A Rare Club Ride

Stuff and 'ting mean that I don't get out on sunday club rides very often.

A perfect storm last week meant a rare club ride with NATS on Sunday from Bakewell.

20 riders in bright sunshine set off.  I got chatting to a new chap on another 69'er called Paul.  He was riding an old skool Maverick frame and fork.  Unfortunately his ride lasted less than 15 mins due to lightweight jockey wheel failure.  He had to turn back and limp all the way back to Ambergate.

He didn't even make it to the newly reopened Headstone Tunnel on the Monsal Trail which we did in both directions on the figure of 8 ride.

The ride had some big hills in it.  Especially the road climb out of Cressbrook - only just managed it on the 36-15 gear.

An anticlockwise circuit of Millers Dale ended with an extreme descent back to the tunnel.

Back past the cars for another loop.  This time through Bakewell and up and over into Chatsworth.  It was like being on safari chasing huge herds of deer across the grassy savanna of the estate.

One last climb through Edensor (after the standard conversation about the village relocation) and back to the cars for 'special' sticky ginger cake made by Alex

Thanks must go to (nearly) always jolly ride leader Simon 

Sun, cake and great company.  Maybe I'll be on another club ride soon... maybe

Extreme Snow Ride

Bike riding Monday again and after the weekend's snow it was always going to be interesting.

I was planning a 45 mile route with Kate, meeting at the North and heading back round to home, picking some choice singletrack on the way.

The snow put an end to those plans (and thank god it did!)

Kate's car was stuck and train was selected as preferred transport choice.

09:30 meet was passed due to train congestion - a 10am start from the station, and we were immediately struggling with the snow/slush/ice just along the side of the canal.  The trail conditions changed with every pedal stroke, sometimes ice was good, sometimes bad.  Sometimes snow was a faster option than slush, sometimes not.

The whole ride was a core strength session. Balance, balance whoa!

We chatted of family, jobs, courses, running, riding and racing.

Pie and mash and coffee at Kimberley was very civilised.

Back on the bike through smells of fresh bread and back over the motorway - 'poor buggers driving in that' - they'd probably say the same of us.

Over mince pie stile and into off camber tunnel.

More whooping and whaling.  More laughing and giggling.

Back into the old favourite railway singletrack.  Every hill seemed like the hardest hill ever.  Grind, grind, grind, spin, spin, spin.

Talk of tea and cake in town.

Caught up some more over cake.

A ride I would usually expect to do in 3hrs turned into a five and a half hour monster ride.

Front wheel mileage 30, rear wheel mileage at least 60.

A Long Ride and A New Phone

With the leave year coming to an end in March I usually need to get rid of some leave before I loose it.  The most effective way of doing this is to plan some Riding Mondays.  These free me from the office and give me a full day to go and play.

When I was thinking what to do this Riding Monday I had a scan around the local roads and decided to combine a long (for me) road ride with a trip to The Apple Store in Leicester to return a slightly dodgy iPhone cable to see if I could blag a new one.  This would also allow a lunch in Nandos and coffee and cake somewhere else.

I used Garmin connect to plan the route as it plans the route along roads and it could be downloaded into the Garmin Edge 200 for road testing.  59 miles round trip.  Big for me but should be fine with a lunch stop.

Bike sorted and Rocket Pocket filled, it was a cold start. Numb hands after 10 mins in -4. Loads of sunshine and quaint Thomas the Tank Engine villages. Cows, tractors and the roads to myself

The soundtrack was mostly Woman's Hour podcasts I had missed.

I sailed over congested dual carriageways. Gridlocked by black ice.

Leicester appeared after a couple of hours with knackered potholed roads and confusing one way systems. A shock to the system.

Bike locked and messages sent. To the Apple Store so the could check out the phone. New phone and cable in hand straight to Nandos for lunch. Excellent service all round!

Back home the long way past all the stilton making villages.

62 miles total on the Peugout (here+here). It is a nice comfy old bike.

Two weeks until Riding Monday comes around again. Where next?

We Didn't Quite Fall into the Incident Pit

When I offered to lead one of the www.natsmtb.com rides this weekend the weather was warm and sunny.  I thought it might be a bit colder in December so I decided on a short ride from Hope in the Dark Peak. Nothing too heroic, cafe at Ladybower half way round to get warm and have something to look forward to.

I didn't realise at the time how bad the weather could/would be.

The Thursday before I'd recce'd the route in the dark (with an owl) and it was hard work, especially with a dicky tummy :-/

I must admit I didn't spend long weather checking on Saturday night.  I think I'd been lulled into a warm secure summery blanket that I'd not mentally shaken off.  Basic weather said cloudy and a bit chilly - shorts should be fine - I'll take a waterproof just in case.

16 riders met at Hope on Sunday.  Drizzle.  1 new rider (Shaun) - only had the bike a month, trainers, football shorts and fingerless gloves - concerned I am.

Hope Cross - all OK. Rain.

Down the Beast (cleaned it again :)) - nobody died - Shaun and others walked a lot. More Rain.

Up Hagg Farm - everyone still OK. Cold rain.

Down Lockerbrook - sleet - cold - Shaun's still smiling!

Cafe for coffee and pasties - sodden hands. Dyson Handriers don't dry gloves - more sleet. Shaun's rear brake lever is broke, threaded adjuster.  Shaun pulls out a pair of waterproof trousers. I think they saved his life. Some riders (not Shaun) decide to ride back along the road - madness! 

I drag Shaun up the Landrover track - half the group decide to cut back via the Beast (incl. Shaun - still in good spirits!).  Rowlee Farm for the hardcore into cutting sleet as the weather really deteriorates. Cold wet hands now being frozen by icy northerly and sleet.

Four more riders do a sneaky footpath cutback bail to The Beast ascent. Only 2 of us left to do the Roman Road up and over. Continuous sleet leads to a frozen river down the track, but it's still rideable - we were right.  Hands frozen solid and unresponsive for the descent. Back onto the road and we're jubilant we have survived.  We're tough.  We fought the mountain and weather and won!

But, one false move, puncture or twisted ankle and we would have been right down at the bottom - Mountain Rescue time.

Juddering in the car, struggling to get out of the wet clothes I didn't feel tough.

Thankfully everyone made it back.  They came through looking cold wet and bedraggled in dribs and drabs - including Shaun.

I'm sure he'll be back...