Devon TRF Group Forum

Fingers211 had to miss out on this one as he was nursing a poorly Heather, get well soon. It wasn't the kind of day for setting off feeling poorly as the elements were on the wild side with severe weather and flood warnings galore on the news. Nevertheless a couple of riders, but only one bike, were waiting when I arrived. Rog's first outing since the repairs to his KLX didn't get off to the best start as he had run out of fuel a few hundred yards away. I was glad about the late appearance of a Djebil with better footpegs than my CRM to ferry Rog + fuel to the dry bike.

Plenty of slippery mud on 202-028 and deep puddles and running water everywhere on C-071 set the tone for the day. We slithered over the hill on 060 and down 433 to the interminable lights on the Newton road where the KLX cried enough. After exhausting the battery trying to start it it was pushed uphill and coughed into life but Rog had lost confidence in it so it was taken home in disgrace and we arranged to meet up later on as we would be passing by where Rog lives in another hour so he went to drag the TTR out of the shed.

We retraced the route I had cycled last week and it was unsurprisingly much easier with an engine. The bypass construction work is proceeding apace and 069 will be lost to us soon. A TTRO is in force on the tarmac road below 073 but we weren't going that way anyway. The mud wallow on 081 is deep and red and there are a couple of large branches to be dodged under the trees before the rocky climb. More deep red water on 080 before the lovely long lane downhill. The large tree down at the bottom has been cleared leaving twigs and sawdust. The tree fairies have been kept busy recently. Red puddles galore on 079 and 091 prepared us for the long splash that is 101 before the climb over jagged rocky outcrops and the descent in running water on the far side of the hill. A gent with a wheelbarrow of wood smiled as we passed on 326 where a sideways forward motion sufficed to provide some semblance of grip in the deep mud.

We crawled past the riding stables but saw nobody on 114 and the deep puddle rounding the corner on 112 demanded a leap of faith. One of the 'travellers' (in inverted commas because the one thing they never seem to do is travel) caravans is being stripped and pieces littered the lane in 115. Slithering around 116 and splashing along 323 lead us to the downstream ride that was 118 with unacustomed running water for most of the lane. We paused briefly atop 339 before warming ourselves up bouncing over the boulder field left after the soil has been washed out of the repairs done a couple of years back on 134. I seemed to have trouble finding traction entering 398 and did so sideways. The 4x4 crew have turned the middle of 150 into a quagmire.

Rog was waiting for us on 125 astride the TTR and warned us about the deep water further on so we bravely/foolishly continued and everyone avoided a swimming lesson, just.

No dramas on 103 and the long puddles on 100 were soon behind us. The lake on the corner at the exit of 102 was deeper than I have seen it for a long time, but everyone made it. The sun started to break through and splendid views from 092 nearly had me off as I spent slightly too long not looking where I was going. Seeing the 4x4 ahead of me on the tarmac before 094 splash water over it's bonnet gave me reason to slow down before the rocky lane to the crossroads where the muddy and slippery bends of 093 began. The mud wallow on 081 had got deeper since we passed through a couple of hours before and my front wheel sank deep and I only got through by fanning the clutch and giving it handfulls of revs. Shbay nearly took a bath as the KTM dived headfirst into the red pool but stayed upright apparently as he wasn't completly dyed red at the far end of the long lane.

We retraced our steps up 073 as the TTRO has closed the tarmac hill. The steps on 074 seem to have grown somewhat and a 4x4 has been along it recently although it still seems a tight little lane. Lots of big boulders to dodge going down 082 but no rare birds on 353 unusually. No pigeons on 075 either. A stretch of brand new tarmac diverted us around the bypass works before we crossed the busy main road bypassing the interminable lights on our way to 062. A new TTRO has closed trhe tarmac between 062 and 061 but both lanes are open and a fallen tree caused a few issues as it snagged footpegs as we tried to pass over it after swinging around the dogleg climb. Squelching along 251 and splashing along C-071 again, the other way this time,  took us back to where we started as we retraced our steps along 028 where we called it a day.

Good job too as Rog's clutch cable had snapped and I do hope he made it home ok having worn out both his bikes in one day.

I throughly enjoyed myself and thankfully was able to forget my recently broken nose and get back into enjoying riding the bike again without feeling too fragile. Thanks for coming guys I had fun. I am looking forward to reviewing the video over a glass of wine later.