The brief blog. Time is against me again, so it’s mainly pictures this week, interspersed with some mental meanderings which may give an idea of where we went.

Westerdale Wanderings

Me and The Breadlad, he was keen to do the bridleway from Castleton Rigg, which drops down into the Westerdale valley, ending at Broad Gate Farm, from where it joins the road to the remote village of Westerdale. Pretty much an out and back route with more tarmac than we would normally indulge in, we don’t want to be catching lycraexia and start worrying about things like cadence and heart rates and wheels. Why are roadies obsessed with their wheels? They will not even ride down some roads. “Ooh no, It’s a bit rough. I can’t risk my wheels.” We had no such worries and the bridleway was great fun. If I ever reach the stage where I call rides “training” - book me into one of those Swiss clinics.

Grinding Round Guisborough

Me and Miles today for a quick scrounge about Guisborough Woods and then a little scout about in the woods below Birk Brow, checking out some of Old Ralph’s handiwork. Another good day with plenty of sunshine and a few new places which Miles didn’t realise are on his doorstep, him being from so far down south, he probably had penguins in his garden.

Looping Round The Reservoir.

A lone one today, from Swainby, around Cod Beck reservoir and Scarth Wood Moor. Took myself down the route we call Olly's Folly (after some youthful enthusiasm ended in A&E) and very nice it was too. The trails in the woods are beginning to dry up and Rod’s nemesis - The Colonel - seems to be having a rest from booby-trapping the trails. He’s probably joined the ranks of the armchair generals who like to give anyone who will listen the benefit of their wisdom regarding the Ukraine situation. Never in the field of human conflict have there been so many experts in military strategy as there are at the present time.

Let's call It Active Recovery...

sounds better than taking it easy.

Ain’t that the truth. A little meander down the river with La Mujerita on another fine, sunny day, it could do with being a touch warmer though. I introduced her to the hill in Maze Park, essentially the only in the whole ride, although I let her use the spiral singletrack to ascend, rather than attempting to blast directly up, like I did last time. From the top the full beauty of Teesside is laid out before us in a 360 degree panorama; who can ignore the majesty of the marshalling yards, the Nitram tower, the chemical factories and the industrial estates, the A19 flyover. Up one side of the river and return down the other, with a diversion along a rather nice but completely unused canal, apart from two guys magnet fishing - throwing a strong magnet on a rope into the water and seeing what turns up - not much by the look of their haul.