On the face of it there’s not a lot to report about a day out at Antur Stiniog. You arrive, chuck your bike on a trailer, ride to the top of a hill in a minibus, tear-arse down to the bottom and repeat, (x15) until it’s time to go home. Or you are broken. Or your bike is broken. Hardly even sounds like cycling does it?
But it’s genuinely bloody knackering. I was hobbling around like John Wayne with Gout until Wednesday at work. Joining me for this torture er, trip was Giles, (Kent) and Andy, (Beswick) who’s fault this was. Well he bought himself a genuinely ace downhill focussed bike and wanted to use it and, having loved the day when we last visited – can it really be three years ago? – I for one didn’t need too much persuading. Giles I’m not sure quite knew what he was letting himself in for. Punctures in a word, enough to positively affect Butyl futures on the derivative markets.
Gravity ineffective in Blaenau Ffestiniog. Pic. courtesy of Wayne Shackell.
As you can see from the pictures, Andy and me spent most of the day goading each other into going rather too fast on some of the easier and quicker trails, though we did venture onto a small section of the black very briefly, (VERY briefly 🙂 ). A rash moment on my part nearly saw me T-bone Andy trying to overtake on a switchback, but having managed to avoid that crash, he decided to do it himself on the next run going over the bars into the undergrowth. Pads and a decent helmet are definitely order of the day here.
This time – Hornby hare, Beswick Greyhound. Pic. courtesy of Wayne Shackell
So what of our other intrepid Gnarpoon, Giles? Well his day was one of education. Lesson learned, perhaps a bit more pressure in your tyres when it’s rocky. Lesson gifted, the scientific name for the back of the knee is the Popliteal Fossa. Never let it be said that a Weaver Valley MTB ride isn’t a school day for every attendee. It did seem by the end of the day he was going faster, and even volunteered to come again if we organise another trip. Even the typical Welsh weather, (you know the type, sideways, lumpy fog) after the lunch break couldn’t put him off.
Yep, we’ll definitely be going again!