words by Stunt , pics by Butty
Crew: El Pres, TJ, Butty, Stunt
Extended Commute: Joe
Pub: Dunc & Slim
Route: BL, old road, full zig zags, walker barn, charity lane & extension, bottom of the oven, tea rooms, goyt grassy descent, pyms chair, dead mans hill, blaze hill, poachers.
Conditions: Warm, Occasional light drizzle.
Notes:
Small crew after a big weekends riding, Butty on rigid singlespeed as his last “not broken” bike!
TJ fancies the Goyt and El Pres determines that we get there avoiding the Buzz Kill that is New road in the summer.
Joe joins us to the bottom of chazza.
Gaining height up the old road and into the Zig – ominous clouds are creeping across the plain, although the hills have the white and fluffy variety.
Hovering Kestrel on the Zag bridleway, Butty in Photographer mode, and always at the front, maybe we should make Pete ride singlespeed so he gets some shots from the front too? 🙂
Long grasses, thistles, yellow and blue flowers wave in the breeze on the banks of the lane up to Chazza, by which time spits and spots are starting to fall. Not greasy down chazza, but extension steps have been washed out (last Fridays torrents??)
The drizzle isn’t heavy enough to warrant waterproofs, but is enough to create rainbow directly ahead of us on the road up from the Stanley Arms, perfect half circle starting in the field next to the road and finishing on the other side.
Rain soon passes (taking the rainbow with it). Find some sheep chatting to a horse across the fence on the top path, plus big rabbits.
Goyt descent in excellent condition, and even though grassy the rain doesn’t seem to have made it skiddy. Butty leads us on some singletrack between high bracken and we get a new route (and legs thrashed by vegetation!)
TJ waxes lyrical about sailing on the upper reservoir, and the light fades on the long climb out, accompanied by loud clicky creaks from TJ’s rear end – which Butty helpfully suggests is probably a broken rear axle! (it survives to the pub)
A lot of solitary riding – more wildlife spotting, Massive white owl on the hunt, and a Sparrohawk whizzing low along the countours looking to flush out something for supper.
Another shower made the descent to Jenkins chapel slightly tentative, but dry again on the other side. Lights on but no time for oakenbank lane, straight down to the poachers for a perfectly timed rendevouz with Dunc and Pete who have been furtling on Kerridge.
The pub mostly exclusively occupied by mountain bikers, Peroni, American IPA, before the usual slide into Belgian-ness with Dunc going for Duval and Pete & Butty on Leffe. Port finish just to be different for some. We were slightly weary tonight, and sluggish to leave, which for those riding further home would lead to being quite wet!