drunkcyclist2

Crew: Stunt, Butty, TJ, Croxy, Dunc, Dr S, PTD

Tythy Towers: G

Route: RB, Endon House climb, Lidgetts Lane, Back of Kerridge, Rainow, Oakenbank, Pott Shrigley, Bakestondale Road, Gritstone Trail, 1975 Stone, Sponds, Dale Top, Quarries descent, Chapel Descent, Shrigley lane, Middlewood, Tythy Towers.

Conditions: Warm, humid, occasional light rain.

Notes:

Stunt offers to host at Tythy towers this week to continue the theme of rider hospitality. Sadly the weather decided to make alfresco unlikely with an everchanging forecase of rain/not rain for the evening.

Grey skies, but only a hint of dampness so far at the Rainbow bridge rv, where TJ gets some indexing assistance (and de gunking of dried dust on the oily residue on the jockey wheels!)

With rain (possibly heavy) forecast within the hour, a local loop is proposed to give bail out option early in the event of biblical downpours, but leaving a Sponds option open if not.

The air is warm and heavy up Endon house climb and onto the back of Kerridge, with exposed flesh vunerable to long stinging nettles across the old double track up to the Rainow road.

At the top of Oakenbank the skies are assessed, there is definitely something coming, but it doesn’t look too threatening, after a fast and loose descent to the road, we decide to go for it.

Light spots begin to fall, but it’s not really getting anything wet, and it’s cooling on the climb up past the brickworks and to Brinks farm. A touch heavier at the top prompts a few waterproofs to be donned, but by the 1975 stone they are probably wetter on the inside!

A farmers pickup ambles by and we watch it head round a fresh pile of rubble on the track before heading to the gate to Bowstones. We head for Sponds – and the gate to the trig poin has lost its annoying sign (sense has prevailed?).

Moody light in the west with reds bleeding throught the gap between the clouds and the hills, the grassy ups and downs to Dale tops run firm, and we reunite with PTD who has caught us up after a late start.

The rain has stopped and with a light breeze it’s as if it never did!

More fast descending across the top and down next to the quarry, Stunt heads off early via birchencliffe to get the venue ready, and there is still time and light for the Chapel descent.

Lights on for the traverse to Tythy, and a fine selection of beers from classic wainwrights and doombar, to funny fruity IPA’s, German white and dark beers, and everything in between.

G arrives just in time for the chilli and garlic bread, followed by homemade fruit crumble and cream.

Earnest discussions on the merits of e vs acoustic for downhill and jump tracks (physics arguments may not have stood up to scrutiny!?) the joys of sailing, and much more.

An axis of evil emerges as we enjoy Layer cake Stout as a second pudding, before the Oban 14 comes out.

Scotlands smallest distillery certainly makes a fine smooth dram!

The dog was very please to lick so many plates in the dishwasher 😉

Crew: El Pres, Slim, Butty, TJ, Troll, Doog, 3 Sheds, G, PTD, Stunt

Route: RB, Clarke Lane, Endon House Climb, Push up the steps to top of Kerridge, Grassy descent to back of Kerridge Lower track, and out to the Rainow road, Calrofold lane, Cliff Lane, Gritstone trail throught the woods and fields, Windyways, Teggs Nose, “Cocktail bar”, Teggs descent, Langley, 5 Clouds.

Conditions: Clear, Sunny, bit of breeze, very dry trails

Notes:

An early threat of a ebike majority brings out many prodigal sons, and prompts G to come acoustic!

El Pres takes command and leads us across familiar territory via routes less well travelled.

Tis a fine evening and there are plenty of family groups out walking, some of whom give us an honour guard as we lead off to cross the canal and down the double track to Clarke lane.

Hikabiker traffic lights needed at the start of the steps up the side of the quarry as we have to halt to let 2 lads come past on their way down. At the top of the ridge (after some “is that snowdonia I can see past the Clwyds?” fantasy) the e’ers lead the brave up past the trig for the traditional descent, whilst the rest do the diagonal grassy descent.

The direct route is much the faster, but reuinted we do the descent of doom – which is dusty dry – but with some low branches as the summer hazard, and come out on the Rainow road. After a brief flirting with a Goyt mega loop, we opt for a more sensible option and head up Calrofold lane (Brian Redhead reminisences), down cliff lane past a couple of horse riders, up to the main road, and straight across to the “woods”.

Cool and quiet in the woods, then flanked by dry seed heads of hogweed we emerge onto parched fields and views of the landscape from unusal angles with fantastic light!

The dogs at windyways bark at our passing and we come out at the top of the Zag.

