AFTERMATH: NW&NWA @ Farleton and Kirby Lonsdale 28/11/09

sinnett177

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Well what a day. Stunning weather, stunning views, stunning bikes and some stunning trails. You get the idea it was stunning!

After last weeks cancellation, thanks to the British weather, attendance was limited to 4 riders. Drystonepaul (Paul), Mr Ship (Richard), Cleggy (Ben) and myself, 3 quaters of us riding retro to boot. Here are the retro bikes that participated:

Mr Ships' Nuke Proof Titanium

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Drystonepauls' GT Bravado

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Sinnett177s' Team Raleigh Dyna Tech

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The weather was cold but we soon warmed up on route to the top of the Fell. A steady climb that got the blood pumping and DSP's inhaler blowing. It was well worth the climbing though as the scenery was breath taking, visability was as clear as i've seen it on the fell and the snow topped Lake District shone on the horizon.

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Soon the pinnacle was reached and a well earned breather saw late arrival and retrobike newbie Cleggy (Ben) join the ride aboard his modern Orange.

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So when your at the top there is only one way to go and so the descent began down a confidence boosting grassy singletrack descent. This joins onto a rocky and slimey in places decent through thorn bushes right down to the base of the fell. A long old descent but smiles all round as we reached the country lane at the bottom.

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Cleggy leads the way.

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DSP showing the necessary Bravado.

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Richard pilots the ship shape Nuke Proof on its maiden voyage.

The route then took us on a leisurely spin around the country lanes of the valley. These would eventually bring us out at the beautiful town of Kirby Lonsdale for a spot of lunch. On route though DSP failed to find a line through the hedge cuttings that a local farmer had kindy left us, resulting in puncture and a short delay.

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Drystonepuncture.

Back on the road and the scenery was a constant distraction, but soon we reached Kirby Lonsdale for lunch.

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Cleggy and DSP lead the way.

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Welcome distraction.

Lunch was spent by the fire at a local eatery in Kirby Lonsdale. Paul locked up the bikes in the rear courtyard and after a quick realisation of the bitter cold we moved inside. Note to all: Paul knows his coffee! The look on the poor waiters face as Paul grilled him on the blend of beans supplied was priceless. So after a light lunch and a warm by the fire we hit the lanes back to Farleton, this time taking a less strenuous route via Tosca under the direction of local boy Ben. Not sure what Richard had for lunch, but his chain wasn't too happy as it snapped as he powered into Tosca. A few tools and a Sram power link later and we were ready to continue.

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Power linked.

Onwards we went, we said goodbye to Ben as we passed by his village and soon we had reached the Ford at the base of Farleton. With the high water level and freezing temperature we all braved the elements and rode through (like f*ck we did, we took the slippy bridge instead)! On the other side DSP had a play in the water (once a kid always a kid), he kept it on 2 wheels and stayed dry too, which was fortunate as I had the camera out at the time.

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Not this call-sign!

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Wetstonepaul.

Realisation soon creaped in though, I'd left my Camelbak containing my keys, tools and money at the site of the chain breakage! Too far to go back, i'd later drive back to find it sitting just where i'd left it :oops: After a minor navigation blunder by the otherwise flawless guide, we crossed a mud field to sample how bad last weeks ride could have been. Soon though we were back on track and ready to climb the fell once more. The view once more a distraction.

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View back to where we had come from.

A difficult climb was next on the agenda. This is a climb that at the best of times is challenging, but with a soft surface our tyres soon clogged with a short push resulting. Before long we were riding again and heading upto the trig point once more.

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Richard completes the days climbing, its all downhill from here!

Climbing for the day done it was time to enjoy the fruits of our labours. The old National DH course! This is where the pictures stop, but I wish i'd had the camera ready at the bottom as smiles beamed from Richard and Paul.

A great day out, lots of banter and great riding, a proper retrobike meet. Thank you to Paul, Richard and Ben for joining in, hope to see you all again soon for more of the same.

Cheers, Mark.
 
Ooooo.........really good quality pics, and indeed it was nice day this neck of the woods..........I was inside paintin' :p
 
The following people will receive
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banner for attending and riding retro:

Drystonepaul (GT Bravado)
Mr Ship (Nuke Proof Titanium)
Sinnett177 (Team Dyna-Tech)

Cleggy, you'll get yours when you turn up on that Clockwork!
 
