Nite riding

That'll be mountain biking in the dark. In my quest to find new people in life I hooked up with a local crew of mountain bikers last night and they go out each week at least once round the trails in the dark. I actually led them round my familar Pudsey trails and it was excellent fun, if a bit muddy in parts.
I've not done nite biking for AGES, and I'm thinking back to probably the Cardiff Uni for my last memory of lashing round the trails in the pitch black. Back then of course we made to with 1.5w Ever Ready torches, with a halogen bulb if you were very lucky. So, of course you could see jack shit, and less when your rechargeables ran out (which they always did). Also, the Cardiff nite riding experience was not complete without a pint or two at the excellent pub near Rudry hill who's name escapes me now. Hehe - that lovely feeling of getting inside into the warm round the fire and literally steaming until dry. And then, fortified by two pints of XB, reluctantly stepping out through the door again into a frosty Welsh night knowing it would be ages before you warmed up, and there was that infamous Whips drop down the narrow steep steps to come. Actually, having done that bit on sheer adrenaline the crashes tended to come on the narrow lanes dropping down towards town ...

Things have changed and these days of course we are all equipped with the current choice of 10 zillion candle power LED spotlights which run for about 3 weeks non stop. This does make things a little easier but a little less fun? Mind you when it comes to the alarmingly fast downhilling round Pudsey, sliding round in the mud at the same time I was somehow glad to have some vision at least.

But my bike when I got back - HOW muddy? Not having an outside tap with a hose is not good when your main hobby is mountain biking I can tell you. (I should have though of this when I was looking for accommodation...) I checked at the local garage which is about half a mile from the house and they have a jet wash. Excellent! Except then I found I had no money. Arse. And the miserable git at the till wouldn't stand me a £1.50 token on the promise I'd come back in the car and buy petrol later. Wot a twat.

So, the trusty hand pump garden spray thingy had to suffice and actually I got most of the gloop off. Then there's leggings, bum bag, overshoes etc etc which are caked in it. Never again. Except I see they are out again tomorrow ...