Three Shorties

Three Shorties

Mountain Bike Ride

1st April route

La Mujerita

The first day of April, a new month, fecund with possibilities or another month nearer the great trail park in the sky, depending on your level of optimism. To start the month, we found ourselves at Danby for the second time in four days, although the temperature is about fifteen degrees lower than it was on Friday. Me and La Mujerita ready for a gentle pedal about the villages. We did the same start as Friday, from Danby to Danby Park is a bit of a climb at first but levels out through the woods, on a gravelled bridleway. The little dog which resides in one of the houses at Park Nook, on the far side of the woods, who normally stands on the wall, impassively watching us ride past, took a dislike to something today and went it full defence mode, with plenty of barking, growling and showing of teeth as it snapped around our wheels. This doesn’t normally happen, so I can only conclude it doesn’t like women, redheads or pink bikes. The barking receded as we joined the road and followed it under the still closed bridge and up into Castleton, it is quite a stiff haul into Castleton, after a (very) brief respite, we were climbing again, past the war memorial and Howe’s End to the village of Ainthorpe, where some more climbing  - lots of climbing going on in this ride, you might notice - took us up to Ainthorpe Rigg.

 Under normal circumstances, we would continue over the Rigg on the off-road track just for the downhill on the other side but La Mujerita would not have viewed the technical gully and the forty five degree rock slabs with the same childish excitement as us less cautious specimens of humanity, so we stayed on the road, soon arriving at Danby Castle, where we paused to take in the view. We continued along Castle Lane, the green and brown bulk of Crossley Side to our right and below us on the left Little Fryup Dale, at the junction La Mujerita contemplated the steep rise of New Way, the road climbing skyward, for a few heart-sinking moments before we turned left and down the hill to Stonegate Farm. We picked up the bridleway to Crag Farm, which was just as firm and fast as it was on Friday, this pleasant bit of off-road, gravel tracks and grassy fields brought us to the road between Houlsyke and Danby, where we took a left toward Danby and more importantly - The Stonehouse Bakery.

Mountain Bike Ride

2nd April route

The Breadlad

The following day me and The Breadlad were at Gribdale, a BNQ (Before Nights Quicky) for The Breadlad, who still has the status of wage slave on the crumpet line.  To begin, I introduced him to the newly resurfaced track up Nab End, to the east of Gribdale and we climbed to Percy Cross Rigg a lot easier than we would have done previously on this track. That’s not to say we weren’t panting, perspiring, hollow shells of men by the time we reached the top but at least we hadn’t resorted to pedestrianism. Frequent light rain showers and a cool wind kept us guessing in the clothing department; jacket on, jacket off, lose a layer, put it back on. Could this be what T.S. Eliot meant when he said April is the cruellest month?

 We climbed over Codhill Heights to reach Guisborough Woods, where we shredded a few trails with all the style and aplomb of pro downhillers - in our imaginations anyway. The damp weather has turned tree roots into trolls’ fingers, snatching wheels away when you least expect it, imbuing every twist and turn of the trail with the potential for bandages, splints and slings and a bit of payback from our National Insurance contributions. Largely unscathed, we emerged from Guisborough Woods and climbed back to Roseberry Common before shouldering the bikes for a stroll up the steps to Newton Moor. Despite all the fun we were having, The Breadlad was conscious that he wouldn’t be seeing his bed until tomorrow morning, such is his devotion to keeping the people of Britain supplied with crumpets, so we called it a day and headed back along Newton Moor to Gribdale.

Mountain Bike Ride

3rd April route

The Youth

Another day: another bike ride and it was to be a bit of exploring today, just me and The Youth setting off from Lordstones and riding some tracks on the west side of Carlton Bank and through Faceby Plantation. We uncovered some little gems, obviously we were not the first to ride them but they have not been overridden, probably a little too out of the way for the trail centre kids. 

Realising we’d spent something like 90 minutes to cover less than three miles, we exited the woods and rode to Faceby, then across fields to Whorlton House and onward to Swainby, passing the castle, not stopping so The Youth could reprise walking around the battlements like the ghost of Hamlet’s father. A quick check on the progress of the new cafe in Swainby and we were off up the hill to Clain Woods, bearing left to Scugdale because (mercifully) access to Limekiln Bank has been restricted again by the landowner. It was a gruesome climb anyway. We rode to head of Scugdale, then plodded our way up to the craglets of Stoney Wicks, from here riding to Brian’s Pond as lapwings performed spectacular aerial maneuvers to divert us from their nests. 

Snow? In April?

A wide, track heads north across the moor from Brian’s Pond, climbing gradually, eventually reaching the access track for the old gliding club which was on top of Carlton Bank, where gliders were catapulted into the air by being dragged down a bumpy runway with a tractor. The access track provides a downhill blast to Lordstones, satisfying enough, in a quick blast down a fire road sort of way.

Cross Bike Ride

5th April route

All Alone

To make up for the three shorty rides, I went out on the cross bike for a pootle around the local lanes and byways. Billingham to Greatham, then Dalton Piercy, Elwick, Hurworth Burn, Castle Eden walkway to Grindon, Stillington, Whitton, Redmarshall, Carlton, Norton and back to Billingham. Almost 31 miles of uneventful pedalling, except trying to cross the A19 at Elwick, which is always an adventure.