My version of events is probably no better than ZZ's version but here it is.
Off we went me in the lead everything going well untill I fail to spot pedestrian gate and so climb over a locked farm gate whilst everyone else rolls through pedestrian gate and make derisery comments on the fact I'm supposed to know where i'm going
Finally we reach Bonaly Country Park after yet more confusion but the preceding hill forewarned those who thought it suspiciously easy up to that point.
ZZ crashes, same point as last Pentlands run, wouldn't be a MacRetro event without an unexplainable ZZ tumble :roll: We reach tarmac without further mishap although Big Ecks already riding like a looney on the Massif deathtrap :shock:
Next reservoir up we follow a trail never before ridden by our group that some locals have added some interesting burn crossing features. Lovely bit of rooty single track but it claimed me when my front wheel found some off camber loose earth and I went over the bars, no harm done
Unfortunately Gary had a mechanical mid burn crossing further ahead and hit terrafirma rather hard winding him somewhat
Once recovered we carried on.
Mikee and me raced along the rough farm road where the bugger lent on me to force me through a huge puddle :evil: so in an effort to escape him I hit the gas which is exactly what suddenly escaped my rear tyre with a sudden pinch flat :evil: :evil: Once fixed and once I could get my fellow riders attention as they were as usual gibbering rubbish we set off again.
Next bit was track and road where TK's seatpost decided to start retracting into the frame of its own free will. Possibly suffering the short post contagious effects of Big Ecks Massif.
Up a farm track and through some nice single track we reached the edge of the hills proper. We then slogged up to the saddle of the pass between the hills and dispatched the group photographer downwards to a suitable spot for recording our daring do !
First off was Big Eck, I dont think anyone wanted a nutter like Eck riding a steel scaffolding pole special with questionable brakes bearing down on them :shock: I watched Ecks bike have a scary shimmy away in the distance with Gary desperately trying to keep up then they were lost from sight. Everyone followed at a wee bit more sedate pace with me at the back.
When I caught up I found that Gary had not succeeded in catching Eck but that he had managed a well serious crash which split his helmet :shock:
Like Stephen Kings 'Christine' the Red Beast of the East lay sniggering to itself in the heather having nearly killed Gary for a second time that day :roll:
We all made it safely down to the road and after some debate as to the merits of beer and the subsequent problems of riding in the dark, good sense kicked it and we climbed back up the hill for the return leg. We found a cracking trail around Castle Law which brought us back to the begining of the final mad cap descent. We did have to fix the 'Beast' again as it had split its chain.
Final descent is fast and scary, path starts of wide and steep but soon suffers from VERY bad water erosion. Gullies form in the trail that you desperately want to avoid but the cyclable bits get narrower and narrower. Rado fell over into the undergrowth clipped in by old fashioned toe clips cursing and swearing in english, polish must lack for extreme enough words. I think ZZ was unshipped and I nearly was, Mikee suffered a puncture (divine justice for earlier :twisted: ) but eventually we all made it
Last bit was just a very fast descent over a grassy field during which Eck bent his steel seatpost sideways and TK managed to collect dogs doings on the back of his seat
We all survived despite the Pentlands best efforts. Those hills are still a force to be reconned with despite not being a dedicated trail centre.
MAGIC
