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Post by hodgy on Nov 15, 2015 13:13:46 GMT
Being full of good intentions myself & Graham were going to do a local ride this morning ..but the one element I hate riding in put paid to that strong wind & rain ...and Graham agreed ..
In the meantime Nick McK has been in touch wanting to do the recent ride in Wark forest on Wednesday....which won't be holding up well with all this water ( set to continue) ...so Hamsterley has been mentioned as an alternative ..
No time fixed as yet ..but with a fuck work let's ride mentality setting in we both are going to do this ..anyone else ?
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Post by davet on Nov 16, 2015 23:36:43 GMT
I'm working so won't be able toake it, have a good day.
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Post by hodgy on Nov 17, 2015 14:30:53 GMT
I've already been in touch with Nick ..I can't make this ride tomorrow ..I'm playing wet nurse to my son who has picked up a sickness bug and turned his bedroom into a scene from the Exorcist last night ..spew everywhere ..no school today and he will be off again tomorrow .
His mam's appointments are all away from home tomorrow and as I'm working from my home office ..it's all down to me !
I might well be able to do this ride on Thursday ..but will wait until tomorrow afternoon to make that call...
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Post by bigal on Nov 18, 2015 10:50:59 GMT
Riding Hamsterley tomorrow, Thursday, if anyone wants to join me a mate doing some of the usual and some off pste stuff.
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Post by hodgy on Nov 18, 2015 11:32:16 GMT
Alright Al ...
The likelihood is that myself and Nick are going to be there tomorrow..but that isn't 100% yet .
Normally I would be right up for meeting you ..but a couple of things are stopping me short of doing that on this occasion ..the first one being that we are doing a bit of naughty exploration on the moorland away from the forest ..which I haven't a clue as to how it rides ( so could be crap ) and secondly my fitness is not yet back to its usual slow speed after my recent injury and having had to give up badminton completely ( 4 hours per week) because of it ..I am nearly in reverse gear on the climbs ..so wouldn't want to spoil your day ...br]If we do go and happen to bump into you ..that would be great ..and I will keep a look out ..but I'm just being honest !
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Post by bigal on Nov 18, 2015 15:07:45 GMT
Alright Al ... The likelihood is that myself and Nick are going to be there tomorrow..but that isn't 100% yet . Normally I would be right up for meeting you ..but a couple of things are stopping me short of doing that on this occasion ..the first one being that we are doing a bit of naughty exploration on the moorland away from the forest ..which I haven't a clue as to how it rides ( so could be crap ) and secondly my fitness is not yet back to its usual slow speed after my recent injury and having had to give up badminton completely ( 4 hours per week) because of it ..I am nearly in reverse gear on the climbs ..so wouldn't want to spoil your day ...br]If we do go and happen to bump into you ..that would be great ..and I will keep a look out ..but I'm just being honest ! Mate the pair of us are not the fittest riders by far. Which way are you looking at going as I have ventured most side of Hamsterley. Friends also followed a route I had done previously to be confronted by a farmer with a gun and not happy about people being on his land. That was way above Pikes teeth. We are going to parking on the fire road above the skills loop. Will be there just after 1015. |
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Post by hodgy on Nov 18, 2015 15:54:39 GMT
The " naughty " bit is the path that leaves by the wall section going towards Ayup beck and swings back by Black hill where it turns back into bridleway ..
Not really sure how we are going to work this into the ride to be fair ..it's not really a place that either of us ride that often ..
I got your PM though ..thanks for that ..it's unlikely that we will be there before 10.30 ..but might just give you a call on the hoof ..
Thanks Al ..appreciate it ...
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Post by bigal on Nov 19, 2015 17:17:15 GMT
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Post by hodgy on Nov 19, 2015 18:43:13 GMT
Must say straight off that prior to going on this ride I have never felt such a sense of foreboding and trepidation in terms of what might or could go wrong after what happened to Andy on Monday and that was hard to shake when we set off ...
