Riders :- Coops, NeilK, Lee, Mark, Caroline, Phil, Gina, NeilS, Alex and Foxdale, Richard, (None starter Emma)

After enjoying the impressive Dhoon Quarry International Bike Park on Sunday it was always going to be hard to match its delights on tonight’s ride, turned out Coops never even bothered trying. Once he announced the route Emma quickly claimed to have lost her inhaler to get out of the ride being asthmatic, Kerruish claimed he couldn’t do it as he was dyslexic, Sinbad must have had inside knowledge as he was a no show.

Setting off from Crosby the long climb up Mill Rd was the start of the grumblings, Coops choosing to ride the route this way as he had never done it before (do it on your own then don’t drag us along we’ve done it), a poor excuse on a school night. Kerruish gave him a look of disdain as he went past him and was heard muttering through his gritted tooth “Little prick”. The climb does seem shorter in the dark by about 4 yards. At the bales a short rest to get our breath back and for the ladies to re-inflate their third lungs.

Across 12 Shires to Glion Gill, Gina had trouble with her battery which Kerruish managed to fix luckily he didn’t have to take his gloves off which would have meant the ride finishing in daylight.

Up and down we merrily (grudgingly) went on our way through Glion Gill though it seemed mainly up.

Cronk Breck was next though we couldn’t see it due to the thick fog that had now descended, made worse by it bouncing back off our lights, Alex’s summer riding with Westy had obviously rubbed off on him throwing his bike to the ground with the venom of a Aussie fast bowler. Visibility got less and less the higher we climbed more luck than judgement that nobody came off……How bad would it have looked for Coops…..’Coastguard station officer loses 10 mountain bikers in fog’.

Coops back light ‘the lezyne’ gets 8 out 10 for brightness 10 out 10 for annoyance, it’s so bright we past Three kings drawn to it on their way to Mannanan with gifts of Kippers, Queenies and Chips, Cheese and Gravy. Once at the top we regrouped to tackle the tricky invisible descent as one, it was a worry for Gina as she seems to be drawn like a moth to a light to drops on the left, as it was all left hand side drops we wished her luck, Alex’s nightmare continued dabbing were there was nowhere to dab.

At the bottom the reward was a nip of Buckfast, as soon as NeilS got a whiff of the elixir his Castletown gentleman’s mask slipped and the Pulrose in him came out offering to take on all comers.

A quick blast down the millennium way and back to Château Coops for cake and drink which was very nice, though we had to wait for the kettle to boil……standards are slipping Rachel!

Foxdale