These days I am quite parochial when it comes to riding my bike. Unless there is a race, I rarely stray far from our local delights, Somtimes though it is good to travel, to revisit places, and meet up with friends.
Tony aka Ton from the singeltrack forum had proposed some weeks back a ride from Ogden Water over the hill to Hebden, a route that I first did some 20 years ago. I was tempted, I put my name down.
I arrived 5 minutes before the rendezvous time, which I thought would give loads of time for getting ready. Group rides are legendary for pre ride faffing, but on this occasion, everyone but me was ready. Amazing. Anyway 5 minutes later I too was ready and joined up with the rest of the group.
Group, it was more like the start of a small event. There were loads of people. 49 to be precise. Yikes.
Experience told me that this was going to be a steady ride, and not without mishap. True enough we were no more than a mile or so in before the first casuality, a seized freewheel. Well at least he was not far from the car park. It was a gorgeous day though so speed was not important we made our way onwards.
It was good to catch up with old friends and to put faces to names of others as we rode along. Punctures occasinally forced the group to wait whilst a tube was replaced. I manged to get two of them, being too enthusiastic whilst hurtling down some of the great rocky descents that Calderdale posseses.
We stopped at Gibson Mill to find that we had 'lost' a couple of our party. Time for coffee and cake whilst we awaited their arrival. After some time a search party was sent. They had disappeared. Our only checkpoint was named as the Cali Cafe in Hebden, so Ton went one way there, and we went another to meet hopefully having found the others somewhere along the way.
The lost were found. So onwards and upwards back from whence we came. Plenty of climbing, and great descents followed.
A great day out.
I might stray from home again someday.
Our leader for the day.
