Crew: EL Pres, PTD, 3 Sheds, Butty, Stunt
Pub: Dunc, Slim
Route: BL, Chrome bridge, Bollin Valley, Prestbury, Chelford Road, Bradford Lane, Hocker Lane, Muddy Snicket, RHS Artists lane loop, Edgy “thornton” descent, Mottram Road & Oak Lane back to Prestbury, Legh Arms
Conditions: Wind gusting to 40mph taking the edge of the otherwise very mild 11C, muddy trails.
Stats: One stuck up dropper (Stunt)
Notes: Another small crew (too many TNR’ers working or wandering) and a route defined by not being blown off
..your bike (ahem)
The bollin valley is muddy, with exceptional slop at the Prestbury end due to tipper trucks having churned it to mush (Butty rather regretting coming to meet us from that end, next time he’ll wait in the cul de sac!)
Chatty ride up the chelford road climb, top tips from Butty on choosing a Physio (PTD having a shoulder injury from skiing in flat light)
Go for one with big hands (well I think it was one with Big Mits that I heard)
At the top of Bradford lane, stunt discovers his KS lev is rather firmly stuck up! not ideal given what is to come..
Indeed top of Bradford is muddier than expected and this does not bode well for the softer trails.
Gloopy is the snicket, and the RHS trails are hoof churned slop fests which even the tubby tyred riders are struggling with. Lower down we accidentally discover a grassy sandy area with great chutes – which is actually a shortcut into the exit track to the Owl.
But the biggest news of the night is that after struggling to find the start of the main Edge descent, we do finally find the fabled “go right halfway down” Thornton descent!
Mutinous murmurings about Swiss Hill have been pointedly made all night, and given the headwinds to get back it’s a no brainer to head for the pub at 8:35. It is a long slog, although early signs of spring in snowdrops here and there in the verges.
Arriving at 9 we just make food (which is closing early..Coast seems to be hitting the Legh arms hard). Ceap Wizard ale, Pricy Peroni, and El Pres gets food envy with the rather underwhelming portion of risotto being outshone by a the burger with humungus quantities of chips and salad. Pete is lucky his food is still hot by the time he and Dunc arrive (we have been looked after very well), having escapes the clutches of the back of kerridge which being super soft was not as quick as they thought!
As usual the arrival of Catalytic Dunc takes us from Taxing talk to the bottom of the barrel (or was that already reached in the San Fransico topic just before they arrived!) Much chortling ensues, before the IT crowd get all misty eyed and passionate about their geeky pasts.
The customary “Dear little flo..” announces we have left the area..still 9.5 degrees after midnight!!
What weird weather next week?