I love being out on my bike whatever the time of year - once I'm out there. The 'getting out' is always the tricky bit and its always like a zillion times easier if there is someone else to go with. I freely admit I'm spoilt because I can pretty much decide to ride any day of the week. BUT if there's nobody else free to go I feel like I shouldn't be free to go either. Its not a logical thing its just a fact. Its lucky for me that I know more than a few others that are keen to keep going even once the temperatures start to dip and the winds pick up. And so it was this Wednesday.
We headed out of Danby Dale up onto Castleton Rigg before turning back towards Castleton via some moorland single track with a few surprises. I bottled the eeky little edge where the ground falls steeply away from you on the left just as you summit a moorland mound. Pleased as I am with the progress I've made with my clip ins there are still moments when my head rules my heart - never the right way round on a bike!
We had a deadline to be back for so every time we came to a natural pause the next bit of the route was added to fit the time left. The off road ascent up to Park Nook was climbed ... almost to the top and then we churned through Danby Park Wood which had transformed into its muddy tyre sucking winter version and will no doubt stay like that for many months to come. On leaving Park Wood we turned left and suffered up squelchy uphill grassland which had us sucking in big lungfuls of air to pacify the burn in chest and legs. Wonderful to be alive and out among the glory of even a less than sunny autumnal day. Then it was a 'should I or shouldn't I' moment as we came through Ewe Craig Beck, which can run very deep in the winter, but it was fine and with a bit more conviction wouldn't have even needed a pause on the far side.
Little mental challenges, assessing and reassessing; outside with nature right against you; the physical effort; and all of it shared with a like minded friend. Perfect. Soon we were passed Rosedale Intake and out the top of Danby. Tempting though it was to just keep going time was passing and we needed to be back; so it was a quick return via the road and before we knew it bikes were being hosed down and hot tea brewed. Here's to more Wednesday rides this winter.
We headed out of Danby Dale up onto Castleton Rigg before turning back towards Castleton via some moorland single track with a few surprises. I bottled the eeky little edge where the ground falls steeply away from you on the left just as you summit a moorland mound. Pleased as I am with the progress I've made with my clip ins there are still moments when my head rules my heart - never the right way round on a bike!
We had a deadline to be back for so every time we came to a natural pause the next bit of the route was added to fit the time left. The off road ascent up to Park Nook was climbed ... almost to the top and then we churned through Danby Park Wood which had transformed into its muddy tyre sucking winter version and will no doubt stay like that for many months to come. On leaving Park Wood we turned left and suffered up squelchy uphill grassland which had us sucking in big lungfuls of air to pacify the burn in chest and legs. Wonderful to be alive and out among the glory of even a less than sunny autumnal day. Then it was a 'should I or shouldn't I' moment as we came through Ewe Craig Beck, which can run very deep in the winter, but it was fine and with a bit more conviction wouldn't have even needed a pause on the far side.
Little mental challenges, assessing and reassessing; outside with nature right against you; the physical effort; and all of it shared with a like minded friend. Perfect. Soon we were passed Rosedale Intake and out the top of Danby. Tempting though it was to just keep going time was passing and we needed to be back; so it was a quick return via the road and before we knew it bikes were being hosed down and hot tea brewed. Here's to more Wednesday rides this winter.
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