Post by Graham B on Nov 21, 2015 13:11:45 GMT 1
We had a cold but dry evening on Thursday past for the towpath & trails ride. Steve Nugent, James Mackin and myself set off from the Civic Centre at 7pm and met up with Martin & Lisa along the towpath. Martin and Lisa had left the CX bikes at home, so Steve was the only one on a crosser.
The pace down to Malone was decent enough, with no major incidents apart from my mudguard making a bid for freedom. Abigail and Barney hadn't left too much in the way of fallen trees, with only a couple of small branches partly blocking the paths up to the Giants Ring. Lisa took an early lead in the sprint, but young whippersnapper Mackin soon reeled her in and made it to the gate first. Mackin was also first over the first climb in Belvoir, but on the climb up Vomit ridge, the on-form Grimley caught us both by surprise, attacking at the bottom of the hill and holding on to take the win. I managed to sneak ahead of Martin on the car park climb on the way back up from the spin round Belvoir, then it was back down through the trees and across the canal. We re-grouped back at the towpath near the Lock-keepers cottage. After a gentle spin back to Shawsbridge, we took on Cardiac hill for the first time this year. Once again Mackin was first to the top, with Grimley in hot pursuit. We took on the red trail through Barnetts, and on one of the rock gardens Steve came a cropper. Luckily both he and his bike were OK!
Back down through Lady Dixon, Martin was keen to investigate an apparently abandoned transit van (I think he was secretly thinking of bringing it back with us to use as a DCC support vehicle). Funny enough, the rest of us were not so keen to hang around. The usual swift spin back down the towpath got us back to the civic centre at about 9.10pm.
Wildlife count: 1 large badger, 4 rabbits, 2 mice and a ginger cat!
Hope to see a few more out next week. Meet 6.50 pm in the car park off canal street (across the canal from the main doors of the civic centre).
The pace down to Malone was decent enough, with no major incidents apart from my mudguard making a bid for freedom. Abigail and Barney hadn't left too much in the way of fallen trees, with only a couple of small branches partly blocking the paths up to the Giants Ring. Lisa took an early lead in the sprint, but young whippersnapper Mackin soon reeled her in and made it to the gate first. Mackin was also first over the first climb in Belvoir, but on the climb up Vomit ridge, the on-form Grimley caught us both by surprise, attacking at the bottom of the hill and holding on to take the win. I managed to sneak ahead of Martin on the car park climb on the way back up from the spin round Belvoir, then it was back down through the trees and across the canal. We re-grouped back at the towpath near the Lock-keepers cottage. After a gentle spin back to Shawsbridge, we took on Cardiac hill for the first time this year. Once again Mackin was first to the top, with Grimley in hot pursuit. We took on the red trail through Barnetts, and on one of the rock gardens Steve came a cropper. Luckily both he and his bike were OK!
Back down through Lady Dixon, Martin was keen to investigate an apparently abandoned transit van (I think he was secretly thinking of bringing it back with us to use as a DCC support vehicle). Funny enough, the rest of us were not so keen to hang around. The usual swift spin back down the towpath got us back to the civic centre at about 9.10pm.
Wildlife count: 1 large badger, 4 rabbits, 2 mice and a ginger cat!
Hope to see a few more out next week. Meet 6.50 pm in the car park off canal street (across the canal from the main doors of the civic centre).