Another recommendation for RSF Suspension great service & turn around times. I wouldn’t go anywhere else :-)

I had a very similar accident last November when a car drove onto a roundabout & knocked me off my bike :-(

I used C-AMS who are dealing with my claim.
I had a new helmet within 2 weeks & a new bike within a month.

I couldn’t fault them, they were very efficient & they have now got a firm of Solicitors to pursue the personal injury claim. They have confirmed that I will get 100% of the claim.

I hope your friend is back on the mend soon, it took me months to get back to a position to ride a bike & I still have issues with riding on the roads in traffic.

My stats are:

Rides – 122
Mileage – 4,820 miles – 7,757Km
Climbing – 390,000ft – 118,000m

My worst years riding since 2015, however I spent a lot of time this year caring for my Father who sadly passed away in May & then I was knocked off my bike when a car hit me on a roundabout in November & it’s taken time to recover.

I am hoping that 2020 will be a better year for me & my riding.

Blimey where do I start?

2009 riding on Dartmoor from Princetown towards South Hessary Tor, back in the days when they had mud bank water bars on the trail. Flying along getting quicker & quicker & more confident over the mud water bars using them as kickers to get air, then on the final one the handle bars landed at 2 o’clock rather than 12 o’clock, the front tyre dug in & the bike disappeared, at this point I then had a Dartmoor granite facial at around 15mph :-( it took most of the skin off my face from my chin to mouth. Funniest moment was sitting in minor injuries unit waiting to be seen when my LBS rang me to say that my other bike was ready for collection.

On a night ride I knew there was a new grantie clapper bridge coming up that had 2 stone slabs sat side by side & I didn’t want to ride across the middle where there was a gap, cue me getting it all wrong & the front wheel getting trapped in the gap, the bike stopped dead I didn’t and went OTB, I ended up on the far bank with my feet in the stream a little dazed, my mate came running back asking ‘Are you alright?’ …. Yes, I said when you get off my bloody hand!!! which he was stood on.

Next up 2013 again on Dartmoor flying down the Widowmaker & near the bottom I thought I saw a large rock in the middle of a tight right hand turn, decided to go left of the rock but was going way too fast to make the corner so went straight on, according to Strava I hit the gorse bush with my face at 12mph :-( ended up almost ripping my Tragus off my ear which needed 3 stitches to re-attach it.

My latest was 8th Nov 2019 on my road bike this time, I was knocked off my bike by a car on a roundabout :-( Luckily for me he hit my bike rather than me, however I hit the road face first & ended up with 15 stitches in my face & six stitches in my right knee :-(

Got taken out by a car on a roundabout last Friday afternoon. CCTV shows he didn’t stop at the roundabout, didn’t slow down when entering the roundabout & drove straight onto the roundabout via me & my bike :-(

Carbon fibre road bike is a write off :-( I was taken to hospital & I am lucky not to have any broken bones, however I do have various cuts, bruises, grazes to face, hands & knees plus a total of 21 stitches. Feeling very battered and very sore, trying to find a position in bed where I don’t hurt anywhere is difficult & I can’t sleep properly or get proper rest. Right knee is very swollen & stiff meaning I can’t bend it properly to climb stairs or drive my car.

It’s early days but I can’t see me being back on my MTB this side of Xmas. I’m no longer a youngster & injuries take an age to get better.

Good luck to everyone else who is unable to ride at present & I hope you get back in the saddle soon.

If you want to ride on Dartmoor & start from Ivybridge then:

Day 1 – as stated by jam bo you are better off skirting round the side of the moors, ie lee moor, cadover, burrator and up to princetown from there, this is the route I personally would take. However if you want to go direct from Ivybridge then go North up the Two Moors way towards Red Lake then take a left on to the Abbots Way to Nunns Cross (I haven’t ridden this section to Nunns Cross so can’t vouch whether it is rideable or not) & on to Princetown. At Princetown you can get food at the pubs or if you are cooking your own food then make your way to Foggintor Quarry (West of Princetown) to camp for the night, it’s sheltered & the quarry is flooded so you have a water supply.

Day 2 – go back to Princetown & take the BW East – Crock of Gold/Tavistock – Ashburton Packhorse trail – at Hexworthy take the road North to Dunnabridge Pound Farm, BW to Bellever & Pizwell Farm, through Soussons Down, Grimspound, Hameldown, Jays Grave/Natsworthy, Manaton, Lustleigh etc to Dunsford.

