Celebrating a surreal summer
It’s been unusual, but the sun shone and the trails were fast
The sun has set on summer 2020 and what a strange, challenging, rollercoaster of a season it’s been. I hope you have all managed to stay healthy and been able to enjoy the copious amount of sunshine and dusty trails we’ve had, even under such difficult circumstances. Looking back, where normally I would have been on numerous trips away, the furthest I’ve travelled since February is the Tweed Valley, along with a couple of trips into Wales. And while I have certainly missed being among proper mountains, I can’t say I’ve felt shortchanged once by the riding here in the UK, be that on my doorstep in Surrey, or further afield in trail hotspots like Peebles and Innerleithen. There have been so many highs, from the first post-lockdown shred with a good group of mates, to solo missions discovering new trails, and witnessing the growth of new and returning riders to the sport, that the good memories have far outweighed the bad. I’d love to hear about your experiences this summer, whether you’ve just caught the bug or you’ve been riding for years. Drop us a line at mbr@futurenet.com and we’ll publish the best in Mailbox next month.