Pumpys ride

A great day out on the trails is always fun but a lovely bunch of people makes it all the better. Thanks everyone, especially Pumpy for the planning and leading and Possum for making sure we all made it through.

Hope to see you all again, Andy
 
Brillant stuff guys, thanks to everyone for a really memorable day,especially Pumpy and Possu for orginising the trip and supporting us newbies. I think I'll keep the dirt on the bike for a couple more days, just for nostalgia. Looking forward to the next one!
 
Thank you all for your company - I really enjoyed Saturday's ride and found it an absolute pleasure to watch our off road virgins improving from lane to lane. Well done, lads, keep up the good work! :thumb2

Working on the photographic evidence now - watch this space... :D
 
The pleasures of trail riding...

You have probably heard that pleasures can double when you share them with someone special? This principle also applies to trail riding... ;)

Contrary to popular belief I actually enjoy spending quality time with my other half and so I was very happy when Possu agreed to take on tail-ender duties on the GSer ride and come to Llangollen with me.

After half a day's work we set off from Oxford on Friday afternoon and even managed the obligatory stop at a garden centre for some tea and Victoria Sponge Cake on the way up north
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Saturday morning at The Hand we were welcomed by this more (to the right) or less pleasant (to the left) sight... :augie
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Sorry Paul, I know it's mean but I couldn't resist... :mmmm How does Lu manage to look gorgeous regardless of how much of the cheap Wodka she has consumed the evening before, mmm?

The breakfast room wasn't exactly overcrowded that morning and only a few tough ones had successfully overcome the aftermath of Friday night's debauchery: Ash, Val H, Kleine Blumen and Shugie
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In spite of the weather forecast, all my riders gathered in good spirits at the Market Street car park for 9:45 - left to right: Andres, Mark H-W, Tinatrim, Rsstler, Possu, Finn, Sarah Teach, Aidjay and Rowan
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After a quick briefing and some road work via the Horseshoe Pass and Nant-y-Garth, we arrived at 'Miracle Lane' near Ruthin - Rowan
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Mark - you wouldn't have noticed that it was his first day on the trails! :thumb2
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The sheep didn't seem impressed though...
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What took you so long, Aidjay?
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Now there's a clue... ;)
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Not sure if Tina was telling Andres or Sarah off here - probably both... :augie
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The next trail was 'Moel Famau' - and for quite a while it felt very lonely on top of the hill...
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Oh brother, oh sister, where art thou?
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Tina and Sarah came first - shall we carry on and turn this into a 'Dirty Girls' ride-out? :eyebrow
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Aidjay was clearly chuffed about having conquered the mountain - on road tyres!
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And here is Rsstler with his personal mountain-climbing-coach Possu
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Even the sun came out to shine on Rowan and Finn
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... and Sarah, Tina, Mark, Rsstler and Possu, too, of course
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The third lane was 'Cilffordd Byway' - a nice combination of mud, roots, hedges, ruts and lose stone climbs which was going to be the watershed - would ALL riders in the group make it to the end of the trail? :eek

Don't miss the next episode... :D
 
An excellent days riding in great company......thanks Ela and Possu:kissy2
Unfortunately i was too busy laughing, talking and picking my bike up that i didnt take many pics.
Waiting for next installments.....keep them coming:popcorn (This does not apply to Finn and his video:p)
 
The breakfast room wasn't exactly overcrowded that morning and only a few tough ones had successfully overcome the aftermath of Friday night's debauchery...

The tough ones had had their breakfast and were already on the trail!

;)

Greg
 
Many thanks

Many thanks to Steve and Ella for an excellent day out, thanks too to the GSers for the gathering, the 'talk to the Hand' session ended with the hotel staff going above the call of duty, did anyone else see that. Great trails and a great weekend. Cheers Rowan:thumb
 
videos

some here and there cant remember the lane:augie


 
The tough ones had had their breakfast and were already on the trail!

Yeah, and they were already back by mid afternoon... :rolleyes:

I thought our timing couldn't have been better - we started at 10 on the dot and were back at 17.00, missing most of the rain that morning, having time for breathers between the lanes and treating ourselves to a proper lunch break.

Had we have had more time, I'd only have felt obliged to do the more technical trails west of Ruthin - such as Efenechtyd, Pentre Potes and Cyffylliog Bridge - and that wouldn't have gone down well with our friends on Tourances... :D
 
On we go - the next lane was 'Cilffordd Byway' - or 'Byway Byway', as 'Cilffordd' does actually mean 'Byway' in Welsh... :blast

On second thoughts, Tina wasn't too sure anymore that letting Mark ride her 1150 was such a good idea - considering that it was his first day on the trails... :eek
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I bet Aidjay was kicking himself by now why he hadn't bothered to read the small print about "TKC's or similar"...:comfort
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At least Rsstler was sharing the same boat... ;)
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Look ahead, Andres! Don't stare at the stone under any circumstances or you will - - - too late!
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And here emerges Tina's bike from the undergrowth - unscathed and with Mark still on it! :clap
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Rowan seemed really pleased that he wasn't riding a lardy GS - just a lardy KTM... :augie
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Oh dear, it's not even midday and Sarah is already on the Red Bull...
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Coming down from Moel Arthur - Rowan
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Mark - on his own bike again - followed by Finn and Andres
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Btw, has anyone mentioned the fantastic views we had that day?
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Despite the earlier doping, stunt monkey Sarah was on her best behaviour and even took on special gate duties on the "sharp-bend-with-the-nasty-drop" part of the lane... :angel
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On to the 'Clwydian Way' which was amazingly dry this time...
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Still, I generously allowed the group a little breather... :D
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You never know what's waiting around the next corner... :eyebrow

To be continued...
 
A Hoot! of a Day

Diolch yn fawr (Big Thanks) To both Ela and Steve for a well organsed day. Still grinning :D at the fun that was had. Looking forward to more of the same :bounce1 :bounce1:bounce1:bounce1
 
Thanks everyone for your nice feedback -

- and Finn for the photos and videos! :thumb2

Could you possibly enhance the sound on the Tina clip, e.g loop her squealing? :augie

:hide
 
Still on the 'Clwydian Way' -

- admiring the views
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Watching sheep can have a very soothing effect...
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Well, it seemed to work on our stunt monkey... ;)
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Roll call at the gate - Mark on his trusty R100GS
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Tina (mine is faster... :p)
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Rowan
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Andres
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Sarah
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Rsstler
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Aidjay and Finn
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Thanks to the well-tempered weather gods, the deceptively innocent looking grassy stretch at the end of the lane wasn't too slippery that day - and when we reached the tarmac I got the impression that all riders were beginning to enjoy themselves...
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Especially as the next trail was going to be the 'Badger Run' - usually everyone's favourite.

Little did we know that the lane would have some surprises in store this time...

To be continued
 
Especially as the next trail was going to be the 'Badger Run' - usually everyone's favourite.

Little did we know that the lane would have some surprises in store this time...

To be continued

It is currently my Ex-favourite, after the March Moon ADV Rally! :(
Looking forward to the next installment. :thumb
(watch out for discarded sheep netting.)
Mark
 


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