The Two Towers

When I eventually made it out yesterday I had stupid plans of a 3 towers ride but it was after 1 when I left so no chance. Lots of snow about as I rode up the jumbles, packed down but a sprinkling on top from the other day so grippy-ish. I still had no idea what route to do, halfway round Wayoh I decided to give peel tower a bash. Upto crowthorn was hard work, the option of deep snow or follow tyres tracks with minimal grip. Getting offroad at longshaw head the snow was very deep lots of keeping low and putting some serious power down just to keep moving. I was thinking I wouldn't be coming back this way but after the 1st stream crossing it was great, God bless ramblers, the snow was packed down just enough for fast riding but loads of grip and I made the best progress I managed all day. Climb to the tower was impossible so pushed the top half, some walker told me to man up and get back on cheeky bugger. Back the same way, going down crowthorn was interesting. Legs were feeling the strain as I got round entwistle res but I headed for darwen anyway. It was a push to the tower again and the sun was setting as I started the descent, brilliant views. Round roddlesworth I was already depending on my "get me home" light and at Abbey village I decided to go for the hat trick and headed for rivi. First ride of the year a mental 3 towers in snow on a singlespeed sounded cool. Wheelton was 'orrible quite icy but doable, the track from white coppice was snow free and I was just thinking it looked quite wet till the front wheel slid to the right, think I pulled something in my grioin stopping myself hitting the deck. Took it easy and slow after that, I could see flahing lights at the bottom of moor road, police and 2 flat bed recovery trucks, one car was severly embedded in the corner of the wall at the parking spot and another smashed into the wall at the other side of the road. Ouch. I couldn't even walk round the 1st car the road was so icy, I had to chuck my bike over the wall and walk in the field. All the way to the barn it was iced over, one short staining moment going downhill I realised I was going too fast, back wheel was just sliding, touching the front brake would be disasterous and dragging my foot did nowt, just had to stay loose and hang on, only just got away with that one. At the barn I realised rivi was a no go, it was getting late and very cold, legs were dying and the ice was lethal, I could have managed a push up to the pike but if georges lane was iced over too getting home would have been a nightmare so I took the blacktop home. Gutted! I'd done 90% of the donkey work but couldn't finish it.

Legs are screwed today, proper painful, they never get like this from riding, that snow really takes it's toll. 43 miles 5200ft climbing, good start to the riding year.