Myself, Geoff, Damian and Nick set off early from my place in two vans for some new lane to us plus some we had already done before.
After looking for free car parks on the internet somewhere near the start of my new route I decided to start at Tedburn St Mary after checking out the free car on Google Earth is seemed perfect, I fair size and quiet, so unlikely to be full.
We arrived around 8.30 and were on the road before 9
We met quiet a few walkers, horse riders and fellow bikers during the day, three groups of biker I think one of which met at the top of 192- 032 we stopped briefly to talk to them and discovered they were from Exeter and said they would see us when we returned to the top, I explained that the route was not a dead end and they said they had never found the correct route so always had turned around but would hang around and see if we got through, once at the bottom it seemed very straight forward to us, a round county road sign showed the way through the gate on the left of the lane and using viewranger in 1:25000 we could see the route across the field and down to the stream and up the field following the hedge line and through the gate next to the cottage, NO PROBLEM!! as we rode along the road I could see the other group still at the top so I hope they spotted us and may have followed our tracks seemed strange that a local group didn't know the way through!
We carried on through Thorverton and Silverton and across the M5 and on to Clyst Hydon and 182-039 were we chatted to a few walkers and I had my first chance to be our depth gauge and had to go river walking before we rode it, believe me it was cold!!
We did a couple more and then arrived at 192-265, I have done this in both directions before but it was totally new to the other, WE HAD LOTS OF FUN!! rode it East to West
We carried on towards OTTERY and decided to cut route as we needed fuel and that was one thing I hadn't plan was fuel and lunch stops, so as we headed on blind looking for fuel and I suddenly felt something strange was going on with my front wheel but just down the road we found the smallest and oldest looking garage were the owner was out polishing his pumps nd his wife was on the till, he had to unlock the padlock on the pump to serve us!! I checked the front wheel and found the bearing had almost given up even though I had checked them only a few days before and the next day it had been MOT,d
Once fuelled we decieded to continue on the planned route as it was not a lot different than making a dash back to the vans.
We carried on into Ottery and had lunch at the local Mc Colls.
Back on the road and we got to 192-237 at Tipton St John, going uphill, interesting We talked to another walker and his wife here who explained that he used to go out with our own Brian Sussex and he waited to watch us all attempt the climb.
Onwards through Newton Poppleford and up to192-113 the Crealy bike wash were Damian seemed keen at last to go first through the water
After a bit of road work towards Exeter we did the last few 192-332, 192-350 and 192-104
A few Pics from the day SORRY THEY MAY BE IN THE WRONG ORDER
Never tried riding west to east because the drop if you get the exit wrong is daunting but 192-265 is definitely not for the claustrophobic and U turns are out of the question.
Back on the road and we got to 192-237 at Tipton St John, going uphill, interesting We talked to another walker and his wife here who explained that he used to go out with our own Brian Sussex and he waited to watch us all attempt the climb.
Fame at last!! That will be Jim Weedon and his partner Caroline. Jim mentioned he had met some riders on the lane and was particularly impressed with your wobbly front wheel
Jim was very active in the DTRFG project to set up the initial lanes database spending a lot of time in Land Charges marking up the UCRs on OS maps. That now seems light years ago. Jim still trail rides on his Djebel and I have been out with him and his mates a few times - great bunch of lads
Great report and photos Russell. You were very brave riding 192-265 after all the rain we have had!
After a very embarrassing ascent of the field on 192-032 many years ago I tend to avoid it until the ground has dried out a bit.
Yep bearing got me back. All stripped out waiting for new ones to turn up :)
They are a common size most bike shops should have in stock and possibly the only weak point on the CRM are the tiny front wheel bearings which wear out regularly. On the plus side they are cheap and very easy to fit. The three rear wheel bearings last far longer, and need a special tool to replace them. I have paid for three sets in 30,000 miles on the rear and maybe three times as many on the front. Not too much of a chore to replace the front ones every other year and certainly not worth the effort of trying to make them last by removing, cleaning, re-greasing and re-assembling. Never had one fail but several times I have found the play made steering rather vague by the time I got around to replacing them.
Had a spare rear set in the garage but no fronts, like you say the front ones are tiny. Same as XR250/400 and other CRMs. As I am wheel and tyre mad I now have three sets of wheels with different tyres on so think I need to have a couple of spare sets to hand
Good report and pics, you may get the job as team chronicler !!
192-265 hasn't changed since I rode it last Spring on a recce for the A2E on my own, and wished I hadn't It took 45 mins to get out with lot's of sweat and steam .......
NOT RECOMMENDED UNLESS IN A GROUP
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DGTRFYou're just passing through, make the most of it !
192-265 hasn't changed since I rode it last Spring on a recce for the A2E on my own, and wished I hadn't It took 45 mins to get out with lot's of sweat and steam .......
NOT RECOMMENDED UNLESS IN A GROUP
Discovered 265 while riding alone. Walked it first. The hardest part was the 15 mins it took to unravel the brambles intertwined through a gate at the Cheriton end, and the well at the pinch point where I climbed over the bike and pulled it out by rolling the front wheel toward me. Don't think anyone had used it for many years at that time. Last time I went that way everyone in the group struggled and needed some help, although I was pleased only to have stalled four times and not to have needed a push or pull.