Well a bit of a late call ..Ingram , East Cheviots tomorrow 8.12 20

[The Hodge]

Just wangled an extra day off work ..so I'm heading out tomorrow for a Cheviot ride ..
Jonny no mates at the moment so if anyone out there would like to join me for a ride starting at 10.00am ..just let me know and I will forward directions if needed ...

 

[The Hodge]

Bugger ...now switched to Wednesday 9th as I've just been called in to work tomorrow ..grrrr.

 

[Richywalker64]

I would have loved to get out but stuck offshore till Wed

 

[KeithR]

Wey, man - it'll be geet ower clarty for me..!

 

[The Hodge]

Wey, man - it'll be geet ower clarty for me..!

Wey aye its ganna be clarty like ..but howay gadgie its aaall part of the fun ..aya not just shitein yersel in case ya cowp ya creels like ??
There now follows a translation for all those South of Makem land and our International brothers ..
Keith said " Sorry I can't make it due to the adverse weather conditions and the fact that it will be terribly wet and muddy for my participation .."
I replied " Yes I agree the conditions will not exactly be tip -top..but come on old boy is that the real reason or are you worried you might have an over the bars moment ?

 

[The Hodge]

I would have loved to get out but stuck offshore till Wed

Another time then mate..

 

[KeithR]

We aye its ganna be clarty like ..but howay gadgie its aaall part of the fun ..aya not just shitein yersel in case ya cowp ya creels like ??
There now follows a translation for all those South of Makem land and our International brothers ..
Keith said " Sorry I can't make it due to the adverse weather conditions and the fact that it will be terribly wet and muddy for my participation .."
I replied " Yes I agree the conditions will not exactly be tip -top..but come on old boy is that the real reason or are you worried you might have an over the bars moment ?

Naaah - the honest truth is that I hate cleaning my bike!

(I'm tied up for most of the week anyway, but I just divvent like ridin' in clarts.... Actually, I'm originally from Soo' Sheels, so it should really be "I daen't like ridin' in clarts...")

 

[The Hodge]

Aaaah ..a Sand Dancer.. that would explain your irrational fear of mud ! ?

 

[The Hodge]

Todays ride ..
Wet..very
Mud...enough to keep a Hippo happy
Temperature?..a balmy 5c
Fun factor ?..off the scale
Just a shame I was Billy no mates ...
A few pics

The hill in the distance on the last pic is the drop down to Ewartly Shank ..it used to be quite a techy drop but Lindhope estates have smoothed things out with a red road ..
Fairly loose and rockier than it might look ..but hell it was fast !
You should've been there ...lol

 

[Jimbo Vills]

Looks fantastic well done mate ?

 

[Jackware]

I'm going to have to skive off work and head up north early one day

 

[mak]

Where's the mud man!! Are you cleaning the bike on the way round lol. I've decided to stick to the local hard pack and pavements for my boring 12 mile evening route round the local park but the bikes still covered in half a ton of mud when i get back, sick of it already ?

On a plus note that looks stunning where you live

 

[billwarwick]

Thank goodness for Google Translate ?

 

[The Hodge]

Where's the mud man!! Are you cleaning the bike on the way round lol. I've decided to stick to the local hard pack and pavements for my boring 12 mile evening route round the local park but the bikes still covered in half a ton of mud when i get back, sick of it already ?

On a plus note that looks stunning where you live

Don't worry there was plenty of it !?..you're actually not too far away from the truth as the bike was getting a bit of a wash down on the way around from periscope depth standing water & stream crossings ..
That area is on the Eastern side of the Cheviot Hills ..but there is so much good riding in this part of Northumberland we are spoilt for choice ..still massively overlooked by the mountain biking fraternity at large..but that suits us " locals "* just fine ??..
*..that ride is still a 1hr drive from where I live ..

 

[Ken]

Todays ride ..
Wet..very
Mud...enough to keep a Hippo happy
Temperature?..a balmy 5c
Fun factor ?..off the scale
Just a shame I was Billy no mates ...
A few pics
View attachment 46725 View attachment 46726 View attachment 46727 View attachment 46728 View attachment 46729 View attachment 46730 View attachment 46731 View attachment 46732 View attachment 46733

The hill in the distance on the last pic is the drop down to Ewartly Shank ..it used to be quite a techy drop but Lindhope estates have smoothed things out with a red road ..
Fairly loose and rockier than it might look ..but hell it was fast !
You should've been there ...lol

Looks like the east end of Salters rd. I Rode Salters from Clennel st to Alnham in the summer and it is truly memorable. We used to ride it on trail bikes when it was legal and then on accoustic mtbks before age intervened. The Emtbk has given a few of is old timers a new lease of life to enjoy these epic old routes. The pic of your bike on a foot bridge looks like the bridge over the Usway burn on Clennel St.
I recognise Sedling RAke above Cowshill where EMF took a bath. It was a lot drier last May.
On the drop down to Cowshill on Sedling Rake did you take the bridleway which goes left down to Burtree Ford? It goes through old mineworkings and is a pig to find and follow. Mine catch you on a ride, this is my neck of the woods.

 

[The Hodge]

Hello Ken ..I will be sure to give you a shout the next time we are in the area ..
As far as the b/ way off left to Burtree Ford ..I think I've only ever followed that once ..its just too tempting to blatter on down to the bottom even though you have the ridiculous scenario of the b/way changing to footpath status at the bottom on what is a well graded road ?.
At least we didn't get shouted at by the bloke who lives in the house directly over the burn this time ..
I'm quite familiar with the area as in my younger days I was seeing a girl from Westgate ..but hell thats 40 years and another lifetime ago ..?
Edit : That footbridge by the way is over the river Breamish on the side of Shillmoor and not too far from Low Bleakhope ..
I've just clicked on your details and noticed that you live in Northumberland ..so a meet up could well be on the cards sometime in the New Year ..
I only met EMF by chance in Alwinton a couple of months back but its been great riding with another e.mtber .
Another of my old riding buddies is soon to get his e bike so that would make 3 out of my usual riding group plus EMF ..if this bloody covid shite would just do a one there could be some good times next year..

 

[Ken]

Hello Ken ..I will be sure to give you a shout the next time we are in the area ..
As far as the b/ way off left to Burtree Ford ..I think I've only ever followed that once ..its just too tempting to blatter on down to the bottom even though you have the ridiculous scenario of the b/way changing to footpath status at the bottom on what is a well graded road ?.
At least we didn't get shouted at by the bloke who lives in the house directly over the burn this time ..
I'm quite familiar with the area as in my younger days I was seeing a girl from Westgate ..but hell thats 40 years and another lifetime ago ..?
Edit : That footbridge by the way is over the river Breamish on the side of Shillmoor and not too far from Low Bleakhope ..
I've just clicked on your details and noticed that you live in Northumberland ..so a meet up could well be on the cards sometime in the New Year ..
I only met EMF by chance in Alwinton a couple of months back but its been great riding with another e.mtber .
Another of my old riding buddies is soon to get his e bike so that would make 3 out of my usual riding group plus EMF ..if this bloody covid shite would just do a one there could be some good times next year..

Yes Hodge I look forward to meeting up in what can only be better times in 2021. The thought of those old ways in the Cheviots have kept me sane these dark covid days. I did once encounter another emtbker in Alwinton and he was riding a Whyte, had just had the Bosch 85nm upgrade.