Boulder And Bike
Back in the dim and distant past I was a dedicated rock climber and then a few people began to buy these new-fangled mountain bike things, mainly for cross-training and weight management. Always looking for the extra edge, I gave it a go, buying a Marin hardtail from the area’s only specialist mountain bike emporium. Gradually the climbing was usurped by the cycling until today’s position was arrived at, predominantly biking with the occasional venture onto rock. In the early days, however, boulder and bike was a popular way of spending a day, adding a pair of climbing shoes and a chalk bag to the Camelback and pedalling to some idyllic boulders to polish off a few problems. Nowadays nobody would dream of bouldering without a huge mat to land on when they fail at a problem, but we were made of sterner stuff in those days and never fell off, an incipient broken ankle being a great improver of grip strength and technique. Bouldering mats have the aerodynamics of the average bungalow and are not really designed to be carried on a bike, so it seems boulder and bike has fell from favour somewhat. Until today when I was able to meet up with the daughter and some other ‘bloody students’, who were whiling away an afternoon bouldering around the Captain Cooks Monument area. Being students, the concept of a morning activity which takes place outside the duvet, was unthinkable, so I had a few pre-noon hours to ride about before meeting up with them and their collection of ankle protecting mats. And very enjoyable it was too, me imparting my in depth knowledge of how much better the climbs were thirty years ago, while they mainly wondered who this scruffy old bloke was bouncing about on their mats.
Some riding occurred too, the highlight being the new, improved Lover’s Ledge at Guisborough Woods, now bereft of trees, it’s fast and open, dried up a treat, the trail fairies have even conjured up a few jumps at the start which make it even more fun.
Danby With The Pensioner
Another damn fine day and managed to lever The Pensioner onto his bike for a steady ride over Ainthorpe Rigg and around Danby Beacon. One of us (the under 60 one) was on course for a dab free ascent of Ainthorpe Rigg until a snapped chain had me suddenly reversing down the hill until I had the sense to use the brakes. Whipping out my trusty chain tool to remove the damaged link, the pin broke, The Pensioner produced his, gave me the benefit of a short lecture regarding cheap tools and continued up the hill, trusting I’d catch him up eventually.
The bridleway between Stonebeck Gate Farm and Crag Farm was in exemplary condition delivering us easily to Lawns Road where we began a convoluted climb to Danby Beacon. A bunch of people were having a picnic despite the chilly wind howling across the moor, leaving them to it, we explored another lesser known bridleway across the moor above Oakley Walls. Another futile exercise incorporating exercise ensued, vague tracks meandered in and out of peat hags before disappearing completely, leaving us to forge a route through tussocks of grass and heather, all with a soundtrack of extreme profanity and verbal aspersions on the parentage of the map makers.
Lordstones With The Ginger One.
The dry weather is continuing, as is the sunshine unfortunately the wind seems to be permanently set northeasterly so we do not have temperatures to match the visuals. Pretty good for bike riding though, not too hot and sweaty. Another practicing for the lakes sort of day, for me and The Ginger One, three big pushes up unrideable hillsides, up steps and over rocks, all for the reward of some splendid, dry singletrack. Marvellous it was too, made even better by being back on the twenty niner for the first ride since the boys at Stockton Cycling And Running changed the drivetrain to a 1x10 set up.
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