[Sun 20 Apr 08] I went for a cracking three-hour ride in Marple with a nice bunch of people. Lots of punishing uphills and skittery, slidey downhills that got the adrenaline pumping.

I was one of the youngest people there and, although I consider myself fairly fit, I can see that I still have a way to go!

25 miles covered.

How cool is that?

A chance conversation with one of my sound-engineering friends showed that we had quite an overlap of interests. In collaboration with a few local lads, Matt is helping to create a mountain-bike park on some wasteland in Trafford Park. I shan’t say just where, as it’s semi-secret due to legal and privacy reasons – i.e. it’s not official yet, nor do they want chavs coming along and spoiling it.

However, it is literally in the back garden of my place of work. Now that the weather is getting better, I can see me nipping out in my lunch breaks and coming back covered in mud and bruises…