Mountain bikers in a roadie pace line, scorching along Continentally dry tracks, leaving contrails of dust on our way out of Dalby. Pumping the rolling bumps on the pig track. Ducking into the forest to weave between the trees. Then putting the hammer down on the road to the pub. I thought Dave was going to put both arms up as he scorched into Sawdon Village Hall car park.

That was just the end of the ride. There were ten of us out on the fun ride (there was no fast fast ride) on a cool but sunny evening: Nigel the skills and Lewis, who improvised a route; Whitby Mark; Pickering three Dave, Stu and Rich; Hackness Mike; Sandwich Chris; me; and making a welcome return, Rich Waller.

We headed down into that gulley to the east of Sawdon, then climbed uphill to pick up Dead Man's. After a bit of road, we ducked back into the treas to pick up that spine of singletrack that runs to the tarmac road at the top, near the nursery. Before we did, Sandwich Chris managed to find the one bit of wet mud and did a slow mo fall into it. Looking at him from one side, he was pretty clean. From the other, he was muddy as anything. 

We rode down the first part of the old Pace downhill track, where we met a bunch of young downhillers pushing their big bikes back up for another run. Some of us hammered down the downhill track - Stu catching a stick in the eye - while some of us minced down the chicken runs. Well, we were on XC bikes!

After that we headed over to Troutsdale and up a steep climb that Lewis had recce'd. Rich Simms had the most spectacular fall of the night when he couldn't unclip and fell several feet into a gulley. He was okay, luckily. But it was an impressive roll.

The gulley was steep and long and full of leaf litter and hidden rocks. I almost cleaned it, riding past a walking Rich Waller on the way up. 'I need a 29 inch wheels for climbing,' Rich said when he got to the top. '29 inch waist more like!' cracked Stu.  

Once we got over the high ground that sits between Troutsdale and Langdale, we headed over towards Dalby, the pig track, and home. 

Cracking ride. Why can't the trails always be like this? It was like being abroad! Here's my Garmin plot of the ride. 

Thanks to Nigel and Lewis for directions, and to the Anvil for a nice pint afterwards.