Not really a ride report as such

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FatFreddy
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Not really a ride report as such

Post by FatFreddy »

I have only recently discovered what a boat is...... I mean “Byeway Open to All Traffic”, not the water borne variety. Although to be fair, some BOATS would be easier to navigate in a boat than on a bike.
Anyway, I had this idea that if I could find some BOATS near home, I could sort out a route locally that would take in some twisty back lanes and a few stretches of unmetalled road. That way I could get my fix on a Sunday morning without having to ride an hour to get somewhere first and more importantly, without pissing off the Mrs by disappearing on “that bloody bike” all day.
So my first attempt failed dismally as when I got to the start of what Ordnance Survey have marked as BOAT, someone had planted a “community woodland” on it, rendering it impassable.
A week or so later I found this one and went there first to check it was accessible....at least the start of it anyway.
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Btw,you probably already know, but BOATs are marked by a series of green crosses.
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FatFreddy
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Re: Not really a ride report as such

Post by FatFreddy »

So, starting at the Rawtenstall end, you go up a steep terraced street, past some bungalows and the road gets narrower as it leads past some farms/large houses.
After the last house it gets steeper and turns into a farm track with a strip of concrete either side. The concrete ends and it looks like this...
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A roughish stoney path, seemingly only used by horses and dog walkers
bill_qaz
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Re: Not really a ride report as such

Post by bill_qaz »

Go toy your local councils online ROW section, they will have active map and a list of any with TRO traffic regulation order. These can be temp, seasonal or perm and sometimes exempt to motorcycles.
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FatFreddy
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Re: Not really a ride report as such

Post by FatFreddy »

bill_qaz wrote: Wed May 01, 2019 12:27 pm Go toy your local councils online ROW section, they will have active map and a list of any with TRO traffic regulation order. These can be temp, seasonal or perm and sometimes exempt to motorcycles.
Thanks Bill, I will do that.
Anyway, to continue my tale (maybe I should have prepared these as drafts first?)
This is a good example of how to make a short story long.
At this point I’m congratulating myself. The track is technical enough to feel “off road” but easy enough for me to feel confident, the weather was lovely and the views fantastic.
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Re: Not really a ride report as such

Post by FatFreddy »

Then I found my first muddy bit but got through it no problems
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And confidence soaring the track ahead looked very a-track-tive...(sorry)
Last edited by FatFreddy on Wed May 01, 2019 1:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Not really a ride report as such

Post by FatFreddy »

Then I reached this gate. The pic is taken looking back at the way I had just come.
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It wouldn’t have been that hard to pass except that I couldnt find anywhere solid enough for the side stand and couldn’t get the bloody thing to open more than three feet.
The pictures don’t do justice to what a pain this was as the available gap pointed you in the wrong direction, over a stream/ditch. I was able to get the bike through fairly easily but the holes you can see next to the bike are a couple of feet deep with running water flowing beneath you. Not visible are more holes the other side of the bike.
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Once through I was able to close the gate behind me and begin a fifteen point turn.
In the process I managed to get well and truly stuck in the mud, eventually having to walk it out onto solid ground.
Last edited by FatFreddy on Wed May 01, 2019 1:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Not really a ride report as such

Post by FatFreddy »

So, sweaty and tired, but very pleased with myself for having overcome the obstacle, I set off along the side of an open field, even getting into 2nd gear briefly...

Until this happened....
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It’s standing up by itself there, up to the axles in mud.... I may possibly have uttered some bad words here.
Unfortunately the pics run out here as from this point on it was just about getting through and frankly I forgot to take any more snaps.
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Re: Not really a ride report as such

Post by FatFreddy »

First I tried walking it out.....no chance.
So it was a case of dragging it back an inch, holding it on the front brake, drag it back an inch...
And so on.
Half an hour later, stripped to the waist, drenched in sweat, I finally got the bastard out.
I walked up and down and thinking I’d spotted a better line, tried again.... No chance!
didn’t get quite as badly stuck but decided there was no way I was getting it through that way. I would have to turn back.
I was almost crying at the prospect of tackling that gate way in reverse...
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Re: Not really a ride report as such

Post by FatFreddy »

Then a farmer came by on a quad bike to check on his sheep.
“You can’t get through there on a motorbike” he said.
He must have thought this bright red sweaty fat bloke was a nutter after the way I laughed at his helpful comment.
Anyway, very obligingly he said I could go through a gate and along the next field, thus avoiding the boggy track. Even more obligingly he said I could bypass the next bit too by going through the next field. When I got there I could see why. Although passable...just..(it wasn’t boggy) it was a sunken lane and the stone walls either side had collapsed inward, whereas the field he gave me permission to cross was an undulating hoot.
Whoever you are Mr Farmer, many thanks.
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Re: Not really a ride report as such

Post by FatFreddy »

After the field I passed through a (easy to open) gate by a farmhouse and onto a farm track. Following this down hill, I was at my destination in Lumb a few minutes later.
Time taken 2 hours
Distance travelled about 1.5 miles
Lessons learned? Just because it’s open to all traffic doesn’t mean it’s passable. I’m an idiot for doing it alone (billy no-mates).
In future, I may try these local bits on the mountain bike first.
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