne!. The cow saw you, stopped eating and gently turned around to let us pass by… We can say every section of the trail had it´s own technique to be worked out!. Very well done!. LOL

[chainring]

Today I went with a group to San Rafael (in the Sierras) and did 'El Ingeniero'. Here's a pic.

San Rafael river.JPG

[Kanza]

Nice photo Chainring!

Does not look too wet there, we have been having some really crap weather, a lot of wind and rain. Has June become the new April in Spain? yuck...just a couple of days on the beach so far. Riding in the mountains in the rain does remind me of England.

[chainring]

No, it's not too wet around here, in fact we're having a drought. The levels in the water reservoirs are pretty low. I don't know if June is the new April, but the weather seems crazy, have had a really mild winter. So here's another pic (I'm the second guy). Actually the weather was overcast on the day of the ride and we definitely got some wind, and maybe one or two drops of rain, but actually nice weather for a ride. Really beautiful!

San Rafael field.JPG

[Kanza]

It is the same here Chainring in the North. A very mild Winter, very little rain. Has been drought conditions up to some weeks ago then a lot of rain has fallen. Hoping for some sunshine and dry trails!