A September Trio

A September Trio

Mountain Bike Rides

Here we are, halfway through September and not a blog written, best put it down to post-holiday blues and a dearth of riding (for me anyway) for the majority of August. Up now I have managed a mere three mountain bike rides this month but they have been enjoyable and two thirds of them were so well attended I had to check for a Christmas tree in the corner of the front room. We have gained another trainee, the last one decided going to Cyprus and getting married was somehow more important than being sweaty and muddy in North Yorkshire. The new trainee has been a revelation, launching fully-fledged into mountain biking without the usual beginner shortcomings, tackling uphills and technical descents like a seasoned pro. Much to the fascination of The Pensioner, who views all trainees as organ farms, ripening up through exercise to provide him with legs, lungs and eyes as required.

5th September route

Our first ride of the month was from Kildale, a whole seven of us having a pedal around the usual tracks around Guisborough Woods and Newton Moor. Utilising progressively more technical tracks to test Trainee#2 ( the original trainee’s position is being kept open for when he realises married life will never be as good as mountain biking). Trainee#2 mastered everything we threw at him, even leaving behind The Youth, despite being a decade older and having the disadvantage of being a bone idle process operator.

6th September route

The following day, only The Pensioner and me met at Sheepwash for a scrounge about Scarth Woods and the Swainby/Whorlton/Faceby area, riding some of our usual tracks in the opposite direction just because we could. Not altogether a success but some of the reversals were worthwhile.

12th September route

Our third ride in September was a repeat of The Pensioner’s classic Gunnerside route down in the Yorkshire Dales for the benefit of Rod and Trainee#2. Although we are having the warmest September since 1911. The precipitous Gunnerside Gill, littered with the remnants of industrial buildings and the devastation rent by historic hush mining is always an awesome sight, the carry out the other side is not so enjoyable. At the Old Gang Lead Smelting Mill we stopped for a breather and a poke about the old buildings. At some time in the future people will be poking about in the remnants of our control room and trying to imagine what people did in there all day, wondering why the most used artifact in the building was the kettle. The ascent from High Level Bridge to Moor House was Kryptonite to Trainee#2, reducing him to a mere human and his rightful place at the back of the peloton. The descent from Moor House is a classic and the ones who had never rode it declared it (quite rightfully) awesome. Reaching the village, our only disappointment of the day ensued - the cafe was closed. Again. That’s twice in two visits, I could get a complex, luckily for us (but probably to the chagrin of the chef) we made it into The Kings Head two whole minutes before they stopped taking food orders. We can all heartily recommend the baguettes. And the beer.

The August round up and (very brief) video will follow in due course - time permitting.