I've not really tried my hand at a "ride report" before, but a holiday ride, and one of my physically hardest rides this year seemed to merit a report. Besides, it's taken a week to sort the photos out...
Leaving the youth hostel in Okehampton I followed the path through the wood below the railway, over the river and then got a hilly warmup through Sticklepath and South Zeal, with a mix of lanes and bridlepath. I started to realise that I’m not used to Dartmoor levels of steep combined with loose rocks and that the “red” routes on the Dartmoor for cyclists map were pushing my skills (insert further excuses about new and still unfamiliar bike, lack of recent riding etc here). The lanes, with a mix of woods and open views were nicely varied and felt like I was away from home.
I stopped for rather tasty carrot cake from the post office in Whiddon Down, having picked up some scratches from rather close vegetation (although without falling in it like on my ride a couple of weeks before). Then a longish and brisker road section before an easy forest track from Drewsteighton to Clifford Bridge, featuring Fingle Bridge a heron flapping lazily away and a woodpecker. It wasn’t technical, but it was nice to smell the pines and get dirt under my wheels.
I then spent half an hour pushing my bike up a bracken and fern covered path on a very steep hill, due to a poorly pointed signpost and a lack of contour detail on my map. The one consolation was that at the bottom I met a couple of hikers contemplating the same mistake, who had walked past the junction with the correct path. Once on the path I found what I presume was an eel catcher.
On to Steps Bridge, and then getting hungry and realistic about energy, time and skill I abandoned a harder loop and took a wrong turn, then a road up and bridleway down loop and returned to FIngle Bridge. Here I stopped at the pub for a shandy and very full cheese sandwich, that left me feeling very full all afternoon.
The route back took me along the river, past some charcoal burners, and then by road to Chagford. The roads had a few chevrons. At Higher Murchington (apparently unattended) dogs waiting by the farm entrance make threatening growls and then chased me. At this stage in the day I could have done without a sprint and several extra km to loop around them.
A nice, manageably lumpy, path to Throwleigh then roads via Sticklepath and a high point over Belstone took me back to the YHA. I had planned an open-moor finish, but I was tired and tea was waiting. The moor got visited on foot a couple of days later. The next day we did a gentle family ride along the granite way, which stretched my legs nicely.
The stats: 70km travelled, 2700m climbed, a ride time of 8:17 of which 6:25 was moving. It also took me over 1000 miles for the year and the inbred over 100 miles since I got it. Not fast, but my hardest day out for a while and despite the problems a day out which left me smiling, satisfied and like I’d got off my usual rides.
