Once again a cool Thursday nighter attracted hordes of riders for a bash around the Flatlands. Thursday 16th October 2008 saw first arrival Derek swiftly followed by David R. As they were both a wee bit early, Mrs Gollum was cajoled into boiling the cauldron, and the pair supped cuppas while Golly attempted to blow up the flat front tyre of the Decathlon. After taking pity on the imbecile, Derek demanded the tyre be whipped off, and subsequently discoverd a ten mil thorn in the carcasss. Could that be the cause?
Slowly and steadily more bikes and riders appeared as the sun sank lower in a crystal clear sky. There's only so much p@ss a Gollum can stand being extracted from him, but after it finally subsided, who should turn up to maintain the pace for a bit longer than Terry H, for whom pace is the Master! I thank you all, from the bottom of my shoe.
I stand to be corrected here by our super-efficient Personnel Manager, er, I mean HR Director the Speedian but I seem to recall others present as including Chris K, Craig (aka Smoker1), Jon, Mick, Matt (recovered from that nasty knee problem on Sunday), Stewart and Rachel who managed to navigate to the Cave using all her female intuition and geographical skills all the way from Houghton-le-Spring, begorrah! That made it a starting group numbering twelve. We had to press on after the moon struck seven as we were expecting to pick up Alex on the way and also meet Holly who was due out for her first encounter with us rabble somewhere in Wallsend.
We just about had time to do the first run through the trees aside the Rising Sun after Holly rang to tell us she was at the Coast Road, so we scuttled through there but cut out the lower section, emerging instead at the top of Station Road where Holly was waiting as agreed. Golly administered the ridiculously bright Hope Vision to Holly's handlebars, kindly loaned by Our Keith who's currently darn sarf on business for a while, topping up his healthy radioactive glow. Then we were off behind Speedy through the industrial estate and out into Forest Hall centre.
We popped out near the bike shop and up to the Great Lime Road before skedaddling up the track aside the church. That got us to Killingworth Lakes which we rode around and up to the Camperdown roundabout. It was here that we were accosted by two strangers, similarly dressed and mounted to ourselves, who had the nerve to admit they'd been looking at this trash for a few weeks! We welcomed them aboard (Paul and Richard) and off we went again. Rather than take our normal route along the fence and over the East Coast Mainline, we stayed with the road but jumped off at the bridge this side of the Sandy Lane roundabout, where the first thrill was head on a very damp and therefore slippery descent to the Waggonway. There were a couple of folk who walked their bikes down it but that looked more treacherous than riding the thing!
Up to Weetslade next and before we crossed the road, one of the new lads was given the last spare front lamp to assist his timid candle. The next time we bunched up was at the road on the Wideopen/Seaton Burn boundary. Once again Ian moved ahead of the pack and took us on another of his mystery tours, while Terry H, Derek and Golly made sure all was well at the back end. Somehow Ian keeps pulling these treats out of his hat, but surely it has to end soon?
We were now entering one of our favourite woods behind Seaton Burn, which is narrow, muddy and pretty quick if you wind things up. Once more we all got through safely, and well done Rachel for sticking with it through here when the branches were whipping her makeup off at every turn. Holly blitzed it, being more than happy to crash "at least three times per ride"! Everyone else managed OK and tthis little journey probably helped Ritchard and Paul decide they need some better lighting.
We gathered again at the little bridge over the A1and after a sneaky snack by one or two bods it was time to move again as Ian took us out west towards Dinnington on the bridleways of the Reivers Trail otherwise known as National Cycle Route 10. Another little get-together at the far end just to make sure we were all still there, then it was time to hit the long, straight and bumpy lane that separates the Ponteland Ranges from the village itself. After heaving along there, Golly decreed the Diamond to be our snack stop, so that's where we assembled. It was a lovely moonlit night as we sat in the back garden of the pub, chatting quietly. But only until the local bellringing Club got to work in the church! You could just picture that Mars Bar ad on telly with mad monks bouncing up and down the belfry upside down. We stayed until we could stand it no more, then said "Goodnight" to Dave who was conveniently close to his other half's house to stop him returning with us.
From there we rode up the few hundred metres to the bridleway past the Sports Centre which took us up to the airport roundabout. Time was getting on again, so Terry H took his leave there and headed for home a more direct way than we had planned. That was straight up the track which crosses the end of the runway, where Rachel just about decided she'd ridden far enough, and emerges at Callerton. Then we dropped down to the Wheatsheaf and headed back towards Hazlerigg and Gosforth. We only had time to do the last section of Gosforth Park as the clock ticked around way too quickly, and departed from Craig, Chris K and a few others at the Garden Centre, getting back to the cave pretty close to 10:15pm on another nice biking night.
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