27th November 2008 - Haverthwaite

8 riders Charlie, Jamie, Grant, Neil, Ian, Chris M, Paul and George turned out for this special single track ride. Paul turned up after driving for over an an hour to say he had just realised that he had left his shoes at home. George offered to lend him his and was ready to go back home when Chris M offered to swap bikes with Paul as Chris's bike had flat pedal extensions to his clip ons. So everyone was happy. Leaving the Anglers Arms we headed for the clock tower at Haverthwaite where we took the bridleway on the left which leads to Brow top Backbarrow. At the end of the track turn right on the road and up the hill to the bridleway on the left that leads to Canny Hill. This was extremely muddy in places leading to some pushing and bikes clogged up with mud. At the end of this track we took the lanes back to the A590 where we crossed to join the old road and then a left at the end of this before taking the right onto the fire road leading to Simpson Ground. About two thirds of the way up this hill 5 of the riders took the left bridleway down to Staveley in Cartmel despite Ian trying to persuade them to take an additional loop but as Charlie and Grant had already taken the decent the 3 old guys George, Ian and Neil were the only ones up for the additional adventure of the extra loop. This involved a further climb up the fire road turning right at the top of the hill and then right again after about half a mile onto the sign posted bridleway for an excellent technical downhill. We then crossed the fire road and joined the bridleway down to Stavely in Cartmel which was excellent. Taking the lanes through Staveley to Newby Bridge and then right over the bridge to Lakeside where at the end of the village we took the track on the left just before reaching the road to Finsthwaite. The track takes us up a steep climb before leveling off to cross the fields to Finsthwaite. After crossing the field Neil realised his chain had broken (for some reason Ian and Neil pushed their bikes across the field) Neil quickly fixed his chain as due to problems with his freewheel his power link had snapped. We then proceeded through Finsthwaite towards Haverthwaite taking the excellent bridleway on left at the end of the village down through the woods to Newby Bridge. We then joined the Lakeside to Haverthwaite railway at Newby Bridge station for the special single track trip back to Backbarrow where we joined the main road to Haverthwaite and back to the cars arriving at 9.15pm. The other 5 riders had arrived back some 15 minutes earlier and all but Paul and Jamie had gone home. Next weeks ride 06:30-06:45 Britannia Inn, Elterwater - Loughrigg Terrace