Evening run 140923

 

After, what for me was, a lovely dry evening ride to the Portsmouth Arms on Tuesday evening, I was met with two dejected riders, Andy and Nick, sat outside with nothing to eat or drink as the pub was closed due to illness of the landlord. However some discussion's took place of a useful nature when John rolled up declaring he was hungry!. Andy recalled that it was a bike night at Barnstaple so the northerners set off to join them, I on the other hand headed back home via Crediton where I noticed many bikes outside the cafe in the high street there.

It was a shame since this was our last evening ride this year, although those of us who manage to attend the evening meets seem to enjoy the ride and company. Apologies to Tony who apparently arrived at the Portsmouth arms just minutes after we had all left. There doesn’t seem to be the attendance these meets deserve, perhaps 2024 will be better.

Club night next week is the AGM please make an effort to attend, it’s your chance to have your say and maybe make suggestions for the way forward, our next run is the Ruby run from Jonesey’s cafe at Winkleigh on the 8th October usual time folks.

Three Tors Run : Bodmin Moor Video

Our Aussie friend, John Heather, has very kindly sent us a nice little video of our gathering at Rough Tor/Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor.

Hopefully you can view it through the link below to John’s Google Drive:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VbPQSclzTzxQhN4svvBMJ1jHdzNPGtZK/view?usp=drivesdk

John, it was great to meet you, thanks for your interest, maybe we’ll see you over here again sometime, you will be welcomed. 

Dartmoor Run, 10th September 2023

After a week of sunshine, the weather was starting to break with thunderstorms and heavy showers tracking north early on Sunday morning.  Thankfully, on the ride south to our start at  Whiddon Down Services, the skies cleared leaving high Dartmoor looked temptingly clear and bright on the horizon.  From Whiddon Down, Ian B led off our very select group of six riders, following his trademark mix of ‘proper’ roads and unspoilt, ancient lanes, which often barely qualify as roads!  Fine views were had on the way to our lunch stop at the Fox Tor Cafe, Princetown, where we relaxed and chatted in the sunshine.

 After lunch we threaded our way back, taking in more lovely landscapes on the high moor, passing Haytor Rocks and Becky Falls.  The run finished in the square at Mortonhampsted, cooling off and taking tea and cake at the Central Café before heading for home.  

Our thanks to Ian for treating us to another great tour of some the  finest roads and views that Dartmoor has to offer.

 

 PLEASE NOTE: Change of evening pub venue, Thursday 14th September

Owing to an unforeseen clash with an event at the Poltimore Arms, we are changing the venue of our evening pub meet on Thursday 14th September to The Portsmouth Arms Hotel, which is on the A377 about 4 miles south of Umberleigh.  There is a welcoming landlord plus easy parking and outdoor seating for trainspotters.  Last orders for food 8pm.  We hope to see you there!

Three Tors Run, 3rd September 2023

After weeks of dreary weather, the weather finally came good for our Three Tors Run which was reinstated on special request from Tony, who has a long and very honourable history in completing this challenge.  So it was Tony, on his lovely Thunderbolt, who led off eight riders from Torrington Common, which is a 100% increase on last year, so let’s take that as a success!  What a splendid selection of classics went thundering off towards our first tor of the day, Brown Willy on Bodmin Moor, (OK, stop the sniggers children).  Here we happened to meet a friendly Aussie, John Heather, who was touring on a Ducati Scrambler and who had, by sheer coincidence, already encountered the Dartmoor Section a few days before us. Many thanks to John H for taking our group line-up photos.  After Brown Willy, we cracked on towards Dartmoor, taking in a fast blast along the A30 towards Okehampton, including a quick stop for Andy to make a minor adjustment to his mighty Harley.

Our next stop of the day was high up on Dartmoor on the edge of the army ranges, close to our second tor, High Willhays.  Apparently, High Willhays and Yes Tor are the only summits south of Kinder Scout in the Peak District to rise above 609 meters (sorry Pete, that’s 2000 feet).  Here we relaxed, chatted and enjoyed a picnic lunch while enjoying the wide-open space of Dartmoor with long views over the lovely mid-Devon countryside. 

After lunch, Tony navigated us across mid-Devon on those interesting smaller roads, unknown to many of us, via Winkleigh to a quick fuel stop in South Molton.  From there we headed up onto Exmoor via Landacre Bridge and Chibbet Ford.  The ford was running fast and so was the heart rate of your author on his hydrophobic Moto Guzzi.  Fearful of a total black-out of Italian electrics, the throttle was wound on to bow-wave it through without incident, apart from the slightly damp jeans.  Our third and final tor stop was high up on Exmoor near good old Dunkery Beacon.  Come to think of it, Dunkery ain’t a tor, it’s just a big old lump of sandstone (btw Pete, it’s at 509 meters), but who cares, a grand day out was had by all.  

Our thanks and appreciation go to Tony for leading us on this memorable ride.