Blood ,Sweat and Midges

Poor show tonight , Mr S was so late he never arrived , Dr L was at home stroking his new 38C tyres , PS doesn’t want to get new bike dirty and the Rossi crowd are saving themselves for the W200 , probably just as well.
Only the trusty BG and Kenny turned up with COC on a rare Tuesday night appearance. The mountain was as dry as dust , Fallow , loop , trails , Tunnel, Mast , Ballynagelty and home . Clear rounds for all on mast and ballynagelty , grip to spare.

The midges were plentiful so stopping anywhere was out of the question , poor Kenny took a bad fall coming ogg Ballynagelty , but was more concerned about the bike than the blood streaming from his elbow . BG helpfully added it would need 4 stitches. Beautiful night with stunning views of the lough and the sunset . Glad to be back.

ROUTE HERE

COC

A Long Explore with Mr Hull

Billed as a Mepic ( just less than an Epic and with more hiking than a normal “spin” ) with promise of new routes and lots of hike-a-bike . Mr Hull delivered in spades and I doff my helmet . Starting at the Glen where new Paul was lucky to make it having been attacked by one of angry dog woman’s hungry mutt’s .Sounds like he was very restrained in his response . Chris and Paddy made a rare appearance to bring down the average age by 50%. Mr Hull and herself with COC made up todays gang . Cormac was stuck in deutschland, Tim in Wicklow performing road trials on the pickenflick frankenbike, and John (sco) sentenced to a tow path sportive.
The pace was high at the start and I would have had a hissy fit if I had been able to catch up . Batts , hentrack to wall , contoured round Moughanmore ( on foot) , down to sandy brae direction , back up the red moss river , over to glenloughan lane in a masterful navigational move by Mr hull. We then found a promising looking trail which took us to Rocky very nicely and dropped down to Formal . Onto the road and back into mountain at Ballyed. Youngsters here went up sallys ( respect) while the oldies headed home along the wall.
Great spin with some lovely new lines to be revisited .

BGTV swims in Scullion bypass , blames black magic

Kenny made a rare tuesday appearance , (on his new stealth machine) . He went off like a firework was up his bottom so fast up fiddlers and towards view point that he forgot to turn into the trails with the rest of us . With a fair amount of yo-hoing and yodeling we managed to retrieve him though I’m not sure why .

A quick cairn was then facilitated and off to the tunnel, after I had recovered my bike , hilariously hidden by a.n.other (SCO)

Misty spin to tunnel lightened only by BGTV swimming in the bypass , he said Liz had him under a spell , I know how he feels !

At this point we departed for home leaving the katesbridge tornado , a moist BGTV , the other doc , that damn dentist and PS to follow the trails on round.

Replacement needed for Cairnuary in Febuary…….Bikeuary has been suggested , croubuary done , and divisuary old hat . Ideas please.

GARMIN

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First Rain In A While

Just a quartet of hardy perenials tonight , Fiddlers , viewpoint , stone , slievemartin red trails and home .Clear low down but misty at the top .

PS ran out of air and puff , too much celebrating methinks . John (SCO) is just recovering from the vote and has applied for Salmonds’s job but hes much too thin for that now.

Herself and the COC escaped by the switchbacks for an early T .

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NTSR Marriage Counseling Service Opens

15 beautiful years (ends here )Two new bikes unable to travel in straight lineNo Title neccessaryDrew had forgotten about the mountain in MTBMight be the closest we get to sunriseThe Child arrives
Wet landing for the pilotClench ClenchTunnel closedAirborne DavyAirbourne PilotHerself Taking off
Up Up and away

sat 28th dec, a set on Flickr.

Tim and Julie were 15 years married today . Tim scaled new heights (or depths) of romance taking his dearly beloved on a Saturday spin with NTSR . Sadly miscalculated, and the early romance soon died on the lower slopes of Sallys Yard . Breakfast in bed might have been a safer bet Tim! Congratulations .
Drew returned from Sheffield for another battering and held up well till cramp struck on the return leg . Davy didn’t break sweat all day missing Steven and Cormac’s pace at the front . Alex still in love with his new steed and headed back up for more at the end .
Route a simple loop , Burma , Sallys , Mast , tunnel, Trails to yellow water and home . VERY COLD .
SUNRISE 2014 departs glen at 7.15 am on the 1/1/14 , lights probably needed for first 45 mins .