Last weekend, Clive Heard of Axe Valley Pedallers set off early in the morning for an epic day in the Quantocks, which is best described in his own words:

"And so at 8.30am, I found myself in the Quantocks. Within minutes, my feet were soaked and frozen, nice!

“I attempted the Quantocks Killer Loop, which is a well-known route amongst us mountain bike folk and I did most of it, but unless you are bordering on the Pro/Elite spectrum and you have a previous knowledge of the terrain, you need more than three hours which is what I had.

“The Quantocks are great though. If tackled on a Sunday morning, it's a one-hour commute from East Devon to Crowcombe Park Gate car park, which is up high on the ridge, where you'll get great spectacular views of everywhere, including Exmoor, Brendon Hills, Mendips, South Wales and the islands in the Bristol Channel.

Apparently, and according to the internet (so it must be true), the ponies on the Quantocks have developed a sugar addiction after gorging on left over sugary picnic goodies, one sugar crazed pony allegedly broke someone's leg. Bonkers but apparently true.

“Luckily, I avoided being mugged by one of the creatures, probably because I kept my flapjack bars to myself. The terrain varied from tepid to slightly dangerous. The little combes off the ridge were littered with pretty fallen leaves, which hid all the slippery roots and rocks.

All was OK for someone of my stature who is accustomed to the extreme bridleways of East Devon. Talk about squeeze it in, I was home by 1 pm!

“The ultimate cure for aching bones is a session at the Axminster Hydro Pool, as it's almost the same temperature as a hot bath. I must make an effort to return to the Quantocks, there are literally zillions of tracks all over the place to explore and it was good to start early to avoid busy car park and other cyclists and walkers."

Well done Clive and yet another example of the fantastic cycling routes in the Westcountry.