A CYCLE TOUR ON DARTMOOR

Of all the images that capture the spirit of Dartmoor, I like this photo because it radiates happiness. I enjoy the verdant trees and the glimpse of open moorland behind.

 

 

Dartmoor Way between Bovey Tracey and Tottiford Reservoir

Dartmoor's air is clean and fresh. Birdsong is a welcome distraction. While many associate the landscape with granite tors and wide open moorland, the fringes are a naturalist's paradise and much less visited. The area has much to offer.

The car is not my first choice of transport. This is probably irrational but car journeys are often tedious. My preferred travel choices are bikes for short journeys and trains for longer ones. Dartmoor is not so big that you cannot go there by bike and it is readily accessible from many urban areas.

Imagine my delight last month when I was invited to join a group of 8 to tour the moor over three days on our bikes.  All were regular cyclists but only two, including myself were experienced tourers.  Touring is a different mindset to road and mountain biking.  For a start, bikes are heavier and we go slower to be able to see everything. Coffee breaks and cameras are essential and we go at the speed of the slowest rider.

Every journey on Dartmoor includes seeing ancient woodlands, crossing rivers tumbling off its slopes, cycling up many hills and living in a wild landscape.  The light changes throughout the day and with the seasons. Autumn is a great time as the colours are beautiful. The weather sometimes adds to the wildness so experiencing a hailstorm and enjoying sunshine on the same day is not uncommon

Rain proofs on and waiting for a hail storm to clear

We are all volunteers with two groups from Sustrans. We take out occasional guided rides from Bridgwater and in South Devon. Our philosophy is that cycling should be for everyone so we try to find beautiful journeys and don't set fast speeds.

Both photos below tell stories. I enjoyed the mini challenge on the track between Mary Tavy and Peter Tavy including the river bridge. On another occasion I must climb the summit to take in the views from Brentor Church

Bridge over River Tavy

Brentor Church

At the end of this journey, I was strangely exhausted but not in a way that deterred me as next March our groups have made plans for a three day tour in Somerset. Meanwhile our South Devon group are planning a Primrose Ride for April where we would like others to join us