Words and photos by Pete
Crew : Shaun , PTD, El Pres, Troll, 3Sheds, Butty, TJ, Pete, Dunc, Bern
Conditions : Cool getting colder but not wet or windy . Very muddy in bits.
Route : Bolly Maze, Kerridge, North End Farm, Waulkmill Wood, Poachers Snickett, Spuley Lane, Brickworks, Moorside Lane, Dale Top, Whale’s Molar descent , Pott Shrigley, Blaze Hill, Jumper Lane, Oakenbank , The Poachers.
Trending hashtags :
#bewarethefridgeofdoom
#bernsgoneawol
Notes :
Build it and they will come. I booked the Poachers early afternoon ..for 8 .
By the time we mustered by the Maze we numbered 10 !
No in flight refuelling tonight…we saved it for the pub.
We had a weather opportunity to exploit. Dudley had been and gone, Eunice was due in Friday morning.
In between, the temperature was cool but not freezing, the wind had dropped, and we had a dry evening.
But off road it was extremely muddy in bits.
At Bolly maze the first few had gathered by the time I made the short descent down from Our house.
Another E-bike in the ranks and Paul was delighted to show us his new steed . Butty arrived on his and promptly set to fixing some errant bit at the rear end. Cassette had eaten too much undergrowth ? .
We lost Bern twice during the ride. This is always a problem when crew numbers get larger. The first time e-b@tch Butty was dispatched with turbo mode engaged. And had to go all the to the lay-by beyond the Brickworks to retrieve him.
The second time was somewhere up on Dale Top. He just disappeared…..only to reappear from Moorside Lane a little later on.
The rest of us took the “whale’s molar” route down , trying to strike the right balance between caution and fun in very slippery conditions. Interesting.
Paul added a Blaze Hill – Jumper Lane – Oakenbank loop just to keep us on our toes .. the crew consensus is that the short but steep tarmac climb of Blaze Hill is worth it for the fun of the “off road” bit once you turn onto Jumper Lane.
We made it to the Poachers with no casualties. By the time I locked my bike up and got inside the crew had managed to get our original table upgraded , and the Nancy Boys had been ousted to our original reserved spot.
Despite our Bolly circuit taking in some well known sections, it seemed to leave the crew satisfied.
Beware shiny cans in the fridge of doom at the end of the bar ! They look sparkly & colourful , they are seductively strong and tasty. But there if there is no price on the fridge door…..ouch.
A small AOE formed and I just about made it home for midnight
Another fine evening