We could have died!! ;)

Halfwayupmtb continued to pound the hills around our hometowns, as they had two days of solid riding over this weekend. I went along for a giggle.

On Saturday we ventured over to some dry trails: dry because they are too steep to hold water. I nearly had some mutiny on my hands as I took the crew up one of the hills that I practice my hill repeats on.

Some guys threatened me whilst Andrew Bray did no handed wheelies up the hill.

I offered to show one of them, Sean, how to do hill repeats. I couldn't possibly repeat what he said.

The ride finished, the jibes started. I'm a bad man apparently.

Sunday, and we all met at the local pub for 9:00, or maybe 9:30. We threw bikes around, in and out of cars so that we all had company for the journey to Glyncorrwg. Someone had to put up with Tinks, so it might as well have been me...

...Little did we know that I'd get my own back on him later.

Tinks, Ian, Phil, Simon, Tris, Gerraint, Darren, Leon, Paul and I banged and bashed around August on the Skyline Trail in a two day weather window. We actually found some dry stuff, too!

Ian kept feigning punctures, for a rest, whilst Leon was powering up the hill as we had upset him somewhere along the way. Bishop moaned that his gears were all to pot and Darren complained that he needed a shave. But we all stayed as a social group and the patter was nice, gentle, supportive, and awfully creative as we fought to find each others' weakspots.

Tinks has a proper weakspot and Daz got his shave. Bish's gears kept playing up.

As we got to the end of our outward journey and arrived at the top of The Rhigos, the rocks started. Rocks are fun. They sort out those that can float a bike or want to plough through them.

They also cause trouble, via the vagueries of adrenaline.

There's a long deviation on The Skyline at the moment. It's a trail we've ridden many times with friends, and it's basically one long baby rock garden after another.

Simon started to get "that look" as he realised what was coming. He's trouble, too, you know. Tinks followed me along the rocky trails as I tried to show him techniques that I read about last night. Never been much for techniques, me. :)

Riding vicariously is a strangely empowering thing, when someone does something you suggest, without ostensibly thinking about the risks...

...Yip...It was Tinks.

"Try this!" says I.

"OK."

"Ooo! That worked! Maybe I'll try it myself some day."

So Tinks started carving turns, and applied it in the middle of a baby rock garden at speed. Good lad. Energy conservation and giggles.

More punctures followed along this part of the trail, and we ended up having time to chat between us as someone else had a rest at the top of the hill. We were having loads of fun on the temporary trail. The weather was perfect and the company was good.

But we got bored with each other after a bit, so off we set again, and Simon's "look" turned to despicable action. The git.

He rode past me, and another pair of unconnected mountainbikers, timing his approach to a MASSIVE puddle to perfection...

...As he performed a perfect bunnyhop into said puddle, I closed my eyes ready for the muddy and smelly deluge that was to follow from the side swiping adversary. But the other cyclists didn't see it coming. The first they knew of what was coming was when it splatted them, full force, with stinky essence of Resolven Ridge.

One of them muttered something, and it wasn't very charitable.

So Simon was chased down, and buzzed for a bit, until we got near to Tinks, on a rocky downhill with a couple of big ruts in it. It's a good thing that some of us are well beyond the infantile practice of succumbing to Adrenaline overload, and trying to force their way past two riders, at plenty of miles an hour and where there is no room to do so.

It would be even worse if that person (devoid of blame as he's too grown up) was wearing full Hope and Endura Kit, with a Pro Specced bike and bespoke everything on it. (Just for you Simon). Imagine how stupid he would look if he tried something like that, in those circumstances?

Especially, if the rest of us had Club Shirts on!

And right in front of the guys that Simon had soaked, too? They would have thought we were trying to kill them!

Imagine!

I had a chance to mull this over, as Tinks and I rolled down the trail; me with my knees in his chest; him slowing me down with his body, and using his ribs to bend my bars and snap the matchmakers on my brakes. (edit. and my forks)

Ahem.

After the guys waited for some idiot to rebuild his bike, we were off again. Just as fast. We disappeared into a few mahoosive puddles, and arrived at the top of the Skyline contour and descent. Bish's gears were bouncing on and off of the cassette as his cables kept drifting through his frame mounts, but this made it possible to keep up with him in the twisty stuff, as we arrived at the top of the steps.

This is where Darren decided that he really needed a shave, and used the steps (all five of them) to remove some facial hair, elbow skin and opposable thumbs. He was actually in a bit of a state when we next saw him at the start of the final section of the descent, but he's tough.

As we hit the fast rocky bit near the bottom I wondered if it was possible to ride the next section without braking. Tinks was just behind me...

...More vicarious riding...


..."Tinks, try riding this next bit without touching your brakes. Put a death grip on the bars so you can't use them!"

"OK!"

He didn't die, but he could have!

Maybe next time.