The Best 4x4xfar (Ctd...)

If you recall, one of my New Year resolutions was that I was going to use the Land Rover to get out and get active. Well, I have progress to report!

I've now obtained a Maxxraxx cycle carrier, and it fits the Landy perfectly. I can heartily recommend the Maxxraxx; it is sturdy and holds the bikes rock solid (unlike most racks I have tried). It is also completely secure; the rack is firmly locked to the car, and the bikes are firmly locked in place on the rack. I feel confident to load up and then leave the bikes in place while I sort out other stuff (again, unlike most racks I have tried).

Here it is, in place on the Landy:

So, with three bikes on the rack and one in the cabin (Little Miss P's bike is too small for the rack), we all clambered in and set off for the nearest woods.

The next step is the iPhone app from these people, giving me OS 1:50,000 maps on my iPhone, together with that most crucial bit of any map that is always inexplicably omitted from the paper versions, a little flashing blue dot to show where you are:

Very useful for exploring woods you aren't familiar with.

Anyway, much riding later, and many deep mud patches later, we got back suitably tired and with the bikes showing the inevitable side-effects:

Back home, and we laid the bikes out, took one look at them and hosed them down very thoroughly. Then we took one look at the children....