Riders – Coops, Jason, Emma, Ned, Steve Q, Andy B, Richard, Grace, John, Keith, Foxdale, Alex, Dave M, Phil, Matthew, Mark

Farmers Arms was tonight’s starting venue which meant it was up from the off no matter which direction we went. The route was planned meticulously beforehand to stop any cock ups. Skippy was there to wave us off with a tear in his eye purely because he realised he’d got the wrong night for the chippy van.

We set off as the light was dimming up Gleneedles Rd to go on to the railway line. Coops is an experienced coastguard with considerable length of service therefore mapping and orienteering come as second nature…..so how the feck, bearing in mind railway lines by design are straight with no deviations, did he manage to take 16 riders the wrong way after only 3 yards up to the Defa burn area, he is the gift that keeps giving. The lines were okay apart from one very gloopy bit Andy had the best idea by riding up the stream, a regroup at the gate before the climbing began.

The track with no name behind Hamilton Terrace that comes out on the Lhoobs Rd is now called Feckin Shitty track that has everything. It starts off smooth Tarmac, then sticky wheel spinning mud then washed out stone and rooty ruts and finishes with steep gravel and gorse track, something for everybody ‘how we laughed’.

Road down to Ballamodha track on to the Archallagan Rd and down the masts trail were Coops warned everybody to watch-out for the gay which was odd as Kerruish wasn’t out. Turns out he said “gate”. Down the glasshouses and the road behind the moon to Rhenshent.

It was on Rhenshent were it first became noticeable how bright Emma’s back light is, it wouldn’t be out of place in an Amsterdam/Ramsey knocking shop. We rode to South Barrule car park for the next regroup, Ned and Emma demolishing my flapjack before Coops got chance to have some. Another climb up to the top of South Barrule, Keith picking up a puncture half way up…..It’s good when Keith comes out as you know your bike is safe for the night as he gets all the mechanicals. At the top we bumped into the segways on a night jolly.

In to Corlea through the ‘Tunnel of Love’ and following the sidewall to the bottom of the Whisky run. The last climb of the night into a headwind the group soon spread out each taking turns to be blinded by Emma’s light, another regroup at the top before the joys of the pipeline.

Richard decided to make it bit more interesting by letting the top gate shut just as we were going through it. Emma’s light really came into its own here attracting you like a moth just when you should be watching out for the drainage ditches. Dave M learnt a valuable lesson don’t follow my line as I was blinded.

The Glen Rushen Rd through to Glen Maye. Three riders became detached due to temporary traffic lights and didn’t see where we went (even with Emma’s light)
Richard, Grace and John headed back on the Patrick Rd while we went onto the Raggart and back to St Johns on the lines quite straight forward after Glasshouses, Rhenshent and the Pipeline, so how the feck did Ned manage to come off then…… only he knows. Back at The Farmers Arms we bid farewell on what was a good ride, Andy B did well leading most of the way without knowing where he was going 🙂

Foxdale

P.S. I came off nobody saw it, nothing to report then.