Monday, January 4, 2010

The New Year (and all that)

Happy New Year!

Unusually for me I actually was able to get out and about on New Year's Day, being on call meant a return home on Hogmanay and being spared the normal excess of a Scottish New Year.

It was a baltic but clear day so three of us headed over to Abbey Village for a ride. Due to the complete absence of snow in Lostock Hall we thought the trails would be pretty rideable, wrong. There were a few patches of ice at the lower levels which I was happy to ride round, even briefly on but the start of the climb to the tower was just a rink. Frozen compacted snow.

Jez actually managed to ride it but about half way up decided to turn back and then proceeded to successfully ride down it. I could barely stand on it:




I did actually manage to get back on further down when there was a bit more of a verge. We took a different way back, which entailed more ice and lots and lots of people walking where I wanted to ride.


The bridleway down from the visitor centre started off ok then was just about rideable at the edge - if there weren't people on it, it was mobbed. I did have one little lad who must have been about three or four tell me to be careful as it was slippy. Then to be extra careful going round the corner as that was even slippier and to be extra, extra careful at the bottom. It was quite sweet and he wasn't wrong!
Once back on the main trail it was back to patchy ice and dodging people. Into the heaving pub for a pint and some chips. Decided not to bother going running here the next day.

3 comments:

  1. Yes I know! Thick fleece full length tights over shorts and waterproof shorts over the lot.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Shorts.......and what's wrong with that. It was balmy

    ReplyDelete