Alternate titles for this weeks episode : The long way round to The Poachers
Words and photos by Pete
Crew : El Pres, Pete
Pub : Dunc
Route : Zag bottom – Saddlers Way – Bottoms Reservoir – Leathers – Forest LHS ascent – Half-a-Charity – Bull Hill Lane – Oakenbank – The Poachers
Conditions : Wet , getting wetter and colder, muddy
Stats : 1 eBay sale ( our Green Sofa) mid ride
Notes :
An early start (5.45 at Zag) and a late finish (11:30 in da poachers) .
Last week we were just four and I felt we were thin on the ground. This week just me and El Presidente. After a not bad day weatherise – it had felt quite mild and Spring-like ….alas it was raining when I left Gleave Ave at just a bit after 5pm .
Straight away, even on tarmac I could feel the benefit of my new rear tyre ( Maxxis Minnion all of £38 via Amazon Prime) . Being about 5mins late I found Chris talking to another MTBer , Simon, who I knew by sight from the Poachers.
After our zag rendezvous and an ascent of Bowden Downs Lane (aka the Zag) , we took a route we rarely do – down Saddlers Way and then to the Bottoms Reservoir .
Then a gradual winch up on the left hand side of The Forest , lots of logging activity going on here.
At the start of Chazza there was a “swithering moment” (as my late father-in-law might have called it). A moment of indecision .
Our plan had been to head clockwise to Nessit and then to head to Bollingtonia after that. As we ascended though, the weather had gone downhill . At this point a more direct line to the warmth and comfort of The Poachers was definitely a more appealing prospect.
At this point of indecision , I was suddenly distracted by an “ebay alert sound” from my phone. A TNR first had occurred (I believe) – a successful ebay sale mid ride ! Our two seater green sofa sold to the couple who own the house at Bowstones !
Back to “the swithering” – we compromise – with a decision to ride to the “col” of charity before heading for Bollingtonia. We linger for a moment at the transmitter station thing – enough to see that the mobile phone masts bear the Huwaei brand . mmm….
The Pub and warmth and beer beckon ….
At the Poachers there are three little MTB posses – The Nancies (only two of them have ridden tonight – snap !) , Simon et al (inc Richard B who I know) and the TNR dynamic duo.
A brief discussion with Richard from the WNB about the Bolly Skyline Enduro he is organising for September – over 400 entrants tickets all sold . More may be coming.
Chicken and ham pie and chips is a must , as is a few pints ? of Geronimo IPA and a fine porter at 5.7 as my pudding beer .
Dunc arrives and we have to confess to having shared our YouTube subscriptions . Chris thinks his (being all physics geekery) are not as rock’n’roll as mine. And indeed , many of mine are music geekdom related.
The AOE is a certainty with El Pres in his ascendant. Dunc abstains, but I select a fine Tamnavulin.