Skip to content

TNR 16-02-2012 There is no such thing as bad weather ?

From TNR 16-02-12 Theres no such thing as bad weatherl

Crew : Slim, El Pres, El Pud, Eric, Butty, PTD, Big Dan, Beligian Andy,PTD, Kersh
Pub : Shaun

Route: Diverse routes to the cat and fiddle. Immediate U-turn homeward, via bottom of the oven, Forest Chapel, Reverse half chazza, Narnia, Motorway, The Leathers Smithy

Conditions: Grim. Low cloud from Cliff Lane upwards, horizontal drizzle-on-steroids, about 5c without wind chill considered. Visibility not really much better in the forest.

stats :
-Earliest retirement to the pub in a long, long while.
-First 29er puncture repair inside the Leathers (Kersh)
-First waterbottle-used-as – eyewash incident (El Pud)

Notes :
It was a good plan. Meet at the Cat at 7pm for a Buxton Circuit ride. A good plan except the weather did not sign up to the plan.

As I climbed through Rainow I thought “this is not a good idea”…Plan B was being formulated. I was soloing from Tythy but was caught by Kersh before Walker barn….and then he disappeared into the Murk in front.

Arriving at C & F last I was almost knocked over by the crew stampede downwards to the forest. All were soaked to the skin and chilled to the bone. Chazza was full of a rambling club from Stoke…so we were not the only nutters sampling the peaks on this foul night.Narnia was just as murky as up by the Cat.

From TNR 16-02-12 Theres no such thing as bad weatherl

An “early bath” at the Leathers was never so appealing. Slim stoked up the fire without permission …but hey, he has “previous” for this. Early beer quaffing led to a slight A-O-E , much chortling and male bonding. Funny how you remember laughing a lot, but not the actual cause of the merriment

From TNR 16-02-12 Theres no such thing as bad weatherl

TNR 9-2-2012 Icecapades

From TNR 09-02-12 Icescapade

Crew: El Pres, Dan, Nic, Shaun, Slim, Butty, Stunt, Doog

Route: BL, Old Road, Teggs, Smithy, reservoir, Hanging gate, Fourways, Ryles Arms

Conditions: Freezing rain on rotted ice, roads icing over higher up, nasty

Stats: 1 Lighting failure (Doog), 1 off (Butty), 1 fat bike, 8 pairs of frozen fingers, 1 pair of warm toes.

From TNR 09-02-12 Icescapade

Notes:

The Pugsley finally appears ..together with the biggest puncture repair kit in the world 😉

From TNR 09-02-12 Icescapade

Despite the weather we opt to attempt Dan’s Croker hill plan

Teggs rideable with care, reservoir track a push on the steeper sections, then as we climbed up past the hanging gate the dreaded tinkly sound of ice forming under us began…

Slim wishes for fresh rubber, Doogs primary lighting cuts out and he has to bail.

We enter a misty world of strange beauty ..ice coated fences, hedges and walls ..offset by the utter concentration on staying upright…riding slow but not too slow, minimal direction change and downslopes negotiated by foot dragging rather than braking .. and we are getting cold fast  in the freezing wind and rain.

We abandon the plan at the A54, out of time, out of fear, out of mojo 🙁

G&T’s are invoked in a field entrance with shaking hands and shivering limbs

From TNR 09-02-12 Icescapade

A wet -1 extracts heat way faster than a dry -10 and it seems that waterproof gloves are a technology still to be mastered 🙁

Ryles arms – new menu :-), lots of radiators & fires :-), Black Sheep :-), extra chips on the house :-), special offer on Glenmorangie :-)!!! We slip into Axis behaviour before braving damp gloves and chattering teeth to ride carefully home.

From TNR 09-02-12 Icescapade

BTW corrie fans will spot the Ryles Arms on friday 17th!

TNR 2-2-2012 Freeze Dried Trails

Crew: El Pud, PTD, Shaun, Butty, Dan, 3 Sheds, Eric, Doog, El Pres, Stunt, Joe,Nic, Slim(just)

Route: BL, Teggs, Reverse Hardingland, Cross Forest, Dentists Descent, Trails to Ranger Station, Reservoir, Fold Farm, Church House.

Conditions:  Clear dry & -5

Stats:  1 off from Butty , 1 mega tyre faff post pub from Slim

Notes:

Sub zero, snow on the tops, but no Pugsley to be seen 😉

Butty rides his crosser (the right choice in frozen ruts!)

