On Tuesday Ricky and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had done a bit of trail maintenance on the bridleway: making a fallen tree passable and cutting back some overhanging vegetation further on where the trail is a rutted green lane. Good work lads.
On the rutted section I led in but soon cocked up and had a couple of dabs. As I was getting annoyed with myself on one of them I heard Robbo shout behind me. Initially I thought it was a comment on my performance but it was actually him getting stung on the forehead by an insect of unknown species! He gained a slight red swelling and some pain. A few yards further and I breathed in a fly. I hate it when that happens! I sucked it straight in and began coughing and choking but it didn't come back out. We were half way along Clawson Lane before I stopped coughing and snotting!
We proceeded via the bridleway from Hazeltongue Farm and onto the cheeky entrance to the bridleway at Holwell Mouth which makes it much more worthwhile. The encroaching vegetation at the sides of the trail made it's mark on us all.
We continued on to Wartnaby and Grimston heading for our favourite cheeky downhill followed by the payback climb. On the downhill there were some massive nettles at the sides of the trail in places and I even got stung on my chin!
We headed back using the permissive bridleways to Saxelbye and down from Asfordby Farm to Welby Lane before cutting back through Asfordby Hill and the final tarmac sprint into town and the pub.
A good couple of hours riding at a reasonable pace. Not all strictly legal but that's just the daft access laws in this country. We didn't see a soul on the footpaths we rode and no damage was done.