5th March 2009 - Barbon

7 (Jamie, George, Paul, Charlie, Neil, Grant, Joel) set off up the hill from the church at Barbon, up Banneriggs Brow, over the cattle grid and the sharp right turn along the hillside and along Bents lane and then up Fellfoot road, which is technically a road on a map but I wouldn't recommend it in a car! At the end of the 'road' it was an uphill steady climb along Fell road to the top where the bridleway starts. Everyone steadily climbed to the top and took a break and wait for everyone to regroup. It was at this point that Joel had a technical, his bottom bracket bearings had ceased!
Grant thought this was a great training idea and laughed the whole thing off while Jamie offered advice that he should just carry on as it wasn't going to get any worse so we headed off up the bridleway towards the top of the fell where we met with two cyclists heading down which was unusual for a thursday night, we all watching with interest as they disappeared into the darkness and as one of them crashed.
It was a cold night and the water and mud clinging to our bikes was beginning to freeze, the downhill off the tops was particularly cold as we headed back on the road to the end of Fell Road for the final technical off road section. Everyone made it back to the road safely although Joel had a puncture which required three pairs of hands to get the tyre off the bike as it was frozen to the rim. We replaced the inner and then we were off to cross the river and the descent back to the cars, through the trees and up to the Barbon hill climb for the final descent. Finally, something wasn't right with Joel's brakes which combined with the cranky bottom bracket was making a noise like a clown bike but he managed to limp back to the church.
Once back at the car, three of us managed a swift drink in the pub where some cavers commented that they'd seen our lights earlier and wondered who could be crazier than them to go out at night, yep, that was RADs.

editors note... £150 repairs required to get the clown bike back on the road, so joel may or may not have the red nose and big shoes on next Thursday...

Next week, 12 March: Staveley - Barley Bridge (6.30 for 6.45)