Still a lot of standing water around but we could skip the soft bits, just want to get out if its as nice a night as tonight. Happy for someone else to lead if endless climbs don’t appeal 😀

On which note though, I got 99.5% up the traverse of the North Face of White Hill today, then cocked it up trying to wheely the last bit. There weren’t even any neds nearby to impress with my awesome skills 😳

In other news, the rain seems to have turned the descent down the side of Puke Hill into a very interesting proposition. The section in the trees is almost completely washed away, leaving a web of roots exposed with the occasional bank of mud to slide through. Excellent wee addition if you don’t mind wasting all that height in about 15 seconds…

Bump. Pentlands today?

Aye but will be solo or no more than 3 ,don’t want to wear any wet stuff

OK, can I shotgun a spot in your threesome? Fnar fnar etc etc

you can. but SLOOOOWly . 😀

Provided I can get out of work on time I’ll be out, meeting bonaly way for 7 should be doable, but don’t wait for me if I’m not on time.

I’m up ferret. Just want to get out if its nice, pootling on the big tracks will do me, think phantoms and black hill etc will be too soft. little sheep tracks should be OK stil though. I wonder how the new cleared ditches and drain pipes coped 🙂

won’t make it due to working late so i can go on holiday on Friday. TBC, I hope to pop in on Fri for those shorts, thanks for finding them.

Ian – I’m up for it – happy to do some climbing if you want to. Where and when?

Just the usual Stu, 7 at Bonaly or meet you en-route.

TBC, looks like we’ve overstepped your 3 riders, will we see you at Bonaly anyway and maybe split the group or do you want to fly solo?

confused about this. is this an invite for only three people?! i’ll be at cargo for 6.30pm, and will wait a wee bit for others…

Cool, will see you at the shop at 7.

No no, come all ye merry gentlemen, tbc had made the valid point that we don’t want a huge group horsing around up there if there’s a lot of stodgy bits, so either we’ll stick to the good all weather stuff or split into smaller groups or something.

ah! the old simul-post. split groups sounds fine. baggsie the one without massive lung busting, leg shattering climbs! 🙂

Sadly I cannot make it tonight gents.

Does it actually make a difference if more thna 3 riders ride a trail separately or not? Or is this about smaller groups hopefully doing different routes?

TBC do you ever reply to emails, or have we fallen out?

Have a good one guys.

I was out last night and it is actually surprising dry in most parts especially higher up – I guess the wind has been drying it out.

Did Bonaly – Torduff Hill – Scalectrix – Harbour Hill North traverse – over Bells Hill – Den’s Cleugh (a little walking around the wettest bits required) – UP Black Hill (dry!) – Green Cleugh – Hare Hill up to Red Gate – West Kip – East Kip – Scald Law (all very dry) – down to the Howe – Green Cleugh – passed our repairs which are holding up well 🙂 – exponential – Nail Trail (again a couple of boggy bits which needed avoiding, but general reasonable dry) – back to Ed via WoL. 😀

Does it actually make a difference if more thna 3 riders ride a trail separately or not? Or is this about smaller groups hopefully doing different routes?

Smaller groups on different trails makes sense to me.

Smaller groups on different trails makes sense to me.

And me. Do Hevelo ken this though?

so the TBC rides are for a mega-clique of three now?

ride everywhere you want, erosion makes for gnarlier trails… 😀

hervelo weigh rather less than us tho 🙂

personally I see little point in organising a group ride then splitting it up into small numbers. However 10 riders at one time do more damage than 1 rider at ten different times

Smaller groups on different trails makes sense to me.

And me. Do Hevelo ken this though?

No. They’re even taking Monkey with them this week and his girth will plough a furrow.

Its a good job he doesn’t come on here…

To be honest the eroison caused by riding the trails is sod all compared to what the heavy rain over the weekend will have done on its own. It was similar torrential downpours that carved out the gulley on black hill two years ago and I’m sure a few more will have appeared. Even the armoured track up and over maidens has taken a severe hammering this time.

Guys, ignore the group of 3 thing, TBC merely said he was going to nip out by himself or in a small group. I do remember a winter ride when about 15 of us did the traverse from Allermuir to Capelaw, left a bit of a mess behind us!

I’ll go with whatever the biggest group is and we’ll decide on a route when we’re up there. Prob something like Torduff – Clubbiedean – Poet’s – that farm track above the WoL with the wee singletrack bits leading off it – Harlaw – ??

I’ll raise it with the Hervelos.

Tell them the wrath of an indignant stw is behind you, that should sort it.

Can I ask that you avoid the Nail Trail/Balerno singletrack at the moment?

It’s pretty muddy at the pylon and there isn’t anything in the way of a diversion past there. I was walking it yesterday and it’s been pretty churned up recently.

Will do Alasdair, although to be honest i think Nail Trail is a bit of a lost cause now, no longer the dusty singletrack ribbon it once was! 😥

Can I ask that you avoid the Nail Trail/Balerno singletrack at the moment?

I think that is fair. We rode it yesterday but walked the section you mention and a couple of the bits closer to Balerno.

there is only any point into splitting into smaller groups if everyone goes different ways, if two groups of five riders go over the same boggy bit fifteen minutes apart from each other there isn’t going to be any difference to ten at once.

Its been really dry and warm last few days so I don’t think it’ll be too bad if the usual bog areas are avoided like phantoms and nail trail etc, from what Fraser reports I don’t think there need to worry much. Black hill being dry is good!

no longer the dusty singletrack ribbon it once was!

Agreed, and that’s really been a couple of years of heavy use that has done that. However, there are alternative little trails in the surrounding woods that are worth a shot. Generally not as twisty, but different anyway.

bigjim – Aye, I was pleasantly surprised. Don’t get me wrong it not dusty but aside from the usual boggy patches which obviously need a bit of care it is definitely firm.

Have a good one – I’m quite jealous would like to be out again tonight but I have to see a man about some windows 🙁

have to see a man about some windows

Bill Gates?

Reason for the smaller group is that we have had an issue with public liability. Erosion aside – we got a word in our ear…

Al – what address you using squire. Not seen any from you…

have to see a man about some windows
Bill Gates?

Nah, I’d rather have a secure house!

tbc – there are ways of managing that. Thats a real shame tho. I’l email you.

If it’s about disclaimers then please don’t email me. They are actually more implicating having one than not.

And in any point – i am way too slow at the moment after gorging myself on Peroni for 2 weeks on honeymoon. I would merely hold you fine gents back in an embarassing way! 😉

TBC – I have sent you a message on facebook.

well i’m confused – issue with public liability? what does that mean?! 😕

if they aren’t shop rides then what is the problem? man up

yeah, its my thread, just send the lawsuits my way, I’m sure my work has some pretty good lawyers…