Dartmoor 200. September 18th

[Asposium]

What time are you thinking of starting on the Saturday?

Pondering whether to drive over Friday after work and camp, or drive over Saturday morning.

[lune ranger]

It doesn’t need to be early for me.
9 or 10? I’m open to what suits you, Meg and Pete (anyone else?)
I just got informed I’m going to the theatre Friday night so I’d rather not be off at the crack of sparrows anyway.

[pete68]

Still aiming to be there. Personally I'd rather start 9 latest just to get as far on as possible. If others want a later start I'll probably just trundle off on my own. Don't know what others plan ,but I'm going to camp out somewhere rather than ride through the night.

[lune ranger]

9am it is then. I’ll probably be there around 8 for a matter first.

[Asposium]

I’m planning to camp Saturday night.

To those with local knowledge, is there anywhere near ish to the start with Friday night camping potential?

[lune ranger]

There are a few actual campsites within a couple of miles of the start I’ve that’s what you want. The best option probably being at the Teign House Inn which is only 3 flat km from the start: http://teignhouseinn.co.uk/teign-house-inn-camping-2/
You could always park at the Steps Bridge car park and ride into Dunsford or Bridford Woods to camp. There’s limited flat ground near the river. Everything else is mighty steep. The Dunsford woods side is a nature reserve though so you’ll want to be moving at first light.
Another option would be to park at Haldon Belvedere https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/osm ... 028,12/pin
and ride into Haldon woods to find a spot. It’s only a few miles from the start and you’re (probably) less likely to need to move out at first light.
The nearest patch of the DNP legal wild camping area is at Cranbrook Castle not that far away: https://osmaps.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/osm ... 687,12/pin

Hope that helps a little.

[Meg Pugh]

Great, 9am works well for me, and this looks like a superb route (and appreciate the fp variation, if required)

I'm assuming the advice in the above post for camping would also apply to leaving a vehicle?

Looking forward to it

[Dyffers]

I'm out; looks like my Fred Whitton trip is going ahead.

Good luck with it all who start.

[Asposium]

Great, 9am works well for me, and this looks like a superb route (and appreciate the fp variation, if required)

I'm assuming the advice in the above post for camping would also apply to leaving a vehicle?

Looking forward to it

I was intending to leave the car.
Drive over Friday after work.
Park
Ride
Camp

[lune ranger]

Route starts at Steps Bridge car park.
We’ll be able to leave cars there overnight but it’s a public car park in the middle of nowhere so usual risks apply.
If I snuck into Haldon or went to Cranbrook Castle to camp I’d drive to the start in the morning to avoid having to ride up another hill after finishing
If I went to one of the paid campsites I’d leave my car there. Final choice will be yours to make.

[lune ranger]

Only a couple of days to go. Weather forecast is not too shabby with the temp set to stay well in the teens even at night, light winds and no significant rain risk until Sunday afternoon.
It’ll only be 2 nights away from a full moon and we’ve got nearly 12hours of nighttime. Sunset 19:20 Saturday and sunrise Sunday 06:50 Those riding through the night (just me I think) better prepare for some Dartmoor fog.

Confirmed starters; LuneRanger
Asposium
Meg Pugh
Pete68

Riding out at 09:00 from Steps Bridge car park, Dunsford, Republic of Devon. I’ll be there sometime after 08:00 and pushing by about 09:02 as the start is pretty steep

[darbeze]

I hope you have a great time.

Sorry I can't make it this weekend, but I do intend to ride your route at some point in the future. Wether that be in the BB200 Reliability trial style, or a more gentle approach remains to be seen.

Cheers,
Si

[Asposium]

Only a couple of days to go. Weather forecast is not too shabby with the temp set to stay well in the teens even at night, light winds and no significant rain risk until Sunday afternoon.
It’ll only be 2 nights away from a full moon and we’ve got nearly 12hours of nighttime. Sunset 19:20 Saturday and sunrise Sunday 06:50 Those riding through the night (just me I think) better prepare for some Dartmoor fog.

Confirmed starters; LuneRanger
Asposium
Meg Pugh
Pete68

Riding out at 09:00 from Steps Bridge car park, Dunsford, Republic of Devon. I’ll be there sometime after 08:00 and pushing by about 09:02 as the start is pretty steep

Meg and Pete,
Do we want to ride as a group?
See where we end up to camp Saturday night.
Aim to ride the entire route; however,
Cut the route short Sunday if needed.

Need to fix my bike after the moors100

[Meg Pugh]

Hi looking forward to this, hope to be there nearer 8 than 9 too.
I'm planning a bit of an ITT, so will try and ride as much of the night as I can. Looking forward to it

[lune ranger]

Hi looking forward to this, hope to be there nearer 8 than 9 too.
I'm planning a bit of an ITT, so will try and ride as much of the night as I can. Looking forward to it

Cool beans.

