OK Roland if you want to run this one on Sunday 17th July & maybe run another one later on for those who can’t make this one, that would be great.

Roland – can I respectively suggest the 17th July as this will coincide with my QED birthday weekend ride & I was gonna do Exmoor on the Sunday anyway. Two birds – one stone & all that.

I’ve been doing a sheadload of running in prep for a half marathon – maybe I should just run around with a wheel in one hand & a saddle in the other during MM 😀

If I’m free I’d like to join the party 😀

Andy
Green bit = Grass, Brown bit = Trail

maybe he’s on the way to or from the ditch @ Weacombe 😉

A great cause & I’m happy to support you guys. Have fun 😀

BigEls – drop me an email (addy in my profile) & I’ll send you some routes mate.

I was diagnosed with skin cancer two years ago which came as a very big shock as I was completely unaware I had it. I was very fortunate when a mole on my shoulder blade bled a little just before I went to the Docs about a sore throat. I mentioned the mole & I was referred to a consultant who said they would remove it ‘to be on the safe side’ & I had the minor op a few weeks later.

I went back for a follow up appointment & my Chinese consultant opened my file & said (in very comical Chinese accent) ‘Agh that mroll we trook off was a marignant merranoma’ ……….. **** me I thought that sounds bad, I asked if he meant I had skin cancer? & he said ‘Ress you got skrin Kranca’

Anyway I then went back a few weeks later where they did another op to remove a strip of skin where the original mole was. I was left with a rather impressive large Zig Zag scar on my shoulder. I used the scar to my advantage telling the kids in the pool on holiday that I was bitten by a shark 🙂

My advice to everyone is please please please take care in the Sun & wear a high sun factor cream, I don’t use anything less that 20 & often use 30+. Sunburn is not big or clever and you really don’t want to catch skin cancer believe me you really don’t. If anyone has a mole which is an irregular shape or flaky or bleeds or is getting bigger please get it checked out. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if my skin cancer hadn’t been removed, I could be sitting here today typing this completely unaware that it was getting a hold & things could have been a whole lot more serious.

I am now two years into remission & I’m very grateful for every day I have. I am also very grateful to the friends I have made due to my condition & in particular to two people off STW who gave me invaluable information & support when I was at my lowest point. When you think you are going to die anytime soon it sort of fries your brain & the emotional turmoil is a nightmare, but they kept me sane & pointed out that what I was experiencing was all part of the Cancer journey.

Just thought I’d share my story of the danger of too much Sun on the skin & I hope it might make others think twice before going out to ‘fry’ themselves without any SPF on.

This is my steed & it puts a big old smile on my face every time I ride it. It’s more bike than I need & can handle but it smooths out the bumps & saves by (crispy) bacon when I get it all wrong.

I agree with the others that the crossmark is OK in dry but sketchy in mud I prefer a Racing Ralph as they grip better in the mud but also are fast rolling in the dry.

Which side of Dartmoor do you ride West or East?

I mainly ride the West side & in the Winter I run Kenda Nevgals F&R or Trailrakers on the rear if its really muddy. My Summer set up is Speed King on front & Racing Ralph or Crossmark on rear. I’m not a hardcore XC balls out type of rider though.

Get yourself a pair of these & some flats – jobs a good ‘un 😉

HTH

a few pics from today’s ride

Lol – it is the correct way from this side of the river Tamar tho 😉

Nice to see the correct application of cream first, knottie…

bloody heathen ………… we all know it’s jam first & cream on top 😉

What an outstanding day on Dartmoor we had today, rock hard dry trails & lots of blue sky

We also found an ice cream van at Burrator apparently the waste bin & my top are both sky blue 😉

hang on extra points for anyone getting a sky blue ice cream van 😀

We should have a AV system on here

We’ll have to have a referendum on it first though 😉

I vote for an ice cream van 🙂

Glad you enjoyed the route Carl & I’m stoked too 😕

I’ve got my middle ring off ready to be replaced on Tuesday.

that’s it, he’s cursed it. I’ll be putting my mud tyres on for monday…

Are you coming out tomorrow on Dartmoor with us Julian?

nice one Carl that makes 9 riders, forecast looks good & I’ve put my Summer treads on the bike too 😆

Should be a fun day out on Dartmoor.

