2015 Ride 1
Words by Eric
Crew; Dunc (29), Eric (27.5)
Lame excuses; Kersh – had to take the dog for a walk!
Route; Rainbow Bridge, Endon Hall, Liggett’s, Kerridge Ridge, woods, Poachers snicket, Pott Shrigley brickworks, Dale Top, Moorside Lane, Butty’s sneaky descent, Shrigley Road, Styperson Woods, Vale.
Conditions; Dry and mild to start – then very very wet!
Stats; None
Offs; None
With most of the crew enjoying a week shooshing the alpine slopes with the rich and famous it was always going to be a select group tonight. Very select as it turned out, just Dunc and your correspondent. The weather forecast initially appeared wrong with tee shirts being more appropriate than waterproofs although things were set to change.
There was a touch of déjà vu to the route but we headed off for Kerridge Ridge via Endon and Lidgetts.
Riding along the ridge at the moment is great fun, just keep peddling and hope that you end up going in vaguely the right direction – eventually getting to the wet stone slabs, the ones with the green slime on gives some modicum of grip!
The snicket seems to have developed some deep mud to go with the rocks but Dunc cruised up on the big wheeled unsprung thing. Slight concerns on arrival at a closed Poachers, we started thinking of plan C what if all the pubs are shut.
By the time we got to the bottom of Blakestonedale the rain started and by the time we crossed the big style it was absolutely lashing down and blowing a gale. Fortunately the gale was a tail wind which made for an almost pleasant climb but it put paid to plans for a sneaky snifter of the leftovers from Dunc’s Father Christmas’s fireside tipple. On reaching the ridge there were two options, left into the teeth of the gale or right down the descent to Moorside Lane. Quickly across the lane and down the religious descent; really quite wet by now!
Wet we may have been but it would have been rude not to go through the woods. Interestingly the berms don’t berm when they are three inches deep in mud; one or two wobbles but all under control. The singletrack in the holly gave some shelter from the rain. When we popped out at the bottom the rain had eased a little and we started to dry out somewhat; then down the hill to the Vale and …… yes, lights on, job done.
No food, no patrons except a group hogging the fire and us two! – But beer and wasabi nuts.
Happy New Year.