Crew: El Pres, Slim, Dr S, PTD, Dunc, 3 Sheds, G, Butty, Stunt
Route: Rainbow Bridge, Clarke Lane, Redway under Nancy, Back of Kerridge, Waulkmill Wood, Ingersley Vale, Poachers Snicket, Pott Shrigley, Bakestonedale road to layby, track to top, right along gritstone trail to Sponds, trigpoint, Dale Top, past the new plantation, over the fence down to the mining diorama, back up and rejoin the descent to Birchencliffe, Shrigley Lane, Long Lane, Green Lane, Beeston Mount, Poachers.
Conditions: Warm and hazy, dry trails, rain as we got to the pub.
Notes:
It felt like a normal TNR this week, apart from the fact G actually arrived, tempting folks into trying the dark side with goes on his monster ebike (the power , the power!!).
Butty seems to have worn out his back tyre with only 900 miles of e fun – presumably the road to poynton is now well rubbered in!?
A fine evening for riding, warm but not hot, hazy without being too humid, not that buggy.
Route to Sponds was much debated, but eventually the off road from the layby option won (prompting our e outriders to take the straight uphill then along the ridge route to avoid the stiles.
The lambs are looking chunky, by eck they’ve grown fast!
Shock and outrage at the sign on the gate at the top of sponds, and we take the traditional right of way past the trigpoint.
Not a good night to be close behind others – the sheep poo shrapnel flies everywhere and seems super sticky!
Several riders needed to decontaminate by Dale Top, prompting an early start to the ribaldry zone!
PTD, Butty, G & 3 Sheds sessioned the jump just down from the whales tooth, before time and the call of the pub (plus a couple of raindrops) got us moving again, and heading at speed down.
Taking the LHS grassy bit after the Birchencliffe cottages led to one off (stunt) and one near miss (Butty) as it cunningly held one slippy muddy patch hidden in the long grass near the bottom.
Poachers seating under cover was the right answer as the rain came down very steadily soon after we arrived.
Barnsley Gold, Purple Moose, and Icebreaker consumed before the Leffe round later on. Table bratwurst a new TNR first (and Ribaldry enhancer!!)
Wet ride home (and precautionary visit to A&E for hand xrays the next morning for stunt, but fortunately just a bad sprain)