As a nation we’re obsessed with the weather. Which is odd, as our weather can best be described as degrees of mild – cool-mild, warm-mild, mild-mild, usually all in the same day. For the most part, Britain is averse to extremities. Not that it stops us tuning into the weather on TV, downloading multiple apps to cross-reference forecasts, or talking about it at any opportunity. Like now, for instance.
For mountain bikers, a weather forecast is just as important as a map when planning a ride, and deciding where to go and what to wear. Rain has us reaching for the waterproof jacket, freezing temperatures see us packing an extra layer or two, and wind, well, wind often has us reaching for a magazine and another coffee.
A strong headwind is a cyclist’s nemesis. Its ability to sap your power, throw you off-line and make riding tricky, tiring, and in some cases downright dangerous, can’t be mitigated against with a change of clothes or a different set of tyres. A windy day can ruin a ride. It can also ruin trails. When a barrage of storms hit the UK last year, Llandegla Forest in North Wales took a series of blows that it’s still recovering from.
LAST YEAR LLANDEGLA TOOK A SERIES OF BLOWS IT’S STILL
