drunkcyclist2

words by Alex, pics by Pete

Crew: PTD, Butty, Slim, Troll, Stunt

Pub: Dunc & Nic

Route: BL, Zig, Teggs, Leathers, Chazza, Bombholes to Narnia, Witches Cottage, The “old wet snicket”, Leathers.

Conditions: Humid, clouds clearing, then coming back in again for a shower late on. Muddy Trails.

Notes:

A small crew with Slim at BL on time shocker! Early getaway prevented by a late running troll. Much bike geek talk (new Sidi shoes for Slim!) and even some early Ribaldry as we wait.

Recent rain and continuing breeziness suggest the tops are not going to be at their best, so we default to the forest with a Teggs entry.

PTD takes us up over the lumpy bits for some variety..and there are good views on offer, undergrowth is rather pedal catching, but does provide nutrition as Bilberries are in season and very yummy 🙂

Descent not for the faint hearted…so PTD shows us how to do it (Twice!)

Teggs descent with added hazards of rare breed horned cattle lower down!

Food ordered at the Leathers, and an hour to do a loop…long grind up to start.

An enticing green ribbon is seen to be threading its way through the felled slopes on the way to Witches cottage, Butty and Stunt debate whether it’s the old “Wet snicket” and the answer is that it must be…for now on and up.

A few hind and several young deer watch us puff up to the gate at Hacked way lane.

We regroup at the “clean” entrance to the snicket just after the Dentists Bombhole.

Rain is starting to fall, its dark under the trees – lights needed, and it’s soft too – one or two parts are too iffy to ride the line. Maybe we need to hold off when its wet to preserve it?

Time to head back, so a perfect opportunity to explore the old snicket!

We drop in and boy does undergrowth hide a multitude of sins – its a rollercoaster of brambles, rotting brush, huge stumps, random logs and rocks, soft patches and lower down running water! We make it in one piece (although some are checking tyres to be sure!) and a few legs are bloodied.

It won’t take much work to clear the worst stuff, and will ride well in due course…maybe could be improved to take a longer zig zag flowy route down the hillside?

Discussion is carried on to the Pub, and bike banter with a couple of familiar faces too.

Duchars, Golden ale and Guinness all feature in quenching thirst, hunger dealt with by large plates and bonus peas 🙂

Dunc and Nic arrive to ensure conversation is at a suitable level (it’s already there!) and a play your cards right higher or lower theme emerges on key questions being answered with google  fu (Roger Decourcey is still with us, The origin of “the pen is mightier than the sword” is much more recent than you think, and Norman cavalry horses much smaller!)

We may have emptied the bottle of Highland Park (our friendly landlord enjoying our quizzy banter too)

Crew: El Pres, Butty, Croxy, Stunt

Route: BL, New Road, Charity & Extension, Cat, Danebower Hollow, Cumberland Clough, Standing Stone, New Campfire spot & descent, Reservoir, Sutton Hall

Conditions: Cloudy, Warm, Hint of Breeze, Dry trails

Notes:

A very small crew – boosted by the welcome sight of Croxy!

Tutting at the start as El Pres notes wear on front fork stanchion  (despite recent seal replacement)…

Stunt on the Five (with full drivetrain and bearing replacement)…and bemoans tubeless tubby tyre trickiness having put the marin out of action.

Aspirations of Three Shires..but plenty of options.

We decide it would be rude not to do Charity, it’s very dry and loose! Croxy’s tyre throws up an Asteroid! (well large rock that hung in the air a long time and nearly took out Butty)

Extension similarly so, at the bottom El Pres adjusts his saddle and we discover he has a dent in the seat tube level with the clamp..my word he is sweating that asset!

He does admit to now “thinking about” replacing it…

The climb to the tea rooms has distractions in the form of paragliders – and the cloudy sky perhaps fooling the senses..there seem to be plenty of thermals and ridge lift on offer.

We also get a view from below of the main road wall “roadworks” – traffic lights still there, and the Manchester Wheelers time trialists must be stopping there, as a couple appear then peel off into the tea rooms car park for a sit down.

Cat has cardboard and polystyrene in the windows of the old restaurant – something going on..or just early winterisation??

We also see tractor tracks over much of the moors…but its not at all clear what has been going on…some form of spraying? certainly not muck (phew!)

A puddle at the start of Danebower hollow is almost a shock – with everything else so dry, its a long fast thrash to the other end 🙂

Not quite enough time for 3 Shires tonight, so off to Chumby – with new gate & fence now joining the sturdy gateposts seen a couple of months back.

Almost no water in the splash by the “normal” gate, and just a trickle on the upper part of the “brook” section, and pick your line in the ford at the bottom 🙂

There is cargo on board tonight, and we head to the new campfire spot to imbibe.

