On the border – Skee, Sweden

Probably the last ast bike ride this year. Being in northen Bohuslän with Micke as a guide normally is equal to fantastic biking in fantastic company. The rest of us: Thomas, Erik, Janne and I.

This was a ride on the boarder… On the border between frost and mild weather, between rain and sun, and between Sweden and Norway. To some extent also on the boarder of what my legs could manage in one gear… And definitely on the boarder of what my compact camera can manage with so little light that there is this time of the year. It’s around 4-5 degrees, raining but strangely enough frost. No one expected this and no one has studded tires. We start with the smooth trails in Mickes backyard.

While on asphalt Micke and Erik are just wiped out trying to make a turn in this intersection. Plain ice

From mud to frosty landscapes

Kangeröd Motocross Arena. Home ground for Micke. Where he has spent days and nights over all the years. The man, the myth, the track builder, the motocross legend himself:

Nice forest…

More dirt road until we hit the trail head

Ruins from old times – and I’m not referring to the rider

We have worked up some elevation and are enjoying the pale sun, but it’s so slippery on the rocks

After having had a total rear derailleur f**kup some weeks ago I concluded that apparently it just have to happen once per season… What I forgot was that apparently it must happen once per season PER bike also

So incredibly bad material. In 25 years of mountain biking I’ve never broken a Shimano rear derailleur in two, independently of price category. We’ve bent them and bent them back again, but never broken them. I’ve had quality issues with SRAM before, but this was the final reason for never choosing SRAM again. Anyhow, far away from home and no time for reflections. We convert it into single speed and keep up the spirit.

Slippery rocks and at least one speed, sunshine, beautiful nature and great fun.

Group picture a couple of meters from the Norwegian border

We continue

It starts raining again but also to unfreeze in the ground. We make it home and congratulate Janne on the move of bringing beers! Well deserved after 5 hours in rain, sunshine, frost, mild weather and for me single speed half of the ride.