An invitation to join the UK Gravel Bike Club in the Forest of Dean seemed too good to miss so an early start let me watch the sun rise over the River Severn at Minsterworth. Tempted by Pope’s Hill as a way of avoiding traffic on the main road into Littledean I “enjoyed” the steepest climb of the day before descending to Cinderford and starting my off road ride. I reached the bike centre rendezvous in time to get fed and watered before joining up with the other ten or so, then off we went. Circumnavigating the Verderers’ mountain bike trail we lost a rider with a mechanical problem, fortunately the only one of the day, then worked our west along forest roads (gravel!) until reaching the Wye after a glorious fast off road descent. We all know what happens next, and we slowly clawed our way back up to Staunton before taking some slightly less well surfaced bridleways and even (shock) roads to see the steam train at Puzzlewood delivering Santa’s parcels. Past Milkwall and down the cycle path, pausing only for a brief history lesson on Bessemer furnaces and the invention of tool steel, we were soon in Parkend. For some odd reason the cycle path here goes round the back of the pub so we didn’t stop and before we knew it we were at Cannop Ponds and in shouting distance of the start point. Our ride leader glanced around the group and assured us that no one was ready to quit so we turned out of the valley. A stream of descending cyclists included a small boy who assured us that we had a big hill ahead of us. He wasn’t wrong! The group became quite spread out before our next road crossing. Soon after, we separated, the others to complete the 40 mile off road route and I to ride home. A compass and the very low sun, for by now sunset was only a couple of hours away, helped my sense of direction and I was pleased to find a way north to Nailbridge that was free of tarmac. I picked up my usual route home over Harrow Hill, down Stenders to Mitcheldean and onwards to the Flaxley and Severn valleys to get home half an hour before sunset. All in all, a grand day out.