drunkcyclist2

Riders: El Pres, PTD, Dr S, TJ, Butty, Troll, 3 Sheds, Coley, Croxy, Bern, Mark, Stunt, G

Pub: Nic, Doog, Mawds, Si, Dunc

Silverback: Lee, Vaughan, Shaun

Route: BL, New road, Charity lane, Narnia, ye olde Kings Head

Conditions: Very Mild, Hill fog, Muddy

Stats: 5 cocktails pre pub

Top turnout for the winter solstice/christmas dinner ride, not at all affected by the choice of pub, live music from Lee, and colourful cocktails from PTD!

The lack of seasonal weather may have affected the traditional decoration/silly hat wearing (too hot?).

Despite some moisture in the air Croxy does come for the ride, on Helens bike..and despite mega faffing has managed to tinsel up 🙂

PTD promises 3 cocktails, and both the Troll &  Mark has also brought one each…and we need to be at the pub by 8:30.

We try for a chazza – standing stone – dans bench route.

Folk set a crisp pace…although PTD encumbered by significant liquid load, becomes tail end charlie.

By Walker Barn we are in cloud, and with wind direction in our favour, its decided to have a first stop at the top of Charity.

Cocktail 1 (Phil M) Creme Anglais….Shot glass..Yellow ..sweet and smooth

Cocktail 2 (PTD)  Ponsettia…Long glass…Black..Cranberry, Prosecco, Blue Curaco

Time marches on, we amend route to Narnia Bench then pub

Charity down in low vis, very wet & rocky, Narnia even thicker fog!

Cocktail 3 (PTD) Kiss n Tell…Long glass..Bright Green..Orange juice, Galliano, Blue Curaco & Vodka

Cocktail 4 (PTD) Burnside…Shot glass..Maroon…Gin, dry Vermouth, Cherry Brandy

Cocktail 5 (Mark) Baby guiness..Shot glass…black n white…coffee & cream liquers

..there may also have been a hip flask going around!!

Narnia to witches cottage super slippery…but we all make it in one piece 🙂

PTD almost gets lost on the descent to the road!

Landlord or Rudolph, 3 course dinner & 2 sets from Silverback ..now with added drummer Shaun! We are treated to new covers from Crowded House, Men at Work (antipodean theme here) ,REM a non Sax version of Baker street plus old favourites like Pedal to the Metal and Sunshine.

Much Air Sax, Air Drumming, singing along and general merriment. Tireless service from the lovely bar staff keep us fed and watered, Croxy becomes chief accountant, and time flies.

Some wobbly moments on the way home for many…and a delicate start to friday!

Brilliant evening 🙂

Crew: El Pres, PTD, Slim, TJ, Stunt

Route: Hurdsfield Road, Cliff Lane, New Road, Charity Lane, Extension, Standing Stone, Nessit, Normal between the DH course descent, Ressies, Kings Head

Notes:

The first of Storm Caroline’s wet petticoats had just been through as heavy rain/just about snow ahead of the BL rendevouz. Crew prepped for heavy weather…to find clear skies, light breeze and still above zero.

Opting to climb on tarmac we show TJ & PTD the direct delights of Cliff Lane (doing it in the cold seemed better than on a warm summer evening).

Wind still not too bad, and also at our backs we are nicely warm at the start of Charity.

First signs of snow here..but just the odd patch from a very light sprinkling. Three deer in the trees see our lights then move off slowly.

Very very wet going down so no ice this week 🙂 but lots of big rocks and quite slippy!

A group of riders await our passing at the bottom.

Extension also greasy. At Standing stone a lot of standing water by the car park, and the first hint of a freshening wind into our faces.

A civilised stop at the bench on the way to the S bends for some hot fruity refreshment with a hint of Brandy…leading to philosophical thoughts…a theme for the evening.

On and up to Dan’s bench..first sign of white on the ground here with some flurries coming in. lights lower down on the other side maybe those bikers from before?

