Just before I tell you about what happened on our first "real" Newcastle Mountain Bike Club ride on Thursday 16th August 2007, a quick ad:

****************************

If you're thinking about joining NMBC, but you're still uncertain, why not drop an e-mail to:

snowsurfer2000@blueyonder.co.uk

You'll find our Keith on the end of that, and as our first "proper" signing, Keith is ideally placed to tell you what he thinks, and hopefully it won't be bad enough to put you off! Nothing scripted, I haven't a clue what he'll say to you, but he'll give you the facts. It may well put you off after all!

****************************

Thursday 16th - We'd arranged to meet between 6.45 and 7.00 pm outside George Stephenson's Cottage on the Great Lime Road in Forest Hall. That's because it was more-or-less central to all expected guests and regulars. It worked pretty well, apart from having to wait for the Old Faithfuls, the Scarlet Pimpernel (Andy) and Jason, who weren't expected and, as has become a habit, turned up a wee bit late. Not worth mentioning, really, but it did cause the ride to run on a bit further than expected with the light gone completely by the end. Blame them, not me.

At last the venue and start time (hah!) seemed to suit most people and we were delighted to welcome Daniel, Kay, Paul and Stu, all first timers. They joined Andy, Derek, Ian, Jason, Keith and Terry and we set off with Derek up front to collect rider number 11, another Jason, at Hazlerigg at about 7.45. That meant setting a steady pace as we had said we'd be there about 7.20! Our early pace was one reason for Stu getting as far as the exit from Killingworth Lake before spilling off his gigantic Giant hardtail (he's 6' 7" !) on a nasty concrete upstand as we hit the pavement! Victim Number One and Stu wins a prize for that. It cost him a broken bar end and a slight swipe at his confidence, but I know he'll get over that quickly enough. Staying with Stu, if you need to clear any overhead branches from a trail, we can loan him to you for a day, just point him at them and send him through!

We cut through Camperdown Industrial Estate onto the end of Sandy Lane, into the brisk westerly wind.  Now I know I said we were, well, not in a hurry exactly, but a bit pushed for time. Kay must have taken that literally as she set a stinging pace along Sandy Lane, headwind or not. So please, gents, don't blame me, I couldn't keep up with her either. The result of this burst of energy was that there were a couple of weary bodies already as we reached Brunton Woods and our rendezvous with the other Jason. here's Paul adding to his photo collection as Kay laughs at the dead bodies.

We hit Jason's local trails here and I took up my post at the back. Here I am behind Kay as she ploughs straight over the nasty, tricky roots in the woods. Notice no hand on her left brake lever - and you can't see the other but I could - she wasn't reaching for her brakes at all through here - scary!

It was also in here that our Jason got a puncture in his son's Marin, out tonight for it's first test ride, which it passed with flying colours. Or would have done if Ross' dad had put rim tapes in his wheels!.

We gathered again at the road into the west side of Dinnington where we turned left as Ian led up one of his secret trails, and over the A696 into the fields at the end of Newcastle Airport's main runway, where Paul showed some skill taking pictures while we rode past. The bull here took a fancy to him but he was moving too quickly!

From left Jason, Stu and Paul head to the Airport Here's Daniel grinning!

Ten Smiling Faces at Ponteland 

We strung out along the singletrack to Ponteland and then after another couple of seconds "rest", terry ushered everyone down to National Cycle Route 10 behind The Diamond. Young Daniel's ferocious pedalling began to catch up with him here, but that didn't stop him telling us about his Reptile handling skills - hopefully he wouldn't need them tonight, but you never know! (he's at Kirkley Hall Agricultural College, tonight renamed as  Aggro College or ASBO College in Dan's honour!!! - a result of Derek's, Jason's and Andy's nasty sense of humour).

As you can see left, it wasn't very light by this time. We plodded on back towards Dinnington, and those with lights had them on quite some way before this. Only one more dodgy moment, when what looked like an alien spaceship confronted us just outside Dinnington. It totally filled the bridleway and was covered in spotlights. We all had to jump in the hedgerows to miss the blades on the massive machine it was pulling.

Yep, it was dark well before the end. We left Derek with his fantastic Hope front LED lamp blinding every motorist he approached, at Weetslade, and returned via Killy Lake but on bridleways this time. Somehow we all survived the blackness. Terry stopped at the far side of the lake to say goodnight to Stu and by the time he got back to the others, young Dan had done a runner! Apparently he'd arranged to meet his dad further back somewhere. I'll let you know if he made it!

Here's Daniel enjoying things (at the start!) as he follows a bag of bones

And our route via Paul's GPS

Thanks for the photos, Paul. Must get my camera fixed!

All-in-all a fair old ride for our new starters, if maybe a little highly paced and maybe a little too far at 25 miles for some and maybe a little dark at the finish and maybe... Let's see how many come back for more!

*** We've decided to keep the midweek rides going this year - we normally stop around the end of August - BUT you'll have to bring lights with you, as we can't completely avoid roads, and they're pretty handy in the dark anyway!

Keep watching and if you fancy a ride out with us, drop us a line here: bailout@midaircrisis.org.uk

or  here: info@newcastlembc.co.uk or here: derek@midaircrisis.org.uk