drunkcyclist2

words by Stunt , pics by Butty

Crew: El Pres, TJ, Butty, Stunt

Extended Commute: Joe

Pub: Dunc & Slim

Route: BL, old road, full zig zags, walker barn, charity lane & extension, bottom of the oven, tea rooms, goyt grassy descent, pyms chair, dead mans hill, blaze hill, poachers.

Conditions: Warm, Occasional light drizzle.

Notes:

Small crew after a big weekends riding, Butty on rigid singlespeed as his last “not broken” bike!

TJ fancies the Goyt and El Pres determines that we get there avoiding the Buzz Kill that is New road in the summer.

Joe joins us to the bottom of chazza.

Gaining height up the old road and into the Zig – ominous clouds are creeping across the plain, although the hills have the white and fluffy  variety.

Hovering Kestrel on the Zag bridleway, Butty in Photographer mode, and always at the front, maybe we should make Pete ride singlespeed so he gets some shots from the front too? 🙂

Long grasses, thistles, yellow and blue flowers wave in the breeze on the banks of the lane up to Chazza, by which time spits and spots are starting to fall. Not greasy down chazza, but extension steps have been washed out (last Fridays torrents??)

The drizzle isn’t heavy enough to warrant waterproofs, but is enough to create rainbow directly ahead of us on the road up from the Stanley Arms, perfect half circle starting in the field next to the road and finishing on the other side.

Rain soon passes (taking the rainbow with it). Find some sheep chatting to a horse across the fence on the top path, plus big rabbits.

Goyt descent in excellent condition, and even though grassy the rain doesn’t seem to have made it skiddy. Butty leads us on some singletrack between high bracken and we get a new route (and legs thrashed by vegetation!)

TJ waxes lyrical about sailing on the upper reservoir, and the light fades on the long climb out, accompanied by loud clicky creaks from TJ’s rear end – which Butty helpfully suggests is probably a broken rear axle! (it survives to the pub)

A lot of solitary riding – more wildlife spotting, Massive white owl on the hunt, and a Sparrohawk whizzing low along the countours looking to flush out something for supper.

Another shower made the descent to Jenkins chapel slightly tentative, but dry again on the other side. Lights on but no time for oakenbank lane, straight down to the poachers for a perfectly timed rendevouz with Dunc and Pete who have been furtling on Kerridge.

The pub mostly exclusively occupied by mountain bikers, Peroni, American IPA, before the usual slide into Belgian-ness with Dunc going for Duval and Pete & Butty on Leffe. Port finish just to be different for some. We were slightly weary tonight, and sluggish to leave, which for those riding further home would lead to being quite wet!

Words by Alex, Pics by Pete

Crew: El Pres, Slim, Butty, TJ, Mr I, Stunt, Josh

Pub: Coley

Route: BL, Rainbow Bridge, Under White Nancy, Poachers Snicket, Pott Shrigley, Moorside Lane, Chapel descent, Lyme Park W gate, Knob, Lyme Park E Gate, Justins Passage, Mudhurst Lane, Bowstones, Sponds, Diagonal descent to layby, Pott Shrigley, Poachers

Conditions: Sunny, Warm, mostly dry trails, high vegetation!

Notes:

Last minute negotiations with the President lead to a merciful 18:45 meet for northern contingent at Rainbow bridge as skies clear for what will be a glorious evening to be up in the hills.

Mr I arrives with BIG NEWS …apparently he has joined the Smartphone generation…”I have a Nokia” …spontaneous laughter from the cruel cultists of Android and iOS..it’s still a major improvement on the blackberry!

TJ’s bike sporting double test lightage for Brightbikelights next season best sellers..

A rare climb up through Lyme Park is proposed, and Kerridge is ditched in favour of speed to maximise the downhill options from Sponds.

Josh joins us (this time forearmed with tactical mars bars), and Stunts GI style loose chinstrap gets some Joshing from the rest of the crew!

Crew sets off a quite a clip – but soon strings out as the lovely light provides photo opportunities galore.

Chapel descent fast and fun – and low tree shows Stunt why chin straps should be snugger fitting.

Plenty of gratuitous skidding on gravel under braking.