Standard decent..interesting big rock / soft mud combo makes the drop to the track fairly intense (Stunt admits to feeling somewhat battered on a rigid..even with tractor tyres)

Round the ressies the lights catch up with us and follow us to the smithy. peeling off we head down into a cold wind to the warmth of the kings head.

Virtually empty..we have it to ourselves 🙂 less impressed that Landlord is off, so wincle Rambler the best of the rest. Food excellent, conversation very high brow and a total lack of ribaldry!!

Wet sleety sh*t on the ride home

Words by Alex, Photos by Pete

Crew: El Pres, Slim, Troll, 3 Sheds, Mark, Stunt & Dunc

Route: BL, Zig, Teggs, Leathers, Witches Cottage, Charity & extension, Standing Stone, Nessit, Ressies, Leathers.

Conditions: Cold, Clear, Wet & muddy trails

Stats: 1 Off (dunc), 1 Puncture (El Pres)

Notes:

This week we feel we are properly prepared! Sub 5 supplies – Tick, Stunt’s Brakes operational (new pads front and back, bled & topped up) – tick, suitable clothing for cold night – tick. Pete last to arrive – tick 🙂

Dunc will be meeting us en route, a start of chazza rendevouz agreed.

We head out legally the wrong way out of BL due to a road closure 🙂

Chat begins with the fabled replacement of the Trolls Yeti – it’s going to happen..but there may be last minute distractions???

No overheating this week – it’s a climb to warm up type of night, plenty of water on the trails, so soggy bottoms may be an issue!

Teggs is ok to start but super slippy lower down, ressie renovation means a temporary footpath, we spurn the temporary steps…but learn the hard way that this is not a shortcut! 2 lots of hike a bike over walls and we are back on track.

Food ordered at the Smithy, but a tough target of being back by ten to nine means there will be no slacking permitted!

Owls and/or Foxes provide the sound effects on the climb to the cottage, and there is a good view across the plain under a crescent orange moon! Legs and lungs are on the limit by the time we’re at the start of chazza though, no Dunky yet , but he’s not too far away, so we set off and let him chase us down.

Chazza running well, although Stunt discovers that no matter how bright your light is..it’s not much help if it starts pointing at your front wheel after a big bump!!! Luckily helmet mounted light prevents disaster 🙂

Extension dry but gnarly, those doing the singletrack from the shutlingsloe steps to the S bends report some big front wheel eating puddles near the end!

Dans bench for the promised Winter’s gold…rather fine it is too..and Dunc arrives perfectly on time for his wee glass 🙂 He’s had to work hard to catch up..but apparently this is a good thing as there is some work frustration to work off. This theme is carried on into the downhill as he goes flying past a warp speed…how he makes it around the slimy berm is anyones guess.

Stunt is rather the opposite as his front light slips again!!

Down the path and round the ressie to be on time…but a “burp splat aargh” from Dunc tells us that he’s literally ridden his luck too far, and landing a little jump loses too much tyre air and gains a layer of mud down one side 🙂

No major damage done other than to pride (and possibly aggravating an old shoulder injury?) the straggles limp in to find the El Presidente sorting a puncture.

Adnams stout Old Ale is the beer of choice (two excellent dark beers in two weeks) so we dutifully drink the tap dry, food is excellent, and the emergency table chips we ordered “just in case” are devoured by a hungy Dunky despite his “don’t need food” protestations.

Warm fire is extremely welcome, as are the extra chips from the kitchen.

Ribaldry returns this week, re-igniting the Dunc ribaldry catalyst theory, starting a new theory that ribaldry is temperature sensitive (last week too cold in the pub?), and ignoring the lots of beer theory 🙂

Music is eclectic and good (Black Sabbath to Madonna via Dire Straights and M People)

John looks after us extremely well, and after Troll upgrades our whisky from Bells to Talisker, some bonus apple pie appears!!!

No frost on the way home, although it is chilly, Pete wins the guess the midnight Tythy temp competition (3c)

BBBBBB next week

Big Berns Bikes and Beer Birthday Bash