MTB Dales Tandem Weekend

Ace! What is the collective noun for tandems? Cacophony? Flotilla? rabble?

I believe the International Standard is a “Shitload”

Not ridden the tandem for some months. Need to get out and practice I think…

It looks like me and the missus will be able to pick up our Ventana ECDM by then, so hopefully see you there

oooh, you’ll love it. Our ECdM was a complete revelation, both downhill, and especially uphill. You’ll find yourself pedalling through stuff you used to stall on. After 5 years we still haven’t found it’s limits.

And the collective noun? A stampede? A thundering?
Or, a tsunami of tandems?

Gutted we can’t be there.

Rob & Sandy

Last night was our first tandem night ride. omg! Very exciting in the dark, also we got a tad wet when the rain came in half way through.
One refusal on a climb, so we went back down and tried again.
nbt’s light went out on the last climb, so he was relying on a helmet torch.

We got home safely and in one piece 2 hours later, sadly too wet to visit the usual ‘local pub after night ride stop’.

Much fun, however it would be great on a summers evening on dry trails.

Is anyone else booked in the weekend?

Next year, maybe?

slowoldgit – you get yourself up here with Jeremy.

Can we have lots of photos on the site of this weekend please.

Alas we can’t be there as the Mrs has to work that weekend and hasn’t been able to swap shifts. 🙁

I’ll second Tandemwarriors comments about a ECdM. They are brilliant bits of kit. Sooo capable at climbing and amazingly stable down stupid steep stuff. Apart from a set of steak knives it’s the only wedding present that I can remember receiving!

Oh, and I find we can still ninja into a pub despite filty conditions. As the pilot has the dirty front and the stoker the dirty back you just have to walk in close together with the stoker up front and hey presto the worst of the dirt is hidden between you 😉

Macgyver

McG – that means the stoker keeps paying. I object.

Sorry, bh, already booked elsewhere.

It was more the fact that the pub is a hundred yards form our house and as we were on our own, we just went straight back to hose off the bike and ourselves. THe regulars in the pub are quite used to us coming in absolutely filthy after night rides 😀

Hmmmmmm. How long/hard will the ride be (route in mind?). Tempted to come out with the young un (boxyounger?), but at 8, he’s not going to be powering up Fremington Edge. Fully rigid tandem too – but it’s quite bright orange (and my only memorable wedding present too)

Boxelder – is that the same instrument of torture I spent six days on……?

C

Yes it is Chris – minus the rear disc you blew!

You fancying stoking if Luke isn’t up to it?

My stoking days are over….

seriously i would do but busy this weekend and Mrs ChrisE has been away all week so i want to have some time with her. sozz about that

C

Just heard from TJ, he’s coming down for this!

Hurray, we’ll have a proper flotilla / stampede / shitload… what about a rompede? Like a stampede but rolling…

There will also be a novice tandem to welcome to the fold.

I think we’re up to at least five tandems. There’s still room for more. Stu from Dales is going to start letting rooms/bunks out to non-tandemists shortly though, so if you want a space saving, then tell Stu.

We’re going to try to get some good local knowledge ready for some sensible routes. And I can’t imagine that that pace will be that high 😉

Sounds really good, I’d even just about talked my missus into it, but we’ve got something else on that weekend. Boo!

Maybe next year???

There’d better be one next year, we want to come!!!

Nearly time… any last minute bookings?
😀

Packing tonight – night ride tomorrow and band practice on Thursday (should have been tonight but was rearranged to Thursday so the bassist ad singer could watch a bloody football match!)

On Friday Ihave to load the tandem into the car before heading off to work, I’ll be picked up mid afternoon then we can get past leeds before it goes mental and be up to the Dales MTB centre in time to eat at a reasonable hour

Rumour has it that Stu is making beef cobbler.

There’s food at the place? Was planning to find a chippy or go to the pub!

Saturday night, Stu is offering food. Here’s what he says is on the menu:

“Sausage Cobbler
Vegatarian Cobbler served with seasonal veg and crusty bread
Sticky chocolate pudding and ice cream (stunningly good)
Tea/coffee
£12 per head
(bring yer own bottle)

At the moment we still have a 4 bed room spare we’ve had an enquiry so I’ll pursue that, although it would be great to fill the spot with Tandems.”

Sound good? And there’s still room for a couple more tandems. We might be up to eight…

See you Friday night at some point. I don’t think there’s food on for Friday, but there are always pubs
Chipps

Hope all have fun – maybe next year… Unfortunately the need to work has won.
Maybe in the new year, if anyone’s interested we could have a southern chapter day out?

Have fun all and wish we could have made it.

aP, we’d be up for a southern chapter event in the new year, happy if you want to ride down my way again.

Pub on Friday for food for us then. will pick up a couple of bottles of beer too just in case 😉

*light dawns*

My mate should be delivering a crate of St Peters Ale tomorrow. Anyone want half a crate for a fiver? Slightly past the “BEST BEFORE” date so the crate only costs me a tenner. Half a crate is six bottles which is more than enough for me in a weekend

nbt I’ll have the st peter of you. will be around Saturday.

Hey bugpowderdust – it’s been too long! Meeting up for a ride would be ace.

aP, definitely should try to organise something down south then or a ride at least, drop me an email and we’ll work out a date.

NBT – can’t he bring TWO crates? 🙂

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Friday night/Saturday morning.

There might well be two crates coming 🙂

There won’t be room for the tandem at this rate 😉

Looking cold but mostly dry for the weekend

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2639510

Pack your woolies!

2 crates of beer obtained 😀

Anyone know if we have to bring towels, or are they provided?

bump

IIRC you take your own, least I did the last time.

The Ventana is oiled and ready to go, any idea what time saturday we will be riding, is there a plan?

What a brilliant day. Blue skies, not much wind, excellent company. 7 tandems and a couple of solos tagging along to open the gates and so on. Some excellent trails, some very challenging (off camber and very muddy), bloody great fun all round

[/url]
Dales Tandem Weekender Day 1[/url] by Notoriously Bad Typist[/url], on Flickr

More pics in the set here

http://www.flickr.com/photos/n_b_t/sets/72157631974647953/with/8172493296/

Looks like better weather than this!….

[/url]
003[/url] by jimmyg352[/url], on Flickr

God’s country up there innit?