If the first day above is a bit short to Princetown then make your way to Bellever Woods to camp there by the stream and you can also get food at the pub at Postbridge. On day 2 make your way to Dunsford.

I don’t want to intrude at this very sensitive time but if someone close to the family, maybe joshjenkinsshaw?, could post up the arrangements for Mark’s funeral in due course I would be very grateful as I would like to pay my respects in person after all the help Mark gave to me.

Mark/Bullheart was a true legend, my hero, an inspiration to me & many other people as he lived his life to the full.

I first learnt about Mark from his original post on STW about his potential diagnosis of cancer & I have followed his journey ever since. I was fortunate to meet up with Mark & his crew in August 2010 in a remote lay-by near Okehampton when he was undertaking his John O’Groats to Lands End cycle ride only a very short time around 6 months after his ‘Bovine’ implant & the chemo sessions a remarkable achievement considering the very unusual circumstances but that was Mark. At that time I too was on my own Cancer journey & in this regard we shared a common bond.

I then met up again with Mark & the rest of Team Bullheart at the 2011 Mountain Mayhem event, an amazing weekend with Mark & the team, with lots of laughs, drinking & riding and it also included Az/Fred Dibnah having a Mohawk haircut :-) We followed that up with Team Bullheart at the Bontrager 24/12 in 2011 another fun filled weekend with Mark & Team Bullheart raising much needed money for the Sarcoma Trust. We enjoyed the Bontrager 24/12 so much that we met up for the 2012 event too which sadly turned into a complete mudfest with the biblical rains that weekend :-)

I was always in awe of Mark & how he never let his condition get in the way of leading his life to the full. He inspired me in my own battle & I am a stronger person for knowing him. Today I shed a tear for the passing of a truly great man & I hope that the great bikeshed in the sky are ready for Bullheart & all his shizzle.

My thoughts are with his wife & two daughters

Big Bloke off STW won a £6K bike in one of the ‘Dream Bike competitions’ the jammy barsteward :-)

I had a slow start to 2018 as I was helping out my elderly parents in January & February due to their ill health, so I only really got riding in March. I’ve had an amazing year on the bike due in no small part to being ‘between jobs’ and having more riding time plus the superb long, hot & dry Summer which meant more days for riding.

Mileage – 6,947 miles
Time – 699hrs
Elevation – 584,314ft
rides – 194

Looking to hopefully breaking 7,000 miles in 2019 :-)

If you are bringing your MTB don’t stop at Yelverton, carry on to Burrator and take the disused railway line to Princetown, lunch at Foxtor cafe, then take the track beside the Plume of Feathers pub back across the moor to Burrator then Yelverton – easy to navigate see OS map OL28.

Wembury – catch a bus to Wembury then take SW Coastal path back to Mountbatten, take water taxi back to Barbican.

Rame – take Cremyll ferry to Mount Edgcumbe, then SW Coastal path through Mt Edgcumbe to Kingsands & Cawsands for lunch, from Kingsands take inland BW to Maker then drop down the otherside to pick up the footpath back to Mt Edgcumbe.

Ton – Scotsroutes makes some very salient points above re, route, ave speed, finding somewhere to stop overnight, etc.

I have done a few 100+ mile rides back to back and IMHO don’t under estimate the fatigue from long multiple days in the saddle.

I would respectively suggest that you undertake a few test days riding 100 miles back to back to see how your body reacts, IMHO part of the trick on long rides is finding out what foods your body will accept when it’s under severe pressure, for me that’s jam donuts, buttered T-cakes, individual small pork pies, crispy bacon rolls/sandwich, salty crisps, etc – I tend to alternate between something sweet then something savoury. I also use SIS tablets in my water bottle this stops cramps both during the ride & during the night.

Ride a bike that is very comfortable for long rides is essential together with some padded gloves & shorts, I never use to wear padded shorts on road rides but now on longer rides 75+ miles they are a Godsend together with butt cream ;-)  Pick your route well, no point in beasting your self up lots of hills if you can avoid them.

