Hazy Monday Afternoon

The start of what turned out to be another lonely week on the biking front, could it be my deodorant? A lack of imagination led to another Great Ayton start, weather cool but hazy, although it was my first ride without a coat for some time. Does this mean summer is on the way? A pretty standard trawl around Guisborough followed, despite it only being mid-February, the trails are drying up nicely, it has been a while since any significant rain. Spent some time doing a bit of selfie filming, so I can be the director, editor, cinematographer and star of my next video, I might call it “Freed From The Curse Of Employment”. And my performance will, of course, be flawless (with some very selective editing). The ride followed the usual format; fire road, trail, climb and repeat until hunger calls and it’s back to Great Ayton for the most difficult decision of the ride - butchers or bakers.

Lordstones Loop

Thought I’d have a Lordstones start today, just to check if The Fronts are drying up as well as the rest of North Yorkshire. I’m pleased to say they are. The Fronts is a track which runs across the North faces of Cringle Moor, Cold Moor and Hasty Bank, a roller-coaster of fun when it is dry but a nightmare when it is muddy. The track finishes at the B1257, dropping onto the summit of Clay Bank. I cross the road and head up Urra Moor, taking the fire road to Jackson’s Bank and hiking up there as a change from the Carr Ridge steps. Another hazy day, cold wind, weak sunshine. Still climbing, I ride from the top of Jackson’s Bank until I reach Round Hill and the trig point marking the highest point on the North York Moors. As has been remarked on many times before, it’s probably the world’s most uninspiring vertex. But when you have reached the highest point, there can only be one way to go and that’s down; in this case all the way to Chop Gate via Medd Crag. Just the type of payback to enjoy after all the climbing, from the trig point a short section of singletrack leads to one of the wide, sandy tracks which criss-cross the moors, built to service the grouse shooting industry. The track continues to the left but we go straight on, dropping steeply on rocks and ruts, turning to grass and shale after a gate, all the way to the road at Bilsdale Hall. Still descending, the road passes through Seave Green and into Chop Gate. Which only leaves a drag up the Raisdale Road back to Lordstones, with only a small detour today, to ride a bit of enduro track before I headed for the cafe, starving after what turned out to be the ride with the most ascent for the year so far. The cafe was suspiciously dark as I approached, no, they weren't saving power, it was closed. The emergency energy bar was brought into play until I could get home for some food.

In The Tyre Tracks Of Rod

Another dull, grey, low cloud sort of start, parked up by the stream in Swainby, watching a mallard drake see off all comers for some bird food I put down - she was vicious, pecking her way to victory. Straight up the road, I headed for the Clain Wood steps, which I hiked up because I’m sure some kind of cardiac explosion would occur if I tried to ride them. From Clain Woods it was straight into a headwind all the way to Silton Forest but worth it because the trails are drying up a treat. Black Hambleton looked especially black today, shrouded in mist, only half the Mad Mile visible, luckily it wasn’t on the agenda today. After a couple of trails, I reversed my tyre tracks from Silton to the woods above Cod Beck reservoir, aiming to ride a few of Rod’s trails and see what traps the infamous Colonel had been busy constructing. It turns out tree harvesting has done a more effective job of stopping us than a self-righteous and intolerant pensioner ever could. Unsanctioned trails are slightly more permanent than government ministers but they all succumb sooner or later, the trails, of course, we all know what government ministers succumb to, usually money and deviant sexual practices. Rod’s trails toward the Sheepwash end of the reservoir are intact (for now) and they provided a bit of fun before I headed back to Clain Woods for one last trail, a recently discovered gem which is brilliant to ride, especially now the mud is drying up. Corrupt me like a government minister and I might tell you where it is.