Anna B – Lol you should have said earlier & I’d have gone to Tesco & bought some Easter bunnies for the lads 😉

################# Buuuuummmmmpppp ######################

OK guys this is my last bump/call for anyone who wants to join us for a ride on Dartmoor tomorrow.

If anyone is interested in joining us can you please email me (addy in profile) so we can swap mobi No.s & we know you’re coming. Cheers

drifting_james no worries mate we’ll be sure to let you know if & when we plan the next one.

elgolfo – the route from the Warren House Inn over & back is approx. 20 miles with about 3,600ft of climbing and with a group of 7+ riders I’m allowing 4 to 5 hrs. If you are coming can you email me (addy in profile) your mobi No. so we can make contact if there’s a problem on the day. Cheers

Sorry oblique for the hijack but I just thought I’d update my progress towards my first half marathon on 29th May.

I’m managing to get for 3 x training runs most weeks & I’m also off road riding, commuting & playing footie too to help out. Today I did my first 8 mile non-stop run & I’m currently running @ 10 min mile pace. Ok I’m not gonna set any records but I’m confident that I can complete the distance on the day albeit slowly.

I’m grateful for the tips on here from the regular runners you really have helped a newbie out. The best tips i’ve had are:

walk the first 400m & last 400m as a warm up/warm down
do stretches before & after running
don’t tie your laces too tight
don’t increase your distance too much too soon
don’t run too fast pace yourself
don’t wear a T shirt under your running top in mild weather – Christ I also died running that day 😥
build in rest days to recover
I prefer to run first thing before breakfast & before it gets too hot

Thanks once again & only 5 weeks to the big one!

I was diagnosed with skin cancer two years ago which came as a very big shock as I was completely unaware I had it. I was very fortunate when a mole on my shoulder blade bled a little just before I went to the Docs about a sore throat. I mentioned the mole & I was referred to a consultant who said they would remove it ‘to be on the safe side’ & I had the minor op a few weeks later.

I went back for a follow up appointment & my Chinese consultant opened my file & said (in very comical Chinese accent) ‘Agh that mroll we trook off was a marignant merranoma’ ……….. **** me I thought that sounds bad, I asked if he meant I had skin cancer? & he said ‘Ress you got srkin cranca’ 😥

Anyway I then went back a few weeks later where they did another op to remove a strip of skin where the original mole was. I was left with a rather impressive large Zig Zag scar on my shoulder. I used the scar to my advantage telling the kids in the pool on holiday that I was bitten by a shark 🙂

My advice to everyone is please please please take care in the Sun & wear a high sun factor cream, I don’t use anything less that 20 & often use 30+. Sunburn is not big or clever and you really don’t want to catch skin cancer believe me you really don’t. If anyone has a mole which is an irregular shape or flaky or bleeds or is getting bigger please get it checked out. I sometimes wonder what would have happened if my skin cancer hadn’t been removed, I could be sitting here today typing this completely unaware that it was getting a hold & things could have been a whole lot more serious.

I am now two years into remission & I’m very grateful for every day I have. I am also very grateful to the friends I have made due to my condition & in particular to two people off STW who gave me invaluable information & support when I was at my lowest point. When you think you are going to die anytime soon it sort of fries your brain & the emotional turmoil is a nightmare, but they kept me sane & pointed out that what I was experiencing was all part of the Cancer journey.

One of the important things is to remember that there are others who are also suffering the same ups & downs in particular my wife who had to deal with her own fears & stress. This was a journey we both had to share & both had to endure. Luckily it has brought us even closer together & we appreciate each other even more.

I would urge anyone who has Cancer or has a partner/friend/relative with Cancer to seek support, it’s not being weak it’s being strong & sharing the burden. The Macmillan Cancer website is a good place to start, or if anyone wants to pm me my email is in my addy. As Bullheart says a positive attitude to beating Cancer helps but don’t be afraid to speak to others.

Good luck Phil & best wishes to your Mum. I hope they caught it early & that the treatment is successful.

***Bump***

If anyone wants a guided ride on Dartmoor on Sunday then please post here or email me – addy in profile.

We currently have 7 definite riders for Sunday & a few more possibles.

