THE MACCA MASSACRE ON THE COPTIC TRAIL

Bernadette (resplendent with new full “susser”), Mark and Keith joined us for a revisit to this newly found trail.

We started in Yallahs with the tough climb of more than an hour to the summit and took time to climb yet higher to the magnificent view site.

Then we began the trail and poor Bernadette christened the new bike with a tumble. We asked her to go back and do it again so that we could take photos-no luck!

We then began the stony descent from the ridge and had a couple of missed turnings before we came to the Bamboo Avenue, which is pretty and fun to ride.

Keith then had a flat and we found the alternative way down which was too rocky but eventually after a stiff climb arrived at the Coptic Church and met our Granny friend and the little boy from our previous blog. A few pictures and granny gave us two bags of mangos and some guidance for two ways down.

We chose the “road” which was clear but with plenty of the dreaded macca bushes. Boogie has already flatted with his auto-repairing tubeless and then it was Mark’s turn. I passed him and started a fun descent but the front felt heavy and taking a bend I lost it and ended up, totally upright in a macca bush and another front flat and a slow rear puncture. By this time Keith had flatted again and we stopped to repair a dozen or so flats (no exaggeration) between us and remove innumerable macca thorns.

I went down to scout the trail and followed the well-worn part, whereas the others went straight on.

Comedy, I did a circuit of the village after White Horses on a flat back wheel. My last tube being already punctured and the others were farther down the road. I was trying to ring Boogie when a pick up stopped and asked me if I needed help!

It was Howard our friend of “Fun and Thrills” on non-bike duties. I put the bike in the back and we passed Boogie and Mark riding towards Yallahs, then we picked up a walking Bernadette who had punctured again! Meanwhile Keith had ridden like a demon to catch me, thinking I was in front!

Moral of the story, I broke the rules by separating from the group and then we all split up. Thanks to Howard we were saved.

So Boogie and Mark were in a bar somewhere near Yallahs, Bernadette, Keith and I were having a cold one at a gas station opposite where our cars were parked.

Mark had two more flats where he stopped, he had already been patching patches!

Conclusion: don’t break the rules, then like the marines we all come home and the new trail was great, but for the macca thorns.

Just for those to think you have to have a super MTB for these trails, Mark was on a classic Giant with no suspension and rim brakes. If you have full suspension and hydraulic brakes you can go faster and it is more comfortable, but you can still enjoy the ride.

What is the next challenge? Boogie has found a new way from Flamstead to Dallas and the coast. He swears there are no macca bushes. He also told us a story about finding a skeleton once: no NOT a brave MTBer in Jamaica, it was a prehistoric one back in Europe!

Coptic Trail on Pinkbike



Trail Map Courtesy of Bernadette

By David Linehan