TrailBadger Annual Scotland Trip, 1 - 3 October

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Inspired by Rembrandt van Rijn's "The Nightwatch" or "The Shooting Company of Franz Banning Cocq"

Starring: Team TrailBadger, Glentress 2010
Creative direction: Ian Shovels
Art restoration: PJ

TrailBadger.com Annual Scotland Trip, 16-18 October

Sixteen hardy souls braved baking sunshine and balmy temperatures to endure the meteorological hell that was Glentress and Innerleithen.


Faces set like stone to the driving blizzard and gale force winds, the brave 16 remained steadfast atop the mighty peak at Innerleithen, boldly singing rousing hymns, contemplating their sure destruction, and welcoming their glorious transition to eternity.


Jonny wondered as to the precise spot of his icy grave, completely lost and disorientated in the total white-out conditions.


John Ritchie was the beneficiary of this year's trip to Borders General Hospital. (I'm happy to report that the liposuction was a complete success).

TrailBadger.com Weekend in Scotland 2008

TrailBadger.com teamed up with a few ne’er-do-wells from NTSR, and jumps-specialist Sammy Brownlee, in a Tango & Cash organised trip to Glentress, 10 – 12 October 2008.



A weekend of fantastic weather and great biking, all was going well until Ian decided on Saturday afternoon that he wasn’t getting enough attention; so he chucked himself over a jump, over the bars, and directly onto his head – reconstruction later showed it as an 8 foot vertical drop.

Smashed helmet, bashed-up head, general cuts and bruises, and it was clear that we were heading for A&E to get him checked out properly, such were the strange noises and gibberish emanating from the normally lucid Ian.

So began the most tedious 30-mile journey we had ever embarked upon, as Ian repeated the same rubbish over... and over... and over... and over again.

Clearly still totally out of it when we arrived at Borders General Hospital, after another hour or so it seemed that Ian had started to talk sense again until, under questioning from the doctor about the date, he thought it was approaching October 2003!

Sammy shows us what it's all about, just before his minor altercation with a rather large and obstinate tree!

The Great Gatsby

TrailBadger.com Trip to Kirroughtree, 25 November

No broken bones, just a broken seat. 14 heads. A great day out.
Nothing more to be said, really!

See the photos at Photobox
http://www.trailbadger.com/

TrailBadger.com Trip to Scotland 5 -7 October

Twas a fine trip. Lasting memories will include:

• The fantastic weather - 3 days unbroken sunshine - in October?!
  
• The hospitality of Ewan and the Cross Keys Hotel in Peebles
  
• The really quite tricky Kona Dark Side northshore at Mabie
  
• The Karaoke session! Not a word!


• The steak and chips!


• Hugh being passed uphill on day 2 by a 60 year old woman out walking


• The 11 hours of potential biking time spent by Mark fidgeting with his video camera


• Davy's spectacular fall on Spooky Wood - anything for the camera


• International man of mystery Enda joining the party from Copenhagen with fresh legs


• Stevie's small shin scrape and subsequent tosser footballer shinguards


• Lavabo using the excuse of a bad back to drink with Rodger solidly for 2 days.


• Bugsy's disgusting cycling tops, but gorgeous Arthur Daly motor


• The blessed hand of the Virgin Mary herself intervening to prevent Ian from going over the lip of about 20 berms


• Phil beating the baying women off him (and the dusky, smouldering Ian) in the Keg!


• A fresh and spritely Jonny Gray being accused of having a hangover by Ewan because he supposedly "looked terrible"


• Rick being an all-round super chap!

TrailBadger.com - Mountain bike trails for Northern Ireland Bikers - see our Southern Scotland pages.

January Caption Competition Results

Molly the Cat and Mr Anonymous are the winners in the caption competition for January! The prize - an evening hanging out with with Tango and Cash - may be redeemed at a time of mutual convenience. All the entries can be reviewed here.

Amongst all the hurtful personal abuse, these 2 stand out as beacons of obnoxiousness:

Molly the Cat said...
Rick began to wonder if there was a typo in his Jim'll Fix It request to 'work with Seamen for the day'...

Anonymous said...
1. Tosspot
2. Teapot

Kirroughtree 13 Jan - Gone With the Wind

It was blowing a bit; well, blowing a LOT! But as long as the boat got us to Scotland, frankly my dear, we didn't give a damn when it would get us home.

When we arrived in Stranraer, the weather was so bad, we didn't know whether we were coming or going, but at the harbour we were inspired to press on, safe in the knowledge that plenty of work was going on to ensure the continuance of the human race, should we falter.

Davy was, as usual, quickly into his stride on the trails, setting the early pace, but it was not long before William 'Narls' Barkley found his old MTB feet after a few years of exile in the wilderness of tarmac racing (snigger).

Paddy's lapdance at the first break did little to arouse the interests of Rick and Stevie, so he got nothing more down the front of his cycling shorts to keep that pair of socks company. Not to be beaten, Paddy let his northshore skills do the talking from that moment forth.

There was chemistry in the air, though, as Alan and Jonny5 found common ground, sharing their experiences of full suspension with each other, into the wee hours. Inseparable they were. It was as if nobody else existed - beautiful to watch.

Stevie's contribution to the day consisted primarily of the cruel goading of his fellow bikers. Here, in a rare shot that shows that Stevie has pitched over the bars himself, he shows his distaste at valiant Jonny's efforts on a particularly challenging section of the black route. But then he flashes that old cheeky grin, and it's all friends again - ya gotta love the guy!

Last laugh in this chapter was Jonny's, though - Stevie eats Jonny's dirt here, and not for the first time. More newsworthy than that however was a moment capturing Phil on the bike, actually cycling along; no punctures, and before the bike had chewed all his clothes off him.

On rushing back to get the boat, cancellation of the sailing forced the team to spend the night holed up in Stranraer, city of dreams. Phil had so much cheese on his pizza, it was nearly up to the level of his sense of humour, and Jonny5 and Davy seemed more tired the next morning than they were just after the biking - go figure! Yes, those single beds HAVE been pushed together.

Zzzzzzzzz...

Hard Rock Stevie

Hot on the heels of his withdrawal from the Mourne Marathon, Tango backed up sharply to pull out of the Stanes trip on 30 September.

Regardless, a posse left our shores bound for Kirroughtree, and a wonderful day was had by all.

We discussed the largest office block in North Down and the associated cafe, tumbled over the smallest of obstacles, and generally worked up an appetite for a Chinese on the way home (or a coffee for some of the laydies, ahem!).

No-one dared darken the doors of Stevie's church, the mighty McMoab.