Invitation or challenge? The suggestion from the guys at OTT Mountain Bike we come over and try the distant, exotic trails in the furthest reaches of Hertfordshire (aka Harpenden) could have been either.

 

Question is, even if we were just playing for laughs would Lloydy manage to rein in his competitive streak? Could the OTT boys match Tom's banter? And would Jeremy really cough up his £3 for the lunch at the Amble Inn?

 

Things got off to a typical MTB Berko start, Karl losing his way and - inevitably - his temper en route to the rendezvous point in Harpenden. As riders gathered opposing teams eyed up each other's bikes, looking for clues as to form, fitness and fighting spirit. As Lloydy had it, "it's not a race, but we're not coming second."

 

 

Certainly on bike tartery the OTT boys probably had it in the bag, a brand new S-Works carbon Specialized being brought out especially on its inaugural ride for our benefit and just one of several pimpy bikes. Claire's bright green Commencal bought us valuable cool points even before a pedal was turned, our man from Poland Lukasz braving it on a burly looking Specialized SX Trail.

 

 

Eventually after much faffage 22 of us set out from Harpenden along frosted trails, knowing full well this would be but brief respite from the inevitable clag. Though the hills seemed generally more rolling than around Berko the boys clearly know their local ground and the route progressed smoothly, our hosts looking after us well and not even laughing too much when in a no-hands, on-the-fly headgear rearrangement by yours truly ended up with a crash into a barbed wire fence. It was just unfortunate said wardrobe adjustment involved removing my helmet seconds before hitting the deck but thankfully pride was the only casualty. And it at least saved (yet) another claim on Giro's crash replacement scheme. 

 

 

The weather was beautiful, the skies blue and visibility crystal clear. Sadly the warm sun was melting the frost and the trails were getting muddy. We ploughed on (coming up with puns like that take years of journalistic training), a puncture stop livened up by me and Lukasz attempting to style it up on a jump. This didn't go so well, domestic bliss put at risk when I nicked Claire's Commencal to improve my chances of actually getting airborne and Lukasz going OTT but thankfully walking away unharmed. Still, hero status had been established, as if pedalling a downhill bike along a 20-plus mile XC route wasn't already enough.

 

 

 

As the miles clocked by the teams mingled, our common enemy - the mud - not dimming the good humour. At the top of an absolute beast of a climb nobody begrudged Karl a puncture, this proving a perfect opportunity to try and regroup and recover.

 

 

The rolling terrain around Harpenden hides some true gems, the OTT boys putting together a route of real variety. Though, fair to say, some of the gunfire seemed rather close. Angry 'get orf my land types' giving it a bit of verbal are one thing but being shot at is something new.

 

 

By now the group was getting strung out somewhat, those on unsuitable bikes - that'll be me and Lukasz then - really starting to feel the miles. If I'd have been nearer the front I'm sure I'd have a earned a "take the pain!" from Lloydy but I was nowhere close by now, even my new and improved winter gearing not enough to cope. And by the final hill it got daft, wheels so clogged they wouldn't turn, so much clag in the frame it was too heavy to lift. Eventually I managed to literally drag my bike to the top of the hill, every ounce of energy drained.

 

So it was nice that I had such a sympathetic reception and nobody exploited the opportunity to remind me of all those smug boasts I'd made about how a singlespeed with rigid forks was the perfect winter bike…

 

 

 

Retracing our tyremarks the first climb was also our final descent, the previously frozen mud now anything but, the added challenge testing tired reflexes and limbs as we all pinballed down to the road and rest and respite. Well, a few pints in the OTT boys' rather fine local, the Amble Inn - our thanks to the lads for arranging the chips and bacon butties. Never was so much food, so welcome, wolfed down in so little time by so few.

 

 

So, many thanks to OTT for their hospitality, a great route and a cracking day out. Now for the home fixture…

Dan

 

 

 The route we took.......