Devon TRF Group Forum

When Pete posted his second run of the year I quite fancied going with him as there will probably be 3rd 4th 5th etc and maybe an awards evening at the end of the year with T shirts etc.  My wife! Libby had other plans thoughand suggested that Seans ex Serrow should be fired up and taken out for a run.

Libby has been riding for years on road bikes but has only taken to the mud fairly recently. We have had quite a few rides out but she still claims full novice status, she is better than she thinks she is.

After the hugely informative evening at the Dolphin the previous week I decided to plan a route with viewranger and follow it on my phone. What could possibly........

Our preparations for the trip were very different, I busied myself oiling chains and checking levels, Libby put her boots,gloves and socks on the radiator and made a flask of coffee and got some essential provisions together.

We we loaded up the trusty trailer and set of for Chagford on Sunday morning. The forecast was for dull overcast sk but dry.

I had asked for advice on where to park the trailer but in the end we found a lay-by just past the industrial estate on the way in, near Cuckoofield. 3 well muddy riders flashed past us while we were unloading.

We unloaded the bikes and put our gear on. I turned on the sat nav and dialled up the route, to my surprise it worked and we set of for Chagford.  We stopped in the main square to use the loo, it wasn't quite the same as a few weeks earlier when the good people of Chagford were fleeced by several mud splashed Santas, but nice to be back all the same.

We started out towards the reservoir and soon met our first horse and dog combo, we killed the engines and passed the time of day while she clopped past.

we passed through Thorn and then met a tractor, giving way again, round a bend then another horse and dog combo.....was it going to be like this all day.  She parked her Equine friend in a gateway and we passed without incident.

When we finally turned into our first lane 191-062, before the bikes had got muddy there at the end rolling a ciggy, was Devon Rich and 2 others,(sorry I didn't catch your names)

We had been going for nearly an hour so far and the tyres were still clean, nice to see you though chaps and the advice about how slippy it was at the other end turned out to be quite prophetic.

The angled water course stones at the top of the last incline were waiting to catch Lib out, not so much a badger, more a sack of spuds, she still bounces well for a woman of her age and after 10 minutes with my favourite Stilsons the bike was rideable again.  I carried on down the lane and met another horse and rider, I said my wife would be down directly, and sat chatting while Lib struggled down the slippery slope with only one foot rest.  After a bit more blacksmithing I start to wander if this was such a great idea after all.

The sun put in an appearance at this point and we chugged past Holystreet Manor, recently on the market for £5,500,000. On through Murchington we stopped at the top of the hill before Gidleigh to admire the view, the day had brightened up.

After Gidleigh we turned at Forder and along 191-053 Deave lane, we agreed that this was one of the nicest lanes we had ridden and wandered about the workforce who had moved all of the huge boulders to make up its boundaries.

We rolled quietly passed the church at Throwleigh where the worshippers were just coming out into the sunshine. After a u turn we rode passed them again and headed of towards the moor, over the cattle grids then sharp right to East week. At the end of 191048 the moss on the newly trimmed hedge made an interesting picture.

The views across the field to South Tawton were lovely and the countryside a lot softer than the moors, and South Devon.

As Lib still claims to be very much a novice I decide to take her up 191-049, the description says that it is very tricky steep and slippery, perfect then.  She pounced on a badger about half way up but with a bit of husband intervention soon got to the top and mastered the slimey rut with more success than me.

We crossed through Widdon down and did 191-051 in preparation for Fingle.

After a pre ascent briefing lib stormed up the hill and showed just how compitant she really is.

At at the top of Fingle we stopped for a coffee and the remaining 2 pieces of Xmas cake.

At the end of Fingle Lib commented that we hadn't been far yet so I added another 18 miles and several more lanes including the ford at North Bovey where we had an audience of 20 ramblers led by Gandalf the Grey, Lib got a bit crossed up on the way out but held on.

The weather started to close in at this point so we wended our way back to the trailer, and loaded up.  We drove home via the wine shop and were greeted by the smell of a joint of pork that had been cooking slowly for several hours...........what a woman.

I will post our next ride out and if anyone wants to join us for a very steady trundle around, or if anyone has just started laning and wants some easy practice, you are welcome, can't guarantee cake, but you never know.

Trev and Lib

thanks to Pete Bull and Sean for setting the benchmark so high for run reports, here's my effort.

-- Edited by Trevor Foxon on Tuesday 15th of January 2019 09:02:47 PM