Date: Tuesday 6th December 2011
Riders: Greg Rob, Dan and James
Depart WP: 19:45
Arrive HQ: 9:30

Mileage maketh man. Total attendees at WP numbered three until a ride-shy Paddy phoned James to confirm that some normal blokes were indeed venturing forth. James was duly given two and a half minutes to get changed and get on his bike – he failed. Katie greeted us on the doorstep whilst James slipped out of something more comfortable. As we set of, Katie remarked in surprise at how there were now four of us, having not equated ‘3+husband = 4’.

So we set of as a four, back up into Yelverton and across to the cycle track. Down the hill to Clearbrook, intending to climb out of Clearbrook via the road. Rob then paused at the bottom of the hill with the apparent loss of two riders. Back up the hill we rode, past the Skylark, but James and Dan were gone.

Pair A (goto Pair B)

Rob and I pressed on, determined to burn the lungs a bit. Down to the railway track via Goodameavy and exited on the Shaugh side to cross Shaugh bridge, up the hill a little way and then turned off to take the pipetrack up to Cadover. A few minor offs and carries later we then took the track across Brisworthy common. We then took on earthquake which represented a mudslide ending in a mammoth off for me. Coming across a stranded motorist near the ford in Meavy, we tried our best at being Samaritans, but to no avail. A moment of excitement turned to dismay when the Dartmoor rescue stopped in their spotless sou’westers to see Rob lying under a car, and two bikes lying on their side next to a car. Their excitement soon faded when they discovered a lack of a casualty and our hopeful request for a pair of pliers.

Rob and I were now cold and the rain had just start – yes gents! JUST STARTED! Up the hill to Yelverton where I left Rob to slip into the Rock and I slipped into the washing machine.

Reporter: Greg

Pair B
Route: Railway, Cann Woods, Railway, HQ
Riders: Dan and James
Depart WP: 19:45
Arrive HQ: 10:10
Distance: 15.5 miles
Weather: Wet to very wet to monsoon

As we went down the hill through Clearbrook Greg and Rob suddenly vanished. I stopped at the junction to turn right towards the railway which Dan had cycled past. I called Dan back to say that we needed to turn here as he had previously said the other two were talking about going along the railway. I also said we had never carried straight on down the road, ever. Whoops.

From here we carried on down the railway expecting at any minute to find the other two waiting for us. We got down as far as the bridge we usually go up and over to go up into Cann Woods and tried to call Rob, but alas no signal. As we debated what to do we saw lights coming towards us. We thought this could be our long lost cycling buddies, but they didn’t stop so it was probably the YOGis heading back to Marsh Mills. We decided to head up to the top of Cann Woods to see if we could get a signal. At the top we tried ringing again, but got no answer.

As time was getting on and we knew the fair-weather only cyclists were meeting in the pub at 9 we decided to do one run down the downhill biker’s section (avoiding the big jumps), then back up to the top and then down the normal trail leading back down to the railway. Dan enquired whether this was the route we took when he dislocated his shoulder, but I wouldn’t have been as cruel as to have risked trying that. We then faced the long ride back up the railway in what varied from drizzle to torrential rain whilst trying to put the world to rights in relation to current pension problems.

When we arrived at the pub the club members averse to getting wet were already sat around the usual table. I think they must have drunk the bar dry of Babycham by this time and had now been forced to revert back to drinking Dartmoor Brewery products.

Reporter: James

President's Footnote: Very impressed with the gentlemen that turned out on a pretty grim night, sets the standard for future winter evenings.