Crew: El Pres, PTD, Butty, G, Mr Incredible, Eric, Stunt
Pub: Slim, Dunc, Big Nic & El Pud
Route: BL, Zig zags, teggs, Leathers, witches cottage, up Narnia, Chazza & extension, standing stone, RH track at the S bends, singletrack to reservoirs, Smithy.
Conditions: cold, windy, hail showers wet trails.
Stats: Mr I double faff (tyre, spoke), Eric single faff (chain)
Notes:
Palmer bike supplies called upon big style for Mr I, as a chain lube detects fatal sidewall damage, and tyre change detects fatal nipple damage to one spoke!
The mega faff does allow Eric to recover from his new ride to BL now that he has defected to the “North”!
Some classic favourites in the route tonight, and clad in winter gear we trundle uphill, and watch the tendrils of precipitation hanging from the grey clouds. Soon we are spattered by hail!
Teggs a little slippy, brief stop at the Leathers to pre order food, then onwards and upwards.
TNR first – Cake with specially selected dessert wine for Mr I’s half century , he is one civilized fellow 🙂 Butty brings happy hippo things (the inner child is strong in him it is).
Avoiding the trashed tracks to chazza we go up Narnia (G manfully shows off his 29er capability), we lose Eric (how careless) and send G back to no avail. We recover him at standing stone.
Finally the showers have cleared, and the sun makes a late appearance to give great light and the illusion of warmth!
Fast and flowy down from the top and into the snugness of the smithy. Excellent Caledonian XPA, Food served and devoured, B team of Slim, Dunc & Nic arrive soon after, with Mr T later. G & stunts prediction of a return to normal boyish banter proved correct! No highbrow conversations tonight (apart from a whiff of Prince II talk). God is in his heaven when El Pud talks bike logistics challenges (air travel out and return from different airports – bike packing conundrum on return leg – answers on the proverbial postcard) Glenmoraniges for the road, and an escort for the birthday boy (who has forgotten his battery). Escort too for Eric on his inaugural long ride home – which showed him some unexpected sights in Prestbury! (Incomers aren’t what they used to be, or maybe Paula Radcliffe is moving in ;-))
Still no sign of summer, by my reckoning its about a year since there was any decent weather – bah humbug.