drunkcyclist2

Crew: El Pres, PTD, Slim, Butty, Mr Incredible, Bernard, Stunt

Route: BL, Chazza, Cat, Danebower hollow, Quarries, 3 Shires, Field, Chumby, Standing Stone, Sutton Hall

Conditions: Dusty Dry, warm initially but cooling off to mild.

Stats: A stat free night

Notes:

Another big ride to make the most of the last night of dry trails

Underbiked Shocker!! PTD in  of epic Lake Garda trails, then inspects Petes new bike and Mr I’s tyres and gives approval 🙂

G Form pads increasing in frequency – yellow and black teams.

Half and half pedal talk by the alpinists, with Stunt testing an un-pinned shimano with 5-10’s combo.

Annoyingly lots of buzzy motorbikes out on the cat n fiddle road..also making the most of the last dry night for a while.

Worrying murk on the far side of the Cheshire plain visible from the start of chazza makes us wonder if the forecast of no rain before midnight is correct! (happily it was)

Butty catches the stunning sunset from the track above the tearooms, and it’s lights on at the Cat.

Quarries there to be conquered by the brave, and the contour trail is dry and fast (like never before!)

More chunky descending  into three shires but no time to dally before riding out up the field.

El Pres shows us how to rock chazza after a slur on his riding character! Incredibly low ford and then everyone for themselves in last gasp push for the pub (a few RHS diversions were rewarding)

Five rings a bit hoppy for some, Beartown better, pies exceeded expectations, and Alp talk (including bolt weighing geekery) soon switches to skiing planning.

Some tired legs on the ride home.

From TNR 22-08-2013 new steeds

Crew: G, Eric, Butty, Mr Incredible, Stunt, Coley

Pub: Slim, Dunc, Dan & Nic

Route: BL, Chazza, Wilboarclough to A54, Offroad across to former Eagle & Child, Gated roads to Cut thorne, Descent into 3 Shires, Field/farm out to A54, Chumby, Standing stone, Sutton Hall

Conditions: Warm & Buggy, dusty trails.

Stats: 2 Punctures for G, offs for Eric (2), G (1)

Notes:

Route conundrum of how to do 3 shires without roading to the cat leads to slighty novel route.

Flying ants thick on the ground (and air) all the way to the top of chazza, where a flock of starlings were also doing patterns from the cows field when disturbed.

G has his first mandatory pinch puncture at the bottom of chazza (mind the big tractor parked at the bottom!) and we see some whippet youths whizz down then back up!

Good pace and chat along the valley all the way to the eagle and child track. By ‘eck its a steep start to that there trail, and when it goes rocky both G and Eric end up with rear wheel spin out low speed sideways topplings.

Once at the top – great conditions for a fast thrash (or in the case of stunt on his old school voodoo as not as fast as it feels thrash!)

Time does not allow for the full reverse entry to chazza so we stay on the roads to Cut Thorne.

Steeper climbs now taking their toll on legs and blood sugar levels.

Lights on for the loose rocky trail down where G has his second puncture (and does he have a second tube? ..well we were impressed he had a first one!)

Grippy dew laden grass makes for some pushing on the way out as we start to string out, and fatigue also affects mental state – as half the party head towards danebower hollow at the top!

Chumby is gnarly and wetter than for a while, although still an easy ford at the end.

No time to explore the forest and big rings to the pub.

Pennine Gold goes down lovely, and Slim and Dunc provide new bike goodness to admire.

Other goodies on show – more space tech Gel pads (this time in Transformers yellow on black) that feel like snug arm/leg warmers (no crash testing performed). Alpine kit and spares debates swing from doomladen to Pah! extremes. Dan demonstrates rare Alliance of Moderation willpower, whilst a slight AoE head for another, followed by chasers.

Not sure we actually worked out the height gain – but surely good training whatever!

