iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

My ride buddies were talking punctures. Half a mile later I cut my tyre... cause and effect right there. Seriously, careless talk costs lives (or at least tyres). Fortunately one of us had a spare inner tube and a tyre boot, otherwise it would have been a long walk! #mtb #mtbtyres

A close up of a large sidewall cut in a mountain bike tyre

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 24/05/2026

This is Meiidelburg in the Netherlands showing the bikes parked in the town square on a Saturday afternoon. The shops and cafes were rammed with customers.

Masses of bikes parked in a town square -Middleburg - in the Netherlands

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

But a floating bus top with cars like eg this one Sutton is ok?

Bus stop on Sutton one way system showing floating passenger island

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

Here's Middleburg in the Netherlands, capital of Zealand on a Saturday late afternoon. Small market town really, very pretty, full of local shoppers with busy cafes. Look at the shops. Lots of independents and variety. In France, Belgium, Netherlands you don't see many Amazon vans...

Middleburg in the Netherlands showing Saturday afternoon shoppers in a pretty high street

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 28/01/2026

We all read them in my house and they helped build reading stamina. But they ran out of steam narratively and the world building was cynical. His Dark Materials is better, but A Wizard of Earthsea is a different league and rewards as an adult.

The original seven Harry Potter books lined up on a bookshelf

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 29/08/2025

Last day of riding, back in one piece from Risoul (down the valley). Lots of big rolling bike park, then an epic descent off the mountain #bikesky #mtb #mountainbiking

A group of mountain bikers on a desolate piste heading for the first descent of the day, with a steep valley and lights clouds below them

The 2025 Muddymoles ride group above Risoul

Muddy Matt layered up on the top of the alp above Risoul in France, with the valley below

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 28/08/2025

No riding today - a rest day due to heavy rain all morning and tired legs. Ended up nice by late afternoon, here's Briancon from the fortifications overlooking the Old Town #bikesky #mtb #mountainbiking

Briancon panorama from the fortifications above the Old Town

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

A damp day of backcountry riding behind Briancon, high alpine valleys with a ribbon of rock strewn path, rather challenging. Misty, wet, muddy with intense long downhill trail in the forest. All good! #bikesky #mtb #mountainbiking

High alp with not another living soul to be seen and a ribbon of trail ahead

A group of mountain bikers on the alp above Briancon with misty cloud swirling in the valley below

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 26/08/2025

High Alps today, natural and techy ridge line trail above Arvieux, then natural trails into Briancon from the classic Col d'Izoard #bikesky #mtb #mountainbiking

A Mountain biker ride a steep and narrow trail through alpine for tree forest

A Mountain biker in the distance threads his way across a barren landscape on a narrow rocky path

Two mountain bikers with their bikes on a high alpine prairie with low juniper conifers dotting the landscape

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

Today we rode from Puy St. Vincent, near Briancon in the French Alps #bikesky #mtb #mountainbiking

The muddymoles and me getting ready for a long descent from the top of Puy St. Vincent in the French Alps

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 25/08/2025

A long day in the Alps yesterday, some natural trails as well as bike park action around Serre Chevalier ending with around 50km (30 miles) of riding.

Four mountain bikers contemplate the next descent with high mountains in the background and a clear blue sky

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 23/08/2025

Currently anticipating a week of riding with the Muddy moles in Briancon

A view of the Briancon valley from our chalet deck, showing towering peaks and a hot and sunny sky

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 27/07/2025

SDW, starting with the train from Woking

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 09/01/2025

Tonight it was -4°C (25°F). A 2.5 hour, 22 mile mountain bike loop was quite challenging (and pretty ch-ch-chilly!)

A mountain bike leans against a piles of logs, in the dark, lit by the light on the photographers helmet. An empty path stretches ahead.

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Tonight needed two pints to get home and was a pub-optimal 1.7°c or 35° American. Warm when moving, bone dry trails that will be rained on this weekend. Pseudo Pig was half hidden in leaves but plenty fast in the darkness. #bikeaky #mtb #cycling

AGarmin bike computer showing a distance of 16.80 miles cycles and a temperature of 1.7 degrees centigrade (35 degrees American)

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 15/11/2024

Last night's ride took me to the disused Wisley airfield, about 25 miles south east of London, UK. Requisitioned from farmers during WW2 and never returned, they used to assemble bombers here from the nearby Brooklands factory. Utterly deserted and rather freaky on a solo ride! #bikesky

A gravel bike leaning against an Armco railing on a weed infested disused airfield at night. Lot by the riders helmet light and photographed low down from a distance to make the bike look small in this context

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Out on a gravel exploration this evening, this is the weir at Ripley lock on the Wey Navigation canal

A gravel bike at night, propped against the railing of a weir with white foaming water below. The water is lit by the bikes high powered lights

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 14/11/2024

Took the single speed town bike for lunch in Leatherhead. Leatherhead has one thing going for it - mature Ginkgo trees outside the Swan Centre. They are called Maidenhair trees (can you guess why from the pic?) and are deciduous conifers...

A retro style bike chained to a bike rack, surrounded by yellowed Ginkgo leaves

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 12/11/2024

'Left at the holly bush - no not that one!' The hazards of night riding in Surrey on trails you actually know really well. Lloyd had a surprise fall and found an unexpectedly deep trough of fallen leaves under the wrong holly bush tonight!

A mountain biker climbing inelegantly out of a hidden hole under a holly bush at the side of the trail

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 10/11/2024

Today our hierarchy flipped. Those who were fast, were slow, and slow were fast. Ride report to follow tomorrow

A group of six mountain bike riders on a leaf strewn trail, heading away from the camera

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 07/11/2024

Cheers up everyone. The elections over. But there are still bikes

A drop style bike with bright pink handlebar tape looking at a smooth trail ahead covered with leaves

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Muddy Matt @muddymoles.bsky.social · 02/11/2024

Managed a superman over the bars last night on Sauvage (IYKYK). That's the third time that trail has bitten me, I was in a real flow until that point too! Pretty sore today but avoided injury thankfully. Another win for physics.