1st. May now but the April showers are persisting, arrived at Pinchinthorpe accompanied by a cloudburst which had followed me from Middlesbrough. It passed over, reverting to light rain which gave me a bit more hope for the afternoon ahead. A steady fire road drag through the woods to the top of The Unsuitables and across Percy Cross Rigg, then down to New Row, through Kildale and up again past Bankside Farm bereft of refreshment because it is Thursday. Made my way up Easby Moor and Captain Cooks monument, almost but not quite a no-dabs ascent on the rocky step-up. The track through the woods to Cockshaw Hill is getting a little muddy but nothing compared to what was to come later. Gridbale and up to Newton Moor wasn’t too bad, particularly as the rain eased off and bits of unusual blueness began to break the clouds. Rode along the top of Guissy Woods before riding down the Usnsuitables somewhat more briskly than I rode up it earlier. Slip sliding down the Blue Route, now more of a brown route owing to the mud, even the Blue Lake has taken on a sepia hue, brought me to Hutton Village, then it was back into the woods for a fire road blast in the sunshine back to Pinchinthorpe.

2^nd. More showers today, me Simon and Oz hauled bodies and bikes up the steps of Carr Ridge - yet again - for a quick blast over the tops to Kildale, on (hopefully) mud-free tracks. This is becoming something of a trade route this year but it’s a speedy ride through some great scenery, a bit short on technical difficulty but always the speedy descent to the café to look forward to. And Simon’s still-clipped in comedy fall in the car park amused the owner’s young daughter… “Daddy why is that man laid in the car park?” Suitably refreshed, it was back through the woods, only the last bit of killer tarmac to Clay Bank putting a damper on things.

8^th. Things are looking up weather-wise, the showers are becoming less frequent, occasionally going a whole 24 hours without precipitation. Set off from the new car park at Sheepwash today, just for a change, rode through the plantation at Cod Beck to High Lane, then up to Square Corner, passing Chequers (closed as per usual) and into Silton Forest. Had a look along one of last years fave bridleways to check it had dried out - not quite and the actions of some inconsiderate horse riders have rendered the whole track unridable anyway. If the majority of cyclists have the sense to stay off the tracks when they are too muddy to ride without wrecking them, why can’t our equine brethren follow suit? A swift bit of tarmac brought me to Kepwick Bank for a gruelling ascent - nothing changed there then. Along the Drove Road and down the Mad Mile to Square Corner, I then retraced my tyre tracks past Chequers (still closed) and down the rocky slabs to Sheepwash and back to the car.

12^th. Apparently it was a glorious summer’s day in Darlington, according to a somewhat rueful Simon, as we donned waterproof coats and extra layers in a cold, damp, misty Sheepwash car park. We rode through the woods by Codbeck Reservoir up to High Lane and on past Chequers (closed) to Square Corner, the base of Black Hambleton peeping through the mist. Turning left we picked up the bridleway to the abandoned Dale Head Farm, now diverted after the farm to run over a new bridge, missing out two stream crossings. Some layers came off at the bridge, as the sun began to force it’s way through the cloud. The Dale Head singletrack was nice as usual, only slightly marred by a couple of boggy patches, followed by a some tarmac to Moor Gate, then down through the woods and fields to another new bridge, this one built to replace the one destroyed by the floods in 2005. A short. Sharp haul up to New Hall Farm then a splendid tarmac blast soon had us in the tea garden at Hawnby Post Office, stripping down to base layers as the temperature increases. Of course, the only way out of Hawnby is uphill, we chose the ‘easiest’ option - Murton Bank, which certainly didn’t feel easy. More road to Sneck Yate, then we followed the Drove Road back to Square Corner, the descent of the Mad Mile being the highlight, before retracing our tracks past Chequers to High Lane and down the slabs to Sheepwash.

13^th. Back to the Billy No-Mates rides for a quick blast around Guissy Woods and Kildale, followed a nice new track from the top of the Unsuitables which came out (eventually) near Hutton Village.

16^th. The nice weather has vanished again, me, Howard and Tony met up at Lordstones on a grey, drizzly morning for a ride to Tripsdale and back via Medd Crag and the Raisdale Road. Not much else to say really, the descent into Tripsdale is getting sandier by the day but still fun.

19^th. Me and Simon met at Pinchinthorpe, Oz worshipping at the altar of the great God OT again, we had a ride through the woods, over to Kildale and back through the woods, as I introduced Simon to the new tracks which have appeared this year.

20^th. Another lone ride, Simon taking Oz’s place as a management lackey, forelock tugging to his superiors for a few extra quid. Set off from Kildale and straight into an ascent of the Baysdale road, past Park Nab, then off-road to Armoth Wath and eventually Hograh Moor. First time I’ve done Hograh on my Superlight and the lower BB definitely made life more difficult on the rocky sections, nonetheless, a few bruises later, I was hurtling through the ford at Hob Hole before ascending more steep tarmac to Baysdale. Climbed over Kildale Moor and down The Field Of Heavy Gravity back to Kildale. Being in a somewhat masochistic mood I decided I hadn’t done nearly enough miles, so I went up New Row and along Percy Cross Rigg to Gribdale, up again to Captain Cooks Monument before making my way back through the woods to Kildale and a welcome sandwich at Glebe Cottage.

28^th. Another unseasonably cold and misty day and another lonely ride, set off from a grey Square Corner, past Chequers (closed) and down by Cod Beck reservoir before climbing up to Arncliffe Wood and across Scarth Wood Moor. Through Clain Woods to Scugdale and the big ascent to Barker’s Ridge, eventually joining Arnesgill Ridge for a speedy blast across the moors to Low Cote farm. Briefly joined the road to Low Locker Wood and off road on the Dale Head singletrack back to the car.

29^th Lordstones again, to meet Dave, our first new starter for a while. We made our introductions, then admired his new Marin Mount Vision for a while - Marin Boy Simon was particularly impressed - before showing him life outside the man-made trails he‘s used to. First we had a blast along The Fronts, pausing briefly while I recovered from an unplanned somersault after my front wheel washed out in the only patch of mud for several miles, this brought us to Cold Moor and the awesome descent to Chop Gate. Payback came in the form of the Bilsdale Mast access road, which was long, slow and painful - nothing new there then. Oz earned the day’s King Of The Mountains with a no dabs ascent. After a short rest we made our way to Arnesgill Ridge via Head House, then down Barker’s Ridge before a final pull over Carlton Bank brought us back to the café and well-earned refreshment.