The Spring Run part 2

Sunday morning dawned bright and clear but with a cold wind blowing from the north. Twenty-seven riders with cold fingers gathered at Whiddon Down services for Ray's Spring Run deep into Dartmoor. Among them was Mike Jennings and his wife from Torquay riding his lovely BMW R100S and Steib sidecar.

Travelling first towards Mortonhampstead we turned left at Easton and climbed steeply up to a high ridge of moorland, giving a fine view of Chagford. Dropping down into Mortonhampstead we turned abruply left and up again. This time to Mardon Down where we stopped to admire the view.

Then it was left onto the B3212 then right onto the B3193 for a grand ride along by the river till we turned right into Bovey Tracey for the lunch stop.

The afternoon route went past Haytor and through Widecombe In The Moor, Dartmeet, Two Bridges, Postbridge, Chagford and back to the start at Whiddon Down.

I would like to say that everyone had a trouble free ride. But alas it was not so. John Trible had his front brake cable fail which resulted in a fall when forced to stop suddenly by an unpredictable motorist and John Anstead had to return home from the lunch stop with a mysterious misfire.

Gordon became another casualty when his machine suddenly died. As you all know Triumphs very seldom give trouble and for one to just stop is almost unheard of. He first checked the spark - OK, then set about stripping the carb and carefully cleaned it out, but found nothing. After reassembling it he kicked it over and it roared into life. Must have been all that radon gas on the moor!

Our thanks to Ray who planned this excellent route and led us round it. Also thanks to Matt who sent in these photos.