It was a very nice day. Cool, but in the sun, pleasantly warm. Off with the gilet after only a couple of miles and onto join the lads off road for a change, in my attempt to start to get some fitness back. Jim looked surprised as he overtook me on the way up Kingsley Road, quizzing ‘Mountain bike?’, and pedalling off perplexed by my mode of transport.
I stopped briefly at Hatchmere for a quick chat with the training ride just before they were to depart, explaining that I hadn’t arrived on the wrong bike, and that I was to go off-road, avec GoPro, to see if I could find something entertaining to film. Big Steve said that he hoped that I’d get some good footage and not just earth,sky, earth sky… mmm… what could possibly go wrong?*
Thinking of some slipping, sliding, muddy fun did seem like a good idea, and with a total of 7 meeting at the cafe, we tootled off to meet Paul who was heading in ‘a’ direction, so we too headed in ‘a’ direction (out along Golf Course Lane, onto the track towards Stoneyford Lane & the Oakmere way). Eventually Paul did meet us there, to make us 8, and we headed up the hill, hung a left into Gallowsclough Lane and into the forest. After much recent rain, it was obviously muddy, and we’d already trudged through some suitable gluey mud on the way.
A slightly less muddy section on the track towards Stoneyford Lane
Now into the forest, we started to enjoy the great technical tracks of Delamere. Muddy, rooted, variable. All great fun.
Start recording, and off we go on tracks that we’ve all ridden previously. At this point, all looked good, until that is, a small section to the right of a deep, muddy, stagnant pool of water, where I followed Andy and.. well, see below..
Yeah. Clever. Nick was following and helpfully stated that it was always good to keep close to the fence. Well, after looking at the footage, I did. A bit too close as it happens as my bar clipped the fence post and I was jettisoned sidewards into the stinking mire! Cold, wet, muddy. Funny how my Sealskinz socks then worked perfectly in reverse, keeping the gritty water in my sock, rendering my feet at about twice the weight that they were.
*Note. It wasn’t earth.. sky.. earth.. sky.., just fence.. mud..
Nick was very helpful and took the opportunity to take a photo. This is he, taking a photo.
This is the photo. Wet, cold, and rather smelly. 🙂
We then proceeded, slipping, sliding and generally having a great time around the loop up to the road. All great interval type training.
Excellent filthy stuff, great for training, great fun too. (Lens slightly muddy for obvious reasons).
The group then crossed and headed into the forest on Blakemere Moss side of the road, and I, having had some very useful ‘training’, decided to head for home, a washing machine, a bucket of hot soapy water for the bike, and a shower for me.
An excellent morning out on the bike. Highly recommended!