drunkcyclist2

From Not So Shining Tor

Crew: PTD, El Pud, El Pres, 3 Sheds, Coley, Slim, G, Butty, TJ, Stunt

Route: BL, New Road, Tea rooms, Shining Tor, LH side descent to Lamaload, Dead Mans Lane, Blaze hill to Jumper Lane, Oakenbank, Poachers snicket, Vale.

Conditions: Cold & Clear with Hill Fog, wet & muddy trails

Stats: G admits to an off

Notes:

Standards are slipping, shocking number of bikes filthy from last weeks riding!

From Not So Shining Tor

Route choice by committee at BL undecided but tea rooms regroup agreed.

Hill fog encountered well before walker barn, and the dampness condenses on bikes (& beards!) and sucks the heat from everything (a number of cold finger grumblings)

A night for bar mounted lights, helmet mounted down to dimmer settings in the mist.

All available food consumed at shining tor washed down with a wee nip, Butty the star with his special sweeties ravenously devoured by all except the principled oral health professional 😉

Despite the ominous gloop at the top the “new route” is only moderately more slithery than normal, but downhill speeds severely reduced by the lack of vis.

The routefinders to be congratulated in shepherding us expertly despite the conditions.

From Not So Shining Tor

Bizarrley we can see stars through the top of the mist above us at times.

Finally we escape the clutches of the night vapours and find the valley just that bit warmer and fully clear.

The slow progress means a more direct route to the pub, finally some speed!

Vale warm and welcoming, 5.7% ale and 7% cider on offer, as well as the normal bolly bolska brews.

From Not So Shining Tor

A night for serious talk about how to run the country (it clearly needs TNR expertise!) as well as the usual boll*cks about tyre choice and berating G for his wilful ignorance of important TNR messaging.

Whisky finish purely as defence against the elements on the ride home 🙂

From Not So Shining Tor

ERIQUEST NEXT WEEK – PAIRINGS NEED DECLARING FOR ANDICAPPING!!!

From TNR 01-11-2012 Big Moon

Crew: PTD, El Pud, El Pres, Eric, G, Coley, 3 Sheds, Doog, Butty, Stunt, Dan.

Pub: Slim, Nic, Dunc

Route: BL, Walker Barn, Chazza & Extension, Wildboarclough, A54, Cuthorne into 3 shires, Field/farm out, Chumby, standing stone, Nessit, between the DH course path, lower path, lower reservoir trail, Sutton Hall.

Conditions: Clear, Cold, breezy later.

Stats: Punctures from G & PTD

From TNR 01-11-2012 Big Moon

Notes:

Winter gear needed, but clear skies instead of the forecasted rain meant a good night for riding under a big moon 🙂

Eric joins the throng of riders having thoughts about Halifax’s iconic full sussers (wheras El Pud is anticipating its employment potential)

From TNR 01-11-2012 Big Moon

Butty wears the wrong trousers (the ones he intended – but the colour & pattern so wrong for a cold night in the north!)

PTD shows off far eastern bar mounted 2200 lumens

Rapid pace to stay warm and achieve the big four hills planned in the route!

G clearly still has new bike syndrome and disappears into the distance, kindly getting far enough ahead to have fixed his puncture by the time we catch up part way down Charity (he actually had an inner tube in his bag!!)

Gasps as the cold air of Wildboarclough valley bottom is entered, cold beginning to seep into toes.

Frost just beginning on the ground at 3 shires, and Coley’s reliable single malt hip flask rescues us from PPP (p*ss poor planning) on the mid ride tipple front 🙂

Slippy in the field to the gate where Dan finally catches up.

Star gazing we see Jupiter close to the Moon (the other bright stars were stars in Taurus and Orion apparently)

Onwards, ever onwards through Chumby, a few haribo to stave off tiring legs before standing stone, the S bends and then a final thrash down the forest and to the warmth of Sutton Hall.

Lord Lucan or Flowers (leffe for the bad boys), “clown” fashion the new black? as new bright garments are revealed as Jackets are removed! Mustard reinforcements needed, Dan entertains, poor brandy choice, good whisky choice and a bonus voucher = a fine finish to the evening.

All available clothing needed for ride home! (and an unwelcome flat rear the day after)

From TNR 01-11-2012 Big Moon

From TNR 04-10-12 New Hip In The Goyt

Crew: PTD, El Pud, El Pres, TJ, Coley, 3 Sheds, G, Stunt, Eric + late crossers Slim & Butty

Pub: Mountain Rescue Adrian (aka the skiing assassin)

Route: BL, New Road(optional Cheeky Chazza) ,Tea Rooms, “Straight on” descent, left singletrack to Errwood Hall, Up the singletrack to Pym Chair, Jenkin Chapel, Smith Lane, Rainow, Oakenbank lane, Vale

Conditions: Mild but breezy and wet later, trails pretty dry mixed with rather wet & muddy.

Stats: another stat free night

From TNR 04-10-12 New Hip In The Goyt

Notes:

An unusually prompt start from BL (not waiting for the usual suspects?)

Lights on from the start as the nights draw in, how soon the seasons change.

TJ sports a new 2200 Lumen twin spot test rig! 🙂

G & Stunt do a cheeky chazza but are left to play catch up along the tops as the main bunch have a no waiting policy this week.

From TNR 04-10-12 New Hip In The Goyt

Main descent in good condition (why don’t we do it more often?), singletrack very wet and slippery with many a “dab”.

G manages to find his gully nemesis with unerring accuracy but does at least stop in time 🙂

Much pushing up the outward track into the midst of a Mountain Rescue Exercise (including TJ’s ski buddy Adrian).

El Pud’s mojo must be returning as rapidly as his recovery! We are treated to Hot Randy at Jenkin Chapel (tasted much better than it smelt), examined the sorry tale of John Fletcher on the stone up dead man’s hill, met up with the B ride crossers, and added in an optional Oakenbank as the nights progress has been exceptionally swift for a large group.

Vale is deserted (v unusual) which brings waitress service 🙂 :-), is it me or have portions improved to match biker appetites? Moravka slips down nicely and wifi provides red bull funded adrenaline rush clips! Open season on lighting geekery and rumours of fresh steeds.

Wet ride home.