Riding 31 days doing 100 miles each day is an enormous ask, I wish you well :-)

Another heads up for Paul at Akamas Mountain Bike Tours, I had two guided rides with him on my holiday in Cyprus this year & they were fantastic, he really knows the area & he’s as fit as 2 x butchers dogs :-)

Top fleet of Whyte bikes & he can’t do enough to make your day great, I was based at Polis in the North & he picked me up from my hotel no problem :-)

I’m waiting for them to sanitise it ;-) :-)

The track from Foggintor past Yellowmead to the road is completely open & rideable :-) no access problem at all, much better than slogging up the disused railway track all the way to Princetown. If you are going to Princetown the TV mast descent is a must :-)

As Jam Bo states the access road to the TV mast is a private road but I’ve never had any problems/issues riding it, the descent from the TV mast to Princetown is a footpath but again never had any issues with walkers etc :-)

Given the improvement in modern MTB’s to the state of mega skills compensator ;-) IMHO riding down the Widowmaker is fun but really it is just a test of hanging on, whereas riding up the Widowmaker tests your bike handling skills & fitness level :-)

Rather than ride all the way up the disused railway line back to Princetown, you can at Burrator ride through Stanlake Plantation, turn left at the end & up to the road, ride back towards the car park near Sharpitor, through the car park down to the disused railway line, turn right along the track & after going under the bridge on the next left hand corner take the shortcut on the right up the hill to Foggintor, keep heading north at Foggintor past Yellowmeade farm to the road, turn right up the road & just past Rundlestone cottages take the access road up to the TV mast, descend off the mast to Princetown :-)

Lol – I am fond of crispy bacon sandwiches or a baguette but most of all a 99 ice cream :-)

I’m currently ‘between jobs’ ;-) so have some extra time for riding :-)

Am now following you but you may need to send me a Strava request?

Try this one:-)

It does exist honest :-) let me know if you can or can’t see it.

I agree with Jambo the trail from Nunn’s Cross to Eylesbarrow is better now it’s not a bogfest :-)

I was up on the Burrator/Princetown loop last Sunday which was a tad moist :-(

I started at Burrator and rode up the Widowmaker/Abbots Way/Rocky Road etc which is a nice technical challenge :-) Then went to the Foxtor cafe at Princetown for lunch. After lunch it was back along the trail to South Hessary tor – Nunn’s Cross – Eylesbarrow which is now mainly sanitised :-( any way rather than go down past the scout hut you can detour over to Ditsworthy Warren then take the road to Ringmore cottage for another cracking descent down Earthquake :-) it’s then a mince up the hill to Burrator – route here https://www.strava.com/activities/1904167324

Make the most of your time down here as Dartmoor is running very fast at the moment & it won’t be like this forever :-)

I was there in June & like thepurist I used Paul at Akamas Mountain Bike Tours.

I’ve ridden in a few places around the world & Paul is the most professional outfit I have ever used. Top quality bikes & equipment, great guide & he’s as fit as a butchers dog :-)

Drop him an email & see what he can do for you?

Mrs Toast

Newnham Park is privately owned & apart from the organised MTB events there you cannot ride there, outside of the cycle events it’s a shooting range so probably best not to ride in there anyway :-)

You might want to have a look around North Dartmoor in the Sourton/Meldon/Lydford area.

Easy to put a 15 mile loop together all off road with no road crossing, start from Sourton parking below Sourton Tor where it crosses the Granite way, head out on the moor in a big loop, you could head over towards High Willhays &/or Yes tor and loop back. Alternatively head down towards Lydford & loop back via Widgery Cross and Great Links Tor.

If you want a 30ish mile XC loop starting from Lydford & taking in the 2 high points in the area, High Willhays & Yes tor, then this might help – https://www.strava.com/activities/1188598702   

The area is very dry at the moment & running very fast, so get up there before the rain turns it to a mud slog mess.

I have had the privilege to have spent time in your company riding bikes around in some horrendous conditions & raising both awareness & money for the Sarcoma Trust.

As has been said you are an inspiration to anyone who has to fight Cancer & the story of your Cancer journey is legendary. It is an outrage that you are now forced to fund your own treatment but it is my pleasure to donate my ‘Winter fuel allowance’ ;-) to your fund :-)

BTW if your fund needs topping up in due course please don’t hesitate to ask again :-)

I was made redundent at 55 so I took the pay off & also took my pension early. The main thing is to ensure you have enough money to live on going forward, is your pension sufficient for your financial commitments or do you need to top that up with maybe part time work?

I was fortunate that my pension covers running the house & my financial commitments so I do not need to work again if I choose too. That then leaves you with an additional 40 hours of free time each week & how are you going to fill this time? Do you have any hobbies or passions other than surfing STW all day ;-)

I decided to live the dream for a year & I basically spent as much time as possible riding my bikes. As I now had a 7 day weekend I could pick & choose which days to go riding, if it was going to be wet then I wouldn’t stress about it and ride another day. My fitness & endurance has improved and I have never regretted the decision to retire.

