Just arrived back from a fantastic weekend away based near the Strata Florida with 19 ABR's. Ace weekend, great company, fantastic location, amazing trails, humorous banter.
Heres a taster......until I get time to sort all the photos out..........
Another awesome weekend over. Monday and back to reality. Im sitting here at work feeling very battered. Mind enjoys these weekends but it takes my body a few days to get back to normal.
Back to the weekend, all started at 14:00 Friday when me and Felco left mine and met Scooby at Chester services 20 mins later. A puncture an hour later started the evenings delays. Back on the road and we got to the Strata Florida about 19:40. Scooby asked how long it would take. Answer “25 mins on an enduro and anything up to an hour if issues occur”. A few mins into the trail and a nameless person (not me or Scooby) went for a swim. Bike on its rear wheel, plug out. Managed to get it going but oil had been replaced with milk. No choice but to push on to the next swimming hole. Confidence was lost now. And we slowly limped to the bunkhouse a mere 3 hours later than planned where certain people decide to take the pish out of my time keeping……..
We had fully booked the Dolgoch bunkhouse, if you’ve never stayed here it’s a place with a lot of character. No electricity, and no lights upstairs. Downstairs all lights working from solar panels. No fridge, a really old farmhouse converted to hold 20 pished up bikers. The nearest village being 9 miles away meant we needed to carry in everything we would need. Not a lot really, just booze and food.
So thanks to everyone for making it such a memorable weekend. We originally had 20 bunks booked and 3 extra who were vanning / tenting. A few dropouts and 1 breakdown en route meant we had 18 for night 1 and 19 for night 2.
Special thanks to…..
Silverfox990 – bought and brought the kitty money booze, and supplied the BBQ and coals and never even used it himself. Thanks, we all appreciate this.
Stewie – bringing the marquee, great idea considering the rain.
Tea – bringing me the maps I asked for and supplying his “treat box”.
Mikeyboy – brought a fridge of all things. But having a cold beer after the ride on Saturday made me appreciate this more.
Luckiegar – for volunteering and leading the second group.
All – for giving me beer. I only took 7 cans in my bag and ended up with 5 left when I got home. Not really sure how I managed this as I had more than enough to drink both nights.
Im sure I have missed people out, so thanks again to everyone for making it such a good weekend.
2 groups for the rides, 10 in mine and 8 in Garys. A few people went swimming and a few bikes needed some trail maintenance. But all kept running (eventually) and after the Strata the trails flowed really well. Some tricky stuff en route and some really nice long trails. Ill let the photos do the talking.
Great weakend mike, thankyou, I had a reyt time, Friday sucked a bit after a puncture and two swims:(. But Saturday was great, big THANKYOU, to the blokes what helped me,
scooby for trailin to a bike shop for a tube (thumbs) , stewie for helpin me change oil , lendin spannners cleaning filter ext ext, (thumbs) , mickyboy for oil (thumbs) , xrstupot (funnel and help) (thumbs) silverfox for beer (thumbs) , tea and crew for makin mi laugh and blingin mi bike, (thumbs) and everybody else who made it a good en. (thumbs)
One of the best Mike, thank you for sorting. The Strata is without doubt my fave trail, it flows then slashes then flows then slashes then takes a victim!!! awesome. It was good to see all and despite the mishaps, everyone kept good humour throughout and made a cracking weekend of it.
beddowsm wrote:Just arrived back from a fantastic weekend away based near the Strata Florida with 19 ABR's. Ace weekend, great company, fantastic location, amazing trails, humorous banter.
Heres a taster......until I get time to sort all the photos out..........
Some of this...
P8010087.JPG
Good to see the 'short' bloke back on a 'Perfect Ten ' B)
"The trails of the world be countless, and most of the trails be tried.
You tread on the heels of many, till you come where the ways divide.
And one lies safe in the sunlight, and the other is dreary and wan, Yet you look aslant at the Lone Trail, and the Lone Trail lures you on....
....Bid good-bye to sweetheart, bid goodbye to friend, The Lone Trail, the Lone Trail, follow to the end.
Tarry not, and fear not, chosen of the true;
Lover of the Lone Trail, The Lone Trail waits for you"
