Exact same ride as last Sunday.
The canal (and River Goyt in places!) had a thick layer of ice - really sunny and bright but v. cold out of the sun.
Conditions were great though all mud frozen solid you could actually fool yourself that you were riding on dusty dry singletrack on a hot summers day (and then I’d remember my numb toes).
Debut ride for the Continental Speed kings 2.3 tyres - (I don’t know which measuring stick Continental use but its way off compared to their competitors - 2.3=2.1)
They have quite a rounded profile along with the minimal open spaced blocks. In gravelly corners they feel slighly ‘loose’ and I felt the the front tyre slip but not wash out. They feel marginally quicker than the Specialized Fastrack Pro’s both off-road and on tarmac. Whist descending from Derbyshire bridge into Buxton* I felt rim (oh er!) a couple of times but didn’t pitch flat. I have no idea what they will be like in mud but the well spaced pattern should mean they don’t clog that easily. So overall first impressions are good-ish (considering that I got them for 24 quid a pair).
*I overcooked the first corner which plunges you straight into a <mountain bike cliche>very loose garden of baby heads</mountain bike cliche>(!)
I also met a friendly flea bitten farm cat.
Ride Stats
Bike: Voodoo Bokor
Tyres: Continental Speed Kings 2.3
Weather: 3°c ish out of sun, frozen earth and sunny and bright (all round good solid winter weather)
Distance: still need those zip ties but according to the book around 25k plus towpath/road from New Mills to Whalley Bridge
Route: Buxton loop