Butty has brought a bottle of Dulce Herbes de Mallorca and some sausage rolls as an advance birthday celebration, so passing more walkers and selfie takers its a summer stop at the Teggs Ice bar. With golden sweet aromatic aperetif, mustard edged slice of roll, we gaze out across to the forest. White dots of village cricketers, blue roof of part finished restoration projects, identify the way in to hidden farms, and see the new houses being built out the back of Langley.

The Ice bar has a new info sign, and bring reminicences of the Doog inspired visit to the Bull stone, and other ancient marks in the landscape. A kestel sighting just below us gets Pete all excited about some of his bird shots of yore 😉

The sun is lowering, and air is cooling, and we have a descent to deliver before we lose the light.

Uber dry and fast down Teggs and the wiggle down to the carpark, an impromptu visit to a burial mound!

Elizabeth B has left her sparkly wellies on the wall.

Layers on for the ride into town, just enough benches for us to gather (lots of bikes leaning against the planters already).

EL Pres is appointed spreadsheeter-in-chief, Butty orders the pizza, and we sample the 5 clouds beer menu. There is a close escape for those who were tempted by the stronger Deya Zombie as it’s just gone off (and it was £7.80 a pint!!!).

A sweet stout finish again ends a wonderful summers evening.

Crew: El Pres, Troll, Dunc, Slim, Stunt, Butty, PTD, Lee

Route: Back Eddisbury, Zag, Walker Barn, Tea Rooms, Cat, Danebower Hollow, Cutthorne descent, 3 Shires Head, Farm climb, Cumberland Clough & Brook, Standing Stone, Ferriser Descent, Ressies, Sutton Hall.

Conditions: Warm, overcast, mizzly, buggy.

Notes:

After the crazy heat earlier in the week, setting off in the high teens under full cloud cover felt almost cool!

Dunc calls a 3 Shires visit, and with an earlyish start we pick up most late starters en route to the Cat (except Lee). Weeks of dry weather have affected the vegetation so the patterns are different to what we are often used to, moody skies, and such a light hint of rain that you were not even really wet! (Although there was a heavy shower in Macc which caught out Lee)

Still short sleeves order at the Cat (just) and with much of the climbing done the first of the dry and loose descending could begin – first with Danebower, then after a short road traverse (with hovering kestrel for company), the Cutthorne rocky sandy entry into 3 Shires (which we usually climb), both excellent.

Tonights hazard is mainly flying insects of the bity variety, with there being high humidity and almost no wind.

Stunt gets a painful sting mid descent but the culprit looked to have pulled out and scarpered leaving just a neat puncture!

No one had brought their mankini’s so no swimming tonight, just about enough water, PTD attempted a reverse traverse under the bridge (but to no avail even with an e!)

Too buggy to hang around, so out up past the farm on a rare firm field. It seems that Lee had almost caught us, but didn’t spot us from the A54 so carried on – he must have only been minutes early to see us emerge!

All this full suss action has loosened Dunc’s cheapo dropper post fixings, and we pause for a brief faff.

More rocky fun down Chumby, top part grippy on the sides, lower part weird with there being almost no dampness, and hence more loose stuff than normal.

Butty pays the price for mentioning he had ordered new tyres earlier in the ride, and punctures mid way down. With his sealant dry and smeggy he causes great hilarity with his amusingly see through innertube. He even gets some help pumping it up as we are being bothered by the wee midgies and don’t want to hang around longer than necessary. Some are more attractive to them than others, so we discovered that Dunc is our sacrificial “red shirt” in these situations.

Relief with a full complement of functioning machinery we re-engage legs along the Wildboarclough road, spot some red deer high up in the fields on the right hand side, and make a final push up to standing stone.

Butty fancies the Ferriser descent, and with just enough time we follow.

To prove the adage that things happen in three’s, El Pres finds that his left pedal has slipped off the spindle whislt negotiating the anti horse barriers as you cross the road to start the ressies track.

At Sutton Hall, Lee has arrived only just before, our favoured lock up location has been nabbed by a gaggle of e bikes, so we actually lock up to the flower covered bike rack (once we find a rider who has actually brought a lock!)

Mor is the light summer IPA of choice (might not have been if we had realised the price first!!), and after food the Dark Arts Stout serves as pudding.

Lots of updates on building projects, motorhome trips and general malarky.

Cool enough for a single extra layer on the way home.

