This weekend saw Nige back on his bike with his mates for the first time in a long while being joined by Robin, Steve & myself. Climbing up from Lud Foot we enjoyed relatively dry trails all day despite the recent wet weather, taking in the rock garden near Studley Pike and a rocket back down to Callis Bridge.
We then took to a steep climb on a good track up through Winters Wood to Colden and, to put on a bit extra while waiting for our companion, dipped down Wragley and back up Lumb Bank to our cafe stop in Heptonstall. The butty was excellent - as always - with an unbeatable combination of solid teacake, smokey bacon & deliciously fresh egg that so many other places just can't match. When Nige had slipped back his last words were "mine's a BSE" (bacon, sausage & egg), but we decided that he hadn't really earned all that and got him something much more appropriate as in the photo below.
Sadly he didn't ever reach the cafe, having been tempted back downhill to Hebden by a handy right turn and swept along the valley bottom as a flatter route home. Still, I hope that its the start of regular outings from now on and I'm looking forward to getting back out on the knobbly tires again soon.
