Devon TRF Group Forum

My Honda CRM 250 Mk1 was joined by a KMX 200 and a troika of Orange 300's two of which had travelled from Pastyland for the day. Trackman, Peter, Sparkie86 and Peters son at Sainsburys before the off.

Blue lights flashing and siren wailing someone in a great hurry ran the red light and split our group at the first junction as some were forced to stop but moments later we were rolling over the golden carpet of fallen leaves on the nearby byway. Deep red mud carved with tractor tyre marks opposite the church at the start of Church lane soon gives way to a bowl shaped shady rock strewn slope leading over the brow of the hill into the sinuous descent with tantalising views of a green patchwork of fields stretching off into the distance. 

Nice of DCC to provide such a good link to Churchward lane after the recent construction of the bypass and I am pleasantly surprised having read the planning notice which only referred to a bridleway standard extension. Some interesting counterbalance legwork shown on one of the corners. 

Compton mill lane did not feel as smooth as the layer of leaves filling the gullies and hiding the rocks made it look. A burned out car presents rather more of a challenge to pass than the adjacent red mud wallow. 

I was startled to see a roe deer running alongside me in the middle of the hedge on the corner before the rocky section but it stayed out of the narrow lane unnoticed by the other riders. We paused briefly at the wide entrance to Tanyard lane before the long undulating descent. 

Dartmoor looked clear on the horizon from the top of Woodhead lane. We splashed along Bittams muddy puddles, scrambled up the rocky ascent and slithered down the wet slope on the other side before the tree covered leaf filled rutted section. A black and white collie startled me as it ran at me from by one of the so called travellers vehicles on Bourton lane. It was in turn surprised by the following rider but regained its composure sufficiently to harry the third rider on his way too. 

The large hairy lurcher further along ignored us as it ambled by and the owner of a pair of dogs called them to her and waved as we descended toward Totnes. More deep red mud on Smallwell lane and more leaves in the gullies of Crossways lane took us to the long road to Beenleigh cross where more fancy footwork helped an orange machine around a corner.

Going firstly up Corkscrew hill then cutting across it on Hothill lane provided the opportunity for a pic of riders all going in apparently different directions.  

And a bit more leg waving for balance on the slippery grass. 

The short muddy slope up the Butts cross looks easy if you can keep momentum. Leaves were falling faster than the water could wash them away on Poor bridge lane where over hanging greenery made us duck several times. The repair at the bottom of the lane to Bozomzeal cross is holding up well. Autumn makes Lapthorne lane even prettier than usual and rather more challenging. Chipton's repairs have washed out the fine material and left a lumpy bed of largish rocks with plenty of grip and no comfort. Barely a splash of water in Lee lane's ford but some chose not to get the front tyre wet anyway. The short lane around Allaleigh house contrasts with the long picturesque Furze hill lane opposite. 

A large tree branch lies across the entrance to the short boggy section of the lane to Washbourne where as usual the forst two gates had been left across the road. I guestimated the log to be ride-able (and too heavy to lift) and then felt slightly guilty when the first rider was picking himself up on the other side of it, and slightly foolish when I discovered the log was exactly the right height to balance a CRM with both wheels just off the ground, but some made it look easier than others. 

Trackman had a moment in the deeper than usual puddle but kept moving and upright when the KMX bucked him out of the saddle and turned side ways half way through. 

Pleasantly both gates on Bickleigh lane were open and our journey was uninterrupted until we stopped for pasties cup cakes and fuel at Totnes cross. Nice to see black and white public way signs on the gate posts either end of the road crossing the fields 

where the cows were too busy eating to notice our passing through their slippery field

Barely a splash in the dry whoop hollows leading down into Harbertonford and even the large lakes above keys Englebourne have shrunk. More fancy footwork on our way to Dundridge steps. 

Rut riding practice uphill from Belsford took us to the submarine pen that we know as Reservoir lane where barely liquid sloppy brown goo filled the hollow and coated the tyre of the KTM behind me robbing him of all traction as this moment before equilibrium was lost pic demonstrates. More fancy footwork kept the unscheduled dismount graceful though.

Follaton lane took us down toward Copland lane where the puddles will I suspect be missed by no-one. We squeezed by four 4x4s on our way down to Fleet mill and enjoyed the long winding climb out again. Glazegates puddles are almost empty but the lane provides whoop riding practice. After Smallwell lane we passed a large group of joggers crowded around a refreshments vehicle. Two ramblers stepped out of Aptor lane as we entered before the bumpy climb preceding the grassy banked dog legs. No deer on Windthorn this time but more traction problems passing the burned out wreck. Windmill lanes bowl shaped profile testifies to its narrowness. No exotic wild fowl today on Ridge lane, nor pigeons on Pigeon lane. After cresting Kerswell lane by the hollow tree we used Long lane where there seemed to be more cars parked by the football pitches than players and spectators combined. Newtake byway was only the second lane ridden twice all day and also our last.

Thanks for coming guys I had fun