A second 5×5 showing of the year (no ringers this time)

A night to bless the heat of hill climbing and curse the glass like sections of frozen track.

So dry that the Trails were actually dusty!!

Hot toddies & rusty nails to celebrate El Puds birthday

Dentists Descent most interesting following fat tyred frozen ruts (& no bridge!)

Slim finally meets up with the crew in the forest

Shaun’s first homebrew surprises Eric by being rather good J

Emma’s moist warm cakes go exceedingly  well with it too!

Down to the Church House to warm up with cooked breakfasts, bombardier & wingather.

Ski tales, banter and star wars uncut..

Slim slow puncture on the hubster not funny – although many helpers kept up the spirits 😉

TNR 26-1-2012 Three Shires

Crew: G, Eric, 3 Sheds, Coley, Shaun, Joe, Stunt, Nic

Pub: Mawds & El Pud

Route: BL, Buxton Old Road, Cat, Danebower Hollow, Farm entrance to 3 Shires Head, Cuthorne climb, A54, Cumberland Clough, Standing Stone, Kings Head

Conditions: Cold & Clear, a touch of cloud on the tops, very wet trails.

Stats: 1 off from Shaun, 1 minor chain faff from G

Notes:

Big Nic returns..on a sensible bike(there will be no snow whilst the fat bike remains)

Joe joins us..but without sensible clothing.. !

A fully Eric compliant evening, prompt departure at 6:37, small crew, all riding & no faffing.

This weeks top gear challenge – which is faster? New or Old Road to Walker Barn

..the answer is Eric!  who New roaded, but then could not be caught by G all the way to the cat, stewards inquiry…

‘king cold at the Cat, and into an icy blast across danebower hollow, luckily it was too wet for the ice to take hold.

Field into 3 shires was good fun (not the muddy slipfest the doom mongers had predicted)

Shaun still managed to find a “soft” spot large enough to eat his front wheel 😉

Mind you it wasn’t his front wheel..first case of TWOCing on a TNR??

Some frantic realignment of handlebars..will “anyone” notice ??

Sandy soils = grip in and out of 3 Shires, a good techie climb as ever.

Nic goes over on his bad ankle and G has a routine chain off on the 29 hubster.

Unbelievably as its only 8:30 o’clock there’s time for a cheeky chumby (very wet lower down)

Before a final climb to standing stone, and a very long descent to the Kings head.

Food achieved by a nadge’s whisker (and intervention from El Pud). Landlord, biggest pies in the world, a fire to thaw out Joe and a hint of Jazz. Much amusement at El Puds half baked half pipe plans 😉 the allies of sensibility are all heading home before last orders (can you tell the axis are elsewhere??)….next week rumours of homebrewed dark beer from the dark arts* of the dark haired young pup (*microbiologial science has been applied )

TNR 19-1-2012 Witches Cottage

From TNR 19-01-2012 Witches Cottage

Crew: El Pres, PTD, Slim, Butty, Shaun, Dan, Belgian Andy, Stunt

Route: BL,  Byrons Lane, Smithy, Fireroad to “Witches Cottage” ,lower  snicket, fireroad again,q hardingland, crooked yard lane, walker barn, chazza, narnia, Leathers smithy

Conditions: Marginly above freezing, occasional sleet, wet & muddy, ice mid chazza

From TNR 19-01-2012 Witches Cottage

Stats: 2 offs for PTD

 

Notes :

From TNR 19-01-2012 Witches Cottage

A 5×5 first!

El Pud winds down car window on BL to share germs

PTD discovers impromptu base jumping into not the snicket

This week we celebrate Robert E Lee day, miami’s only ever snowfall and the apple Lisa.

hardingland has a berm on the corner – a good thing 🙂

Shaun discovers you can’t ride uphill and talk at the same time

blown up to chazza from walker barn 🙂  🙂

From TNR 19-01-2012 Witches Cottage

Ice halfway down chazza 🙁 🙁

Narnia good, Leathers smithy food much improved, haddock, rabbit & Tuna with ever reliable Bombadier.

