OP
OP
ChrisEyles
Guru
- Location
- Devon
Well, just got back in from a lovely ride and the ~ 40 psi pressure worked out very nicely.
It's the first time I've been out on a proper day's mountain biking and it was hugely enjoyable. Lots of great riding, a spot of orienteering, a bit of bird watching, and not a little walking too!
Started off in North Bovey and climbed up to Hunter's Tor. The gradient on the climb felt a lot like this:
It made me realise how spoiled you get at trail centres where everything is designed to be relatively straightforward to ride. Whereas plently of the bits of this climb were straightforwardedly impassable on two wheels! Some good views from the top though:
Then bombed down into Lustleigh cleave down towards the river Bovey. It's the first proper time I've had the bike out since switching over to rigid forks and I was delighted to find it's every bit as capable as it was before on the drop-offs and bumps. Makes it even more satisfying nailing a section without suspension too
This section was a real highlight, even though several obstacles were well beyone my ability and confidence so some bits were a little stop-and-start.
The valley is full of great trails (comes highly recommended if anyone's in the area), so I backed and forthed along a few before crossing the river and heading up to the moor:
The climb up was a bit of a killer, and I was cursing the route maker, but it was worth it when you got to the top:
Cue another climb up past Yarner wood (excellent birding there for anyone who's into that sort of thing btw - I saw some pied flycatchers while I had my lunch). I think I walked 3/4 of this one.... hats off to anyone who can clear it (I did see some tyre tracks, but like to think they were made by someone going in the opposite direction). Then down into the woods and across another river:
Then came the next highlight of the ride - a nice little climb up to Hound Tor up on top of the hill (think I made it up this one mostly on the bike):
Some great little boulder strewn tracks around the tor, and a cracking descent down to the road too. The high moor on Dartmoor is some of my favourite countryside, can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon than biking around up there in the sunshine
Followed a few more tracks and bridleways before starting the climb to Grimspound:
My navigation got a little confused here (perhaps because I was flippin' knackered!) and I ended up heading South up one of the other, even bigger, hills. When I realised the mistake, I decided to skip the Birch Tor loop this time around and retrace my steps before heading back home, since I was flagging a bit. The slog up the massive hill was more than worth it for flying down the tracks on the way back - pretty much zero technical obstacles so I was able to let rip and get up some speed
I was let down a bit by my out-of-date OS map on the way back... a track that used to be passable is now privately owned and blocked off, so I had to heft the bike over a few walls, gates, and fences to get back to the road... then I must have missed the entrance to a farm track, resulting in a few more acrobatics getting myself and the bike over some hedges and walls. A shame, 'cause the route guide mentioned that as a particularly nice section of single track - but I'll get it next time.
Then back to the car to down a bottle of water and wolf a packet of jelly beans - good end to a great ride
It's the first time I've been out on a proper day's mountain biking and it was hugely enjoyable. Lots of great riding, a spot of orienteering, a bit of bird watching, and not a little walking too!
Started off in North Bovey and climbed up to Hunter's Tor. The gradient on the climb felt a lot like this:
It made me realise how spoiled you get at trail centres where everything is designed to be relatively straightforward to ride. Whereas plently of the bits of this climb were straightforwardedly impassable on two wheels! Some good views from the top though:
Then bombed down into Lustleigh cleave down towards the river Bovey. It's the first proper time I've had the bike out since switching over to rigid forks and I was delighted to find it's every bit as capable as it was before on the drop-offs and bumps. Makes it even more satisfying nailing a section without suspension too
This section was a real highlight, even though several obstacles were well beyone my ability and confidence so some bits were a little stop-and-start. The valley is full of great trails (comes highly recommended if anyone's in the area), so I backed and forthed along a few before crossing the river and heading up to the moor:
The climb up was a bit of a killer, and I was cursing the route maker, but it was worth it when you got to the top:
Cue another climb up past Yarner wood (excellent birding there for anyone who's into that sort of thing btw - I saw some pied flycatchers while I had my lunch). I think I walked 3/4 of this one.... hats off to anyone who can clear it (I did see some tyre tracks, but like to think they were made by someone going in the opposite direction). Then down into the woods and across another river:
Then came the next highlight of the ride - a nice little climb up to Hound Tor up on top of the hill (think I made it up this one mostly on the bike):
Some great little boulder strewn tracks around the tor, and a cracking descent down to the road too. The high moor on Dartmoor is some of my favourite countryside, can't think of a better way to spend an afternoon than biking around up there in the sunshine
Followed a few more tracks and bridleways before starting the climb to Grimspound:
My navigation got a little confused here (perhaps because I was flippin' knackered!) and I ended up heading South up one of the other, even bigger, hills. When I realised the mistake, I decided to skip the Birch Tor loop this time around and retrace my steps before heading back home, since I was flagging a bit. The slog up the massive hill was more than worth it for flying down the tracks on the way back - pretty much zero technical obstacles so I was able to let rip and get up some speed
I was let down a bit by my out-of-date OS map on the way back... a track that used to be passable is now privately owned and blocked off, so I had to heft the bike over a few walls, gates, and fences to get back to the road... then I must have missed the entrance to a farm track, resulting in a few more acrobatics getting myself and the bike over some hedges and walls. A shame, 'cause the route guide mentioned that as a particularly nice section of single track - but I'll get it next time.
Then back to the car to down a bottle of water and wolf a packet of jelly beans - good end to a great ride
