Summer Arrow

I didn’t get off to a good start. I’d arranged to meet Peter at The White Bear for a lift to York at 06:15. I was early so I waited by the entrance to the car park thinking that he’d not need to pull in to pick me up. After 20 minutes of waiting I wondered if there was actually another entrance to the car park, I knew he’d approach from the other direction. Sure enough there he was, he’d been there since before me. Oops. He said he was disappointed, that he was getting ready to call Keith saying that I’d not turned up so he had the perfect excuse not to ride the 24 hour Summer Arrow. One drop out would make the team too short !! I was preparing to call Gordon to say I’d make it to York Station in time to tag along with their team !!

A fast drive later, we arrived at Keith’s for some more breakfast and finally rolled out at 07:45 bound for Ripon. The wind was in our faces but we were fresh and the roads are pretty sheltered Keith knows these roads well and lead us directly to WH Smiths for a control. The Harrogate Post is what may receipt said, hmm, thankfully the previous customer hadn’t bought ‘Nuts’ or ‘Your Pregnancy’ !!!

We headed North East with the wide behind us, ruckenwind as they’d say in Germany. Keith took us on a private road past some rather impressive sculptures of prehistoric creatures made from scrap metal. Seems a shame to have them hidden away like this but hardly the think the Yorkshire Sculpture Park would show, far too recognisable for that place. We were led on a track, a disused railway towards Northallerton and using my road maps I still can’t see where it was !!! It did allow us to cross a river which often causes me to have to take long detours, apparently the landowner of part or the route asks people to write to ask permission to use the road. It’s always granted but then it covers him from ‘right of way’ issues since he’s granted permission.

Thankfully they’d built the new bridge over the A1 near the Rountons, I didn’t fancy doubling back into the wind. A control at Westbrook Cycle s in Stokesley then up Clay Bank into Bilsdale. With the tail wind this climb was very easy so was Newgate. Hoards of motorbikes passed us, all loaded up with camping gear. Custom bikes mainly, not sport bikes, interesting machines. They were noisy but most riders gave us plenty of room. Lunch in Stokesley at a new cafe for me, one of Keith’s favourites, full of pensioners (!).

Loon long leg to Beverley, the tailwind made it easy, a couple of climbs with chevrons but not very long and all of us made it up pretty easily. Navigation by chance in Beverley, we found Tescos at about 17:45 and the cafe was still open, not much choice of food though at least nothing that I really fancied. This was meant to the a short stop with a longer stop for dinner two hours later The toilets were kind of open the cleaner was doing her job and told us at least three times that she should have knocked off at 18:00. “Just go home and let us use the toilets” we though. The average age of the three riders was 56 and well you know what it’s like at that age. Our short stop was longer than we’d planned but on this ride our plan did give us 6 hours off overnight so we could afford to take it easy as we went on.
I was a little concerned about the main road down to the Humber Bridge, I thought at tea time on a Friday it might be busy, it was but not too bad, We made it Ok, but that long twisty detour to get on the bridge cycle path is rather tedious, Well sign posted but surely a simple chicane/bollard arrangement around the toll booths would have worked. I felt a bit nervous riding over the bridge on the wind. The early evening was splendid, mid summer so the sun was still fairly high, our shadows dance on the dirty rippled water beneath us when I dared to look down.

Now, last I was in these parts heading for Gainsborough we went through Scunthorpe but today I wanted to suss out the B roads that appear to be more direct on the maps. So that’s right at the end of the bridge access road and through Barton-Upon-Humber. Straight through the town, left then soon right on the road to Brigg. Perfect, it worked out well, soon we were riding parallel to the A15 as on the map. There was no traffic, it was great. Linking together places by following the signs we made it to Kirton Lindsey by 20:30 in time to eat at the pub. The landlord kindly allowed us to park the bikes in the yard out of the way. He claimed to recognise Keith from an earlier visit but probably just the VC167 jerseys on other club members as we pass through this area more frequently on Arrows.

We suited up for the night and headed out, bound for Gainsborough. It’s a null town. Youths hanging around, boy racers in crap cars. Same as last time. Tescos again. Another shopper thought she’d seen us in Lincoln earlier in the year, “probably someone else from the club” I told her.

