11,12 , 13 and 14

No 11 was a straight there and back affair, 8 miles.

No 12 was a return to the Calder valley as per the picture above, Dave, Sharon, Matt, Dave and I headed out up the usual start of Jack Bridge, always a killer start no matter how fit (or not) you are, if you are fit you have no excuses and can go faster and it hurts like hell, if you aint fit you go slow and it hurts like hell.

There was a ride last year that started up here and its the nearest thing I've ever felt to having a heart attack, not today though due to the conscious decision to take a geared bike :-)

Anyway, the top was reached despite the suicide driver trying to get her Corsa down where her satnav was pointing ! then more up and on to angry farmers wife, the out and across to Whirlaw in the bogs where the above snap was taken in fantastic light, I regreted not having a bigger camera with me.

Down from Whirlaw to Singletrack Towers where poor old Sim was working, a buttie and a brew later and we were out along the canal heading upto London road, the tarmac climb seemed to go on forever, eventually topping out at the start of the porridge trail that is London road in the wet. Uptil now I had been riding within myself, slowly conserving what little strength I had but finally that dissappeared during a conversation with Matt, it was as though someone had turned off the gas in my legs, from there on it was a battle of mind over matter to drag my carcass over to Chips Bday present.

This fantastic challenging downhill trail was unrideable for me, I was tripoding more or less all the way down until the last section at the bridge, after that the slimey rocks gave way to slimey grass but the even fully loaded Kendas managed to find a small amount of grip through the trees so that ended the day on a high.

15 miles

A very civilised evening followed, good food and wine and then a very scarey film that Matt and I agreed to give up on as we were both scared shitless !!

Sleep.....

Wake...

Breakfast....

Drive...

No 13

To Oxenhope with Tanya in tow, Dave, Sharon, Barney, Piers and Andy all gagging for a ride in the sunlight, we didn't know about the wind until we hit tops. A fine dose of the Usual plus, shoeshine, Manywells, the windy road etc etc. Trails were wet and slippy but in good nick, Lame Lamb should be renamed as Tame Lamb, there isn't any challenge to it at all now, which is sad really as this was one of my many nemisis trails (more to come on the theme later).

Legs were tight and sore all the way round, the windy road was excruciatingly painfull, tap it out ?, more like grind it in !, then onto the moors where my meagre technical skills deserted me and I slithered about from rut to rut all the way down to the road and across the conduit hitting almost every hub deep puddle along the way. The legs did just about last until we got to Piers house (and perfect timing as the sleet started just then),for a quick bike hose then into the pub for a swift beer, all in all a great ride with great company and a top weekend, more to come no doubt.

15 miles

No 14, up early full of intentions but legs said NO WAY, so straight to work, and now its snowing so straight home, 8 miles.

2 days of rest coming up and then back to business :-)