Riders :- Alex, Foxdale, Matt, Neil K, Ray and Coops
Tonight’s ride started eventually at St Johns after waiting yet again for
Neil to try and get his thumb in the glove.
We couldn’t wait to get climbing if only to get warm so we headed out towards
the 7 gate track on the railway line, Coops nearly becoming the first casualty
of the night slipping on a tiny bit of ice and came close to taking 3 other
riders out. At the bottom of 7 gates the first mechanical of the night Alex’s
front mech freezing up, sadly I had just finished relieving myself so couldn’t
help, eventually it became free.
Through Archie to the car park, Neil and Matt throwing their bikes over the gate
then climbing it (muppets), the rest of us decided to open it.
We then went onto the ‘behind the moon road’ to Rhen Shent which was fun as you
couldn’t really tell what was water and what was ice. It was decided to stick to the
fire track to the top of South Barrule and through Corlea, Neil at the front
enjoying the quiet still night till we rode through an ice patch, the cracking noise
causing him to shit himself as he is of a delicate disposition.
Another climb next, up the whisky run to look for the fabled round table, all we
found was an oblong bench, the pipeline beckoned I warned Coops to be careful
due to his history with ice and drainage ditches, Matt punctured halfway down
which he managed to change with good speed, which was just as well as we didn’t
want to take our gloves off especially Neil with his fecking thumb, after a round
of applause we set off again I some how ended up in front, as I approached the
slabs I could hear trickling water so assumed it wasn’t icy …WRONG…I
immediately dropped like a sack of shit sliding down like a flapping seal coming
to rest at the bottom like a beached whale still clipped in to the bike, only
Neil (of all the people to witness it) and Matt saw the bolero display once they
had finished pissing themselves laughing they warned me of possible ice. (I was
crying inside)
After that we took it easy through Glen Maye and Raggarts back to the Railway line.
Special mention to Ray (the eldest Loaghtan), first time he’d been out for ages, he did well.