Trail Ride 14/11/04 .
Well another trail riding afternoon as the winter cold winds are apon us . Myself and the remnants of the " Treharris trials team " decieded on an easier going route than the last outing due Jamie being a dad and having "responibilities " and secondly Scotty still having sore ribs from the crash into Jamie few weeks back .
So with an easier route in mind headed off through the back of Blackwood down a nice easy lane and upto the bypass heading for bottom of Abertillary and the first nice climb of the day up through the forresty . The climb was one of the special test sections from the "tour of Islwyn " long distance trial and always brings back fond memories of tackling it one year riding the pre65 class on a BSA Bantam .

boys seemed to cope well with what can be quite a knarly climb although we dodged the worst /best bit depending on your experience . Two images(click to enlarge ) from mid way up just as the trail flatens off with S cotty blinding the camera , have to take the bulb out of that dam light !
Did intend to cut back though forresty over to Blaina but a bit of sprocket trouble on the gassser made us stick a bit closer to home , so after some adjustments made our way accross the top of the ridgeway over towards Brynmawr for the sheduled fuel and food stop .
Boys took a breather half way across towards Brynmawr and a quick check on the DRZ of Scotty reavealed some anorrexic savings of weight .Gone are the bar ends ! Gone are the heafty back numberplate/mud gaurd arrangement ! Gone are the wind mirrors ! But think hes taking it a bit to far
as Gone was the TAX disc ,, aggggg shittttt it fell out some where coming along the top !!!!!!
Off we continued down into Brynmawr for a fuel stop back up over the top into Ebbw Vale and over top of there and onto the ridgewayalong Tredegar for a fast drop back down the other valley back into Oakdale . The gasser sprocket was still holding out although full gas was out of the question but it gave the boys chance to keep up , and continued the ride back down top towards Pontypool area .
heare two shots of boys coming along the ridgeway with a long view in the background right back to the Severn Estury .
Bikes where getting a nice and dirty by now as we had just come though some huge bomb holes of water and boggy mud . GREAT!
aghhhhh me bikes all dirty now!!!!
Skirted around Pontypool and down into Risca and back up onto the other valley for the return leg back via Machen top to Blackwood but first a natty little climb to concour back up to top .
No real drama on the climb although a few stops part way up.
The climb bit steeper than it looks on pic with a stone infested bit half way up .Boys finally made it up though .

Then blast back over over the top to Blackwood though some hefty ruts to end tha day .Total milage around 75 miles .Injuries nil .Dead bikes nil.