Yeah, someday we can bring together a special ride for us XC bikers in the area to find/make a proper entrance to El Pardo up there, or maybe we should beg La Zarzuela for some help here. ;-) Well, barring bad weather, Friday´s use to be our road bike day. It´s a pity you don´t have/like a road bike/road biking because it´s a great way to always go beyond any mtb expectations in terms of mileage and man, we can do it on the safety of long bike-lanes through the outskirts of Madrid. I´ve recently discovered how to get to Boadilla via Casa de Campo from Madrid proper, so I guess it´s exactly the opposite for you to get to Casa de Campo. You´re right, a pretty long way for a little miss sissy (Hey, it was you who said!) girl ;-). Tomboys piece of cake ;-) I see. So close so far away from your window. Being El Pardo only a stone throw away you´d have to ask permission to ride there. That reminds me of John Boyne´s the boy with the striped pyjamas. Anyway we can always look for a suitable entrance over there. That ghost train station sounds kinda good mysterious to me! ;-) Mount Pilatus? You´ve got ants in your pants! So cool... ;-)
If you are flying into Genevaand you want some biking, go to Morzine/Les Gets across the border in France. More biking than you can shake a shitty stick at. Plenty of companies do bike hire/transfers. Although I'm not sure about the snow conditions there in May.
Thanks for the suggestions Mackem, I will look into that...also, I like the analogy, "more biking than you can shake a shitty stick at". Anyways, Interaptor, I actually do ride road, but but of course I do not have a road bike here. However, I would absolutely be down to go for a road ride sometime, provided someone has an extra bike of course. Wade
Yeah, I think we all do have three or more bikes at home to be able to deal with all the facets of soul, but hybrid, city and mountain bikes are speed-incompatible machines!. Anyway, I´ll let you know if I know -in time- of anyone with his roadie to lend you so that you can come with us. ;-). Not an easy task; It´s springtime and everybody is riding their bikes out there!
So you like it rough, do you? ha ha. Sunday is Sierra day and if you want to come along you're more than welcome. I can let you know where the group goes. I suppose it'll be something like this (hope it's rough enough for you About riding in El Pardo on Friday, Inter is right: that's road bike day. Sorry... So how were things in Ojén? Yep, a bike for all the facets of soul: long endurance, short bursts, hard pedaling, adrenaline, joy, fear, speed, clean air, nature, technique, balance, friends, fun Hey! Is this Red? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMLXeW4lfeI&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Sweet rocky garden and steps Chain though, someday i'll be able to roll over it...or not XD XD nevermind actually i like that you love it this guy is supposed to ride with our crew sat the morn, i'm pretty much scared that's blasting trails, innit?? http://www.pinkbike.com/news/My-name-is-Wittig-video-2012.html if so i'll tell you, must be something to remember! aw i nearly forgot it, what did you say Mark? sticks of sh+? of what where and when? quirky!! Chain isn't that film a coarse fake?? By no means, our lady can do it much better
Mamma mia! That tough guy is dammed good at it, but seems to have taken lessons on how to be a bouncer ;-) I surely prefer Red´s vid on subtle ball control, her conduction, how she passes the ball, her reception, headed goal or whatever dribling she does, tho the ball always ends in the same spot ;-) Chain´s not always that such tough guy in the photo above. Want some evidence?. Got one from today´s ride! ;-) Cheers!
Sometime this Saturday I did a little exploring, rode my bike to take some photos of the vast land, around 750 hectares north of Alcorcon, where Eurovegas will be located. At around € 18,000 million, Eurovegas is the largest resort´s investment project ever in Europe. So I thought it was a great opportunity to see how things are before hectic construction activity takes over. The first phase of Las Vegas Sands will begin late this year, planned to be completed at the end of 2017. But for now, everything´s calm. Not for so long tho... Half-way, Tm Telemadrid flagship headquarters at Ciudad de la Imagen: Animal care and horse courses facilities at the very first spot where Eurovegas will be built, to be demolished: And the rest is all a vast improductive prairie in the middle of nowhere: Projected main building: Cheers!
Ojen was great! The course was really fun, well-organized, and challenging. There were 5 stages, and I was doing pretty well (top 50 or so, on a hardtail) until I flatted on the 5th stage. Definitely a competitive field. A pro from the UK won. Made friends with some Spanish and British folks. Advice: Anyone considering racing enduro should definitely do it, most exhilarating race discipline yet.
Interesting, in a few years we can ride to Alcorcón in the morning, do a bit of gambling, then ride back home, hopefully with our winnings! Are they going to build a skyscraper there? Glad things went well!, except for your flat tire. Sorry you didn't make it on our ride today in Cercedilla, it was a beautiful day and some great riding, really no problems with mud. We were thinking with all the melting snow and water runoff, it was going to be a mud bath, But really no problem. Pictures will be forthcoming.
Not just one but 12, tho one is expected to be the tallest of its kind in Europe... :shock: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=203986
Hey, I know that area! I've gone running there lots of times some years ago. Nice times. About the project I'm not optimistic at all. If only there was turned into a technological park.
Did you live over there? It was my second ride in the area. Yeah, you´re right but If done, it has to be a high level of engineering, services, information or whatever social benefit. Otherwise better without it. Let´s give it the benefit of the doubt!!! We need investment to end the recession one way or another. Not an easy choice whatsoever. ;-) Cheers!
You're right Inter, maybe better that than nothing, isn't it? Time will tell. I was living there for almost a year, but at that time I was a bit boring, always running through the same circuit. I didn't bike that area even a single time...
Yeah Mario, my intention is to XC ride there from time to time and do update pics as the project goes by. Let´s hope Adelson´s business idea is for good. Maybe not a boring place anymore! ;-). As for Ojen, Just for your sake guys!. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoBuIQZPYPg No music, racer guy at work. On board cam. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s82UEZEdV4 Footage taken from a drone aircraft and penned in among bike enthusiats at strategic locations. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WR3mUAkl3QA Cheers!
OK, like Mario I have misgivings about Eurovegas and wish it were a high technology park instead. There are A LOT of really smart, highly educated Spaniards around, I know because some of them are my students, and one of them is my son, who's found work abroad! Wouldn't it be nice to harness that brain power and get them working in a high tech park right here in Spain? It might also slow down the sad brain drain. But we get gambling houses. Well, maybe it will help things, we'll have to wait and see. Very cool videos! Well, the first and third ones are, I'm not all that crazy about onboard cams. But I'd LOVE to go riding in all those places! Also really like watching videos like that because seeing the pros (or others) do it can help improve your technique.
I'm a man of my word, so as promised here are some photos from last Sunday at Cercedilla. The three are from a steep section of Vereda de Enmedio.
Yippee!, you´re biking down a real steep section there, a great view from the bottom so that we can tell how it slopes down to where the photographer is. Sometimes you can´t have an idea of the slope of a section just by seeing a pic, but this is not certainly the case. Rocky section as well, low speed technical maneuver and a nice compression in the fork to get it done, I mean your duty roster done... ;-). Not a trace of a problem with your bottom bracket I presume!.
