BathMTB: Ride Report... And Saturday ..And Weekend Rides

[kevin boyd]

Andy
 
What time Saturday.
 
Kevin
 



Date: Thu, 5 Jan 2012 16:41:51 +0000
From: DESESCIT-SSSAS at mod.uk
To: bathmtb at mtb-oz.com; David.Bland at roger-bullivant.co.uk; jollymountaineer at hotmail.com
CC: 
Subject: BathMTB: Ride Report... And Saturday ..And Weekend Rides






Ride Report: 4.1.12
 
The best ride of the year…. So far !
 
Yes, the first ride of the year turned out to be a proper epic.
 
It was already blowing a gale as I stepped out of the house. And then the rain began falling in sheets as I headed down the Lane, not just any old rain but proper stings-you-in-the-face rain. 
 
Post Christmas blues had depleated the numbers (and neither Dan (train late) or Matt (work and ill) managed it before heading back to Uni – see you in the Summer guys !) but yes there were more foolhardy fools who turned up : Chris (on his SS), Dave and Justin.
 
After debate about route options influenced by mud, the dire weather and Chris’ lack of gears, we opted for a lanes ride out St Catherines Valley way. 
 
We headed out through the puddles along the canal, over the toll bridge and up through Batheaston and Northend. 
 
The wind increased and although we were initially fairly well sheltered it was roaring all around us. Raining on and off.
 
We climbed higher up St Catherines valley (which you might remember goes up a bit, down a bit, up a bit more etc and is LONG).
 
I was meaning to take the right turn through the gate to Beeks Mill but we somehow missed it. So just to p!ss off Chris and his knees we turn around and ride back a bit but in the end decide to carry on up to the top of the valley – where the wind REALLY picked up.
 
To avoid having to take the main A46 road we branched off on a bridleway which ended in a field. 
 
And we then promptly got lost. Or rather took the opportunity to explore a muddy field. After riding around the edge we found a stile which lead to another muddy field (so much for avoiding the mud) and then climbed a fence on to the tarmac lane that leads to Cold Ashton.
 
A short cake and fig roll stop (Cheers Chris they never tasted so good) we headed off toward Marshfield to do a short section of the main A420. The wind was howling by now, luckily it was behind us so we got mega tail wind bolwing us along the main road. We literally flew along. Chris couldn’t pedal fast enough to keep up and just let the wind push him.
 
Into Marshfield village and then the lanes to Ashwicke and back along Bannerdown straight. Not so bad where we were sheltered by the trees but boy, where it was open we were blown sideways and had a hard time staying upright.
 
Down the tarmac decent into Batheaston again, along the London Road to the Pig for a well earned pint.
 
The kind of horrendous enjoyable ride that is enjoyable because you are battling such horrendous conditions ! 
 
 
‘First Saturday of the Month’ 9am from Cadence Ride
 
Yes - Kevin asked - there’s going to be a ‘First Saturday’ of the month ride. They’ll be more of the ‘open to everyone’ rides that Dave and I have to organise as payback for 1SW (like the Turkey Twizzler). They have to be ‘proper’ rides. Risk Assessed,  Signed on, insured and all that, so they’ll be run as Bath CC rides.
 
Still open to everyone though. And we’ll tell anyone who’s up to it about Weds night rides. Still no plan for them to become ‘proper’ rides :-) 
 
The plan is to base them on Lansdown Loops – about 2-3 hours aiming to get back to the cafe opposite cadence to join the roadies for a chat. (The Walcot / Cadence road ride leaves at 8am and the Bath CC Chaingang at 9.30).
 
 
Weekend Rides
 
Cheers to everyone who’s volunteered to organise one so far. The rest of you get thinking and I’ll put out the list on email and facebook next week.
 
We bumped into Simon from ‘The Others’ in the pub (wearing a suit) and got chatting to him about the possibility of making them (and trips away) joint with them.
 
 
 
Anyway, too much from me again.
 
See anyone Saturday who fancies it. 
 
Hope the op goes well Tav :-)
 
 
O/O
 
Andy
 
 
 
  		 	   		  
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