Christmas ride

So after failing miserably to organise a ride for Christmas before Christmas, we managed to get our shit together and sort on out for the 28th. Me, Weest, toss and Jase in attendance and boy did we fuck up with the date. The 27th heralded the start of the thaw and the frozen, crisp and probably rideable conditions gave way to hideous slush. Riding off road was just simply impossible.

So off we set at 2pm with the plan of heading over to the lower barn, bite to eat and then over to the hallowed Hostelry. We pretty soon realised that we could not ride of road so headed up Scout Road. My lack of riding for the last 4 weeks soon saw me holding up the guys and they had a long wait at the bottom of Scout Road. Jase's hip flask soon rejuvenated me though.

Up over the tops and we caught sight of a herd of deer just to the side of Walker Fold, one of them had full on antlers... they scarpered pretty much as soon as we saw them, Toss tried to get a pic but they were too far away.

Heavy rain set in by the time we reached the Smithy and we took the high road from the Crofters, up past the mast road. Here Toss suggested a descent down Wilderswood. It was shit as ever even more so in the slush. Much wailing from me as I found that screaming like a girl on every bit of ice really did help tremendously.

Along the back road from Rivi and Blackrod took us to the get where Jase and Weest attempted to clear a solid ice patch and failed, epically. 

Quick spin and the down to the bottom Barn for refreshments. Broke with tradition and got a steak Canadian with onion, brilliant. Few mugs of tea and we were ready for the climb over the moor to Belmont and the Ale.

Jase set off at a roaring fucking pace and he was soon well out of sight, me Toss and Weester blew our arses off on the climb to find him waiting for us at the top.

The descent to Belmont has a lot more snow on it than on the Horwich side so me and Toss took it easy while the other two blatted down with the scent of Flat Cap in their nostrils.

We took the playing field path with was a pretty shit idea really as we could barely keep the bikes upright.

IN the Bull, Clarkey joined us as we settle down for the crack and a shit load of Ale. Jase took his shoes off to get changed and left a trail of wet foot prints across the pub!

Jase was adamant that he wasn't going to ride home shite faced and announced that he was going after 5. We persuaded him to stay for 6 and then we would head home and finish off the remains of Toss's Christmas barrel. So full of ale, we bid Al farewell and went out. I set off down the steps and promptly fell off, one of them silly crashes that at the time doesn't hurt, but I have since found a few spectacular bruises on myself.

Setting off down the hill and I soon realised that I had also broken the bike. Rear Mech hanger snapped. Weester, the fooking diamond, towed me home. Scary experience that was though, holding onto his backpack with my arm at full stretch still had our wheels overlapping, so no room for error and after 6 pints that was hard enough.

Back to Jase's for a few flaggons of ale and some cracking pie and pies from Jase and Tracey.

Carcking night out!