Words by Eric
Crew;
A: Butty, Slim, El Pres, Eric
?B: Dunc
Lame excuses; Everyone else – all afraid of a spot of rain
Route; Rainbow Bridge, Endon Hall, Liggett’s Lane, Kerridge Ridge, Waulmill wood, Poachers snicket, Pott Shrigley brickworks, Bakestonedale Moor, Moorside Lane, Butty’s sneaky descent past the chapel, Shrigley Road, Long Lane, green lane descent to Bollington, Poachers.
Conditions; Dry and mild!
Stats; Eric, million dollar gear shifter almost falls off. Butty, BIG chain issue on the way home. Mr I catastrophic failure pre start.
Offs; Dunc
With a weather forecast worse than the one from last week it was a rather depleted group who gathered for a late start from Rainbow Bridge. Fully expecting a washout we had planned for a short spin to the nearest hostelry to warm up and dry out. But lo …. there was no rain and it was so un-seasonally mild that Slim appeared sporting short trouysers.
The group was depleted before the kick off as Mr I phoned in to say that his bike had broken as he unloaded it from his car! – or was it still broken from last week? The Andy Thornton maintenance classes are obviously working. So the Macc lads and Eric headed off in search of Butty who was en route from up t’north.
We were soon climbing up past Endon Hall to Liggett’s Lane.Kerridge Ridge was as slippery as might be expected after the recent monsoons and despite a few wobbles we arrived the right way up but somewhat mud bespattered. Mid ridge we met Butty bravely single speeding up the mudslide. He did a quick about face and followed Slim down the mudslide; see I resisted the temptation.
Despite the limited riding time we decided to head for the Mining Monument on Blakestonedale to enjoy the views and a tot of Butty’s Grandad’s special rum. After the short push we reached the top and whilst Pete did some experimental photography, “art dahling”, Butty set too with the rum. Surprisingly for once it was not blowing a gale as we enjoyed the moment.
Butty then did some downhill coaching in preparation for the descent to Moorside Lane – “It’s so very slippy; if you use your back brake you’ll spin, if you use your front brake it’s so steep you’ll go over the bars and if you don’t brake at all you’ll crash” – wise words. Down on the lane we decided we just had time for the rather excellent descent to Shrigley Road before an everyone for themselves spin back to the Poachers.
Dunc was waiting for us looking a little sheepish after admitting to a solo crash on Oakenbank – thoughts of waiting for the early morning dog walkers to pick up the corpse, all eyes pecked out and everything!
The small group didn’t detract from the banter and the Poachers stock rose when the Landlady came over and said “I’m going to ring the bell now but you don’t need to worry it’s only to get them over there out”
When we finally saddled up just after midnight it was raining biblically. For most it was a soggy sprint home but for Butty it turned into a nightmare as his chain cried enough and after multiple derails he resorted to scooting home. The final WA post coming in at 1.40, “all our chaps home and drinking tea in the mess”