Christmas MTB rides?

[fishbulb]

Been out today and would suggest having a Plan B just in case, as it will be SLOW. It took me 2 1/2 hrs to do a normally very steady 1 1/2 hr ride. A fair bit of pushing through snow and on some sheet ice stretches.
My route was: up A666 from Darwen to Entwistle. Nipped in and along the top track running parallel with Greens Arms Rd then out and along the Rd for a bit. Turned down track towards Turton Tower. Right @ Golf club. Out onto Cox Green Rd. Right to A666. behing Barrrocco's. Through the backs to end of Catherine's Edge. Then all the way along Catherine's Edge to the Rd. This was one of the hardest stretches as about 1/3 of it was unrideable. Along to The Royal and then turned off and back to Darwen. Ice, ice baby!

[SEFTON]

Cheers FishBulb.

any ideas?

not been out in the snow so I dont know where would be better conditions locally?

[SEFTON]

Well there is sleat/snow coming down at the minute, its making things wet & actually melting the snow/ice...

so conditions should improve (might need some wellies though)!

whos coming?

....anyone

[Peter M]

Followed the canal from Bury to Ringley and back along the nature trail yesterday afternoon mostly packed snow with the occasional patch of ice. It will have changed as the snow is very wet in the garden now. Have just looked on Metcheck which is forecasting snow tonight!!!

[fishbulb]

Well there is sleat/snow coming down at the minute, its making things wet & actually melting the snow/ice...

so conditions should improve (might need some wellies though)!

whos coming?

....anyone

At this stage I am still in, possibly + 1. Conditions are definitely changing, not neccessarily for the better! I'd suggest going round the top end of Entwistle missing out the res but let's suck it and see, eh. It'll be reet.

[Peter M]

I hope to make it across to join you.

[wheezing donkey]

Things are definitely changeable at the mo in Lancaster.
Yesterday at 8.00 am I did my local 30 minute hilly road run. Mostly on a private, very upmarket housing estate on the other side of the A6 from us. Conditions underfoot were crisp & crunchy without any hint of (non)traction issues.
Today at 8.00 am most of the snow / frost appeared to have gone with the over night drizzle. Just appeared to be slush; but there was black ice everywhere, under the slush, on the pavements and on the roads. The cobbled hill down to the A6 was lethal and I decided to abort that section of the route but only managed to stop myself by grabbing a lamp post. Then I could not re-ascend the upper section of that hill, both pavement and cobbles were too iced. Even a gravelly (purely pedestrian) ginnel had a lethal veneer of black ice that was not visisble.
Just taken the m-in-l and her s-i-l home in the car; apart from the roads being damp, all the slush and black ice has disappeared. Car's external thermometer was showing +3.0*C.
Will probably turn up to "suck & see", don't mind 'proper snow' on the 'crosser, but hate ice! Had a really nasty on ice in Gisburn Forest, 2 years ago!
Sephton, could you PM me your 'phone number please? I could ring for an update about 9.00 am tomorrow, before setting off?

[SEFTON]

PM'd!

weather forcast is fog with heavy rain at 3. so should be ok (might just be a really wet/mushy ground).

[wheezing donkey]

Craig,
Cheers. Have replied to your PM.
Ian.

[fishbulb]

Well, it might not have gone quite to plan but I think we made the best of it. It was good to meet some nice people and I look forward to bumping into some again some time.
Cheers all.