Post lockdown Ride! KTM 690 in the Cotswolds

30th March 2021 - my first full day on the 690 since last year. The UK has had a hard time with COVID. We've had months of lockdown and bitterly cold weather. Most motorcyclists I know parked their bikes for the duration and are now as unfit as I am.

I bought the 690 new last year in a sale (2020 model) and it came with Mitas E07 tyres. These are fine for limited off-road, and good on-road, but the tracks around in the Cotswolds have 25-30% gradients with loose rock and deep muddy sumps in the valleys. They bog-up quickly after rain. I bought another set of wheels and fitted Tubliss and Michelin Trackers. This is my first full day out since last year and I'm taking it gently.

My bike is fully legal, and all tracks have public access. I am a member of the Trail Riders Fellowship (TRF) and this is an excellent way to learn more about the legalities of riding off-road in England and Wales.

The green lanes in this video are about the right level of difficulty for someone who has been a couch potato for 6 months. They can be found around the town of Stroud in Gloucestershire (which is in the UK). There are much harder trails nearby. The area is the edge of a limestone plateau where abundant streams have cut deep valleys, and many trails are the remnants of a widespread network of medieval roads used by packhorses and mules. Only some are still legal.

Please don't hassle me about the location of tracks - join the TRF or check out the UK stretch of the Trans European Trail etc.