In terms of the day though what a difference 24 hours can make ..bright , sunny and just a little fresh ..we started off on the normal black route ..but Russell who had managed to make it down took us on some off-piste which was wet and rooty ..but fun !
The moorland naughty bits that we had planned on doing were soon binned when we noticed a shepherd on his Quad with two collies ..didn't fancy the hassle !
I'm useless with section names ..but the only "off " of the day came after the rocky rooty wall section on the new down with the high berms that gives a red ( left ) or blue ( right ) option and it belonged to me ..having missed the turn off to the left for the red I was forced into the blue section and washed out ..much to my shame !
Probably the best thing that could have happened as it made me forget about the " what if " attitude that had been with me from the start...naturally we went back to do it again!
All the downs were running sweet even if they were hiding some pretty deep puddles in places .
We met up with a right character later in the day ..near the hut halfway up the side of the downhill run ....I have never seen anyone so distraught after having congratulated him on climbing up and him saying " yeah just turned 50 ..I know you boys will have some way to get there " ...I actually thought he was taking the piss ..but it turned out he wasn't and was crestfallen when I told him I was 58 and Nick 52 ( I haven't a clue as to Russell's age ) ..but hell it sure made me feel good .
He was a downhiller himself and was telling us a tale how he had shown some kids at the weekend some of the off-piste trails and how he had made them bleed !
He then offered to show us the delights of Rumple Foreskin and Handsaw & Gretel ..which we politely declined in favour of section 13 ..some boy though !
All n all a really great day ..nice to ride with Nick again who is the rider I have known for the longest ..close on 20 years ..and Russell who is the rider I have known the least amount of time ..but whose enthusiasm for mountain biking is so infectious .
By the end of the ride the "fear " had gone again and I was so glad we had got out there
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Post by Marmite on Nov 19, 2015 18:53:36 GMT
Sounds like you had a good ride and got to say looking forward to riding with you guys again Plus know wot you mean about Russell  |
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Post by kirky72 on Nov 19, 2015 19:35:13 GMT
I get where you are coming from Neil, with a degree of reflection and doubt I opted to take my chin guard with me today for the first time on a none uplift type ride. With the intention of using it on all of the downs.
I wasn't the only one as roundie turned up with a full on dh full face helmet and Mike had the same bell super as me. The three of us dolled up in full faces made Glynn (normal lid) look well hard.
I had fairly high speed otb crash after landing from a drop into a bog which my front wheel dissapeared into and catapulted me in a stunt roll down the hill side. Fortunately I had a soft landing and was just a little winded. If I had gone anywhere more to the right side though I would have been launched head first down the rockier track. Food for thought again.
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Post by roundie1981 on Nov 19, 2015 20:27:47 GMT
I get where you are coming from Neil, with a degree of reflection and doubt I opted to take my chin guard with me today for the first time on a none uplift type ride. With the intention of using it on all of the downs. I wasn't the only one as roundie turned up with a full on dh full face helmet and Mike had the same bell super as me. The three of us dolled up in full faces made Glynn (normal lid) look well hard. I had fairly high speed otb crash after landing from a drop into a bog which my front wheel dissapeared into and catapulted me in a stunt roll down the hill side. Fortunately I had a soft landing and was just a little winded. If I had gone anywhere more to the right side though I would have been launched head first down the rockier track. Food for thought again. Full face was awesome for keeping my ears and head warm!! The Mrs was happy too as she wasn't overly keen on me going after recent events. |
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Post by glynnsixo on Nov 19, 2015 20:48:42 GMT
sounds like you did really well with the weather hodgy..............it was really grim down south for us  |
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Post by hodgy on Nov 19, 2015 20:49:52 GMT
Just to say Al ...by the time we had faffed on ( when I say we ..I really mean Nick ) ..it was 11.15 before we got going ..so destined not to meet |
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Post by bigal on Nov 19, 2015 21:47:05 GMT
Just to say Al ...by the time we had faffed on ( when I say we ..I really mean Nick ) ..it was 11.15 before we got going ..so destined not to meet Not a problem. Found a couple of checks little trails some a lot rideable than others. |
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