In love with Dartmoor

Went to Dartmoor today. Did nutcracker and what was meant to be a 30k route around manaton and a few of the tors. Did the distance but final 6k was on road as light was fading. Will finish the route next time as a lot of time wasted following a badly detailed map.

Anyway just wanted to say WOW. Rock gardens everywhere and the most beatiful ride I’ve ever done. Simply the most technical and enjoyable ride I’ve ever been on in fifteen years. Fantastic.

No real point to this thread other than to say if you’re nearby well worth a visit.

Shh, or the locals in the Slaughtered Lamb will bait you.

Ha! Is that what happened to Jay of Jays Grave?!

Tush now Stu

You wouldn’t be the first to taste the delights of Lustleigh Cleeve, nor will you be the last…

Some great techy riding hidden away in the cleave and locale, in fact, it even makes a modern 160mm bike work a bit 😉

this thread needs more of ^^^^

I’m going down there in may for a family holiday and hoping to get a day out to go ride as didn’t take bike last year!

Those pics look great especially when its grey and raining outside at the moment!

Anyone got any gpx etc for a good route?

Wait til you ride there in the pishing rain and a howling gale, it’s even better!! 😀

Never been to Dartmoor, doesn’t seem to get mentioned much for biking.

What is the terrain like? Are the photos above typical of Dartmoor? And what’s it like to ride in the winter?

^ rode the burrator loop a couple of xmas’ ago. It was snow rain and shin deep mud in places. It is still no matter worth the trip for the sheer isolation feeling 🙂

Do not go there, ever. It is not as pictured. It is all flat, mostly flooded, mud like Velcro, never has sunshine and the sheep bite and spit. The locals all tell lies and there are no Pubs. Bike shops do not exist. You have been warned.

I’ve just moved to the edge of Dartmoor 😀 and have been slowly putting the finishing touches to my 456 in anticipation of trying out the trails. Its been for a cheeky trip around Haldon after work, but i’ve yet to take it up on to the Moor itself.

Other than Lustleigh Cleave and the Princetown/Burrator loop are there other spots people recommend? I’ve heard about Hound Tor too.

What dexa said – so b***** off. 😉

I have contrived to fall off from that clapper bridge, into the river 😳

I’ve heard about Hound Tor too.

what? you mean her that runs the hound of the basketmeals?

terrible place.. I lived there for a couple of years and everyone on my facebook friends list got AIDS as a result..

And Lustleigh Cleave has more Grizzly bears than the whole of Canada and North America combined

it’s rubbish, don’t go there, crap pubs, muddy, clay, chalk, yes loads of slippery wet chalk just painted to look like granite. Hideous place, not worth the fuel, flat, loads of Tarmac etc.

Bloody instagrm won’t let me post the pictures of the horror!

Oh and to top it all off Mrs M sent a message by getting Qom down the widow maker.

what? you mean her that runs the hound of the basketmeals?

So many League of Gentlemen memories coming back after that pic 🙂

I’ve not tried anything from the van – do they do cans of can’t?

For what its worth – I think Dartmoor blew away earlier this evening…

Oh and to top it all off Mrs M sent a message by getting Qom down the widow maker.

thats pretty impressive. although yours is more so. How strong was the tailwind? 😉

Never a tail wind, only good form! :-). Old age, cunning and treachery, best youth, fitness and skill………mostly! 😆

good form!! I’m wondering where I can find another 2 minutes. (currently 37th)

you’ll be pleased to know the KoM did it on a hardtail..

Some of my pics

Can anyone recommend any decent campsites. I used to stay with my Aunt Joannie near Liverton when she was alive. Miss the area, must get down again next year…

There’s a pub on the road out of liverton that allows camping in the beer garden… the name escapes me at the moment but I’ll update you when I remember

is there a link to any of the routes? i did have some from st mag years back but lost all my routes in a computer change. dartmoor is not far from me, can’t understand why i’ve never made the effort.

Hound Tor, you won’t like it

Shhh…

Hateful place, never enjoyed my couple of visits recently. Awful……

Haven’t been Dartmoor way much since I was with the CCF in the 1990s but I preserve many happy (though frequently sodden and frozen) memories. Ten Tors remains one of the hardest physical events I’ve ever done – I still recall hauling a completely soaked Vango Force Ten tent, taking my rucksack to over 25kg for a 35 mile march when I was only 14 years old, good times! I don’t suppose there’s any chance of a MTB Ten Tors is there? My first thought would be how to negotiate all the bogs, and the ground damage that might do of course…

To many Ticks…… Even in winter…..Wouldn’t bother

tomd1984 – Member
I’ve just moved to the edge of Dartmoor and have been slowly putting the finishing touches to my 456 in anticipation of trying out the trails. Its been for a cheeky trip around Haldon after work, but i’ve yet to take it up on to the Moor itself.

Other than Lustleigh Cleave and the Princetown/Burrator loop are there other spots people recommend? I’ve heard about Hound Tor too

Where have you moved to, Tom? I’ve got a riding mate who lives in Bovey Tracey.

Only ridden there once, but it was a cracker

bloody IT

Kudos to the HT riders amongst you lot!

There are quite a few places where a decent amount of travel and some “super gravity” flavour tyres really helps 😉

Only ridden there few times nice place.Love Exmoor though not so keen at present with these wild winds that nearly blew me of my Fattie yesterday up Selworthy Beacon and that lovely red soil which when wet acts as a great grinding paste down by Brockwell happy days. 😆

Ha, loving the responses!
I did it on a hardtail but the ride was the first time I’d really thought a full susser would have been nice. If I could work out how to post photos I’d put them up!

sponging-machine – member

Where have you moved to, Tom? I’ve got a riding mate who lives in Bovey Tracey

Okehampton, SM, but I work in Exeter so after work rides on the ‘other’ side of the moor are easily do-able 🙂

Interesting comments re hardtail vs full sus. I’ve been toying with the idea of a full bouncer for a while… It’s all your fault if I buy something later on!

Happy to say this is my backyard 🙂

Suspension you say? Pah!