Monthly Update

July 2007

 2^{nd. Began the month with a new bike and a new riding venue, or should that be an old riding venue revamped. Christened the long-awaited Superlight on the new Red Route at Dalby Forest, accompanied by Chris and Tony. Designed as an all weather track which is just as well because a it’s been the wettest summer since Noah cleaned B&Q out of gopher wood, we have to admit, despite the torrential downpours which accompanied us, the track had only a few puddles and an (almost) lack of the swamp conditions the rest of North Yorkshire is experiencing this year. The route is a pleasure to ride; the gradients are amenable, being built in switchbacks; the sectional approach means the route doesn’t have to be ridden all in one go; signposting is first class, negating route-finding difficulties; escape routes are clearly marked. We didn’t get to try out the Dixons Hollow ‘play area’ but it’s definitely on the list for next time. 23 miles (40Km) in a leisurely 4 hours, including emergency brake repairs. The sandy nature of the surface eats brake pads in the wet; it costs £7 per car to get in and the café shuts at 5pm.}

4th. Second ride out on the Superlight was a Billy No Mates affair around Guisborough Woods, Gribdale, Bank Foot, Battersby Moor, Kildale, returned via New Row, Codhill Heights, a bit of the Guizzy woods Black Route and a very muddy run down The Chute. The newly resurfaced track from New Row to Percy Cross Rigg – which recently saw it’s first ever TTB no-dabs ascent – has had all the surface washed away by the monsoons, the trench down the middle of the bottom section has reappeared and it’s now as difficult as ever to ascend. However it didn’t begin to rain until I reached the car park which was a bonus.

6th. Set off - alone again from Lordstones for a quick blast across Carlton Bank and Arnesgill Ridge to Swainby Shooting House, round Scugdale and back over Carlton Bank, essentially our Xmas dinner ride. My intentions of a quick blast were thwarted by several tonnes of loose rock which has been dumped in heaps across Arnesgill Ridge’s bridleway. Obviously it will be flattened and consolidated some time in the future but presently it’s pretty much unridable. Conditions away from the stoned tracks are pretty swampy but not as bad as could be expected given the amount of rain we’ve had. Whoever owns the recently bulldozed ‘Cheeky Trail’ from Stoney Wickes to Brian’s Pond appears to be taking a dim view of people soiling his track with their presence judging by the barbed wire which has been wrapped around the top of the gate and adjacent fence.

9th. Chris and me. Another Lordstones start, straight into the warm up climb onto Carlton Bank, up Barker’s Ridge, then eastward past Cock Howe, descending Trennet Bank to Chop Gate. This was rather unwisely followed by an ascent from Bilsdale Hall to Medd Crag, an ardous push in the unseasonal heat, who expects sunshine in July? I was beginning to feel like Peter Pan, my shadow disappeared weeks ago. Our reward was a downhill blast across Urra Moor and down Jackson’s Bank. Through the woods to Clay Bank, then back along ‘The Fronts’ to Lordstones and a welcome cuppa, sat outside basking in the sunshine.

11th. A cloudy, warm and windy afternoon on Teesside, perfect for an afternoon quicky, Square Corner freezing and blowing a gale – nothing changed there then. I went to Silton Woods to have a look for the FC sanctioned downhill track, which I found and rode down, although at nothing like the speed it is probably designed for, mainly owing to unfamiliarality, muddy conditions and general cowardice. To punish myself I followed this with an ascent of Kepwick Bank, still as steep as ever although the fork lock out on the Reba’s helped a little. A pointless loop through the top of Boltby Forest, across a very soggy Dale Town Common and up Arden Bank added a few miles before a quick blast along the Drove Road and (highlight of the day) down the mad mile. Suspension set to full bounce even the rocky slabs went by virtually unnoticed, however the combination of fresh gravel and short sleeves kept speed sensible for the remainder of the descent.

12th. Finding myself with an unexpectedly free day, some strange magnetism found me ascending the mad mile a mere 20 hours after I’d descended it, and at something like a tenth of the speed. Like all good things (?), it came to an end and soon I was retracing my tyre tracks along the drove road toward Boltby Forest. Passing a few soggy-looking long distance walkers on the way, burdened with vast packs, trudging purposefully from puddle to puddle, they must be doing the whole retrospective experience thing. It only seems fun when it’s finished. I was soon having my own fun, descending to Boltby Forest and across Cowesby Moor, the moor now resembling something from the Florida Everglades, basking crocodiles would have been no surprise today. Did myself a favour and took the road from Brickshed Cottages to Kepwick and Silton Woods, rather than force a a way t hrough the man-eating gorse below Kepwick Quarry. A bit more soggy bridleway bashing, through Silton Woods, brought me to what was once a pleasant singletrack through sylvanian forest, now a wide, treeless, expanse of mud and roots. The Forestry Commission harvesting their crop, these tracks we know and love can’t be permanent, appreciate them while you can.

16th. The wettest summer for 150 years or something continues unababated, left Clay Bank car park with black clouds brewing up from the south. Pedalling over Urra Moor, more standing water than sucking mud, I picked up the Cleveland Way track toward Baysdale but then turned off on an untried bridleway which led to the top of Ingleby Bank and a nice rocky ride down to Bank Foot. Took a muddy fireroad to the Incline and more fireroad through Ingleby Plantation back to Clay Bank. A short ride but hard work through woods. No tea van at Clay Bank so it was a sit in the sunshine outside Lordstones.

17th. Wasn’t quite so lucky with the weather today. Drove down to Sutton Bank, intent on riding some other unexplored bridleways, sat in the car while another torrential downpour tried to batter it’s way through the sunroof. Managed to get the big ring dirty for the first few miles before it became a gloop fest. Some lovely bridlepaths but not metalled in any way. So here’s a tip for all the equestrians amongst us; wait until the wettest summer in years then drive your two tonnes of incipient pet-food down the softest tracks you can find, just so you can completely destroy for any users. Horseriders of Hambleton – thanks for ruining several miles of track for months to come.

20th. A between showers quicky today, parked at Kildale, cycled up the road to Coate Moor, through woods to Gribdale, up and across Newton Moor, down Little Roseberry to Gizzy Woods, up the Unsuitables, across to Codhill and back via New Row to Kildale. Things are becoming more and more squelchy in the unsurfaced tracks - looks a summer of fire roads and stony banks.

24th. Allegedly our only summer day for this year, so better make the most of it. Not before I change the rear brake pads, although they have only managed a measly 120 miles because I didn't break them in properly. Top Tip: taking new brake pads out in the mud and water of North Yorkshire is an expensive way to have fun. Got to get them hot, to glaze the surface, so it was out of Clay Bank car park and straight down the road to Ingleby, braking madly all the way. May not be as effective as two weeks in Les Gets but here's hoping. Made my way towards Kildale, then up the Baysdale Abbey road and across the moors to Blowrorth Crossing, then down past Medd Crag to Urra. More road back to Clay Bank. Stayed dry apart from the first five minutes which I spent sulking in the car until the rain stopped.

31st. The last ride of the month in the same venue as the first ride of the month, Dalby Forest Red Route and what a contrast. Dry and sunny, possibly the best day of the whole year so far and definitely the best day of our whole soggy excuse for a summer. Oz's first go on man-made singletrack, he was impressed but not as impressed as we were with his spectacular fall when over-confidence got the better of him, getting air on a rocky singletrack. We even found time to have a little go in the Dixons Hollow 'play area'; although we were wise enough to leave the North Shore stuff to the youngsters.

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