Just a (Gravel) Ride 11th April

6 adventurers departed Park Green last night on a variety of machines variying from road racers with slicks, full on MTBs and a bike that could only be described as taking the title “hybrid” to a whole new meaning!

Good to see Godfather of JAR Andy out, joined by John, Nigel (old Bird), Dr Who?, No, Dr Ali, IT Major Tom, and myself.

As promised, lots of gravel starting with Hocker Lane and the Cobbles of Bradford Lane, where John’s bike decided to join the modern trend of using a single chainring aka the front mech had to be removed due to a broken lever (how did you get the mech off without splitting the chain? or maybe you did, I never asked. Pretty quick work in any case).

Then via Sossmoss and Merrymans to Mobberley then on the innapropriately named Pavement Lane where we had a Stroopwafel and photo shoot in the middle of nowhere. By then it was noticeably getting cooler probably due to the big orange thing heading west. Note to self - when that thing goes the temperature drops. Quite a bit, actually.

Then past the largest car parking space ever seen, no-one knows why, it just is.

A brief blast down the A537 led us to the tracks of Newhall Farm, including a detour actually TO Newhall Farm. Fortunately the Farmer and his shotgun, his rabid dogs, ferocous bulls, and tractors with scary sharp whirly round implement things and other form of death that farm people have at hand were watching Eastenders, so we escaped unhurt.

It really was getting cold by now, and maybe shorts, two thin tops and fingerless gloves were a bit optimistic. Why did they even invent fingerless gloves? It’s pretty obvious really then that your fingers are going to get cold. Duh!

Extra gravel was to be found at the gravel quarry, funny enough, before blasting up Pexhill. Andy stopped to answer his phone (sorry Andy, to cold by then, and the impending 9pm burger deadline loomed) so we carried out, reforming at the Park Tavern joining the 10-2-7 and MTB fraternity.

Never let a bike ride get in the way of a decent pint, that’s what I say (says a drinker with a cycling problem.)

Next ride next week, see you then.