Because MacRetro couldn't make the rescheduled meet we're riding Broxburn Bing this Sunday. I suspect there will be considerably less stunning scenery :roll:

All those narrow country lanes would be great on my old roadbike, lovely pictures like that leave you feeling all inspired and at one with the world. Well done NWA, we'll join you one day in your neck of the woods ;)
 
Great pictures and a great write up Mark. Puntastic wordplay there.
I've just got back and showered after a great ride.

Here's what I remember... (cue flashback sequence)

The weather, although cold, turned out to be perfect. I had my doubts early this morning, but as I motored up the M6 out of the rain and towards the patches of blue sky, I became much more optimistic.

Arriving late I enthusiastically greeted a couple of other bikers, noticing their modern bikes as I introduced myself.
My 'new best mates' were slightly taken aback and suggested I should really say hello to the guys on retro bikes a few yards away...

Onward and upward as Mark almost apologised for the tough starting climb. We'd more than warmed up by the time we'd reached the track up onto the fell.
Catching and passing my mates the modern duo, we tackled some great rocky and technical singletrack before another climb to the summit cairn.
The view to the West was spectacular over Morecombe Bay and North towards the snow capped Lakeland Peaks.
Raising our bikes aloft Richard and I posed for a photo. This was easy enough for Mr Ship with his 22 pound titanium hardtail, but my GT weighs at least 26 pounds. Cool or not...

At this point a lone biker emerged with the sun behind him. It turns out that Ben had expertly tracked my Smoke/Dart tyre tracks up the fell and deduced that we must be retrobikers.

Ben's RB alter-ego 'Cleggy' followed Mark's Dyna Tech down an incredible descent off the fell, which started grassy, fast and open before tightening into a twisty, rocky tunnel through the gorse. A long slippery contouring descent took us down to a series of thorny lanes down towards Kirby Lonsdale. While changing a punctured front tube, Mark claimed to have used his 'local knowledge' and 'cat like reflexes' to dodge the thorns.
I imagine that his 1.3 inch Continental tyres may have helped when compared to my 2.2 inch Soft Condition Panaracer Dart Thorn Hoover TM

Lunch and a fine chocolatey flavoured Viennese coffee blend for me and some more bike based banter in one of Kirby Lonsdales cafes for the elderly, infirm and muddy.

Laden with high quality stodge, the climbing commenced on the quiet lanes out of the town. Unfortunately Richard's chain wasn't Nuke Proof and snapped under the pressure. While Mark helped out with the repair, I adjusted Ben's rubbing front disc to remedy it's regular whistling. Modern bikes eh?

A few miles later after waving Cleggy Ben goodbye, we cut left down a nice little track to a ford. Manning up, we all bravely swum across the raging torrent*, before noticing an otherwise conveniently placed slippery wooden bridge.
* artistic license redeemed

After a few more photos came the realisation that Mark had left his Camelbak at the site of our impromptu roadside workshop.
Luckily for him it was the start of the last big climb of the day, so naturally he took the lead. A short spell of bog-trotting took us up to the higher and drier tracks up to the highest point of Farleton Fell.

A couple of minutes were spent soaking in a westering sun from the summit viewpoint, before a commiting to a controlled plummet down the old downhill track. This was a fast paced meander through lichen covered woodland underneath the limestone crags. The surface was slippery in places, with a few demanding sections which had us all grinning.
The final section saw Mark skilfully nose-wheelying off the rocky drop-offs, accompanied by the high pitched squeal of cantis.

All to soon we'd passed a pair of spliff smoking downhill chillers, complete with their full-face helmets, saggy jeans and candy coloured X.0 rear mechs, and reached the end of the descent.

A quick blast back along the road, a few farewells and it was all over.
Back in the van to hit the M6.

Great ride. Cheers for organising it Mark and thanks to Richard and Ben for the banter.

Crackin'
 
drystonepaul":12iw03eb said:
Arriving late I enthusiastically greeted a couple of other bikers, noticing their modern bikes as I introduced myself.
My 'new best mates' were slightly taken aback and suggested I should really say hello to the guys on retro bikes a few yards away...

Pure comedy :LOL:
 

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