The Hell of Horcum
Saturday morning and it's dark an moody sky's with blustery winds,
it would be easy to turn over and stay in bed. But the thought of meeting friends for a ride soon have me in the car and over the moors.
At the car park Elpedro and "new car" with diesel bitch's are waiting for me, as more riders turn up were soon at full strength.
So with the meet and greets quickly dispensed with and the compulsory drooling over old bikes its time for the group photo.
All lined up for the group piccie and a MK II Ford Cortina 1600E just happened to pass by proper retro.
First we head toward RAF Fylingdales and then skirt round the edge of the perimeter fence, watching out for the RED DOT !! we all make it past the "secret" listing post.
In this next pic I'm not to sure whats been happening but I thought I'd better capture it for evidence in case of prosecution
We bimble along the fire roads until we come to a fast downhill with a cattle grid at the bottom which catches the unaware out with a pinch flat,
soon repaired, onward and upward we reach the stone cross at the top.
We take in the view and point out local landmarks, with tails of ill thought out Victorian Holiday resorts.
Talk then turns to what is to come.....
Its time to ride some sweet singletrack to Ella beck, the next mile or so is a shoeshine ride through the heather "with a few" Rocks to keep your focus and on your toe's. We regroup at the beck to tell tails of near misses and clattered rear mech's.
From Ella beck its across the rail tracks and the start of the long slow climb to the top of Simon Howe, this is sinuous singletrack with dips, rocks and ruts to take your mind off the fact that your riding up hill.
At the top once again we chat about the different trails from where we were, it's the singletrack to the left thats the flavor of the day today.
We descend in the "not quite a head wind" until we reach the edge of Newtondale forest, the wind making it a bit slower that normal.
Regrouping at the wooden bridge at the forest we then wind are way along the fire roads.
And duck into the tree lined trails and start to lose more hard earned hight, but more descents are just around the corner.
We followed some of the same trails the BDWII took last year and the grins at the bottom were just as big.
Now on the valley floor we followed the rail tracks to Levisham station and a well earned cuppa, the British Rail experience was completed with the said cuppa in a polystyrene cup.
Beverages ordered with chooses of cake or bacon buttys we all sit down to chat and put the world to rights, to reinforce the old saying of you wait twenty minutes for a train and two turn up........... guess what happened.
Yep two lovely old steam trains turned up one looking like it had just left the paint shop.
Thomas the tank engine?
Box fresh citrus fruit
Old Iron
The Train kept a Rollin
Like a Tornado
Goodbye farewell ...............
Time to start the final assent, this is the "Hell of the Horcum" ride, from the station on the valley floor it starts with a steep tarmac climb then heads off on to a grassy track that drags at your tyres and becomes steeper than the steep tarmac.
Once at the top its time to catch are breath and take in the view, its just a few short miles to the end of the ride from here, with the wind at are backs it makes the final trails around the Hole of Horcum feel like we,vie just left the car park.
Well done to every one who made the effort on what looked like it would be a wet an wild day, we caught the edge of one shower and had the wind at are backs when we needed it most,
Good company, Good trails and some lovely old bikes being ridden as they were meant to be, made this another retroride to remember.
Thanks for taking part in happy memory's
Cheers Vern
Ps there's a few more pics Here feel free to copy & paste any you like.
Saturday morning and it's dark an moody sky's with blustery winds,
it would be easy to turn over and stay in bed. But the thought of meeting friends for a ride soon have me in the car and over the moors.
At the car park Elpedro and "new car" with diesel bitch's are waiting for me, as more riders turn up were soon at full strength.
So with the meet and greets quickly dispensed with and the compulsory drooling over old bikes its time for the group photo.
All lined up for the group piccie and a MK II Ford Cortina 1600E just happened to pass by proper retro.
First we head toward RAF Fylingdales and then skirt round the edge of the perimeter fence, watching out for the RED DOT !! we all make it past the "secret" listing post.
In this next pic I'm not to sure whats been happening but I thought I'd better capture it for evidence in case of prosecution
We bimble along the fire roads until we come to a fast downhill with a cattle grid at the bottom which catches the unaware out with a pinch flat,
soon repaired, onward and upward we reach the stone cross at the top.
We take in the view and point out local landmarks, with tails of ill thought out Victorian Holiday resorts.
Talk then turns to what is to come.....
Its time to ride some sweet singletrack to Ella beck, the next mile or so is a shoeshine ride through the heather "with a few" Rocks to keep your focus and on your toe's. We regroup at the beck to tell tails of near misses and clattered rear mech's.
From Ella beck its across the rail tracks and the start of the long slow climb to the top of Simon Howe, this is sinuous singletrack with dips, rocks and ruts to take your mind off the fact that your riding up hill.
At the top once again we chat about the different trails from where we were, it's the singletrack to the left thats the flavor of the day today.
We descend in the "not quite a head wind" until we reach the edge of Newtondale forest, the wind making it a bit slower that normal.
Regrouping at the wooden bridge at the forest we then wind are way along the fire roads.
And duck into the tree lined trails and start to lose more hard earned hight, but more descents are just around the corner.
We followed some of the same trails the BDWII took last year and the grins at the bottom were just as big.
Now on the valley floor we followed the rail tracks to Levisham station and a well earned cuppa, the British Rail experience was completed with the said cuppa in a polystyrene cup.
Beverages ordered with chooses of cake or bacon buttys we all sit down to chat and put the world to rights, to reinforce the old saying of you wait twenty minutes for a train and two turn up........... guess what happened.
Yep two lovely old steam trains turned up one looking like it had just left the paint shop.
Thomas the tank engine?
Box fresh citrus fruit
Old Iron
The Train kept a Rollin
Like a Tornado
Goodbye farewell ...............
Time to start the final assent, this is the "Hell of the Horcum" ride, from the station on the valley floor it starts with a steep tarmac climb then heads off on to a grassy track that drags at your tyres and becomes steeper than the steep tarmac.
Once at the top its time to catch are breath and take in the view, its just a few short miles to the end of the ride from here, with the wind at are backs it makes the final trails around the Hole of Horcum feel like we,vie just left the car park.
Well done to every one who made the effort on what looked like it would be a wet an wild day, we caught the edge of one shower and had the wind at are backs when we needed it most,
Good company, Good trails and some lovely old bikes being ridden as they were meant to be, made this another retroride to remember.
Thanks for taking part in happy memory's
Cheers Vern
Ps there's a few more pics Here feel free to copy & paste any you like.
