A really wet cumbrian day greeted us this morning, Lucy had that face on that says 'Really, have you seen the forecast???', then 'Is everyone still going??'
I gathered she wasn't that keen at 7am this morning!!
Still, the van was loaded, the bikes fuelled and the meeting point set, so off we set to Kendal.
We arrived in more rain, people and bikes started turning up, a very shiny & new Honda CRF 450 with Whitehaven based Dan at the helm, Simon, the rally rider... on his KTM EXC 500, another new bike, then Mike with his brand new AJP... Lots of shiny toys looking to get muddy, meanwhile the rest of us all had our ruck of KTM's and another AJP...
The planned group was 6, then one more turned up, then two more turned up, so 9 in all, a bit big a group really but hey... they made the effort, so just this once we turned a blind eye to it.
Our first lane was steady, a bit of mud and a few sheep, then we slowly wound our way splashing in the many puddles to the ferry at Sawrey, which took us across Windermere and onto Coniston for a play on the Fox.
We managed most of the classic lanes in central lakes, the Fox, Parkamoor, Tilberthwaite, Hodge Close, Cartmel, Whitbarrow and Gamblesmire, with a long stop at Meadowdore Cafe in Coniston for the log fire and some hot food.
Not many fell off, but the ones that did were pretty funny... Simon, thumped his ribs onto a boulder and was a bit sore for the rest of the day, then managed to slide off in soft mud, leaving a long smear of shite down his right arm and thigh. Dan nearly looped his bike giving it too much gas on a rock step, only his size and strength kept him in contact with the bike!
Parkamoor and the Drunken Duck lane claimed their fair share of scalps today to as a few of the team spun up the back wheels to slide away to one side, leaving them paddling to plant a foot and keep the bike upright! Lucy manged to land in a hole and get stuck, requiring a little aid from the guys...
I had a couple of moments as normal, with a corker on the descent of Parkamoor, dithering about which side of a little rock to go, the front wheel tucked and I launched down the hill at a run trying to keep on my feet.. all caught on film by Nigel!!
We arrived back at the vans at a very leisurely 4pm ish.. all smiling and chatting about the daring do for the day and planning the next ride out!
Once back home it was time to get the the log fire going, cook some sausage, bacon and curly fries for tea and top it all off with a beer in a hot bath! Happy days...
Another great day out on bikes, (despite the weather), another group of new faces and some more memories...
It's what it's all about!
I gathered she wasn't that keen at 7am this morning!!
Still, the van was loaded, the bikes fuelled and the meeting point set, so off we set to Kendal.
We arrived in more rain, people and bikes started turning up, a very shiny & new Honda CRF 450 with Whitehaven based Dan at the helm, Simon, the rally rider... on his KTM EXC 500, another new bike, then Mike with his brand new AJP... Lots of shiny toys looking to get muddy, meanwhile the rest of us all had our ruck of KTM's and another AJP...
The planned group was 6, then one more turned up, then two more turned up, so 9 in all, a bit big a group really but hey... they made the effort, so just this once we turned a blind eye to it.
Our first lane was steady, a bit of mud and a few sheep, then we slowly wound our way splashing in the many puddles to the ferry at Sawrey, which took us across Windermere and onto Coniston for a play on the Fox.
We managed most of the classic lanes in central lakes, the Fox, Parkamoor, Tilberthwaite, Hodge Close, Cartmel, Whitbarrow and Gamblesmire, with a long stop at Meadowdore Cafe in Coniston for the log fire and some hot food.
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| Simon getting the front wheel up |
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| Log fire at the cafe... |
Not many fell off, but the ones that did were pretty funny... Simon, thumped his ribs onto a boulder and was a bit sore for the rest of the day, then managed to slide off in soft mud, leaving a long smear of shite down his right arm and thigh. Dan nearly looped his bike giving it too much gas on a rock step, only his size and strength kept him in contact with the bike!
 |
| Dan looking a bit cooler than previously! |
Parkamoor and the Drunken Duck lane claimed their fair share of scalps today to as a few of the team spun up the back wheels to slide away to one side, leaving them paddling to plant a foot and keep the bike upright! Lucy manged to land in a hole and get stuck, requiring a little aid from the guys...
I had a couple of moments as normal, with a corker on the descent of Parkamoor, dithering about which side of a little rock to go, the front wheel tucked and I launched down the hill at a run trying to keep on my feet.. all caught on film by Nigel!!
We arrived back at the vans at a very leisurely 4pm ish.. all smiling and chatting about the daring do for the day and planning the next ride out!
Once back home it was time to get the the log fire going, cook some sausage, bacon and curly fries for tea and top it all off with a beer in a hot bath! Happy days...
Another great day out on bikes, (despite the weather), another group of new faces and some more memories...
It's what it's all about!
