Not having ridden for over a week due to hose move and a cold i got itchy today and felt i needed to get out on the bike, so filled the hip flask with home made sloe gin and put on many layers of clothing and set off, my usual riding buddy was christmas shopping so it was a solo ride, conditions were not too bad and the roads were relatively ice free if you kept away from the gutters and half of the ride was off road anyway, the ground was frozen so mud wasn’t an issue. i stopped for a swig from the flask in the middle of the woods and made the mistake of looking around me and apart from the light on the bars it was absolutely pitch black and now that the crunching of tyres on frozen earth had stopped i could hear the rustling and squeaks etc of the forest at night….it was at this point i felt compelled to get moving again before the monsters took me!, quite scary in a silly primeval way but a lot of fun

slippery by rOcKeTdOgUk, on Flickr

http://www.a-pic-a-ride.blogspot.com/

I tend to night ride alone mostly, it’s brilliant.

Might have to start lonesome riding as my mate has just bought the book of a thousand excuses not to ride.

Love the Hip flask holder RD 🙂

yes, trout, very handy

hip flask by rOcKeTdOgUk, on Flickr

I was riding home a couple of weeks ago in the pitch black, bar lights only which were coming loose. I was just thinking I’d better stop and tighten them up when The Hound of the Baskervilles starts barking at full volume right behind me. I swear I could feel it’s blood tainted breath on my arse. I took off at max speed as the lights gave up what grip they had on the bars and pointed straight at the floor. I had no idea what was in front of me but was quite sure that it couldn’t have been as bad as what was right behind me so I just went for it regardless. Of course it might only have been a Jack Russell but you’ll never convince me of that.

Trout i too have one of those mates, he’s managed ONE nightride so far this year. Luckily i have met a few lads off here that ride!

Went out last night around Rivington in -6, most of it was sheet ice but god damn it it was fun. A slippery 12 miles 😆

classic avdave2, classic! 😀

I’ve taken to running around the woods at night, just my head torch for company.

Great for training. don’t ever want to stop for a breather!