Ride 004.

Date: 8th October 2003                               Distance: 24.75 miles

After three short rides our little band decided they wanted a proper mountain bike ride, an all day affair with café stop (naturally). The hot summer has fooled our new recruits into believing North Yorkshire tracks are dry and mud-free, it was about time they learnt the truth.

A challenging start, from the Square Corner car park straight up the Mad Mile, elicited the usual cursing from the back markers but it wasn’t too long before we were on the relative flatness of the Drove Road. Pedalling steadily south, Bob and I pointed out areas of the track which are normally small lakes. Soon we reached the bridleway branching east into Thorodale, the steep descent into the valley giving much amusement, except for Bob who elected to walk the tricky bit. We made our way along the valley’s slightly soggy bottom, crossing a couple of small streams, before a short but brutal bit of uphill took us into Thorodale Wood, where our novices became acquainted with mud for the first time. Despite the dry summer, the the tree-shaded bridleway harboured patches of glutinous gloop, Bob kindly demonstrating its suction properties at one point by getting his bike stuck up to the hubs. 

A pleasant downhill section led us out of the woods to Arden Hall. As we admired the 17^th century home of the Earl of Mexborough, Simon took the opportunity to shove sandwiches into his proletarian face. Possibly he had a premonition of what was to come next. Turning right after the hall, we ground along Arden Bank and back up onto the moor. More moaning from the back. We passed the old quarry and thankfully took a breather before turning left  onto Dale Town Common, then another left and followed the bridleway down to the quaintly named Noddle End., more gravity assisted riding ensued until a short climb brought us out on the road at the top of Murton Bank.

We crossed the road where a short tarmac section took us to the bridleway down into Murton Wood, a big push up the other side, all eyes focussed on the distant mast at Dialstone Farm “because that’s near the café…” A gentle plod along the tarmac and our objective was in sight– the café at Sutton Bank visitor centre.

Suitably refreshed we tried to do wheelies in the car park while Simon spent his pocket money in the gift shop. Wheelies, it seems are the preserve of the younger generation, so we rode back to Dialstone Farm and made our way to one of the gems of North Yorkshire cycling  - The Escarpment, a couple of miles of sinuous single-track following the edge of the Hambleton Hills. Naturally our partially-sighted, singletrack-challenged compatriot managed to fall over the edge at one point but some handy trees stopped him rolling the six or seven hundred feet into the valley below.

Ominous black clouds began to follow us along the Cleveland Way, through High Paradise Farm and back onto the Drove Road. Just after the section through the top of Boltby Woods, it began to drizzle, then rain; waterproofs were donned by those who had them and some heads down, teeth gritted pedalling began. Only four miles back to the cars we reminded ourselves cheerily until the hail and wind hit us at the most exposed section of the moor, blasting straight in from the East – east of Siberia by the feel of it. Soon the grassy track was ball-bearing slippy and we were getting cold despite the exertion of pedalling against the wind. The cairn at the top of the Mad Mile was never a more welcome sight, particularly because the moment our bedraggled band reached it, the storm stopped and the sun reappeared. Bob expressed his disgust with the weather gods by mooning at the surrounding countryside, perhaps somehow hoping the sight of his naked bottom would appease the turbulent heavens and provide the Terra Trailblazers with good weather for all their future rides.

Anyway, at least the storm had kept the ramblers away so we were able to enjoy the last mile back to the car without having to negotiate the usual crowds of cagoule-clad curmudgeons.

Back To Rides page