KMC Members: Pete Hughes, Sue Brooke, Peter McNulty.

This was an explore of the tracks through the Irwell Valley and became a meet led by the real locals - Pete and Sue - thanks guys!! An opportunity for me to wear a work hat and find out everything the Forestry Commission has got wrong with the single track - now roads - and also a chance to get really muddy on the bits they haven't touched yet!

The whole valley is a real gem in that it's on a lot of doorsteps and has a lot of variety - the Marin Trail it ain't - but there's enough for the inexperienced and the more able who want to get some practice in without using the car.

Starting from the heights of Hurst Wood in Whitefield, we admired the view of the M60 before heading down onto Sustrans Route 6. Over the motorway and onto the new FC tracks - to much grumbling, although I guess it stopped me coming off so much, since there's not a lot of single track! To escape the wide, open, mud free paths, we turned uphill into Phillips Park in Prestwich, which still has some twisting, muddy and occasionally steep single track. Pete persuaded us down a track with a small drop and a lot of mud and ended up in the puddle at the bottom?none of us made it down on a saddle! We then bobbed back down into Waterdale and past 13 Arches viaduct to cross the river and wobble and slide alongside Pilkingtons Tile factory, past Clifton Marina and the sewage works. More muddy delights as we hit the canal towpath - but not the canal itself - to the pub in Ringley. This was after Sue entertained us with a spectacular head over heels slow motion tumble down a soft, leaf strewn banking. Fortunately she falls well and then had a great excuse to be fed quantities of chocolate!! Quick stop for coke and crisps before picking up the Canal to Nob End - honestly, that's its name. Then a turn about onto the Bury branch of the canal and back along the Outwood Trail to Hurst Wood.

Hey, no rain, only about 6 motorbikes and 1 fall - that makes it a pretty successful meet, even with 4!

This is really local! Meet at the Forestry Commission Hurst Farm Offices, Copper Lane, Stand, Whitefield M45 7TQ at 10am. It'll be a day of exploring the Irwell Valley from Ringley (including a pub stop) down to Forest Bank in Salford. Real mix of tracks with some wide, newly laid tracks, steps and muddy descents and some single track as well. The route should be around 8 miles but it can be exended and with the pub as well, we'll be out for around 4 hours.