Devon TRF Group Forum

TTR Steve, Rijonz and Schoee all saw the run advertised on the forum and having put their names down for a place met up at the petrol station by Penn Inn building site occasioned by the forthconing bypass. A Honda, a Yamaha, a Gasgas and a KTM with two Four and two Two strokes. Ray and Mitch looked like they were joining us but just happened to be filling up at the same time as we started.

A deep carpet of leaves on the byway which was our first lane gave a taste of things to come. We slowed for dog walkers either end of the second, Long, lane and after passing dozens of cars parked by the football fields we pottered along behind a small car clearly out of its depth on the uneven surface. Proper squidgy mud and no dust along the soft ruts and hollows on Deer park. Ducking below a couple of fallen trees balanced across the Downway just high enough to ride under, and just low enough to focus the mind, we met a scooterist ascending the hill on her way to feed the horses, brave girl. An indecisive squrrel had me swinging from bank to bank up the Church way and after a shorther than usual wait at the lights we crossed the major roadwork in progress which will turn Churchward lane into two dead ends. Decending the mill lane we caught up with two horseriders and free wheeled along behind till the end where we were glad they went the other way. I was impressed by the creative design of their gear which looks very effective and needs to be read carefully.

The mud wallow isn't deep yet but is quite red and I used my headlight under the Wndy thorns before the rocky climb past the TV set dumping ground before Tanyard, riding the second half seated to avoid being lassooed by brambles. Breathtaking views and thankfully clear skies over the whole of South Devon greeted us atop Woodpark. Black lane is rather more a brown colour and so was Richards elbow at the other end of Bittams. I didn't warn them about Tallyho and despite some fancy leg waving mid lane by Steve all ascended without asssistance being required and a breather was gratefully taken before we continued up the perpendicular staircase beyond the hump backed bridge up Silver Head. Skirting the travellers we passed through a group of cheerful ramblers who stood on both sides of the lane for us to pass into Sands. Pheasant dodging time on Glazegate after the deepening red puddles that drowned several bikes last year. We made Fleet time downhill to the mill and a good workout was had by all as the weather has washed away most of the loose material used on the repair effected a few years ago leaving a somewhat lumpy surface which will swiftly reveal any deficiencies in your suspension. The Crosspark cows barely stirred as we passed their barn and the puppy referred to in the sign by the Smallwell is an old pooch by now. The chap holding onto the waggy tailed hound by the hump backed bridge was as cheerful as his beast, as were the young lads walking away from Bow bridge where Nick surprised me by appearing about to ride off downstream when the rest of us had ridden straight across the ford.

No dramas ensued on the Corkscrew and we met a group of, still cheerful, ramblers again up from Edgecombe. The lady with the lawn mower busy mowing Hothill came as something of a surprise. 

We passed down through the Broadgates and ascending the Broadridge we exchanged plaisanteries with half a dozen cyclists by the bridge. Gullies filled with leaves made a leap of faith necessary at times opposite Venice, but the long and always beautiful Allaleigh didn't disappoint. The double gates delayed our passage by Washbourne having been left, again, across the lane. Turning left for a second time, albeit from a different direction, at the cross roads we passed the cheerful youths again. Most of the sheep and cattle merely lifted a head to see us passing through the three gates on the public way, but one youngster galloped btween Steve and I having presumably had a sudden urge to graze on the other side of the field. Nick took a couple of goes to get through the third gate but stayed upright, just. Both gates on the following Public way were unusually open as farm machinery was active in the adjoining field. Two sensible ramblers stood together and smiled as we passed them heading for Ritson before refuelling man and machine at Totnes cross. I had a short wait at the top of Boreston but all arrived without undue delay. Farleigh is a long way from the Farwell it is described as on the overlay. Gladly the fallen tree had been cleared from the Mount and there was no need to duck. A deep gulley has opened up on the climb after the fish farm which could catch out the unwary. The sign warns that 'beyond here there be dragons' and perhaps that is what caused Steve to lose his footing, but he stayed on after a dab. His MT43 slickly glid across the large slab of slate atop Larcombe and all riders had their own equivalent tale but again all stayed upright.

Nick enthused 'I like that lane' after the Small one. Richard called it a day there blaming his over exertion in the garden the previous day and was given directions back toward civilisation. A short usually sticky lane broke the journey onward for the rest of us. No moisture but the name Water tells plenty about the reason the surface is the shape it is before the Brownstone named lane with all the grey stone. There appeared to have been a badger lurking in the hedge part way up and alerted by my passing it snared Steve as he rounded the corner, although luckily he was able to use the hedge for balance.

Perhaps the badger was a scout from the massive sett on Bowdown cross. The BMX ramps are such a temptation descending below the trees before the ever larger steps down to Deancombe. The repair to the Steep is eroding already but it will very likely be another decade or more before the interesting rock formations below see daylight again. My aspirarion to go up Suicide alley was thwarted by the bridge being closed to all traffic so we ad libbed Summer and Bowden hills instead and Pitley and Mead were far more interesting than the equivalent dual carriageway. No Gale blew over the next hill and we skipped off the drainage channels down to the cattle grid. The ford was deeper than the preceding puddles by Holbeam and the short rocky dip at Chercombe was our 66th lane after a leisurely 6 hour outing covering about eighty miles.

A close observation of the video evidence raised the badger count above the zero I thought to have been evidenced as you have already seen. Thanks for coming everone, I had fun. Run sheet with John Leah. Video highlights here: