White Lion, Delph, OL3 5HX 8.15pm.

The route looks something like this.

I’ll do my best not to have multiple punctures this time.

You’re not my real Spider

Reckon I’m in

You’re not my real Spider

Yeah, sorry, Harry is stuck in the bathtub again. 😀

Maybe, assuming I don’t freeze to death at Kielder, or kill myself on the drive home.

Fingers crossed Daz.

Not me I’m up on the Isle of Skye…

Got a rivvy route of any one fancies that the week after

Have you got your snow tyres ready for Monday?

Yep (they’re the same as my normal tyres). It’ll be reet, assuming I can get the van over the hill. Not done a snow ride yet this year…

Well if you think it’ll be reet, then I am looking forward to a snowy bike ride. My x-drive should get me there, no problem.

Depending on what time I get home from “work” I’m in

Right. After consulting my extensive network of high-altitude spies* I’m reliably informed that most of the snow has melted and conditions on the ground are perfect for a quality winter MNPR – i.e. it’s wet and muddy as ****. The route is pretty much weather-proof though, so it’ll be fine. 🙂

* OK, I just texted riklegge.

Weather-proof you say? I’ll be there!

If I can get home and get a bike working by 7pm and find some kit that isn’t caked in mud I should be there.

Spoke too soon. Even getting home for 7pm is now looking impossible. Think I’m buggered next week too. Not a good start to the year for MNPRs 🙁

Don’t hang about if I’m not there.

My knee is still not reet. And we’re in coed y brenin this weekend, so i’m not pushing my luck. Have a good un

Hospitalised again last week for 24 hrs and now back home but on antibiotics. I do at least now have some form of diagnosis but I’ll be lucky to be back out before the dark nights are back upon us if I have surgery. Not yet ruled out selling two very nice bikes 😥

Jeez fella, that’s awful. Hope they get you all fixed up as soon as possible. 🙁

Bloody hell mate. Thats rubbish. Its almost like we’re all getting old and falling apart

If its any consolation I’m presently sporting a big knee support, and I’m not remotely confident that the bike will be coming with me to Wales this weekend

I’m in might bring a kite !

I’m in too. Bike is loaded on the car ready. At least dry!

Enjoyed that gents, thanks. Need to do more riding to get fitter. See you next week. Cheers.

Cheers for last night..Tho strava seems broke at only 1200ft climbing..I’m sure it was closer to 120000ft….

Yep, smashing ride even with all the wind and mud, cheers chaps. And cheers also to Lee for picking up my back light when it fell off… 🙂

Whilst I did say it was pretty much weatherproof the route’s clearly not farmer-proof – someone’s made a right mess of the top of Boat Lane with a tractor and a load of livestock, bit of a shame, that.

It was just more of a challenge making 8.5 miles seem a lot longer. Cheers Tom and Rik for showing us the way.