As I have stripped down my KS seatpost to investigate it's problem my hardtail was sat in the shed without a seatpost so I selected my old faithful Cove Hustler for last nights ride.

I rarely ride full suspension round the woods and it always feels like I'm "cheating" when I do. The woods were still bone dry and that combined with me not being on the hardtail made any vaguely downhill sections feel super quick and easy.

On Saturday morning Steve, Big E and myself met up on Cannock Chase for a lap of Follow the Dog and The Monkey Trail. As we got ready I checked over what the "magic shed" had sorted for me since I had ridden my hardtail on Thursday night? I discovered that some saddle movement I had detected was being caused by my KS i7 seatpost having developed about 10mm of up/down play when it was supposed to be locked out! Doh! One for the warranty department later but for the time being I had to live with it for the day's ride.

I failed to mention in my last report that on the way back from Wales a dodgy sarnie/pasty purchase from a garage resulted in me being taken out by food poisoning! It lasted a week and so last night was my first ride since Wales.

Only a fortnight after a trip to some Scottish trail centres eight of us somehow wangled another trip; this time for some Welsh trail centre action. Phil's birthday was the excuse.

After meeting en-route in a cafe for the traditional "athletic preparation" of a big fry up our first destination was Llandegla.