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| From TNR 19-07-2012 TDF#3 – Hell of the North |
Crew: El Pud, Dan, El Pres, Coley, Slim, Eric, Stunt
Route: BL, Higher Hurdfield, Kerridge, Bolly, Pott Shrigley, Brickworks, Whaley Road, Left past Moorside into Disley, New Mills, Mellor Road, Marple Bridge, Hazel Grove, Macc
Conditions: Dry at BL but then it started raining….and cool too.
Stats: Another 1 flat 2 tubes faff from Slim, El Pud has a comedy low speed off before another saddle mount failure!
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| From TNR 19-07-2012 TDF#3 – Hell of the North |
Notes:
Ominously Pete’s text alert re adverse weather appears prophetic as dark clouds begin to spit light rain at BL.
Dan is keen to stay in the dark re TdF outcome.
Coley has the cleanest bike ever (what a waste of effort that turned out to be)
Pete has the tattiest saddle and gloves (why did we mock?)
By the time Pete has his tube change faff its already bucketing down, and we gratefully huddle in the churchyard porch at Pott Shrigley.
By the time Pete has finished his faff we are all cold as well as wet, and the rain has only eased slightly.
Water is running down the road in waves, Pete delays further up past the gritstone trail to take photos of the ragged skies.
Full concentration required on downhills as rain stings eyes – or obscures glasses, and roadcovers and potholes are tricky to spot underwater!
Passing through dreary rainsoaked northern streets occasionally we smell delightful oriental aromas, hear the deep growl of modified citroen saxo/honda exhausts and the hunched figures of locals scurring home to coal fires.
We carry on (once you are wet…) but at Mellor Moor finally decide we need hot food and warmth
A long final descent to middle england in the shape of Marple bridge (the Goyt in full spate!), Coley & Eric depart homewards leaving five dripping wet figures to new territory in the form of the Midland gastropub.
Donning any dry clothing and answering the “how many wet cyclists can you fit in a disabled toilet” question the marginally less wet quintet settle in to a busy dining area. Waitress service of Mary Jane and Landlord, placebo portions of chips & gammon, followed by the best sharing pudding platter ever seen on a TNR (Four full puddings for the price of less than two!). Careful financial management (aka the lack of plastic backup, and Dan’s Kershaw moment) mean that hard liquor is not an option 🙁 worse is getting back into wet kit, and heading out into the cold and still wet for the long ride home, mercifully it starts with a steep climb to generate some heat! Cold limbs and fuzzy brain = comedy off for El Pud part way up!
Finally we get a chain gang going and start munching miles, then have to stop again as El Pud’s saddle wobbles, and this time bolts are good, but clamps are missing arms…A grand carbon roadbike is for Christmas..not life! Another stop later it’s clear that without Eric’s lashing skills it’s an out of the saddle ride from now on.
Red lights fade to black in the rain.
When its wet its better offroad methinks!
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| From TNR 19-07-2012 TDF#3 – Hell of the North |