Crew: EL Pres, PTD, Butty, Troll, Lee, Stunt
Pub: Dunc
Route: BL, Zig Zags, Saddlers way, Crooked Yard Road, Charity Lane & Extension, Standing Stone, Nessit Hill, Ressies, Sutton Hall
Conditions: Mild but windy!
Notes:
Half our numbers were in the throes of lurgy recovery, and Troll and Butty with impressive chesty coughs..so PTD suggests riding hard to give them a good clearout!
With the wind rapidly strengthening, a reverse last week ish route is taken, and once Lee found his wallet we are quorate.
Early pace is a mark of things to come, no slacking on this ride! But not so severe that we can’t chat along the way.
Trails are reasonably dry, but still plenty of mud and puddles in the usual places. Saddlers way not greasy (always good!).
At the bottom democracy rules (mutiny?) and the route is diverted away from a Hardinland ascent, to “climb on tarmac” up Crooked Yard Road. Lungs are now producing plentiful quantities of residual slime, and there is definitely advantage in riding in front of the “expectorant brothers” 😉
They are doing well though, and the mini peleton is not strung out that much by the start of chazza. Where the wind is howling against the waving trees. No point in lingering long in this wind chill, and soon the high walls of the lane are protecting us from the worst.
Mid & lower chazza still running pretty wet, so wet bum time, and a wait for the Troll at the bottom has us wondering if he’s had a pinch flat or lighting faff? but he appears just as El Pres and Lee take pity and start to head back up…he’d only stopped to put his coat on!
Extension nice and chunky, time check gives us plenty of time to head to Nessit, but the pace has finally told, and our spluttering duo fork off down the KM descent direct to pub.
The rest of us take route 1 down between the DH course, then thrash the ressies. Plenty of smiles at the leathers, then a suprisingly hard into wind ride to the pub.
Chapel bar is the new normal, a little Iccle is taken to finish the barrel, with Weetwood a fine alternative. Calamari a first? Ribaldry already underway before Dunky appears, then in a weird reverse to normal we end up on online collaboration tools and how best to dress to impress at work!!
Luckily Butty takes us back down again, with hilarious spoof instagrammers. Somehow Troll is allowed to order the whisky, but manages to stay in budget..phew. 25% on the voucher bingo.
We await feedback on the effectiveness of the lung cleansing!