Words by Alex, Pics by Pete
Crew: Slim, Butty, TJ, Mr I, Stunt
Route: BL, Old Road, Ecton Av & snickets across to Rainow Road, Well Lane up to Kerridge, Lower track across back of the ridge and back to Rainow Road, Oakenbank, Pott Shrigley, Bakestonedale road, Moorside lane, Quarry climb, “Badger’s Creek” descent back to the Bakestonedale layby, retrace back to Oakenbank & Robin Hood Rainow.
Conditions: Dry, Mild with a cool breeze, Muddy patches in places
Stats: TJ Puncture
Notes:
Small crew this week, with a Presidential ceremonial send off (even if he couldn’t ride)
More helmet mounted lightweight lightage from TJ fitted (eventually) to Slim’s luminous looking lid.
Banter eventually subsides and with a Tythy friendly finish and a “not a long ride because I can’t afford to have 7 pints and only get home at 1am” erm logic??! from Slim, Butty has the beginnings of a plan so we get started.
We manage to find our way across to Rainow road, and then enjoy spring in the air on the quiter lanes, Lambs gambolling, leaves bursting, buds budding, birds calling, buzzards soaring, crows mobbing, bunnies bouncing, sunshine white clouds (its been a long time coming!)
Mysterious red post spotted on a fence on the way up lidgetts lane, back of Kerridge not as sloppy as feared, but plently of squishy damp mud though but nothing wheelstopping. Sticky enough to turn into face covering chads as soon as we are back on the road descending at high speed!
Butty evolves the plan at the Robin Hood, food is pre ordered for 9pm
Oakenbank delivers stunning setting sun sillouhetting white nancy, and a dry fast descent 🙂
Time check suggests we can do a quick up and down, what is this Badgers Creek butty is so keen to revisit?
Regrouping at the moorside lane entry we soon have a split group as TJ has a punture, so Slim stops to help and the rest take on the evil grassy rocky climb alongside the quarry into a stiff breeze and setting sun.
Some pushing is involved, and lungs are give a thorough work out, over the stile and Badgers creek is a diagonal descent past the mine monument back to the layby – flows nicely, and less scary than it looks to the uninitiated. Not a badger or creek in sight though!?
Time to get a move on – warp speeds reached descending into Pott Shrigley, and a good pace back up oakenbank. The short steep descents with way around are slightly spoiled by 50 yards of slippery slop in the dusk which need care and reduced speed to safely negotiate.
Nice new decking at the back of the Robin Hood makes a smart bike stack, and we’re liking what they have done to the place! Plum porter is very fine, lamb hotpots extremely good, and we must come back here more often.
Stunt is called away early – so can’t vouch for whether Slim managed to avoid an evil axis, but one thig is for sure, Butty did Oakenbank three times by the time he got home!