No :-) HTH ;-)

I’m off to Cyprus next year & I’ve spoken to both these outfits that do MTB rides out there:

Akamas MTB[/url]
&
Mountain Bike Cyprus

Both have great reviews & could be what you are looking for :-)

Distance 6,500.0 miles – did 13.9 miles to round up :-)
Time 694h 52m
Elev Gain 559,619 ft
Rides 186
Longest ride 221.3 miles

Was my best ever year on the bike & I’m making the most of being retired.
Achieved my 3 riding goals of 2017:
cycling more than my 2016 total miles of 5,200
riding 200 miles in a day
climbing more than 500,000ft in honour of Dibbs the climbing legend RIP

It’s gonna be a tough 2018 to top my 2017 stats :-)

Hi Kate

I had the pleasure of riding with your late Father on both the Quantocks & Exmoor. I was always in awe of his stats on Strava in particular the 500,000 ft of climbing he achieved in 2015. This year in your Fathers honour I set a goal of 500,000ft of climbing which I’m pleased to confirm I achieved at the begining of November.

I am also a BHF supporter & I have glady donated.

Earlier this year when we were up there the GMBN crew were there with Hans Rey, riding down I saw this guy pushing up on the edge of the trail, asked if he was OK? he said Yes …… found out later it was Hans :-)

We had a Stickman laying sticks on a section of South Dartmoor trail, we rode up the trail a few times & cleared them but then found they were back 3 hours later when we returned :-( I reported it to the Police as the branches were getting bigger & someone could get seriously hurt riding into them. A PCSO rang me to ask if I could get a picture of the individual laying the sticks & their name & address – WTF?? To be honest if I caught someone laying sticks I’d have my own word with them!!

Recently close to home another stickman has been laying branches & large stones on a local Bridleway, again I’ve cleared them & a few days later they are back. This morning I spent around an hour clearing the 3 piles but this time I posted them over a high hedge well out of sight/reach. I also mentioned it to a dog walker passing by that whoever is doing it should stop, We’ll see if they give up soon or not

Get up there before it gets too wet & boggy – deffo not a Winter route – the loop around the north side of Avon reservoir is a good technical ride with a few stream crossings, at the far end you are aiming for a granite clapper bridge, across the bridge then it’s hike-a-bike up the very steep slope to the tramway, which is a stone road back towards Ivybridge, turn off near the end & it’s a nice steep downhill to the gate.

I went to Red Lake on this ride & it’s not worth the effort as parts of the track were waterlogged :-(

This is a 20 mile loop which goes through South Brent up to Avon Dam then loops over towards Red Lake and the tramway back to Ugborough beacon.

Avon Dam loop

I had RSF put a replacement stanchion on my RS SIDs, great comms, great service & reasonable price too.

Also had my SIDs serviced by RSF too a few years ago, not heard any negative feedback from any of my mates who have used RSF.

Give Dave a ring to discuss any problems you have with your forks :-)

I’ve used RSF Suspension[/url] for my RS SIDs & they did a fantastic job.

Great turnaround time & great communication.

I’ve got a GPX route for a Plymouth/Wembury SW Coastal path loop if you want.

Email in profile if you want to drop me a line :-)

Slightly off topic but someone mentioned Humvees.

The new designed 3/4 Humvees are also sh!t, looks like they’ve used the same redesigners on their shorts range :-( Bought a pair of new 3/4 Humvees & the rear back panel has an elasticated section which is a nightmare as it catches on the saddle when getting on the bike or moving around. It also feels like they are always falling down!!

I’ve had 3 pairs of the old design in the last 4 years which were absolutely superb, only worn the new ones twice – anyone want a nearly new pair of 3/4 Humvees size S £15 posted ?? email in profile :-)

I was 16 and working in the school holidays at a factory in Plymouth, the ladies on the production lines were in tears & everyone was talking about it :cry:

I was too young at the time to understand what Elvis meant to people & the influence his music had on them. They also played Elvis records on the radio all day long :(

Mowgli – back at ya :wink:

I’ve got a nice 24 mile loop from the Warren House Inn over to Manaton & back, some nice downs but nothing too suicidal, you can stop at the Hound of the Basket meals van for lunch :-)

Email in profile if you want me to send you a GPX file.