Post-Holiday Blues

A Quartet Of Mountain Bike Rides.

2nd May 2017 route. (With Oz)

This time last week is rapidly becoming an overused phrase today, the irony of riding through shards of low cloud in temperatures which can’t even crawl toward double figures. A mere seven days since we were slapping on sunscreen and riding through Spanish countryside. Post holiday blues (mainly, as in blue with cold) are hitting hard for me and Oz while we are having a bit of an explore about Guisborough Woods on our last day off work. We rode over from Kildale, found a couple of new tracks, made our way down a few old tracks, in the mist before heading back to Glebe Cottage for the important part of the ride.

8th May 2017 route (All alone)

Five days later, we had been released back into the community after 48 hours keeping the wheels of industry turning. It seems everyone must work harder than me because no crew was forthcoming for today’s ride. A Billy No Mates for today then and a return to Guisborough Woods to try some of the tracks we did not have time to check out last week. A convoluted route with plenty of climbing and pushing up promising looking tracks, sometimes worth the effort. But plenty of new stuff to introduce to the dwindling band of Terra Trailblazers. At least it stayed dry, all the trails are pristine but boy was it cold.

9th May 2017 route (Oz and The Youth)

The following day began is a similar fashion but two people managed to drag themselves away from whatever it is they do all day and get themselves to Sheepwash, from where we rode up some hills and down some hills. An attempt at riding another cheeky trail was thwarted when we rounded a bend and met three gamekeepers having their lunch, they were friendly but firm and we had to retrace our tyre tracks. Not too disappointed, we carried on as the sun made an appearance and the day took on the aspect of a pleasant early summer afternoon. Just in time for us to flog our way back up the steps in Clain Woods. We could have finished the ride with Olly’s Folly, the ankle-breaking downhill track but we had already clocked up a few miles and the Crusty Dyke was singing its siren song.

10th May 2017 route. (With Richie and The Bread Lad)

Third day in a row, saw me with a fresh duo at Danby where the weather was suspiciously good, dry, warm and windless, although, as I never tired of reminding Richie and The Bread Lad, not as good as this time last week. Some time was spent heather bashing when a path marked on the OS map failed to materialise but other than that everywhere is still dry and dusty. Our route took us past Trough House on the track around the head of Fryupdale, the views down the valley making up for the sanitisation which has turned a rocky, technical track into a gravelled motorway. A short but sweet blast down the speedy double track above Bainley Bank brought us to the hamlet of Street and miles more downhill, unfortunately on tarmac took us to Houlsyske where the inevitable climbing recommenced. Eventually we arrived at the Sis Cross track which would lead us back to Danby, a narrow ribbon of singletrack weaving through the heather, today dry and firm, even the bits which are usually swampy were rideable. Sitting in the sunshine outside the Stonehouse Bakery in Danby, it was almost as good as last week.