Words by Alex, Photos by Butty & Pete
Crew: Slim, Butty, TJ, Bern, Troll, Stunt
Pub: Ruth , big Nic, El Pres
Route: BL, Zig Zags, Charity, Narnia, Hardingland, Sutton Hall
Conditions: Wet trails, a bit of drizzle.
Stats: 1 Puncture (Phil M)
Notes:
A return of the regulars this week, and a route to match the damp weather, and need for a mid ride stop…its a bit similar to last week to start with.
Bern flies off the front (training for the epic adventure??), The mini field of sunflowers on the corner of Blakelow road still looking good in the fading light. Big puddles on the Zig, but not too bad on the Zag.
Lights needed for visibility on the road at Windyways, and although the sky is still underlit a hint by the sunset, its properly dark at the start of Chazza proper. A few spits and spots of rain with the mild breeze.
Some hazard tape around a couple of fallen trees at the entrance to the classic BBQ spot (Wed lunchtime there were a couple of Electicity NW pickups there…but no power cables in evidence..unless there is a buried cable that feeds the old microwave station huts??)
Chazza is a running stream, and even the new Gorilla tape rear mudguard flaps on Stunts bike can’t keep the water off!
Troll asks for advice on the right time of year to go tubeless (is it winter or summer??) as we regroup at Narnia gate.
Narnia bench and Pete delights us with Glenmorangie and Pork and Black pudding pies from Heathcotes, plus mustard!!
A couple of riders on big rigs stop to say hello (but all middle aged riding groups must looks the same as they thought that “Jonathon stuck in Loughborough” was one of ours!)
Food order is rung through, and its downhill all the way now!
At least one girly squeal on the descent to witch’s cottage as someone almost gets caught out!
Fate is a cruel mistress, and Phil has invoked the gods, and of course suffers a front pinch puncture halfway down Hardingland…(..if only he’d been tubeless), we walks the rest to join us at the end to do the repair with an audience.
His pump has blown a seal, and the replacement tube is nicked on the way in..but other than that it went well 😉
I’m sure the steps on lower teggs just before the stream are getting deeper!
Rain starts falling as we close in on the pub.
Our reserved table is in the back, and the ales choice reflects the changing season, with the recommended ale being almost as dark and the light porter!
Ruth arrives having “escaped from a room” to help us with the table chips, and TJ tells tales of the Namib (looks epic!!).
Camper van envy with Nic’s latest wheels, update on El Pres who was in good spirits and general chat is decidedly medical rather than mirthful!
Fortunately TNR honour is upheld as Butty brings the house down with reminicences of paying tramps to take him places in Manchester when he was out drinking…leading to images of being given backies…it went downhill from there into an AOE, and we have to leave by the staff entrance in due course.
Pete may have aged a year by the time he got home 😉