Rivington/Darwen 4th March 2007
Man that was a good bath! & I now feel over-come with the milk of human kindness as the club stuck together even when I went the short but wrong path to that cafe/bus shelter at Tockholes; oops! now that woz a another classis ride made all the more challenging by the wind & the predicted rain which appeared did/nearly take its toll on one or two of us, but like all good woollybacks we battled-on having cut out the tough loop upto the tower.
This ride has all the challenges & rewards that a classic ride should deliver; The steady climb from base camp started gently to get some heat & blood flowing into the cold legs, the track to the Tower gets steeper with the last switch back to the top a great challenge, did anyone clean it that wind? At the top that wind had us all quickly diving for shelter beind the Tower where a plethora of like minded souls were having the same idea. A quick check on the views confirmed the rain was heading our way so with a chilly wind trying to freeze your body sweat it was sharply on to exchange those gravity tokens for the all too short but nice rocky drop back to the track towards the pike but we turn left at Pike Cottage for a push/walk/ride over a very peaty & slippy FP. which picks up the road to & past the masts. Bearing right over a gate/style revealed a cracking reward down on a track having good speed & gully bumps awaiting to catch out us bispecticled types as the rain was now warning us of what was come later on; crossing a track over a Style was a short path through some woods to pickup the the A675 Belmont road; no time to wait long here as chilling-down to much was not an option. Heading 1/2 mile north into civilisation the group of 8 picked up speed to turn left onto Egerton road, a steady climb past Great Robert Hill & accross & onto Stones Bank Rd this 3/4 mile of black stuff took us to left at the side of Stone Bank Plantation, This track was suprisingly firm under tyre with all that farmers poo! & actually named as Wilton Weavers Way; this track felt like 2 mile but was abit less and brought on the thoughts of 'oh my god we have to come back this way into the wind & rain. Veiws to the left reveal the A675 Belmont Rd but our track continues to pick up Tockholes Rd. more of the black stuff for 1 mile then its a left down through & around Tockholes plantation.
Phills rear brake was now distracting himself as it had caused me to check my bike on the previous track more than once for a grinding noise( he was riding next to me ), Following our great leader this area has some good fun in it but after the crossing of a steam next to the River Roddlesworth phil could take it no more out came the tools & off came the rear caliper to be tie-wrapped to the swinging arm for well eared rest; a quick snap break then I discovered that my fork had no air in it & by by the time I gloved-up the horizon was rider less; queue my effort to separate the pack by taking a short cut on the right straight upto the Royal Arms. By now it was stair-rodding it down & a good few degrees cooler, It took ages here for us all to get rounded-up with Phill, Eric, Mark & Ian all claiming extra mileage in their valiant efforts to find me; sorry again lads. The last Challenge to ( its actually ) Jubilee Tower was in sight & daring us to take it on but common sense prevailed & back south into the wind & rain we battled our way by road towards Belmont; with the thought of what might have been the group avoided the mobile cafe & pushed on past Belmont Resorvoir & down into the village for a turn right onto Rivington Rd; This uphill pull back past Winter Hill soon got us thinking of coffee at the lower barn, with heavy legs & the shelter from the wind it was the every man for himself to blast up & back down on the black stuff & into the carpark.
Its good to cycle but it's great to mountain Bike with your mates, thanks to all took it on & won Well done everyone & see ya soon probably in a carpark.
Paul/Tyre Kicker
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