Date: Tuesday 22nd September
Riders: Keith, Paddy, Sam, Neil, Paul, Alan, Martyn & newcomer Rob.
Distance: not saying!
Weather: Dull, light drizzle, mild.
Time: Departed Willowby 1940, arrived HQ 2145.
So, autumn brings with it a slight mizzle
but not enough to deter eight dedicated MTB’ers. With
our Routemeister-in-Chief waylaid by a working wife, we struggled
to know where to go.
With shouts of “I don’t mind” coming from
all directions Martyn got us going by taking us onto the Horrabridge
bike track but peeling off at the Leg O Mutton and hugging
the road to find an excellent single track that took us all
the way to Horrabridge. Fun can be had VERY close to home.
Thence down the cycle track to the viaduct,
Walkham switchbacks and onwards towards Double Waters. The
off road pelaton formed
in the dark of the Walkham Valley and with minds still in summer
mode, several lemming-like halts occurred as the leader went
up a forest cul-de-sac followed by his flock with the inevitable
pelaton concertina!!! Once unravelled, we continued and made
the decision to include the loop up and around West Down picking
up the Tavy after a great descent. The team had obviously had
its “weaties” before departure as all eight were
really flying and were all at Double Waters in double quick
time with
only a couple of minor spills on the way!!!
Sam set a blistering pace up Bastard Hill
(Greg would have been proud of him) and he and several others
made virgin ascents
of Bastard Hill without “dabbing” (feet down).
It was still only 21.10 and at this rate we would be back at
HQ by quarter past, so we decided to head to Longash and trundle
down Greg’s Leap picking up the bike track and returning
to HQ up the path Martyn had taken us down at the beginning.
In the dark, and by now thick fog, we missed Greg’s Leap
and despite Al’s best efforts to delay our arrival at
HQ (puncture) we trundled in for a refreshing pint of our sponsors
finest at about 21.45. Don’t tell the Routemeister we
were there that early – he’d be horrified!!! At
least it allowed Neil a second pint before Jess dutifully arrived
to take him back to town!!!
With only one resident of WP (and the Pres)
on tonights tour, Al and Paul have introduced Rob (another
from the Yelvy ’ellas)
into the fray and with the suggestion that the club name should
be changed to the Gentlemen At Yelverton Cycle Club – clearly
a major decision to be put to the vote at the next annual dinner!!!
You boys in the ‘ellas obviously know how to have a good
time!!! Vote GOWCC!!!
Reporter: Paddy
Presdident's footnote: As we waited above Horrabridge, Sam commented
on how early it was, how quickly we'd ridden and how there had
been no bike mishaps to hold us up. Then Al caught us up suffering
from a slow puncture, then Sam arrived at HQ with a puncture
and then finally Paddy left HQ with a puncture!!!
