RetroBike National Series Rd 7: Long Mynd ~ Aftermath

Here is my contribution of pics

The drive up, 1st sight of Hills after Fog all they way from Bristol


Before the 1st Huff and Puff




Getting higher







Rusty nuts




Top of the Hill


Over the hill



Spot the Rat

think I need to get me a shorter stem!!

A brilliant day out and REALLY well organised big credit to all involved esp Rob (even if you did vote matts crapper BOTR over mine (and lees)

Dont think I will ever shout "come on the beard" EVER again :shock:

I do believe I made my all time best tyre choice howler ....Pedaling up them long grassy hills with super grippy new bonty mud-x tread was pretty damn painful :shock:

Maybe next year we can re-introduce the forum name badges? Cannot believe after chatting back and forth with petitpal for months I was stood talking with him at the bar to only realise last night it was him!! :roll:

Think I even managed to help peace the East /West midlands war after helping a stranded member with a tube ....Even if Matt and Daz just stood there abusing the poor feller!!

great day out

John":oghpb4m5 said:

*The British Fell Runners. Their easy going banter provided some light relief. Hope we get an invite to their Christmas Dinner

Click to expand...

This made me chuckle. Elite runners with elite social skills.

Anyway, what a great day yesterday. Perfect weather and a perfect route. Great bunch of bikes and riders too. The well oiled pub stop left me slightly well oiled after mrlee presented me with an unexpected second pint.

Having also never ridden in the area before I only had an inkling as to what to expect. The climbs were pretty relentless but the descents were also superb. The Minton Batch finale was fantastic even with too short a stem fitted.
The scenery was incredible as was the level of conversation at times.
Overall one of the best rides of the series this year and I'll certainly be back to explore more of the trails in these parts.

Many thanks especially to Rob for sorting out a great route and a great pub stop.

Here are my photos:


























"Yeah mate, it's an iPhone 5"

daj":2cwfefom said:

Maybe next year we can re-introduce the forum name badges? Cannot believe after chatting back and forth with petitpal for months I was stood talking with him at the bar to only realise last night it was him!! :roll:

Click to expand...

I was just trying to pretend I didn't know you

OK. So the Long Mynd isn’t in the East Midlands, and a good job too’ cos the views wouldn’t have been as good. However I laid claim to it years ago, and the East Midlands group have ridden it since their formation, so we consider it our patch.
OK. So the gps suggests that we rode 23.3 miles rather than the 20 promised. A mile of this can be accounted for by the scenic route taken to the trig point before lunch, non of it incurring additional climbing, well not much really, I hasten to add, but the remaining 2.3 miles is a mystery. Anyway, you all got more miles of Retrobike pleasure than anticipated so ‘BONUS’.
OK. I did flinch a couple of days before the ride when the weather forecast was posted, promising goodness, but as it wasn’t Rob Atkin (sorry you weren’t with us Rob) doing the prediction there was a chance we might get away with it. And we did. What an amazing day, couldn’t have hoped for better. My fear had always been of enticing 30 people to rise early, and spend fuel and time travelling some distance to have a day riding in cloud. Thank you National Rides Weather God.
OK. No, it was far, far better than OK. The photos and comments already posted say it all.
A special thanks from me to the East Mids guys who stayed back, opened gates, provided encouragement, and didn’t let you into the secret that you should “never follow Rob”. “Thanks” to the West Mids for being on their best behaviour, and “thanks” of course to John and Paul.

See you at Cannock.
Rob

After having great fun on the Nationals and gate-crashing the Mynd rides for a couple of years it was great to see the two come together, especially so smoothly - top organisation!

Big thanks to Rob and his crew (sure there are a few unsung helpers in the background), getting to be quite the expert on these hills. When I used to ride the Mynd many years ago I found it impossible to put together any coherent kind of loop, always just up & down (like the modern lads do), so it's been a fantastic job by the Midlanders to string it all together so sweetly

Another great year for the National Series too, brilliant turn-outs, sunshine all over the place, weekends away, great beer... and of course you'orrible lot! 6/7 this year - if I'd realised I'd have made the ridiculous drive to Leith again! Still, two visits to the Mynd and two days at Thetford and ten days in Scotch land...

Not angling for points at all, honest!

Very nice to get this out for the last round too:




Also, following on from a chat in the bar queue, a couple of slightly off-topic pics for JonnyBoy, thought a few of you might like them anyway




See you all at Cannock for the Twizzler, with a little luck!

I have to admit the peaks ride was a belter and very difficult to beat but the ride that was put up yesterday was excellent with a bit of everything, all the climbs weren't to bad and the downhills are challenging and fast, the weather was nice a great day had and can't wait to get back up the mynd again, a big thanks to Rob and the gang for leading the way etc, thankyou.
I didn't get chance to take many pics this time and oh yeah cheers for the vee's there great, my shins are sore but on a positive note them cannondale's a great fun,




see you all at xmas

Hi all. As my first experience of a retro bikes event. I can say I thoroughly enjoyed it and thanks to all involved in a well run event. Everyone was very welcoming and made for a good day. No major problems with the bike other than the engine failed after lunch. More practice needed I think. Enjoyed the technical single track at the end even after being upside down in the bracken. The favourite memory though is the smell of burning brake blocks on a fat road section. Mmmmmm

Can't wait for Cannock.

By teh way elpedro wasn't until the end of that awesome minton thingy trail that I realised that it was you who'd been following me about a foot away on an earlier downhill section, unsighted, shouting 'why are you going up there...'

Credit has to go to Rob for putting this all together (recceing the route the Monday before :shock: , along with John [imnotanumber-06 - who couldn't come on the day]) - thank you!

Great day, great company.