First Time For A Month.

Mountain Bike Ride.

The Youth

24th November 2017 route

After a month of settee slumping and the odd ride around the outskirts of Billingham, I finally felt ready to venture back out on the moors. Nothing too extreme, definitely nothing with any danger of falling off at least, if that were to happen, euthanasia would probably be the best option. I expected pain - and it didn’t let me down but somehow it seemed less, maybe concentrating on lines, or the views, or the bright, crisp weather shifted the focus away from the little man attempting to force a scaffolding pole between my shoulder blades, the deep breathing perhaps repelling his onslaught, or possibly the well documented effect of combining natural green spaces with exercise. Whatever it was, the pain began to take second place to the ride and it was like seeing things through new eyes; the splendour of Roseberry Topping, today justifying it’s common appellation - Cleveland’s Matterhorn, the main cliff face like a jagged tooth sticking up from the surrounding greenery; the heathery expanse of Newton Moor; the steady climb up Codhill Heights; the views to the coast from Highcliffe Nab, white wind turbines spinning away above cerulean blue sea. White steam from the far-distant cooling towers of our workplace, The Ginger One trapped in that control room while we looked down on him from afar.

Only me and The Youth out today, everyone else otherwise engaged, it was their loss. We began in Great Ayton, a little road bashing taking us to Fletcher’s Farm, then onwards and upwards to Aireyholme Farm and ever upwards to Roseberry Common. Bikes were shouldered for the steps to Newton Moor where we took our first breather, looking across Roseberry Topping and down onto the aforementioned chemical factory. Across Newton Moor, level riding for the first time in three miles, icy patches here and there where the sun has yet to cast it’s warming light. Cautious pedalling, no slips or surprises today, just fresh air and sunshine. The Lonsdale Bowl came and went, soon we were at the Percy Cross Rigg gate, taking another breather watching some people loading an impossible number of dogs into a Land Rover, getting on for ten it looked like. Down to Sleddale next, followed by the climb on the wide bridleway up Codhill Heights, not even pausing at the gate posts today - like a pair of climbing machines. The fire road beside Highcliffe gave us a bit of payback, hurtling down the sketchy gravel, not a soul in sight, Guisborough spread out below us like a model town.

We took the fire roads back towards Roseberry, circumspectly passing all the off-piste tracks until temptation proved too much and we ducked off into the trees to savour the delights of pines needles and mud, weaving between the conifers, on a track which (according to Strava) is called Homage To The Loamage. We climbed back up to Roseberry Common from the end of Homage To The Loamage and took the Brant Gate path which skirts the bulk of Roseberry Topping, dropping down to the road at Newton Under Roseberry, hard-packed mud, grass, sloppy mud, paved stone, trees, gorse bushes and all gloriously downhill. A couple of miles on tarmac and we were back at Fletcher’s Farm, replenishing our calorie reserves. Not the most arduous ride, nor the most technical but one of the most pleasurable rides for quite a while.

October Round Up and Video

October 2017 Round Up and Video

Video click here.

Another month over and despite conditions reverting to the wet and muddy side of life, we managed quite a few rides, mainly on our own North York Moors but Hamsterley featured a lot this month, mainly owing to K Line being opened. This is a grand track and shows what can be done with time, effort and of course, money. For those who haven’t had the pleasure, imagine Glentress’s Berm Baby Berm on steroids. October does also mean the Lakeland Monster Miles, which me and The Fireman entered, as usual, only the short one, it turned out everyone was joining us this year, the long route was cancelled owing to ground conditions. This years short route is approaching the longer route anyway, now 50 odd miles and almost 5,000 feet of ascent, add in sodden ground and it became an arduous experience.

For me, October’s riding ended with a bang, quite literally - a bang on the head as it smashed into a fence post on a local cycle track, plus a cut arm and some bruises, settee time for me for a bit.

Here’s a couple of rides that have not been blogged.

Wednesday 25th October route

Me and Trainee#2 arranged to meet Benny The Brawl at Kildale railway station, Benny assured us he could find the parking spot, following a decidedly cursory glance at the map when we were at work. A nonagenarian dementia sufferer could have made a better job of finding the railway station, we waited almost an hour before giving up on him. Apparently he had been in Westerdale at one point, a bit like arranging to meet in Middlesbrough and turning up in Hartlepool. Benniless, we made our way to Guisborough Woods for a quite satisfying scrounge about in the mud, failing to find a track Rod told us about but having fun failing. Forgetting it is half term, we squeezed our mud-splattered carcasses amongst the clean people in Glebe Cottage for refreshment. How do people visit the countryside and stay so clean? Even if I go for a walk I end up looking like I’ve been potholing.

Thursday 26th October route

The following day Benny managed to find his way to Clay Bank without diverting via Oslo or somewhere, to join Trainee#2 and The Breadlad for his “favourite” ride, essentially over the top to KIldale and back through the woods. He would be getting a variation today but taking in all the best bits. We made our way up to the crossroads near Round Hill (highest point of the NYM etc. etc.), when he eventually caught us up, he declared, with some vehemence, that he’d never never been on this spot before and the ride had been changed to make it more difficult for him, all this despite photographic evidence to the contrary.

Unconvinced he rode on with us, across to the top of the Ingleby Incline. We had a look down the slope and I do believe he became a little bit excited, reverting to four years old with an incessant stream of can we’s. Never passing up on an opportunity to disappoint a child we demurred, the thought of regaining the height being the main reason. Instead we took the track along the edge of Ingleby Moor, following the Cleveland Way along my favourite doubletrack, heading toward Battersby Moor before doubling back on ourselves to get to Turkey Nab. The track by Turkey Nab is an eroded 4x4 track, constantly changing, with lots of exposed bedrock and some deep gullies, to a gate, after which it is a more straightforward drop down through the trees to Bank Foot Farm. From the farm, an allegedly flat track, part of the old ironstone railway, leads to the bottom of the incline, I say allegedly because it always feels like hard work plodding along this track. After the Incline and undulating fire road passes through Battersby  and Greenhow plantations to the short but steep bit of tarmac to Clay Bank car park. And, for the first time ever, Benny managed to ride the whole thing. Good effort that boy.

Friday 27th October route

Today was meant to be an easy pootle up the local river on my CX bike, while my car was being serviced in Middlesbrough. Drop car off, ride to Stockton Cycling, cup of coffee, ride back. And the first three quarters went to plan, a pleasant ride up the river in the sunshine, the ride back didn’t quite work out as well as expected. Blind bend, broken helmet, battered spine and badly lacerated arm meant the day finished in A&E - again. Special mention has to be made of all the lads at Stockton Cycling who kindly looked after me and got me to hospital, taking customer service to a new level.