Apologies for not having put something up earlier but Dave stayed down for the weekend so we ended up popping down to the Forest again today and repeating the ride (and we definitely got the best of the weather yesterday as today was cooler and it was drizzling lightly by the end).
A few thoughts:
- a tremendous turnout (I made it 45 riders from the sign on sheet) who Pete did a superb job of herding around the sun dappled singletrack (I suspect Pete has a part time job as a cat wrangler)
- so many familiar faces, so many new faces
- hats off to Spencer for the keg of delicious specially brewed FoD beer, just the ticket at the end of a good day out
- the brisk trade at the flea market plus the amazing amount of bits being karma'd around
- the collectors item that was Gus and Dorian Ruddock both showing up. We didn't realise how blessed we were
- the perfect weather with dust motes picked out by the sun streaming through the trees and the only sound the soft 'phish' of the pine needles as our tyres skimmed along the surface (well it would have been the only sound if it wasn't for the white noise creaking noise from Paul's Saracen)
- any123 turning up for the third National Series Ride on yet another mint if attention seeking Klein. And then leaving even before the pub stop, muttering about Jack Daniels. Priorities big man
- Del turning up at start, pub and finish despite being freshly broken
- the bar seems to be getting higher with each round so really looking forward to the next one
- finishing off a smashing day with a curry, a couple of pints and falling asleep in front of the TV. Does it get any better than that?
Naturally there were a few post ride awards:
- BoTR - rekiborter and his Parkpre (any chance of posting up a photo Chris?)
- Spirit of the Ride - slmracing, travelling long distances to attend all the National Series so far. Respect
- Ti award to the "it's not ti but it sort of looks as if it is" - twotonemarc and his faux ti Marin Team
- Retro attire to the Wizard of Odd and his deadly combo of NOS pink and white Etto and frankly ridiculous ski goggles
- The Iceland Thrifty Gimp of the Ride to harrycrumb for gathering a posse and successfully searching for the four pieces of his dropped jockey wheel over a 100m stretch of tight singletrack. Chapeau
Oh, and here's the list of riders and bikes (PM me if I've missed anyone or got wrong name or bike):
- Andy B on a Marin Team Ti
- ? (sorry, can't read your writing
) on an Orange O
- ajantom on a Saracen Hydrotech Trekker
- ? on a Coyote
- charlieboy28 on a Voodoo Eruzlie
- HarryGimp on a 1990 Kona Cindercone
- elpedro666 on an MG
- CeriEvans on a Raleigh
- slmracing on a Diamondback
- Del on painkillers
- PeteTheGuide on a Dean Colonel
- rc200ti on 1 1991 Kona Cindercone
- mrlee on a Smokestone
- legrandefromage on a faux Zaskar
- any123 on a Klein
- spencer13 on a Coyote Ultralight
- the_duke on a Bigfoot
- ededwards on an IF SS Deluxe
- unocogero on a 1994 Kona Cindercone
- iwasgoodonce on a Bontrager Ti
- gravymonster on a 1989 Saracen Trekker double U
- retrospud on a Pace RC200F2
- WuTangled on a modern Merlin XLM
- drystonepaul on a creaking 1992 Saracen Traverse
- gerryattrick on a Merlin Malt
- CAS on an Orange C16R
- lookback on a GT Timberline
- weemanmtb on a Diamondback Ascent
- retrobate on a Bontrager Race
- grannygrinder on a KHS Montana Comp
- GT-Steve on a Fisher AL-1
- gruff on a Mongoose Iboc Team SX
- jimbo-XC on a Raleigh Dynatech
- Dave on an On-One Tinbred
- rekiborter on a Parkpre Catalyst
- marctowtone on a 1995 Marin Team
- doctorrad on an On One Inbred
- twister on a Klein Pulse
- mrkawazaki on an Overbury Pioneer
- letmetalktomark on an Muddy Fox Monarch Pro
- daj on an ?
- nakedgav on a 1994 Kona Kileaua
- Ted C on a Kona Explosif
- das on a Trek
- matdavey on a Specialized Rockhopper
- the wizard of odd on an Orange Clockwork
- sinnett177 on an alpinestars