It was sub-zero in the night air as we met up at the Gilpin Bridge Inn car park, 9 riders started out and Jamie had riden out from Kendal, (keen or what!). We set off north on the A5074 Lyth Valley road, but only for a few yards then turn left down a farm track, left at the gate and on to the old road and the start of the first hill climb below White Scar.
Now this all sounds reasonably easy, but Jamie had an initial problem with a freewheel (it's a rear wheel hub drive thingie) so he set off a few seconds after everyone else and shot off down the A5074 but missed the first turn, Jim & I waited at the first gate and I eventually phoned him, even though Jim said he was old enough and *$"! enough to look after himself. Anyway we re-directed Jamie and I waited, while Jim set off to tell the others and to continue up the first hill, where we planned to catch up...... Jamie turns up, we shut the gate and set off, but Jamies freewheel thingie is not playing ball, basically a ratchet part gets damp from previous wet rides and in freezing weather it stops working, (one trick is to piss on the hub so it warms up, but this did not work) so Jamie went back to the pub.
I then raced on to catch the others up, by which time they had completed the first climb, and gone through Beck Head and up to Witherslack Hall Farm where the remaining 8 met up. We then took the right hand bridgeway and went down the frozen muddy trail to the botton of Knot Wood, where the option was a mile or so road ride or go back UP the track. At this point Georges freewheel decided to play up and so we all went back up the track, it's a bit of a tester especially when gears get frozen and you try the up in middle ring!
We then headed south over Yewbarrow to enjoy the downhill to Church Road, down into Town End and left around the lanes to Beck Head to start back up Buckhouse Wood to enjoy another downhill where we started. At this point we were missing Andy, so I cycled back down to the phone box but there was NO sign, we presumed he had taken another route, we continued on and after the downhill noticed some lights coming down the fell, apparently he had punctured and we did not hear his shouts!
All back to the pub for a warm up, beer & crisps. Later on I texted Jamie (no bloody mobile reception in the pub!) Jamie had gone to the pub for a drink, warmed up the freewheel and cycled home and got himself a puncture, what a night!!!
Next week meet at Haverthwaite, near the Anglers Arms for another RADS adventure.
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