If you don’t want to do the full tour then you can always meet us @ the Hound Tor car park around 11ish & ride the ‘Cleave’, but let us know you’re gonna be there in case we miss you.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Come on Andy it’s gonna be a fun day on the bikes 🙂

I’m doing a STW Dartmoor ride on Sunday – everyone welcome to join in the fun.

bitemebryn – ygm

We are still open for anyone else who wants to join us on Dartmoor on Sunday.

Drop me a message here or an email.

I had a rather serious motorbike accident @ age 19 & I was left with life changing injuries. I had to stop all forms of exercise as a result.

Fast forward to age 39. I was going into town & I briskly ran up a flight of 12 steps, at the top I was completely out of breath & I couldn’t believe how out of shape I was. I suddenly realised that I was gonna be 40 the next year & my lack of fitness was frightening. I decided there & then to get fit @ forty.

I bought a Raleigh Max Y frame full susser as you do when you shop @ Halfrauds, well all the kids were riding them so they must be good? I started slowly & gradually built up the mileage to the point that I was able to do a 32 mile charity cycle ride just before I was 40.

I had the bike for 4 years & clocked up over 4,000 miles on it mainly commuting & riding on the road shod with commuter tyres. I even did BHF London to Brighton on it & the Norwich 100 mile ride also for BHF. I then did the Devon C2C ride which was 115 miles one way in a day & it broke down on the way back the next day, this made me realise that it really wasn’t designed to do the type of mileage I wanted to ride.

I then bought a Spesh stumpjumper HT & I couldn’t believe how much lighter it was & how much faster I could go. The best bit was riding a proper MTB off road on Dartmoor rather than mincing down the cycle paths. I’ve been riding off road ever since & commuting during the Summer. I’ve also flashed out for a full susser too as I’m getting on a bit now & it’s gentler on my body. I love MTBing & I love riding bikes.

I’m now at age 49 & 3/4 probably the fittest I’ve ever been & happier too.

Cool – you riding your Soul on Sunday then 😉

just a thought but why are you starting that loop so high up ? surely you’ve got to start that one down at yarner or bovey ?

Point taken TM but coming up from Kernow it’s not quite so far to drive plus I like to have a longer/harder ride (not sure if that’s true for the others tho 😉 ) & us oldies just lurve them thar hills.

I was going to mention this later but if anyone wants to meet us @ the Hound Tor car park instead around 11ish you’re more than welcome.

I live in the peoples republic of Kernow 🙂

It was a great ride with great company in great weather, we now know the route for when you join us on Sunday 8th May 🙂

jam bo – I haven’t got a GPS doofer mate but here is the route.

Start – Quarry car park, take Old Railway line above Quarry car park until the first road crossing (not the main Yelverton/Princetown road) turn right, follow road until track on left (on OS map marked cross gate) follow track then take first right track & follow down to Leather Tor bridge. Cross bridge turn left then left again almost immediately, follow bw north until you see plank on left, cross plank & follow track up to main road. Take road back towards Yelverton for approx. 400m take right into first car park, through car park then pick up bw down to old railway line, cross railway line & through gate, follow track then road down to Daveytown & into hidden valley. At Merrivale turn right & prepare to suffer the 1.5 mile road climb up to North Hessary Tor TV mast – you do need to put your bike over the gate to get to the TV mast access road – after passing TV mast descend into Pricetown, back onto moor past South Hessary Tor to widowmaker. On widowmaker at first stream crossing take a branch off to the right (easy to spot as it’s straight ahead) & pick up Devonport Leat, ride leat on left hand side until you descend to the aqueduct, carry bike over to far side & continue on path. Bear off to the left down to the plank & back down bw to Nosworthy bridge, return to Quarry car park.

If you need any clarification let me know.

HTH

18 miles in total with some serious climbing involved too

some stuff (along the leat) that i don’t recognise there.

That bit is ever so ‘cheeky’ but good fun nonetheless 🙂

Thank you Leon & Chris it was nice to meet you both at long last.

It was a great ride today on some of the ‘off the beaten track’ stuff & I’m glad you are both still in one piece. There’s still ‘moor’ stuff up there we’ve yet to show you so we’ll have to arrange another Dartmoor ride soon.

I’m sorting out the pics & I’ll put some on here shortly.

Carl sorry to hear you were DIYing today mate & have a good one at Haldon tomorrow. Are you riding down St Andrews Lane tomorrow? if so can you let me know what it’s like after being sanitised @ the bottom, cheers.