2010 - Slowly Does It!
Thursday Nighters are back.
A huge turnout wasn't what was expected with ice and snow still present at various depths throughout the North East.
Bad start.
Amazingly there were 16 of us out for this one, with Ian A once more plotting a dastardly route through the obstacles left by Ma Nature over the past month or two. He shot away from the Cave around 7:10pm with the rest following as we made our way east to the Holystone. The Gollum got off to a bad start, however, when he realised he'd left his bag at home, muttering under his breath something about having to fettle everyone elses' problems and forgetting to look after his own! Could be a good omen for the rest of the year, as the whole of the group stood still at the Holystone and waited while he scampered back and returned with the bag, knackered already but happy he didn't have a bigger catchup task.
Onward, for most.
The Speedian took us down behind Shiremoor, past the Pavillion, and eased off the side of the cycle path down onto the verge before starting on the short singletrack to the new bridleway. The skinny bit was pretty icy and slowed things down (good!) but what came next after passing under the little tunnel was to surprise a few.
Ian hit the sheet ice first, and tried to pedal over it until it cracked and gave way. He managed to rescue himself while the Gollum tried the same thing on the opposite side and eventually got a wet foot for his trouble. meantime, however, Matt had followed Ian and ended up fairly deep under the ice, without his winter footwear. The result was an immediate cooling down and it didn't take him long to decide he'd be best off returning home.
It was to emerge a day or two later that he made exactly the right decision and got home just in time to save his toes!
Time for a change
Under the low bridge and out to the road just to the east of Backworth Crossing, where we regrouped outside the Kennels. And now for something completely different! Speedy and the Gollum decided turning right would be better than trying to tackle the frozen fields beyond the scrapyard while providing more interest than staying on the road to Earsdon Pit. So off we went south towards Shiremoor before turning east again.
Out on the Earsdon road Golly led northwards, and tried to squeeze past the wire netting at the foot of the old slag heaps. No way through there now after the reclamation contractors have installed a six foot secure fence around the perimeter. So we hit the main bridleway and followed Speedy and Ian B down to Hollywell Dene and entered by the original singletrack and jump spot.
It was Golly who blasted away impressively along the riverside after we'd crossed the narrow concrete bridge but the few inches of damp snow soon had him gasping for breath and he only got half way before he had to stop and wait for the tribe to pass before rejoining them. We dragged the bikes up the steps at the far end and rode through the village and down under the road bridge for the customary blast through the Eastern Dene.
Regrouping at the freeride park we stopped there for a short breather, then spat out onto the Whitley Bay bridleway from where Tim led us up onto the top path, over the bridge and the drop past the farm into Hartley.
Speedy and Golly were last through the final Dene riverside run and once more, most of the party dispatched the sharp climb up to the Coast Road at Seaton Sluice with consummate ease. No stopping this time as we got straight on with the road crossing before heading out for the Lighthouse.
Cool
We got down there and most of us settled on the benches at the cliff top car park although a few ventured over the causeway to the Lighthouse before returning for their snack break. A beautiful night out here, we seem to be blessed most Thursdays, but it was pretty cool.
Refreshed and re-chilled, we moved off along the road and out to the Caravan Park before turning in to do the Cemetery Singletrack into Whitley Lodge. That passed by very quickly to leave us with just the drag into the wind up Monkseaton Drive, almost home.
But not quite.
We'd left Whitley Lodge and had Sainsburys in sight. Well, six of us at the back did, but the rest had long since gone. Must be a roadie out front. Those of us left behind had the joy of assisting poor Pete who's tyre sprang a leak outside the school. Steven Wa, Richy, Golly and he set about the repair with frozen fingers but the thorn was found pretty quickly and fixed. Doesn't time fly when you're enjoying yourself?
when we reached the roundabout half way up, we found Ian A and a few others waiting there for us, so we joined them for the offroad bit behind Whitley Road. After the initial singletrack over to the car boot field, we could see the LEDs of the front runners already approaching the Red Lion Roundabout, almost a mile ahead. Rotters!
Poetic just as
They must have had a problem as they seemed to be stationary when we arrived some time later, so with ian B pointing the way out the back of the village, we moved away, only to hear the dreaded shout go up. This time it was Jon with the flat, but the Gollum thought it a good time to extract vengeance so he promptly announced he was going on ahead and skedaddled down the hill.
Richy followed him but the rest of the party must have needed a rest as they stayed put. The pair did just enough to get out of sight of the gaggle and parked up to wait. And wait. And wait... Hours later the others appeared and we continued along the bridleways.
The rest was easy, and we stopped for a short chat in Shiremoor to a few bods having a smoke break outside the boozer. Then we sped off along the road back to the cave for a 10:10 finish, or thereabouts.
And of course, the "good omen" I mentioned above proved something of an overstatement after all!