Words by Pete, Photos by Pete & Butty
Route : Classic Circuit – BL , Old Buxton Rd, Zag (but no Zig) , Chazzer & Extension, Standing Stone, Nessit, Fire Rd descent, Leathers, Beer Dock/FiveClouds
Crew : El pres, TJ, Butty, Pete, Bern plus…
Pub : Lee, Adrian and Span, Dunc the bringer of the Ribaldry
Notes & Weather : An almost biblical story. Torrential rain late afternoon – the Poynton and Bolly crew delayed their start – staring out of the garage and checking the Rain Alarm Radar.
To my eternal shame I even suggested downgrading the evening to “a quick ride to the pub” …but a learned voice from the Lakes of the North brought prophecy…”Slippery slopes chaps, slippery slopes” .
I had stepped back from the brink of disaster ….a break in the downpour about 6:30pm and we convened at BL about 7pm. On my trip from Bolly, Kerridge was awash with run-off , like riding through mini rivers.
At BL we decided on a classic fish route with as much “track” as possible . But a Town Centre Finish – Five Clouds and Pizza.
As predicted by yours truly, the forest was misty and mysterious . And Chazzer had some deeply eroded bits . But the extension was a tad less loose than the other week when we rode it dusty dry.
A brief stop at Dan’s bench to savour the misty-ness of the canopy below and then down the fire road.
Bern and my good self linger to grab photos of the view across the water to the Leathers. The rest speed ahead.
On the dip in the road after the Leathers there is about 4in of standing water . We stand on the pedals to get a view over the wall to the new Mr & Mrs Smith residence …noting the mini digger in the garden.
Down to Macc, up Portland St and then wrong way up Mill St one-way. What aged rebels we are .
Too late for pizza express (9:30pm cut off) but Dominos will do – god bless El Presidente for food ordering logistics.
By this point we have been joined Lee on his Kona Cross bike Beer Dock is tried as five clouds a bit busy – 6 pints of London session IPA (4.2%) goes down a treat …. but its a 10pm last orders . A cheeky half while we scoff the Pizza .. then back to FiveClouds
….more good IPA (Northern Monk 5.6% !) and a Salted caramel porter 9%
A fine evening , £20 a head for beer and nosh !!
Thanks to El Pres for doing the financial reconciliation a day or so later.