Words by Pete . Pics by Pete & Dunc
Route : Zag – Calrofold – Kerridge Bridleway – Poacher’s Snicket – Oakenbank- Jumper Lane – SPLIT 1 – (PTD & Simon) Hedge Row – Spuley – Pott Shrigley – Moorside – Wall climb to Dale Top ; (The Rest) Kettleshulme Rd climb – GT towards Bowstones – The rollercoaster to Dale Top – SPLIT 2 (The Rad Boyz ) Whale’s Mollar descent – Brick works ; (The XC Boyz) Plantation rock field descent – Brick Works – The Poachers
Conditions : Trails were dry. A gusty south westerly, pleasantly cool at 16c , a tiny bit of rain . Distinctly cooler up on the GT.
Crew : El Pres , Lee , Pete , Smiffy , Dunc, PTD, Simon, Butty , 3sheds
Notes :
This week it was a Lee Wadsworth production – with a start at Zag bottom, finish in Bollingtonia formula. Ok by me .
Although , in the words of a slightly frowning El Pres in the Poachers post ride , “Only half the crew did the full ride” . Technically this is correct – as Butty , Dunc and I were running late and met up at the Lidgetts Lane end of the KB to await the arrival of the peloton. However , Zag to the end of Lidgetts is a pretty short and mostly downhill ride.
With the arrival of Lee et al at the KB , there was a slight pause for bants & a dip into the Ribaldry Zone by yours truly. Lee had a mini-vent at the Ryanair policy on transporting bikes on planes . He & Smiffy Steve have just returned from a trip to Southern France to do the Canal des Deux Mers route .
The KB was a good choice , being dry and very rideable at the moment . This was the debut ride for my rejuvenated fox forks , fresh back from Rick at S&S. What a transformation ! Why had I left it six and a half years !
It seems to have become quite customary on a Lee ride to have a new pastime of hunt-the-Smiffy , as he is usually playing catch-up. This week I think the first possible Smiffy meet up point was going to be at The Poachers after the KB traverse – but alas, he wasn’t there .
So onwards up and over Oakenbank , then the climb to Jumper Lane – where we had to negotiate our way past two vehicles ! I think of this as an almost “off road track”, so this was not in my list of ride expectations . But the first driver was the Simon, the sparky who did our house electrics. I took the opportunity to get his view on swapping the light switch in our pantry for a motion sensor one. Electrical advice mid ride – a TNR first ?
The second driver was travelling at pace in a little silver 4×4 , evasive action was needed.
Also at Jumper Lane we had the second instalment of “Hunt The Smiffy” , with a mini debate as to whether “that’s him!” as we clocked a cyclist at the top of Blaze Hill. Nope, no Smiffy yet.
At the junction with Blaze Hill PTD and Dr S formed a splinter group and went off to forge a route over Billingeside. The rest of us took the tarmac climb to the Kettleshulme Rd – fortunately it was less windy than predicted , but definitely getting cooler.
Smiffy was eventually located on the top of Bakestonedale Rd where the Gritstone Trail crosses . He was looking a little chilly as he wasn’t dressed for the gusty and cool conditions on the top. We followed the roller coaster path next to the Park Moor wall – like the KB it was pretty dry and very rideable.
Dunc’s Photo
At Dale Top we re-grouped and enjoyed the cloudscape view across the plain and towards the Pennines . Paul & Dr S appeared from the Moorside Lane side right on cue – and joined us to ride the ridge section before the second crew split occurred . The Rad Boyz hopped the fence and took the Whale’s Molar route down to the Brickworks. The XC Boyz took the plantation and rock field route down .
Time was pressing – we were due at the Poachers for 8-45pm .
Apart from the entertainment of the “Hunt The Smiffy” game, we also get a regular bit of in-ride of Videography from Steve, with his own inimitable Northern Geezer narration. We like this !
The Poachers was scarily empty at 8-40pm, and we were welcomed like the Prodigal Son’s we are – its over a month since we crossed the threshold . Shock horror.
Thankfully by 10pm it was pretty full – including a growing contingent of the WNBs. They had been on an uplift night in the Goyt , doing Ratboy trails either side of The Street.
Stop the press – double shock horror – there was NO LEFFE BLONDE available in the pub !!!!
We had to resort to an instant AOE to recover !