A fully legal entry to the Park!!! passing dog walker & joggers, stunning views from the Knob, whiff of BBQ from the picnic area, long grasses swaying in the golden light, tis truly an evening to savour.

Exiting past the gate house holidayers sensibly sat with wine in hand, we complete our compliance audit and soon turn right up Julians Back Passage ! picking our way between the thistles and nettles, accompanied by our shadow riders.

Last burst of energetic riding to Bowstones, tactical mars bars, and decision on descent.

The White mound back to full size! and a pair of wellies next to the gate… Trig point the better choice  than tip toeing through gloop to the stile.

Setting sun right in our eyes on the down and ups across to Sponds. lots of opportunity for “air” from the frolicsome riders.

Stunt ends up chest high in marsh grass taking Not an alternative to the path around a boggy bit!

Rear blinkies on for the road to the Pub (last night of the year into pub without lights?)

Poachers busy, Ramblers excellent, table service even better, beat that photo competition, belgian beers, fiddling with new phones, Joshing and Japery.

Cool heading home – but at least TJ can test his lights.

Crews

Roadie   Stunt, El Pres, TJ, Coley

Off Road  PTD, Mr I

Pub roadies Slim, Eric & El Pud

Pub Mrs I

Route

Roadies, BL, Fools Nook, Jodrell Bank, Goostrey, Swettenham, Congleton, over Timbersbrook and into Ruston Spencer via Beats Lane, main road to Leek.

Off Roaders – furtlings from Roach End into Leek

Conditions

Wet start clearing to blue skies, warmth lost as sun went down, misty and cool return.

Notes

Summer having happened the day before the plan to head to leek under glorious skies now looked very dubious as it had rained much of the afternoon! But a plan’s a plan and weather geekery predicted it would stop soon enough.

Waterproofs donned, a flatter plains route seemed best, and maybe the weather would reduce the chances of meeting large farm machinery in the lanes? “said stunt as a large yellow piece of farm machinery trundled into barracks lane ..ahem.

Cobbling together route knowledge between the crew (and managing not to lose TJ) soon enough it was time to stop to admire Radio Telescope, and muse on the sign saying no mobile phones beyond this point…with a mobile phone mast in the field behind!

Roads and riders drying rapidly it’s time to enjoy the rolling countryside in it’s summertime at its lush best. Children feeding ducks at Reedsmere (by throwing the bread onto the road!), Man releasing rabbit well away from his garden, Middle aged men in Lycra on bikes (ooops that will be us then!)

Congleton was a definite grey area in the collective mental mappery, and with a trust in direction that would have made El Pud proud, a direct line to the right road was attempted to avoid the dual carriageway. With a few zig zags, laissez faire attitude to road signs, and a tactical alleyway, we did get the right road without getting lost (even if we couldn’t claim to know where we were).

Luckily for some !?? they didn’t know that there was the small matter of a large lump of landscape between us and Belgian beer. Those who have done the Cheshire cat will remember it, with views of the cloud to the left, lama’s and lifesize plastic jungle animals to the right, and standing on the pedals eyeballs popping out the front.

With time running out on the rendezvous with the knobbly boys, the Rudyard route was abandoned in favour of the Ruston certainty. Nice views of the lake on the last climb, then rapid road riding into Leek, final slog up the hill to the marketplace, check of the phones to discover Knobblies already a pint up.

Georges fish and chips devoured under the market cross, with leftovers thrown to hungry latecomers.

Minor rebellion as PTD and El Pres opt for wetherspoons for food (Hmmm)

But finally all are cosily ensconced in Den Engels, Mr I delighting in the book of beer geekery, and the world is that bit fuzzier and nicer.

Hold the front Page its El Pud! There must be an unusual planetary alignment.

Straight away there is controversial comment – its the germans this time!

General Faffing cannot disguise the fact that its a long and likely cold ride home. All clothing donned riders head out. A range of strategies from hard and fast, to slow and steady rapidly emerge. Full moon and mist make for some eerie and quiet moments, plus some wonderful sights like the dark mass of the cloud rising out of the valley mists.

Some concerted peleton chasing catch the longtime breakaway rider close to Macc, but further attacks fracture the group and its an honourable draw at the turn to Byrons lane.

Another summer classic – with caps!