The First Three Of February

The Inadvertent Cross Bike Ride. 

Alone

1st February 2018 route

Good old Stumpy, the number one mountain bike decided it would rather not play today, a self destructing rear brake lever reinforced the message succinctly; the next bike in the queue was the cross bike, a quick change of shoes and inner tubes and we were on our way to Great Ayton. Billy no mates today, the threat of snowflakes kept the snowflakes away and the enthusiasts were busy in their gainful employment - earning more bike part tokens. A gentle road warm up took me through Kildale and up to Percy Cross Rigg, before turning to the rough stuff, down to Sleddale then up the bridleway across Codhill Heights, battling a hefty headwind and the odd snow shower, to enter Guisborough Woods at the back of Highcliffe Nab. It’s been some time since the cross bike visited the moors and my legs knew about it despite the short distance travelled. As I was riding what is often termed a gravel bike, I stuck mainly to the gravel through the woods before returning to mud and climbing at Roseberry Common. Dropping down to Aireyholme Farm, the track well-muddied by farm vehicles, I breathed through nostrils only as my face was being spattered with unidentified ordure. A quick blast across Dikes Lane and Fletcher’s Farm cafe beckoned as irresistibly as the most irresistible thing in Irresistible Land and I was soon amongst pristine diners, replenishing my barely depleted calories before returning to Great Ayton, probably drier than I have ever finished a winter bike ride. 

In The Snow With A Snowflake. 

Benny The Brawl.

5th February 2018 route

Benny The Brawl was actually in the car park before me today, now he’s realised it’s much quicker to reach Kildale without detouring to Westerdale first. He was the only one brave/available for today's ride, which only served to confirm his theory that anyone who goes outdoors in winter is mentally unbalanced, he was at pains to point out his attendance doesn’t mean he is mentally unbalanced just responding to peer pressure. 

The weather is a touch on the brass monkey side today, a fact which did not go uncommented by the ever verbose Benny; our road warm up failed to warm him up, his extremities were on the verge of frostbite, hypothermia incipient, the mental state of anyone outdoors in a day like this was again questioned - volubly. A quick glance at Garmin tells us it was 2 degrees above freezing with a 2mph wind, an insignificant dusting of snow covering the arctic tundra of North Yorkshire. Like Scott and Oates we battled onward, some with more enthusiasm than others, it must be said, making our way over Codhill Heights and (eventually) to the top of The Unsuitables. 

Continuing to Newton Moor on crunchy snow we passed countless people, all enjoying the winter's day. “Radged” according to Benny, still blinking, eyes unaccustomed to natural light. The suggestion of a quick  blast up to Captain Cooks Monument was 3d’d, disbelieved, disdained and firmly dismissed, so we continued along Newton Moor and around the Lonsdale Bowl back to Percy Cross Rigg. The tarmac road was followed to The Yellow Brick Road which was descended with more enthusiasm than style, the cafe beckoned.

More snow with The Youth and Bingo Bob.

The Youth, Bingo Bob.

6th February 2018 route

The weather forecast predicted as day of light snow today and it was not wrong, gentle flakes floated down on us we performed the usual pre-ride faffing in Pinchinthorpe car park, Bingo Bob joined The Youth and I, riding two winter days in a row unthinkably traumatic for Benny The Brawl who prefers pillows to pedals. 

The Concrete Road start was mooted and accepted, mainly on the promise of an easy start and a one hill ride - they'll learn. We pedalled along the old railway skirting the outskirts  of Guisborough, lulled into a false sense of security by the amenable start, the Concrete Road came as a panting, snot-dribbling, lung-burning surprise for two thirds of our party. Eventually we reformed as a trio, conversation now coming in gasps, regaining our breath before gentler climbing took us to the top of Guisborough Woods. Considering the tracks were covered in deepening snow, the ground beneath was soft and muddy, making for slow progress in some places but slow progress is what the Terra Trailblazers are all about; puddles were like pit fall traps, covered with a fragile skin of snow and ice, rewarding the unwary with wet feet. 

We explored a new track to the rear of Highcliffe Nab, which was a pleasant change from snowy fire roads before we plunged down one of said fire roads to the junction beneath Highcliffe Nab. More of the same took us through the woods, The Youth managing to stay rubber side down for the whole ride, which is better than his previous ride, he even considered riding down last week's nemesis, Hospital Corner but discretion became the better part of valour or maybe he simply didn't want to reopen the scabs on his head. Cold and hunger got the better of us and it was not too long before we were in the warmth of the Branch Walkway Cafe, glasses steaming up, dripping muddy water onto the floor while being regarded quizzically by the impossibly clean patrons. How do people manage to go into the countryside and stay so clean? 

