Chocolate Log

Sunny? In South Yorkshire? Oh Yes, ducky.

While the Pennines are famed for their meteorologically significant levels of precipitation, there are times when it can be dry. Last weekend was one such occasion. Over three weeks without rain could mean only one thing for the gravity appreciative rider: Wharncliffe would be buff.

Saturday saw the likes of Wa, Riz, 12 Stone and myself (Whitish), sending, pinning, owning, nailing, delivering, posting, nodding, whooping and a hollering … well, riding … the many trails scattered down this hallowed hill side. There’s a bit of everything if you know where to look: Drops, rocks, kickers, the odd double, slow and technical rock rolls and steeps, fast ragged rock gardens, and fast flowing, swoopy singletrack. And rocks too. In case I didn't mention those.

10 - 15 minutes of pushing up buys you maybe 1 minute of adrenalin charged hammering down again, depending on the tech level of the trail you're throwing it down. It's more than worth it.

Day two heralded the return of Wa, Riz and me with our dusty big bikes to ride the potted highlights of the previous session and reinforce the feeling that this could be some of the best downwards facing riding in England. In my opinion. But then that’s maybe because I live near it. Whatever. It’s a good place to ride bikes.

The good people at www.singletraction.org.uk are hard at work resolving any issues of trail access, with dig days for trail maintenance. Evidence of their hard work is everywhere. Long may the relationship with the landowners continue to be positive, so that the trails continue to improve.

The rain held off until the slightest sprinkling appeared before the last run Sunday. Whether the conditions will be like that again, ever … no-one knows for certain. That may have been it. But we’re not even into May yet, so who knows.
Whitish