The “Red One” a “Gran Gran’s” 3 year old Rasberry Eau de Vie made by Croxy’s French Madam of Maintenance – it’s not bad…quite like a sloe gin.

Croxy has done a Troll and brought a fine selection of Antipasti, sliced meat, cheese and olives to wash it down…very civilised 🙂

The “Yellow one” is dessert..a sweet almost sherberty Limoncello.

We may have had more than one of each…

Despite which we survive the descent and find the right exit!

The clouds have cleared enough for some late evening sunlight and sunset 🙂

It would have been a perfect finish other than a near miss on the singletrack with a very late dog walking couple, and clouds of midges at the bottom of the ressie to the Smithy…mouth and nostrils closed!!

Sutton hall garden empty..but pretty full inside, although our table was vacant 🙂

Following the fruity theme of the evening, there is an Elderflower ale…but a quick taste is enough to switch to Lakeland gold.

Ribaldry disaster as Dunc informs we won’t make the pub.

Serious conversation ensues until we fortunately get onto the topic of Wimbledon..and then lady players…:-)

Still nice and warm as we exit the pub…but then it rains!

Luckily it doesn’t last long, and Butty gets back to Poynton only mildly moist!!

Words by Stunt, Pics by Pete

Crew: El Pres, Slim, Stunt

Pub: Dunc & Nic

Route: RB, Endon House climb, Lidgetts Lane, Lower back of Kerridge, Rainow, Oakenbank, Pott Shrigley, Bakestondale Road Climb, Gritstone Trail, 1975 stone, Trig point, Dale Top, Quarry Descent, Ford, Birchencliffe, Sugar Lane, Vale fail, Poachers.

Conditions: Murky, Damp, Low cloud, wet trails

Notes:

What a difference a week makes! Dodgy british summer weather and suddenly it’s only the hard core riding…even a whiff of winters gold fails to attract further recruits.

Pete declares a Rainbow Bridge start, slack pub crawl option given short shrift, off we go.

Small crews are social affairs and a steady chat accompanies the steady pace (well Pete has done 3 cycle commutes already this week).

Eye spy a little owl…yes really..on a fence post between the canal and clarke lane.

Cows in the field at the start of Kerridge ..we stop to have bad thoughts on what other bits of shonky gates of cheshire could be upcycled into 🙂 !

Its greasy rather than muddy, but the vegetation is the biggest hazard blocking those narrow lines, or attacking forearms and unprotected fingers!!

Moody skies as we crest Oakenbank, and a first look up to the higher ground…will it rain?

Time to climb on road, we each settle in to a pace that suits, and are soon lost in our own thoughts. Entertainment however is provided by rag tag groups of roadies belonging to the Cheshire Mavericks (if being a bit tubby, a bit middle aged, and a bit slow up the hill is Maverick!). Stunt amuses himself by keeping close enough to one group to be the Top Gear “spare car” threat, and no doubt annoying them by almost keeping up on 3″ tyres (moral victory for MTB 🙂 )

The tops are in cloud, but weirdly so are the valley’s either side of the road..but not the road!

Gritstone achieved, and proper tractor tracks have made the double track into double stream of sloppiness. Luckily the centre grassy bit is rideable.

Stunt declares whisky o’clock at the 1975 stone (well metal plate in stone surround)..sadly the usual 360 degrees of lovely views are all mist.

Extra layers on as the dampness seeps in, and the Dalwhinnie Winters Gold slips down.

We find our way to the trigpoint, and through the gate we discover what the farmer has been doing….spreading muck…as far as the eye can see!!

It’s really quite impressive.. in a complete and utter coverage of every square foot of a whole moor!!! The brown stuff is also extra claggy with fibrous content.

Mouths firmly closed we manage the up and downs at moderate speed (still in the cloud), but still end up with bikes and legs covered in the stuff!

Quarry descent is opted for, and at least over the stile we are clear of the sh*ttiness, and the bikes shake most of it off on the way down.

Water splash helps clean the tyres, and (with only a quick stop for a bit more air in the tubby rear tyre for high speed stability) it’s down sugar lane to the vale.

Next time we will look in the windows before locking up…not a seat to be had in the house…so we head uphill to the poachers.

Nancies already tucking in to their food a little after nine, which makes us feel less bad about an earlyish pub.

Alton Pride, pies and gammon, and we are feeling refreshed and relaxed when Dunc and Nic arrive to lower the tone, relay tales of the hottest mayhem in living memory, drink dodgy Rhubarb cider, and force us into too much Leffe!

It’s just what we needed, and ribaldry is duly enacted 🙂

Can’t keep up with them on the way home..funny that !

Pete did make his friday cycle commute (but not with the new 650b wheels though)..Riding five days in a row (will he become super slim!?)