It has been a while since a Weds night ride report was posted so I thought it was time for a brief report incase some people were wondering if the night rides had become a rarity.
To be honest it has been so cold and wet since January that only a few have been brave enough or crazy enough to make the effort. I for one have been guilty of staying mainly in hibernation mode.

Well D’Andy, Lee, Big Al and myself met at the usual Hylands Garage and headed out over to Headley way and Box Hill last Weds night and Bl%&dy freezing it was too!

A mix of frosty ground conditions alternating with semi frozen Slush Puppy like mud and some good old fashioned puddles, made for some very squirmy front and rear wheel action in places.

After the long slog up Alsation I had that sinking feeling that my front tyre had flatted so it was a brief stop to shake the wheel around and see if the Stans sealant goo would do its stuff. It did, so off we went again only for me to have to stop again after another few miles and use D’Andy’s Big B~~~~~d pump to keep going.

Finally climbing up onto Headley we entered Secret Singletrack just before another big group up from Reigate were about to head down it.
SS was slippy and rooty with the added potential for incidents as someone had laid logs across parts of the trail in various places, really silly and certainly made the run down SS a bit of a lottery.

After regrouping at the bottom we blundered round Headley in the dark and finally managed to pick up on a trail that would take us back up to the Box Hill road and over to China Pig.

China Pig was not in the best condition and was very slippy at the top and sketchy in other places so we all took it sensibly going down there. Even Gok Mole was holding back a bit on his normal committed riding style, (usually involving a complete disregard for his own personal safety)

Having survived the “tricky little porker” we made our way back down through Mickleham and across to Norbury Park for the climb up to the top and then took in Infestation back down towards Bocketts farm.
As it was by now really cold we decided to call it a night and head homewards.

17 miles on the clock for me but glad to get back home at 10pm and stick my toes in the oven! 😯

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