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Thursday Night is Ride Night! This one, 4th September 2008 saw a very good turnout of nine riders
on a fair evening but with the forecast not too clever. We started at 7:10pm
after being fairly sure no-one else was on the way. Those present - Arthur,
Chris D, Chris K, Evan, Ian A, Ian B, Mick and the Gollum.
We trekked northwards onto Crammy Waggonway and did our usual run through the
tree line singletrack before rejoining the Waggonway over Hillheads crossing and
then down to Backworth. From there we took the bridleway across to Seghill. We
normally take the narrow-based bridleway down to the Reclamation Plant from the
gate here, but because the ground was pretty wet, I mean sodden, the Gollum
decreed we take a small detour which involved getting over a stile (shush,
it's a Health & Safety issue!) and trying the undertree route. Reason for this
is the nasty single run of barbed wire atop the aforementioned bridle fence.
Yes, we regularly scrape elbows on similar fences, but this one is very
dangerous in the wet as the deep, skinny groove in the ground grabs your back
wheel and sets the bikes sliding sideways and barbed wire offers no comfort at
all if you land on it. See!
The alternative run was spiky but thankfully short and it popped us out into an
overgrown grass field before allowing us to reach the tip. After a short rest
halt it was time to blast along the singletrack to the edge of Holywell. From
there it was riverbank time as we skidded along in the mud and repainted all the
bikes. It was also fairly heavy going. Out onto the road through the village and
the drop down to the bridge for another blaze through the Dene. At the end of
the regular trail it was pretty dark, so with all our array of super lights
blazing (actually, Ian B's Hope would have done us all nicely!) we took to the,
err, riverside path as we marched rapidly on to New Hartley.
Just as we dived down onto the bridleway along to the harbour, we noticed a
single bike lamp, travelling the same way as us but on the opposite bank of the
river. That turned out to be Evan! He'd been a little behind
the main bunch, but just in front of Arthur and the Gollum, but because he
doesn't know the route he missed the others crossing the little steel bridge and
just continued on. He could have stayed on the nice wide path but chose instead
to try and get back to the others. That left him in no-man's land following the
east bank, and Golly was quick to shout across to him those immortal words "Be
Careful!".
We regrouped at the end of the tricky little singletrack from where Evan was
guided to the exit of his own trail. We met up on the road at the Melton
Constable before following Ian B up a steep little click to the top of the
roadside dunes. At the foot of the chalk drop we stopped again when Speedian
engaged in conversation with an MTB couple and proceeded to give them a little
of our history. As he was speaking to them, Evan managed to fling himself off
his Rockhopper right in front of them Good! If it hadn't been him it would most
likely have been me!
Once Ian had finished yapping it was time to move
along the coast to St Mary's Lighthouse and our "proper" snack stop.
The Gollum let the last few riders through the hole in the wall
ahead of him, then disaster struck. Just as Ian and Arthur had
vanished from view up ahead, the chain snapped on Golly's CoilAir.
Unexpected it may have been but unlikely - no way. Almost total lack of
maintenance on a lovely, expensive bike that's only been used a handful of times in
the last two years since the old twit decided to go lighter.
Anyway, he managed to scoot it all the way to the car park and
walk it over to the others, patiently waiting for him at Hartley. From there,
Mick had the kindness and the spare hand to push him to the Lighthouse and
enable the chain to be repaired. Poetic justice here for the Rubber man, Chris
D, who was only too keen to provide a Powerlink to rescue the stricken Gollum,
having made up a whole chain with the things for his own Mongoose! Owe you one,
Chris.
We demolished what little food was about, once more discussing
the value of proper nutrition to potential Olympic athletes like ourselves, then
it was time to scare the Vauxhall Corsa Brigade in the main car park as we
rattled up the tarmac drive to the Caravan Site. After a quick conflab between
Speedy and Golly, we used the Cemetery path up into Whitley Lodge in order to
plot a decent path back to the Tyne for Mick to use the Pedestrian Tunnel.
Just where the bridleway crosses beneath Monkseaton Drive, the
party divided in two, with Ian B leading Chris D and Arthur straight back to
Holystone while the other five headed south west up through Monkseaton by road.
They then crossed the fields into Murton and up to the Cobalt Roundabout, where
Mick spotted the trail down to the Tyne and shot off for home alone.
The other four somehow arrived at the Holystone Roundabout at
exactly the same time as the three deserters, so we finished the ride together
anyway! Time abou 10:20pm. Mileage around 18, but add 20 more for Mick to and
from Seaburn!
Maim a
Bike Thief - Now!
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MidAirCrisis
