The Quantock hills

I've been visiting the Quantock hills in Somerset for a few years now to go mountainbiking. It's a special place especially in the Autumn when the leaves are turning colour. The area has some great trails for mountainbiking with avenues of ancient trees, stream crossings and tight green valleys called combes which provide some of the best climbs and downhills along trickling brooks. It also has a long ridge where you can take in some great views of Exmoor and Minehead in the south, Brean Down and Burnham in the north and Wales across the other side of the Severn. You can also see the power station called Hinkley Point from the top.

Giles, Simon and myself went for an autumn ride in the Quantocks on Thursday. It was an excellent day as usual. As we were returning in Simon's van we saw this old boy pull out from the turning to Hinkley Point. He was riding an old motorbike and sidecar. He had a great beard and long bushy hair. His passenger in the sidecar was better looking but only just.