We arrived at Ivybridge Station car park on a bright sunny day, but with a strong chilly easterly wind blowing. There were 5 hardy soles in attendance, Myself, Graham B., Dave N., Andy P., & a new rider Mark Broadhead. We set off heading East into the teeth of the gale, but hung a left at Bittaford under the railway arch to get out the wind. Mark said he found no difference between plugging the gale & climbing the hill up to the old Moorhaven Hospital, little did he know I had more hills planned to test him.
Soon we turned left for Owley on the nice lanes to cross the Glaze Brook for the first time & head for Aish. Turning right & over the River Avon before swinging left up another long hill to test Mark, and make for Bloody Pool Cross. From here it was onto Buckfastleigh & Higher Town taking a left up Silver St. towards Hockmoor & heading for Holne. I threw in one more steep hill to cheer Mark up, before we arrived at the community café for our first break. It was outside on the picnic tables in the sunshine & thankfully out of the wind, going inside to place our order we saw the new mural on the wall of the surrounding area of Dartmoor. Last time we were here before lockdown, the new young guy who is now running it said he wanted to make it a cycle hub & start by putting this Mural up, so cyclists could see the wide picture of the surrounding area. Let's make it one of our regular stops to give him support.
As Mark was feeling a bit knackered, him & I were the only two on non-electric bikes, and as I find hills no problem, I decided to take the easy downhill way back to Buckfast past Hembury Woods. Arriving at a deserted Abby, with the cafe & abbey closed due to Covid, we had a photo shoot instead. Then it was onto Dean Prior, at the road under the A38 we said our goodbyes to Mark & Andy, the latter volunteering to take Mark on the short way back as my route up the hill to Pennywell Farm proved to be a hill to far.
The remaining 3 of us headed up the hill, to take the first right skirting Rattery, for Drybridge Cross, & then on a well tested route back to South Brent. I was hoping to make this our second coffee stop, but unfortunately the cafe was closed, so we headed back the usual route passed Glazebrook House, stopping on the bridge over the Glaze Brook, (our second crossing of the said brook) for Graham to change up to his spare battery. Anyone would think we had been climbing a few Hills to drain his first one. Then it was onwards back to the station car park.
A beautiful cloudless sunny day, the wind only troubled us on the leg up to Bittaford, I had 34 miles on the clock. Hope I haven’t put Mark off from coming out with us, & hope to see him again.
Trevor
Soon we turned left for Owley on the nice lanes to cross the Glaze Brook for the first time & head for Aish. Turning right & over the River Avon before swinging left up another long hill to test Mark, and make for Bloody Pool Cross. From here it was onto Buckfastleigh & Higher Town taking a left up Silver St. towards Hockmoor & heading for Holne. I threw in one more steep hill to cheer Mark up, before we arrived at the community café for our first break. It was outside on the picnic tables in the sunshine & thankfully out of the wind, going inside to place our order we saw the new mural on the wall of the surrounding area of Dartmoor. Last time we were here before lockdown, the new young guy who is now running it said he wanted to make it a cycle hub & start by putting this Mural up, so cyclists could see the wide picture of the surrounding area. Let's make it one of our regular stops to give him support.
As Mark was feeling a bit knackered, him & I were the only two on non-electric bikes, and as I find hills no problem, I decided to take the easy downhill way back to Buckfast past Hembury Woods. Arriving at a deserted Abby, with the cafe & abbey closed due to Covid, we had a photo shoot instead. Then it was onto Dean Prior, at the road under the A38 we said our goodbyes to Mark & Andy, the latter volunteering to take Mark on the short way back as my route up the hill to Pennywell Farm proved to be a hill to far.
The remaining 3 of us headed up the hill, to take the first right skirting Rattery, for Drybridge Cross, & then on a well tested route back to South Brent. I was hoping to make this our second coffee stop, but unfortunately the cafe was closed, so we headed back the usual route passed Glazebrook House, stopping on the bridge over the Glaze Brook, (our second crossing of the said brook) for Graham to change up to his spare battery. Anyone would think we had been climbing a few Hills to drain his first one. Then it was onwards back to the station car park.
A beautiful cloudless sunny day, the wind only troubled us on the leg up to Bittaford, I had 34 miles on the clock. Hope I haven’t put Mark off from coming out with us, & hope to see him again.
Trevor
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