Another chance to get out on Dartmoor: Monday 8th Aug.
I started at the side of the small disused quarry, 400 metres above sea
level, and set off down the kilometre long rocky track towards the
shallow ford. When I rode this track a couple of days ago, the uni was
difficult to handle. Now I'm back into the stride of ridng the 26, and
I've also put a bit more air in the tyre, and it's much easier to
ride.
Half way down the track, I meet a walker with a dog which runs at me
barking. "He's never seen a unicycle before," explains the owner.
There is a slightly ironic emphasis on the syllables,"u"and "ni".
I take the stepping stones across the ford, then decide to ride up the
steep rough track opposite. The surface is ballast and chippings. Some
of the stones ping out from under the tyre, others skitter away, some
just don't move. The worst are the ones that start to move, then
suddenly stop, nearly tripping the wheel.
I make it most of the way up the steep slope then hit a drainage curb
that runs across the track, and I UPD. Less than a mile into the ride
and I'm breathless, so I take a few minutes to rest. I've dropped down
about 20 metres, then climbed back up about 30. Aspenmike has nothing
to fear from me!
Continuing up the track, I reach the crest, then it's an easy gradual
descent along a shingly track. I meet a group of walkers. The leader
says, "That's impressive." I thank him, and the rest of the walkers
burst into a round of applause. This is slightly weird, but well
meant.
Soon, I pass a portaloo. This really is strange. Chemical toilets seem
to be springing up left right and centre on the moor. It does rather
spoil the impression of remote wilderness!
There is a steepish section of track down to a deep ford, and I cross
via the stepping stones at the side. The next section of track climbs
up steeply from the ford, and I take a few seconds to plan my route. To
my surprise, I ride the section first time, with no UPDs. Then, of
course, I fall off for no good reason on an easy bit.
A hundred metres later, the track sort of fades away into a deep spongy
grassy strip that is hard work to ride on. After too many UPDs, I
decide to walk for a bit. I come to a narrow sheep track that goes
round the contour. For no obvious reason, I find this hard to ride, and
I get increasingly frustrated. I start to feel like I'm not that good a
rider.
The other day, I exhausted myself by trying too hard when the going got
tough. I'm on holiday, and I should be riding for fun, not to prove
some obscure Freudian point, so I decide to abandon this route and ride
back down the slope to the ford and retrace my steps. Later, when I
check the map, it turns out this was a wise decision.
With only a couple of mistakes, I make it back down to the tarmac road
that loops around this section of the moor. There is a long slog up a
steep hill which I make in two sections. Half way up, I am overtaken by
farmers' boys on quad bikes, who grin as they pass me. 4 wheels and an
engine - now why didn't I think of that?
The next mile or two are steady climbing, mainly on tarmac, but with
some unmade road. I stop twice. The first time is for refreshments.
My Snickers bar is starting to melt, so I hold it underwater in a clear
cold stream for a few seconds before unwrapping it. The second time is
when I meet a huge black and chrome 4x4 (US = SUV) coming down the
hill.
A quick multi choice test: Michael is slogging up a steep hill on a
unicycle in hot sun. Mr. Git is driving down the hill in his 4.2 litre
air conditioned 4x4. Who gives way? Is it:
a) Michael, or
b) Michael?
That's right. And cheecky Mr. Git even gives me a self satisfied smirk
and a thumbs up as he passes. Can't possibly put two of his shiny alloy
wheels off the tarmac, can he?
I reach the high point of my ride at 566 metres, and have splendid views
across Dartmoor. Two Sea King helicopters (we Sea King here, we Sea
King there...) are practising low flying manoeuvres, one at a time. One
flies high, the other drops into a steep sided valley below.
The road down from here is quite steep, and I have to be careful not to
"spin out"and lose control.
A track to the right attracts my attention, and I explore it. It is a
long steady climb on sand, grit and loose stones, but not too difficult.
I reach a turning point, with a military hut in it, and continue down
an ill-defined track across the moor. This gets steeper and steeper
until the last bit is beyond my nerves and skill and I bail out.
I sit for a while. Below me is a narrow, fast flowing river. Across
the valley is Steeperton Tor, and I can see two walkers, "toiling on the
slopes of Mount Doom", dwarfed by the scale of the hillside. A buzzard
hovers overhead. I'm only a mile from the road, if that, but it feels
so remote.
The next stage of the ride is difficult. The track is badly rutted, and
large rocks are embedded in it. There are also loose rocks and patches
of grass and loose stones. I reach the point where I am UPDing every
few metres, and missing some mounts. In the end, I decide that the
rewards are not worth the effort, and I carry the uni for a quarter of a
mile or so.
Eventually, I reach Oke Tor where I stop, rest, admire the view, and
tootle on my harmonica for a bit. From the top of Oke Tor, I can see an
easy looking track down to the road, and I decide to take this.
In fact, the track is not that easy. In places, the grass grows in a
thin layer over the granite. In other places, it is deep and soft. It
is never possible to predict how the uni will respond. On moment, I hit
a bump and the bump yields to the tyre; the next moment, I hit a similar
bump and it stops the tyre dead. It's like eating meusli blindfolded,
not knowing if my spoon will contain a raisin or a hazelnut.
Back down to the road with about three UPDs and much foul language, I
decide to follow the tarmac back to the car. I need to pick a friend up
in nearby Okehampton, and I'm running late. Progress on tarmac is so
slow on a MUni, when I've been getting used to the 700c. However, I
eventually make it back, hot, tired and hungry, but with the sense of an
enjoyable and varied ride in some beautiful scenery.
"Only" 11.25 miles of riding, plus half a mile or so of walking
--
Mikefule - Roland Hope School of Unicycling
Competing with yesterday to hold off tomorrow.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mikefule's Profile: http://www.unicyclist.com/profile/879
View this thread: http://www.unicyclist.com/thread/42488