Crew: El Pres, 3 Sheds, Troll, Stunt

Pub: Slim, Butty, Dunc, Nick

Route: RB, Clarke Lane, Oak Lane, Redway, under Nancy, Ingersley Vale, Poachers Snicket, Spuley Lane, Pott Shrigely, Bakestonedale road, Layby ascent to Sponds, loop back to Dale Top, Quarry descent, Birchencliffe, Shrigley lane, Sugar Lane, Vale

Conditions: Warm, Dry, nice breeze

A night where most had excuses (some pretty good Dunc!) for either not riding, or joining late. A select group mustered at AZ corner, El Pres sorts destination – which requires a 20:29 arrival at the vale for food.

With a Sponds target, and live tracking set on Whatsapp for the chasers, he opts to miss out the back of Kerridge start so it’s road all the way to Redway.

At Ingersley Vale we bump into Jane and the spaniels who confirms that Pete was prepping for riding. But phone checking seems to suggest he’s not following our track…

The breeze is welcome and prevent overheating on the climb up past the brickworks and the layby.

The dry weather has made both the ground dry, and the vegetation stunted – so perfect for finding the line, keeping traction, and minimising prickly encounters.

The big wall stile is a bit wobbly as the feet on one side have rotted away so they are now off the ground. As a lone buzzard lazily flaps overhead with regular keening cries, there is still no sight or sign of Pete.

Fast over the ground up to the corner, over the shonky gate, past the pile of white paper waste, and right onto the gritstone trail. Crows hopping around a “sleeping” sheep, looking up what appears to be an iceberg on the skyline is the huge mound of white gunk just short of the trig point gate (still with the annoying sign).

Murky views (still no Pete) and fast route 1 down and across the bumps and up to Dale Top, where we find that Pete is in the Robin Hood with the Nancy’s!!!! Traitorous behavior (or possibly just community outreach worker?)

No time to mutter, but time enough to do the rocky grippy descent, continue down birchencliffe (with some treacherous mud between the walls) and out to Sugar lane and the wonders of the Vale.

Wise word from Nick on the evenings conversation:

I forgot what interesting topics are covered in the post ride discussion, concrete foundations to dwarf tossing, GCSE’s to action man real grippy hands and buttys knob????
Enlightening as ever.

Proper TNR

Words by Alex, Pics by Pete

Crew: El Pres, Slim, 3 Sheds, Butty, Doog, Croxy, G, Lee

Pub: TJ, El Pud

Route: MC, zig zags, walker barn, charity, extension, standing stone, nessit hill, between the DH course, ressies, Kings Head

Conditions: Mild, breezy, drizzly showers, buggy

Notes:

TNR to the rescue to fit a fresh plaque to Dan’s bench (and remove a troublesome screw). Croxy had collected the shiny brasswork, sourced new screws, and brought tools…leaving the rest of us to be the honour guard, and carry the traditional G&T supplies!

Meeting at MC (that climb doesn’t get any easier) we can see showers in the distance over the plain, and the clouds are moving quite fast. Having admired Doogs new carbon steed, called in the food orders, compared palm lumps and bumps (Phnnaar phnnaar) and welcomed tooled up croxy , we cross our fingers on the weather and begin!

Route is a simple forest loop to Nessit hill, and there are plenty of regrouping stops along the way. At the start of chazza we spy a rider coming up from the main road..it is Lee? no it’s even faster..it must be electric G! and it was.

More e’ers pass us before we set off – butty having a new “emate” on the same bike!

Recent rain has dampened chazza to less loose stuff, but not wet – aka fast!

On the extension the lower part had all the loose stuff – sketchy!

Time soon goes and so does the weather – drizzly stuff at Nessit as the task is completed and G&T’s complete with ice and lemon are prepared. (another pack of disturbingly identical riders on trek ebikes comes and goes)

We toast the task, and Croxy has brought a bonus “guess the whisky” challenge, Doog is convinced it’s a speyside, and he’s not wrong – a Glenfiddich 12 year old matured in sherry casks, no wonder it’s fruity aromas (bonus points if you said pear).

Drizzle stops and the air is incredibly clear – fiddlers ferry crystal clear, as is da holy city skyline, big reflection to the north of Fiddlers has us wondering what it is (not the mersey) big wet roofs out by the M62 way??

Three lads with trendy beards and pastel coloured hoodies looking a bit out of place as we left??!

“Relaxed” riding down and round the ressies, then full pelt to the pub!

Quiet it be, outside deserted, and only a couple of tables other than us inside.

Food delivered immediately (hearty portions), Landlord, Neckoil and Citra the ales.

A getting the band back together vibe, especially with TJ and El Pud arriving.

Nostalgia for 80’s films sparked by the new top gun film, and a small axis of evil in memory of Dan.

TJ is handing out free (yes free) rear lights (batteries not included) as he is clearing out his old stock.

What an end to the evening 🙂