[pete68]

Just going to ride and see where I get to. Going to camp and then ride to the finish on Sunday. I'm more of a slow trundler, so will go at my own pace .

[BreninBeener]

All, this looks ace!

Have a brilliant time, im afraid the timings dont work for me this time.

Please write up your adventures

Ian

[Asposium]

I now won’t be there.

Have fun.

[Roobell7]

A late change means that I'm now free to join the party

[lune ranger]

I now won’t be there.

Have fun.

[lune ranger]

A late change means that I'm now free to join the party

Nice one.

[methers27]

Apologies, I know I briefly appeared in this thread and then disappeared again. I won’t make it to ride tomorrow I’m afraid, moving house was delayed until today, so my free weekend is a lot less free. Have fun, looks like a great route I’d like to ride in the future

[Meg Pugh]

Thank you Lone Ranger, Paul and Roobell - what a good idea, and you all spurred me on to ride through the night.
I thought I was about to see one of you at Chagford this morning, but never came to be.

A great route, and the timings/route work well for a ride through the night. With a 9am start and going around 10/12kmph, add a stop on Okehampton (the chip shop closes at 2pm but the bakery is still open at 2.15! has a toilet etc!), a final pub meal in Princetown, means the next stretch is easy terrain for night riding. I may have hesitated doing the footpath finish, if I had stopped overnight, as it would mean being on those paths on prime Sunday walk time. However it proved a great end.

Two bits I think I got wrong; Between Sourton and Lake, *leaving the granite way, and heading west, to get up to the viaduct... I ended up going through a garden... But couldn't find another way. I remembered then that wahoo sometimes does A->B rather than follow a path....

And the moor bit before Princetown: after the farmhouse and round, I crossed up and down to try and find the East to West path, but after a fair whack of wading in bog (was it gorse there or was that another of mine) and fearing sunset I crossed further South (more bog) and hooked on to the footpath there. Perhaps it was my wahoo again, because I can now see a path further north in the valley too.

I also got lost on almost every bit of moor, which is due to my own navigational issues. I forgot to bring the cable to charge my main light, contributing to some grimacing riding and a few falls at the end. I had a great time and now feel like I've been put through a wringer.

Thanks again Lone Range - what a route, and that feels like it has taken much thought.

[lune ranger]

Thanks Meg. When did you finish? All I saw of you was tyre tracks. You were flying.

It was my fault/ RideWithGPS fault that you had the two nav. issues. See the Trips and Adventures thread.
The route got changed when I swapped it from Strava where I planned it to RideWithGPS so folk could pick it up.
Lesson learned, sorry about that.
Well done for pushing on through the night for the first time

[Roobell7]

A great route, and the timings/route work well for a ride through the night. With a 9am start and going around 10/12kmph, add a stop on Okehampton (the chip shop closes at 2pm but the bakery is still open at 2.15! has a toilet etc!), a final pub meal in Princetown, means the next stretch is easy terrain for night riding. I may have hesitated doing the footpath finish, if I had stopped overnight, as it would mean being on those paths on prime Sunday walk time. However it proved a great end.

That level of detailed planning is something I need to work on You came prepared and it showed

I was lucky to be with the course designer on the Granite Way section and follow his reroute. Coming off the moor at Bachelor's Hall I kept on track, climbing over the wall and wire, even though I could see Luke's lights off to the right. I then had to make another wall/barbed wire crossing to then scramble across the stream to get to the bridleway...

On the moor crossings it was reassuring to see your tyre tracks, as it showed I'd found the path again. It was so easy to get drawn down a sheep track with limited lighting. Worse than forgetting your light charging cable. Is to have a 'boy look' in one's electronics bag and fail to see it

On the footpath section at 8am, I saw only 3 dog walkers on the 1st open section between Rushford Mill and Dogmarsh Bridge. All said Hi as I sped past. I didn't see anyone on the 2nd section up to the Hunters Trail. The final run-in on the permissive route was busier but no-one seemed to mind my passing.

I wholeheartedly agree that Lune Ranger has put a good deal of though and planning into this route . Just the two small mapping issues for the first running. Luke admitted that he hadn't pre-ridden the 'easy' Granite Way section It has all an ITT needs and is great preparation for an event in Wales next month

Do we know who Pete got on? I day camped at Teign House Inn (for free) after the ride but don't think his van was still there.

Dartmoor 200 ITT by Andy Wright, on Flickr
Best view of day

Dartmoor 200 ITT by Andy Wright, on Flickr
Not so good, but great fun trying