drunkcyclist2

Crew: G, Eric, 3 Sheds, Stunt

Route: Rainbow bridge, endon hall, lidgetts lane, back of Kerridge, poachers snicket, pott shrigley, bakestonedale road, bowstones, park moor descent, contour route to meet moorside lane,the un named track & watersplash to shrigley road, styperson pool, sugar lane, vale.

Conditions: Cool, windy, very muddy/wet trails

A stat free week

Notes:

A select few (Eric approved) crew flying the flag this week in patriotic red, white(ish) and Blue bikes.

This week the theme would be Harry Potter…well slitherin (I’ll get my coat)

3 Sheds delays start by forgetting his camelback, then bravely returns despite at least 3 raindrops of what we call “rain” J

Route designed to minimise unnecessary windage, muddage unavoidable!

A group of mystery riders at the top of Endon hall appeared to be missing a Phil – but they didn’t seem interested in ours!?

Plenty of sideways action along the back of Kerridge brideways, slithery but rideable J

Impressive tyre screech on the road climb to the layby as a landy has to bail out of overtaking Phil on a blind corner – only to succeed on the next blind corner!

Bakestonedale moor track not as muddy as feared, and the sheep have clearly been hungry as all grass is beautifully cropped! No getting away from a long slog to the top.

Wet but not too boggy over the tops, and back into the wind at Bowstones!

Phil now owns up to a dicky knee – and hopes for a stile free route back, G strangely silent…

Top descent down the moor – still gnarly at the bottom!

We now contour back into the wind, track is pretty boggy and there are several massive stiles, bike balancing in the wind requires care.

Mud gets briefly washed off as we tackle the ford on the cut through to shrigley road, before putting it back on round syperson pool.

Pace has been high and no stops so tired legs by the time we arrive at the vale.

Baguettes the new burger, Long Hop or Moravka, layering up as we are cold, and a tiny bill!

Axis of responsibility 2.5PG and home early.

From TNR 17-01-2013 Snow Chains

Crew: PTD, EL Pres, Slim, Stunt, Butty, TJ, Mr Incredible, Bernard

Route: BL, Langley, Reservoir paths, lower dentists descent, forest bridleway ascent, nessit hill, s bends, main path & lower path, reservoir, Church House.

Conditions: -1 to -3 with light snow, windy higher up

Stats: Off to Bernard, double faff to Butty, single faff to Mr Incredible

Notes:

Shock as Slim is on time at BL and a rare Thursday night appearance from Bernard thanks to frozen footie pitches.

Lightly falling snow triggers intense route discussion of how to find any rideable routes.

Gritted roads remain snow free on the way up to the Smithy, then we find just enough fresh snow to make the icy trails rideable with care.

From TNR 17-01-2013 Snow Chains

First faff of the night at the bottom of nessit as Butty discovers a distinctly bent magic link, and discovers that 10 speed ones don’t come off, eventually resigned to losing bottom two gears (well all that single speeding was good training then :-))

Minutes later Mr Incredible snaps his 9 speed chain as Blightly continues its shakedown of his Californian ride. Team work gets him back on the trail.

We wonder if warning descending passing riders about the slippy lower trail is actually a help or hin drance (but none of them actually crash within earshot)

Fully frozen dentist singletrack has been visited by the trail faries who have added jumps and berms.

From TNR 17-01-2013 Snow Chains

Butty then has an epic failure of his new rear hub and as we get increasingly cold mutterings of dissent begin, although Slim & Stunt reminisce about Stunts first ride with triple faff on a snowy night 🙂

Butty retires to the Church House early, and we gratefully warm up on the steep climb to Nessit, clip in pedals useless, snow deepening, ice randomly close to the surface and wind rising.

Another first as Stunt gets furthest up the middle bridleway before pushing!!?

We huddle behind trees out of the wind as TJ gets the in ride refreshment in, never has cooking whisky tasted so good (add snow to taste).

From TNR 17-01-2013 Snow Chains

Wind is so strong its pedal downhill time to the S bends, then the trails are perfect all the way down until on the lower path the noise of tyre on snow suddenly goes very crunchy and its don’t touch the brake time!

From TNR 17-01-2013 Snow Chains

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All too soon it’s back on the road and into the relative furnace of the Church House.

Gammon or Ale Pie, Sir Phillip or Headless, much discussion about impending skiing, cheeky snifter before layering up for the ride home.

From TNR 3-01-2013 First Of 13

Crew: El Pres, El Pud, PTD, Slim, Eric, G, 3 Sheds, Mr Incredible, Coley, Stunt, Doog, TJ, Butty

Pub: Dunc

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Route: BL, Zig zags, Teggs, Leathers smithy, Chazza & extension, Nessit, Paths & reservoir, Sutton Hall

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Conditions: Very mild, very very wet trails, hint of hill fog higher up.

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Stats: 2 offs (Slim & Mr I), 1 lighting faff Slim, 1 puncture Mr I

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From TNR 3-01-2013 First Of 13

Notes:

Eric frets as 13 riders assemble for 2013’s inaugural ride!

A clothing challenge night – rather warm, but protection needed against water & muck flying from wheels.

Most opt for the RH side of teggs which was a good choice, but lower down a different story and Slim & Mr Incredible manage a syncronised slidey off in the mud 🙂

The hardingland vs leathers top gear challenge is proposed by Eric – who then (happily!?) finds himself solo on the “HARD”ingland option. A spirited effort saw him only a minute or so behind the main group leaders.

Chazza very misty as well as very wet.

Refreshment stop at standing stone car park – rusty nails & warm sausage rolls courtesy of El Pud, and mince pies from Butty 🙂

Mr I’s pathetic US rear tyre finally gives in to British grit and lets go on the climb to nessit – leading to the longest tyre change in recent memory, as the rest of us are on our second pint in the pub before we see the Hippy twins + Eric reappear.

Mildly rowdy banter and catching up = a good night..even if the gnocci was under par:-(

Comedy whisky order reinforces the wisdom that silly names don’t make for good drinking.

Posh pub tax slightly painful at the end 🙁