January 2018 Video and Round Up

January 2018 Video and Round Up


Don't do words, click here for Video

Another year begins and predictably enough January was wet, windy, cold and icy - this seemed to come as a shock to some people, mainly those from what might politely be called the Playstation  generation. Despite the weather and assorted varieties of influenza, ten rides happened in January, although some involved more slipping and pushing than actual pedal turning, every one was enjoyable but not necessarily enjoyable to everyone.

Retired process operator (in other words brand new, hardly-used, human being), Kendo, rejoined  the Trailblazers after a dozen years in the wilderness, the first of a sub-group which may be called the Nitrates Fit Club as the less-energetic seek to follow Kendo's example.

A few rides went unblogged - there will have been a good reason but a few pictures are included here.

Fun In The Snow.

Mountain Bike Ride

Benny The Brawl, The Youth, The Ginger One

22nd January 2018 route


Sir Edmund Hillary
"Despite all I have seen and experienced, I still get the same simple thrill out of glimpsing a tiny patch of snow in a high mountain gully and feel the same urge to climb toward it."

Benny The Brawl
“It’s just shite. Why are we even doing this?”

Not for Benny the quiet majesty of a snow blanketed landscape, the challenge of riding an ice-covered trail, the giggling slide down an off-piste hillside. Cruelly wrenched from the centrally heated fug of his bedroom, the heroic adventure of his last Playstation game still tingling in his thumbs and deposited in an icy car park in North Yorkshire, the moaning began as soon the outdoor air hit his body. This set the pattern for the day, three enthusiasts spending a lot of time waiting for one snowflake. The Ginger One attempted some gentle words of encouragement, although unfavourably comparing an 18 year old to the world’s laziest sexagenerian cyclist, our erstwhile companion, The Captain, only served to fuel Benny’s righteous indignation. The main gist of his argument seemed to be only people suffering some sort of mental illness could conceivably find fun in being outdoors on a crisp white winter’s day. Seventy five percent of today’s little crew certifiably insane; one voice of reason from the back, attempting to persuade us to his way of thinking with a cunning mixture of petulance and profanity. He failed and we slowly (very slowly in some cases) but surely made our way from Pinchinthorpe to Roseberry Common.

A pleasant and lengthy downhill track presented itself as an option, thinking a bit of gravity-assisted riding might please our pet adolescent, we set off through the snow, control and grip optional extras, stopping at a junction, we found ourselves waiting again for Invisiben, who eventually arrived with a face like a slapped arse. A quick snowball fight gave him a chance to vent some of his anger before we moved on to the Elephants Hole where The Youth gave us a quick demo of his climbing prowess. Returning to Roseberry Common via Aireyholme Farm presented a few more challenges of the steep and slippery nature, not necessarily enjoyed by all of our party,  prior to the climb from the farm.

The steps to Newton Moor were covered in snow and ice, treacherous for those of us wearing smooth soled 5:10 shoes but we gave them a try anyway, this proved to be a step too far for Benny, people have projectile vomited further than he walked up the steps. Hanging about in the freezing cold at the top, it took us a while to realise we were now a trio and Benny was taking his chances alone in the snowy wastes of North Yorkshire. An enjoyable but ultimately flawed descent of Little Roseberry followed, the  track punishing our lack of prowess like an icy dominatrix. The Youth succumbed to one last attack of bravado on the steep Hospital Corner, artfully manipulated into being the guinea pig, track tester by The Ginger One; it didn't end well, blood was shed but only The Youth's, The Ginger One wisely took the fire road option.

We returned to Pinchinthorpe car park and found Benny The Brawl in his safe place, the front seat of his vintage Vauxhall Corsa, listening to what cannot even be loosely described as music.

The First Half Of January.

Mountain Bike Rides

Half the month gone already and a few mountain bike rides squeezed in, despite the cold and wet, a few hardy souls venturing out into the wilds of North Yorkshire for a couple of hours exhilaration before being able to justify a visit to the cafe.

2nd January 2018

Route

The Ginger One, Angry Andrew.

First ride of the year, woke up feeling nauseous, nothing a bit of fresh air after the New Year excesses, won’t sort out. Wrong; ended up having to rest for the next three days. Or it may have been The Ginger One's bargain downhill pants which have reappeared for the winter, still looking like an acid flashback to the 1980's. Struggling to keep up with a dilettante like the Ginger One ought to have told me something was not right but I carried on regardless. We had set off from Pinchinthorpe, the weather damp and drizzly, following fire roads to Roseberry Common, then, the first carry of the year, up the steps to Newton Moor. The weather began to deteriorate, becoming colder and wetter, a rerun of the Xmas Dinner ride as we descended Black Nab and made our way towards Highcliffe. From Highcliffe we continued along the top track, heading for the Concrete Road with the wind at our backs. The Ginger One voicing our thoughts - “We’ve got to do a bit of off-road at least.” Moments later, we spotted a previously unnoticed track leading into the trees, it would have been rude not to. And very pleasant it was too, culminating in the usual Guisborough Woods finish - a vertical drop to a fire road. The remainder of the ride was a reprise of the Xmas Dinner, complete with the Concrete Road waterfall and a soggy rail track to Pinchinthorpe. We made it to the cafe at the same time as the prelude to Storm Eleanor, swaying trees, banging signs and lashing rain on the outside, coffee and bacon sandwiches on the inside. Could be worse.