Fellow bikers report blizzard on shutlingsloe

Train assist peak weekend routes mooted, skiing lack of planning bemoaned, A of E invoked ( In spirit at least)

king cold ride home

From TNR 19-01-2012 Witches Cottage

TNR 12-1-2012 Goytastic

From TNR 12-01-2011 Goytatsic

Crew: El Pres, Slim, 3 Sheds, Eric, Coley, Doog, Shaun, G, Dan, Stunt, Belgian Andy

Pub: Butty

Route:  BL, Buxton Old Road to Walker Barn, Chazza, Tea Rooms, Stakeside descent, Errwood Hall, Single track, Pyms Chair,Jenkin Chapel, Blaze Hill, Vale

From TNR 12-01-2011 Goytatsic

Conditions: Still, Cold later, wet grass & muddy trails

Stats: 

1 Puncture – Dan

From TNR 12-01-2011 Goytatsic

2 Offs  – Stunt & G (Plus plenty of sideways action “dabs” from the crew)

 

Notes:

Leadership vacuum filled by Stunt with a big Goyt ride

6:45 sharp departure from BL (G nearly left behind)

Phil needs a Shazza assist to Chazza to catch up 🙂

Belgian Andy joins us with his new “5” (in red) – so a 4×5 night

Steaming glasses much in evidence on the climbs

Slim joins at the Tea Rooms (just – no prisoners being taken on tonights schedule)

Misty on the tops

Dry rock – lethal grass combo on stakeside make for much hilarity – G boasts about his ar*e skidmark 😉

All agree its the longest and possibly best descent we do!?

Rusty Nails this week in celebration of a kindred TNR spirit 

“Pete Burnall was one of my brothers best mates, author of the mountain bike guide to snowdonia, and all round good guy – in his own words “Skin cancer’s a bitch” but he lived life without complaining,  kept doing what he loved best, and showed by example how to go out with dignity (aged just 44). You mentioned me in passing in your blog, it only seems fair that you get your’s here now.”

From TNR 12-01-2011 Goytatsic

G avoids his ditch of doom before the stream crossing steps, and its mostly pushing up the singletrack as its slipperier than a slippery thing in slipperyville.

Just a short climb to crest Pyms chair, plently of man-flu phlegm expelled on the climb t’other side of Jenkins chapel before rapid decent to bollywood no ice = nice 🙂

Vale for 9:50 for Pioneer, Moravka / Amstel, bolly burgers & banter.

So far in 2012 its a 100% record for big rides, celebration stops, and fine hostelries, and a disturbing correlation between abstenance and punctures (Dan!)…. and the Axis of Evil has yet to appear…

From TNR 12-01-2011 Goytatsic

TNR 5-1-2012 Mojo Resurrection

From TNR 05-01-2011 Mojo Resurrection

Crew: El Pud, Dan, PTD, Shaun, Doog, 3 Sheds, Slim, Dunc, Butty, Stunt, Eric, Bernard

Pub: El Pres

From TNR 05-01-2011 Mojo Resurrection

 

Route: BL, Cat, Off Road shortcut to the Buxton-Congleton Road, Road to the Raceway, Wiggle through the campus & across to Grin Low Road, Solomons Temple, Woods, Old Hall Hotel.

Conditions:  Strong NorthWesterly dropping slighly over the evening, 3 C, sub zero windchill, very wet & muddy offroad.

 

Stats:  1 Puncture to Dan in the mucky cow path. PTD has one down chumby post pub (does that count??)

Notes:

El Pud’s mojo returneth in 2012 as he modifies Dan’s plan in favour of more adventure Buxton way 🙂

Blown up to the Cat by the wind, collect Shaun & the Doog and its follow El Pud!

We laugh in the face of Danger signs, but surely someone has coated the grass in teflon :-~

Impeded by a stampede of steers we make Grin Low road, and it is indeed not funny slogging into wind to the turn off .

“Ruby Ruby Ruby ” baby (to Jura) in a sheltered spot before Solomons Temple & the grassy playground – more time here next time please mister

A dash through the woods before possibly the smartest hostelry we will visit – bikes in the orchestra pit, chesterfield buffalo burgers, Buxton Blonde or Doom,Hello magazine (Erin’s into fixies, and Kate’s on a rigid) ,El Pres makes the pub for a whole ten minutes before it’s time to head back.

Top gear Challenge – Butty takes the train 50 mins to poynton, the rest brave the cat (and its a long slog – Anyone else regretting pudding on the climb ) many routes home –  Maximum points to Lagleyites for returning via chumby clough, Stunt heads low to bottom of the oven & over the forest in 75 mins to Tythy the long way round (with a near mechanical in Sutton), suspect the BL crowd did around 60 mins, and hence the verdict  is that bike beat train for Buxton to Macc (despite the wind, smug points to Butty for being home before midnight.

