Riders:- Westy, Coops, Seamus, Ali ,Liam, Gina, Pete, Mark, Woody, Cam, Foxdale, Alex, Ned, Phil and Skippy
Tonight’s ride started from the NSC the Islands premier sporting venue second only to ‘Billy Goat Park’; through the nunnery and up the hill to Middle Farm, top tip don’t follow Liam as Coops found to his peril coming to a halt in thick mud whilst the rest of us sped what does the green light symbolize past on the dry line, down the drop and through the water which has a new attraction of three dumped tyres just under the water line though none of us warned anybody about them secretly hoping someone would come a cropper I suspect.
At the top we rested while Skippy got his breath back, his summer fitness regime of doing absolutely feck all was paying dividends……gasping like a beached whale. On the road up the Crogga with the bike lights illuminating the way with the exception of Woody whose front light had gone off and a rear light as dim as a writing an abstract for a thesis MHK, there was to be no respite for Skippy as we went up Oatlands and on to the Sloping Rd to the back of Chibanagh Plantation (this spot scored well in Dogging Monthly, subscribe and get one free with a demister pad).
Through the trees which was like a wind tunnel, up the side wall then back into the trees, Westys light played up here meaning the group got separated while it was repaired, though I think they took advantage of the situation and raced off to give their ears a rest. We went down the drop hoping to meet the rest of them, we soon met up again, the others drawn by the loud whining noise, we managed to get Westy’s dummy back in to placate him. At the top of Chibanagh Ned took us through a trail in the trees that we hadn’t done before, very nice, a bit like being on the Ben-my-Chree in a swell very up and down.
Ballacotch next with a few trying to improve their Strava times, I thought I was doing okay till Mark shot past me getting air like a Thomson Gazelle. On the railway line me, Pete and Seamus had a quick game of chicken and squeezing each other’s brakes then to Bluebell Lane which is more of a drag than it looks then onto Trollaby and home.
Seamus, Coops, Pete and I went to the Railway for a debrief Skippy went to A&E for a lung.
It was an easy ride for Seamus as there were few gates involved to struggle with, Kerruish was a no show as winter is approaching he was practising putting his gloves on and off now a Strava time apparently.