Report by - Dave Taylor

Date - 1st July 2009

I contacted the TRF a few weeks ago looking for advice on where to take my Enduro bike, legal routes etc. Last week they contacted me and invited me to join them on a run from Stockport to see if I liked it. Suffice to say I'll be joining the TRF because I had a brilliant day.

I didn,t really know what to expect from the type of terrain we'd be going on but it was basically a mixed bag of everything. There was fast stuff, loose rocky stuff, slow tricky stuff and steep stuff. There are some road sections linking it up but they are generally sweeping single track country lanes where you can open the bike up and give your arms a rest from the rough stuff. We covered around 80 miles or so on the ride and the leader GFoz knew exactly where he was going all the way round, which is a good effort, (I don't remember seeing many road signs).

I am by no means a professional rider but I will give anything a go, there was a few sections where everyone struggled. It was fine though, the group waited at the far side of each tricky bit in case anyone got stuck. GFoz explained the rules of the trail at the beginning and said  don't worry if you fall of everyone will at some point". I thought not me! and sure enough about half way round I lost my balance on a narrow track and ended up in a bush. It was fine though, the next rider stopped to see if I was ok and we were off again.

My arms were completely knackered by the later stages of the ride ( probably due to poor riding technique and working in an office) so I had to take it nice and slow on the rough sections on the way back. This wasn't a problem as the group wait at the end of every stage until everyone is together and then set off again.

All in all it was much better than the bits and bobs of off road stuff I find near Bolton and it was a good bunch of lads that I went out with. It was a hot and sunny day so the beer garden lunch and  and half way point pub stop went down a treat.

Dave T

Bolton