7th January 2018

Route

Benny The Brawl

What a day to be alive, sunshine, blue sky and crisp air. Me and Benny The Brawl met in Great Ayton, anticipating a day of speedy riding on frozen trails. We couldn’t have been more wrong, despite the cold, the trails were like swamps. Benny, already traumatised from leaving the warmth of his bedroom for the first time since Xmas Eve, seemed to be under the impression a little mud would engender a tactical withdrawal back to his Playstation. Pushing and sliding through the mire we continued onward, past The Red Run and out to Easby Moor, the bridleway, which is unrideable in the summer months owing to head-height bracken, today a sloppy mess. Winston Churchill’s famous words “When you’re going through Hell, keep going.” lost on the lone whine of dissent from the snowflake at the back. What would old Winston have made of today’s youth? Eventually, we arrived at Captain Cook’s monument, glorious in the sunshine, weekend warriors everywhere and gave the drone a spin, getting a few aerial shots for the video. The track to Gribdale was icy and thronged with people, the car park was rammed, cars abandoned on the grass verges because all the spaces were full, one of the reasons we rarely ride the moors on weekends. Benny was evidently beginning to get a little agoraphobic and demanded we must return to our cars by the quickest route, reinforcing his point by speeding off down the road to Great Ayton like a blinkered horse, unable to contemplate being outdoors any longer. When we reached the cars, the weather still marvellous, we’d done a less than impressive eight miles.

14th January

Route

The Breadlad, Uncle Ian.

Another Sunday ride, Me, The Breadlad and Uncle Ian braved a couple of heavy showers driving to Danby, Benny The Brawl was a no-show, obviously not recovered from last week’s gruelling adventure. Just as well, the five mile, uphill against the wind start, taking in Ainthorpe Rigg and New Way would have destroyed him. It didn’t do us any favours, to be honest but it was worth it for the Trough House track which was excellent although our perception may have been coloured by losing the headwind. At the road we turned left and followed the tarmac briefly before hitting the off road track on Bainley Bank, a speedy doubletrack which could really do with being a bit longer. Back on tarmac, we passed through the hamlet of Street and climbed out of the valley to the Yorkshire Cycle Hub for some well-earned refreshments in the cafe. A great set up nestled in Fryupdale, for those who have never been, bike shop, bunk house, cafe, wood burner, big screen TV showing mountain biking at a level slightly above our present skill level but come the summer...

In a fit of what could only be described as video induced enthusiasm, we decided to head back to Danby by retracing our tyre tracks over Ainthorpe Rigg, complete with the carry up the steep bit. The descent from the top, although much-sanitised from it’s previous technicality is still fun and somewhat faster than it used to be. This proved to be The Breadlad’s undoing, he took an unplanned dismount, straight over the bars, leaving him, in the words of Uncle Ian, “ laid on the floor like he was praying to Allah” Continuing more gingerly, he finished the descent, bruised and battered but unbroken.

15th January

Route

Billy No-Mates.

Two no-shows today, The Breadlad recovering from his tumble on Ainthorpe Rigg and Benny The Brawl (again) apparently because he is unable to read a weather forecast, somehow assuming rain at ten am equals rain forever, until the end of time, big boats, animals going in two by two and evolution into a new race of amphibious human beings. His nickname might have to be changed to Invisiben.

Sheepwash car park was a tad damp as I set off on my lonely way to Scarth Wood Moor, after a tarmac climb, the paved descent held a few big puddles and some muddy patches but was still enjoyable. Into Clain Woods and down the wooden steps, a bit cautious on the wet wood before continuing to Scugdale, the stream swollen and brown, funnelling a moors worth of water down to Swainby. Crossing the road at Heathwaite, I climbed up to Faceby Plantation and took the pleasant singletrack through the woods before crossing a field and popping out on the track to Faceby. The weatherman has spoke with forked tongue and an epic shower arrived, eschewing muddier route options, tarmac took me to Swainby, via the Gold Hill Loop road and it wasn’t long before the bike was shouldered ready for the hike back up the steps. The weather began to take a turn for the better, low winter sun breaking through the clouds as I reached the car park. It seemed too nice to stop the ride and not having any of the usual whingers to appease, it was easy to ride past the car and stick on an extra loop.