Arrived at Blyth at 23:30 for at least three hours off. We agreed to leave a hour earlier than the schedule demanded, Peter was worried about keeping the speed up for the final run up to York. We snoozed until about 02:20 and got away at about 02:45. It had drizzled overnight and the roads were wet, it was cool but not too cold. No wind. I warned that we’d have to kill time in order to be not too early at Thorne for our 22 hour control. I faffed as much as I could on the road, put my jacket on, had a pee etc. We had to kill 40 minutes, the lady in the 24 hour garage wouldn’t let us indoors until they’d ‘done the papers and washed the floor’, we offered to help her but not even Keith’s nor my charisma persuaded her !

Finally we were on our way again. Selby, cashpoint receipt and onto York arriving at the racecourse and the York Rally at 07:10. Gerry Boswell in the stewards tent was our finish controller and gave us an official stamp. We parked our bikes in the tent and went for a cup of tea. Our Arrow was done, not a difficult ride, a nice route, I am pleased with the North Lincs part in particular. Nice to ride with some other people, we got on well and kept each other amused.

Our final task was to lead the Ron Kitching Challenge Ride out of the city !

The Border Raid

I thought about packing twice on this ride. The first time was while riding up England’s second highest road in the rain for several hours, freezing cold with numb hands. I was shivering in the cafe and had started to form a plan: if the conditions hadn’t improved by Brampton I’d get a train back to Newcastle and Darlington. Things did improved, my breakfast helped undoubtedly. After that, things were better, we even saw some sunshine and the views in the Scottish Borders are spectacular in good weather. Clothes dried out, some strategic changes made sure everything was dry before dark in case I needed more layers later. All was well again.
I was riding with Deano who was on Fixed. It meant I had an easy ride as he was not able to go faster than me to put me under and stress. Maybe a little slower than I could go on my own at times but that’s OK, I enjoyed the company, I am too old to spend so much time on my own and with difficult conditions I’d be visiting all the dark corners of mind. We had company of others at times of course, some new people, Dynamo Dan for example and some old friends. People come and go some people are more sociable than others.
This route is superb, some very very quiet roads with splendid views, easy to ride two by two and chat. In the dark though I feel we missed one of the best bits. The climb up to and into Devils Beeftub. A long gradual climb with a long fast descent, I really must pass through here in daylight, the dark descent was a little nerve wracking.
Easy run into Annandale Water Services where we slumbered for 3 whole hours on the floor. Other randoneurs came and went while we were there before we set off just before first light. I felt OK, not too hungry and quite alert. Five of us rolled down to Longtown and then to Carlisle and on the back roads to Penrith. We met Les coming the other way. He had got as far as Penrith then decided enough was enough and was heading to the station at Carlisle for a train back. He’d given it 400 km, considerable more than some folk who had packed in the rain nearly 24 hours earlier.
Breakfast at Penrith. Then the climb of Shap. It shouldn’t have been, we should have turned off sooner and not climbed this big hill. The others stopped behind us and I thought they’d realised the mistake and would have turned back, they didn’t though, then climbed this hill too. The descent was exhilarating, but then we had a most horrendous road to get us back on route. Steep and narrow in places. Poor Dean on one gear. Not much time for recovery on this roller coaster. I went on as our slow progress was starting to make me think that we may be getting close to the time limit. At Sedburgh we were one hour inside, I sat on a wall and had a drink. A passer by asked me if I’d cycled far, about 200 miles so far, he was flabbergasted like most people are !! Dean was about 15 minutes behind me, we quickly controlled and headed on up the road to Garsdale. It’s been a long time since I rode up here and I had no memories of it. It felt easy, I thought the headwind was responsible for our slow progress but Dean assured me it was up hill. He was cruising, slowly but I think my words sped him up a little. Garsdale Head crept up on us unannounced and I was pleased, I knew the roads from here on in and that always makes me feel better. My second thought of packing was starting to dissipate now. At Leybrun we were had hour and a half in hand. Thankfully a tailwind to Ripon. At least no more rain today and some sun. It turned out to be a lovely ride round the Scottish Borders and Yorkshire Dales.
We finally finished with two and half hours in hand. Just fine. I finished during a bad patch, I think I had mentally switched off about 30km too early, the last part became a drag. Never mind, we finished with no real traumas.