TNR 29-12-2011 Ride 52

From TNR 29-12-2011 Ride 52

Crew: El Pres, El Pud, PTD, Shaun, Eric, Slim, Stunt, Dan, Bernard

Route: BL, Langley, Reservoirs,lower single track, motorway & chandler hill, Nessit summit, munt descent, path, lower reservoir track, kings head.

From TNR 29-12-2011 Ride 52

Conditions: 3C windy, hail and rain later, very wet & muddy

From TNR 29-12-2011 Ride 52

Notes:
A decent turnout despite the lack of posts on the forum!
Slackness of route choice made all the more sensible by the weather (plenty of it this week!)
Major deer encounter on comedy slippery single track
Hot toddies on Nessit to toast rides of 2011
Fallen tree hazards to be negotiated

From TNR 29-12-2011 Ride 52

Early pub once more weather sets in
Landlord more landlord, live music, hot food, and Slim finds a chaser that doesn’t cost the earth 😉
For 2012 – Eric approved mission statement 6:30, bikes, alcohol, with visions of further afield pubs, bivvying, and the return of el puds mojo.
Alternative visions seem to include food budget of £5pw, living with a bloke and a certain operation!!!!
AoE invoked

From TNR 29-12-2011 Ride 52

TNR 22-12-2011 Winter Solstice

From TNR 22-12-2011 Winter Solstice

Crew: PTD, El Pres, El Pud, Slim, Butty, 3 Sheds, Luc, Doog, Croxy, Coley, Stunt, Shaun, Eric, Dr Simon

Pub: Mawds & G

 

From TNR 22-12-2011 Winter Solstice

Route: BL, full Zig Zags, Walker Barn, Chazza, Narnia, Hardingland, Saddlers Way, Teggs, Church House

Conditions: Milder than a mild mannnered mild thing, wet & muddy trails

From TNR 22-12-2011 Winter Solstice

Notes:

Xmas dinner brings out the statistically insignificant attendees (sic) although one or two regulars are missing

Shaun sports sensible hair, a morrisons wagon is not to be messed with and some slackers only zig!

Chazza wet but good, only the hawk eyed see the decorated tree in narnia, and shaun keeps missing the stop points 🙂

Rusty nails at the bench, slithering across to hardingland, swearing up saddlers way and round to the Teggs “sheep pen” to toast the solstice (under direction of High Druid Doog)

British Racing Green “Brooklands Bomber” gets the thumbs up, “The Godfather” less so, and its a very “relaxed” descent to the Church house.

From TNR 22-12-2011 Winter Solstice

Wincle Waller or Rain Dear, text & tweet goading of Dan, 3 course slap up meal, Mawds eats Petes Pud &  Z’s beat aXis and a good night is had by all.

 

From TNR 22-12-2011 Winter Solstice

TNR 8-12-2011 Roaming the Streets

Crew: El Pud, El Pres, Nic, Butty, PTD, Stunt, Dr Simon

Pub: Mawds & the MDOC masses

 Route: BL, Rainbow bridge, Prestbury, Wilmslow Farmers Arms

Conditions: Windy & Cold

A Stat free night

Notes:

El Pud takes us Street Orienteering with MDOC on a night to avoid the hills (Scotland closed & serious risk of being blown off bikes up high)

Despite confusing us all with bike choice (Cross bikes being the right answer – but only EL Pud arrives on one!) we make it to the check in on time, gather dibbers , high vis vests & cunning running instructions and set out into the night one at a time.

Its basically ericquest on foot – and good fun, although tricky and tough to get back without time penalties . All did the 40 min version, El Pud naturally wins and we all beat Mawds (surprisngly!)

Results         Gross Score       Penalties       Net Score

El Pud          400                        0                      400

Stunt           370                         44                    326

Nick            230                          0                      230

PTD             310                        124                    186

El Pres       290                        111                     179

Dr Simon  150                         0                         150

Butty         340                          224                   116

Mawds      270                         162                    108

Curry & Beer to follow in what turns out to be quite a lively hostelry.

A long slog back home 🙁

Addendum – Eric & Doog wish it to be known they did a proper ride in the forest unlike the fair weather lily livered folk above 😉