From TNR 18-07-2013 Hot High And Hazardous

Crew: PTD, El Pres, Doog, Mr Incredible, Butty, Stunt

Pub: Slim & Dunc

Jumped in a Lake: Bernard

Photos by Butty’s “chest cam” ….marvellous

Route: BL, New Road, Tea Rooms, Shining Tor, LHS descent to Lamaload, LHS of Lamaload, Rainow, Bull Hill Lane, Back Eddisbury Lane, Teggs, Sutton Hall

Conditions: 30 C (87 F) at BL, Dry, sunny, uber dry trails (apart from 2 bits of quagmire)

From TNR 18-07-2013 Hot High And Hazardous

Stats: Off & resulting read mech faff Mr I, Barbed wire scratches Butty.

Notes:

Primary route target of Shining Tor descent not deviated from (despite the siren song of our big events social secretary), or the shocking news that the Vale is now only serving food until 8:30pm. More disappointment as Stunt informs butty that the co-op has sold out of lollies.

Select crew (mainly the green orange club) get going pronto

El Pres’s “there’s not been many motorbikes past tonight” was a tad fate tempting, as the lardy leathery hornets buzz up and down as soon as we pass the turn off for the old road!

Closest death shave delivered by an overtaking Golf who almost took out Butty (whose chestcam footage will be closely scrutinised!)

Regrouping at the tea rooms we find Butty has disappeared into the establishment still in search of a lolly, but emerges with ginger beer!

From TNR 18-07-2013 Hot High And Hazardous

A curlew flaps past us repeatedly ..and we soon discover that it is protecting a chick wandering on the upper trail, we respectfully creep by.

Stunning 360 degree views from Shining Tor 🙂

LHS descent dry as a bone, and wicked fast!!

The final snicket to the gate on hoolihey lane retains its reputation for deception, rampant spiky stuff shreds any ungloved flesh, Butty hits mud at speed and ends up on the barbed wire fence and Mr Incredible catches a rut hidden in the vegetation and promtly offs over the handlbars! At the road blood is dripping from arms and legs, and Mr I’s rear mech controls are damaged beyond roadside repair. Still we’d all do it again 🙂

Butty & PTD instantly set Mr I an improvised fixed 3rd gear, and off we continue. Bonkers fast down the Lamaload descent (watch out for the loose stuff on the track when you hit it!), more bog to cross before the ride out.

Scarecrows of Rainow mean its a ticket to ride up Bull Hill Lane 😉

Hordes of bikers turning at the top for repeat runs between the cameras 🙁

Doog discovers his BB is on its way out..and head off home via coalpit lane, whist a now hot and tired crew make a final ascent to teggs for one more dry descent and then the pub.

Slim in residence, Blondes on the Patio, Duncan arrives just in time to bring us more beer, and then inside for food and banter.

A brandy night and the warmest ride home in living memory (Butty very lively heading back, a cider/ lager/leffe/ brandy combination may have had something to do with it!)

Next week roaches and dane valley assuming all still dry 🙂

Crew: El Pres, PTD, Doog, 3 Sheds, Mr Incredible, Stunt, Butty

Route: BL, Old Road, Zig zag, Teggs, Smithy, Chazza, Nessit, Smithy

Conditions: Warm, breezy up top, plenty of puddles on the trails

Stats: One Camelback valve incident & loose rear wheel for PTD, one off for Mr Il

Notes:

Small crew (growing injury list!) but at least our first injured rider is back from his dodgy knee!

Butty’s still got a dodgy shoulder – so does a parallel ride on his crosser (surely that’s a worse position than a mountain bike!?)

This week Mr I forgets cycling shoes! – luckily Stunt arrives early enough for a quick dash back for some size 9’s 🙂

Tis a warm evening, and Stunt is much mocked for his black evening wear style arm warmers 😉

Teggs fast until the muddy bits where it is very slippy (and Mr I’s prediction that he has an off every time Doog is on the ride comes true down the right hand side into some soft bilberry bushes)

Another knee testing slog up to chazza – then down , again running nice and fast:-)

Next stop Nessit for celebratory Pimms and Brandy and admiring the weather (beginning of some proper summer weather alledgedly )

Hooning down past the downhill and back to the smithy for pre ordered food and re unite with Butty.

All Ales good, food soon gone, and much banter. Mr I heads off for his early morning depart forgetting to leave payment!!

Team pocket searching finds we are able to settle (and just about stretch to whisky too).

Shoes and funds left by Mr I found safe and sound in the Palmer front garden.

Here’s to summer riding!