With the backend of storm Brendan forecast to bring heavy rain and strong winds we opted for a more sheltered route for the January ride. Would the forecast put everyone else off? Of course not – John Hitchen was already tucking into toast when we arrived at the Limekiln Cafe and a trickle of Saddos followed. No one was rushing to leave but eleven of us did set off along the disused railway line – the Delph Donkey track – to Delph and the Castleshaw Valley. The wind and rain hadn’t lived up to its promise so we headed up the steep lane to Harrop Edge, a broad rough track with great views all round. As we waited to regroup at the top of the hill the wind and rain finally caught up with us.

With the wind behind us we were soon pedalling downhill past Captain Ruddy’s helicopter pad and heading for the stone hamlet of Diglea. We had the Huddersfield Canal towpath to ourselves as the weather worsened and decided on an early lunch at the Kingfisher in Greenfield as by now we were all cold, wet and muddy. Luckily there is an area set aside for dogs and their owners, with laminate floors and wipe-clean seats – perfect! We could relax without feeling guilty about leaving muddy foot/bottom prints. After a convivial lunch no-one was keen to put on wet waterproofs and continue with the afternoon ride so it was straight back along the canal to the Limekiln. A short ride maybe - but still worth turning out, for the company, exercise and fresh air.

Early Lunch in the Kingfisher

A month later and storm Ciara brought hail and strong winds on the second Tuesday in February - just in time for the Saddleworth Circuit ride. The roads were white as we arrived at the Limekiln -would this be the month that no-one turned up? Certainly not. Seven hardy souls dragged themselves out of the warmth of the cafe for a low level ride to Stalybridge led by Roger. It was great to see new rider Dave again, this time with his mate Richard from Selby. The hail showers were painful on the face but didn’t last long and the canal towpath was clear by the time we set off. Weaving between the canal and the disused railway track we made our way towards Stalybridge for another early lunch at Wetherspoons. Not many miles? Maybe, but plenty of Rough Stuff fellowship – and that’s always worth turning out for.

February Saddo - click on the image above for Roger's Flickr Album