Short Ride
Six of us set off to enjoy the delights of a Tour de Kettlesing. We picked up Dennis and Corinne at Knox Bridget Given the hilly nature of the route, we were all impressed that Corinne was on her road bike. Then it was down to Hampsthwaite for the start of the first category climb. Plodding up the hill, I was aware of a whirr as Dennis whizzed by to reach the summit. Then it was a gentle ride through Tang until we came to the second climb up to the top of Sleights Lane. Again, Dennis was at the front. However we realised Corinne was missing! A phone call revealed that she had followed the Garmin route and ascended the Cote de La Colline, probably the steepest hill in Kettlesing and was waiting for us at the Pink Flamingo, a well known landmark on Back Road. Reunited, we made for the final climb, Little Almscliffe, agreeing to meet up at Beckwithshaw. The rain was just beginning, so Kevin, David and Dennis went straight home while the rest of us retreated to Horticap for a drink and a natter. Congratulations to Dennis for being ‘King of the Hills’ and to Corinne for running him a close second. Many thanks to Margaret for keeping an eye at the back of the peloton. All in all, a lovely ride, short enough to get home before the heavy rain. Thanks to all for your company. 25 hilly mile. Alison
Medium Plus – Brisk
Seven riders set off on route 271 – due to the race for life road closures we took the main road route to Knox. Down into Hampsthwaite and up Clint Bank Lane the sun was shining and it was humid. We arrived at the bottom of Careless whisper and said goodbye to Mark and Julie who were going to Masham. It feels very wrong cycling up Careless whisper plus there was lots of traffic. At the top we had a bit of bike swapping between Tim (T1) and Zoe. Up onto the moor where T1 took the photo with the lovely backdrop. T3 looks like he has a boxing glove but at least Zoe is smiling. We took a wrong turning and ended up going via Winksley but not to worry as we had our mobile map (aka Helen) with us. At Tate’s Mark & Julie reappeared as did Yvonne’s group. T1 and T3 decided to follow the route and venture through Newby Hall and the girls took the Markington route home. We were so lucky with the rain as I drove home through rivers. 47 miles for me with a decent bit of climbing. Janet G
Medium Plus Ride
With little heed paid to the weather forecast, 8 riders set off for a delightful ride up hills over to Dallowgill Moor. Phil reached the top of Careless House Lane and decided to head back while the rest of us turned west towards Fellbeck then up to the beautiful bleak moors under threatening indigo skies. A couple of light showers encouraged us to chase the clouds through Grantley and Galphay; the range anxiety of 5 e-cyclists was replaced by coffee anxiety, so happy days when we turned into Tates. The brisk group were inside already but we opted for sitting à la terrasse under large parasols. Eggs Florentine is proving very popular now with good reason and service was excellent as usual. Gia and Paul decided to head back via Studley Royal whilst Mike Walsh took the Littlethorpe turn. So James, John, Debby & I took a tour through busy Ripon past the Wetlands and on to Skelton and Boroughbridge. The Alpacas are happily back at Minskip where we turned to Occaney; steady light rain necessitated a stop to don jackets at Farnham and a decision was made to head directly to Knaresborough, but with increasingly heavy rain in our eyes, that was surely the slowest descent of Sandy Lane I have ever done! Leaving James in Knaresborough, the remaining 3 aquaplaned our way through town past overflowing road drains and driveways, stoically up the hill to rendez-vous at the bus stop where a Skipton couple took the final photo of some drenched but determined cyclists. We arrived back in Harrogate in torrential rain to a chorus of thunder and lightning but accomplished another grand day out in terrific landscapes with good company. Over 50 miles with 3,054 ft elevation. Yvonne
Medium Steady
Eleven of us set off for an interesting route never veering very far from Wetherby useful with the threat of rain . Fortunately the weather held out Dianne and partner left us at Wetherby having cycled in from there they had a pressing social
engagement . We progressed to Tim’s cafe always entertaining and learnt it was Michelle’s birthday hope you enjoyed the cycle ride and happy birthday. John then left us at Walton having not cycled in a while it was good to see him back . We were now 8 with only light drizzle to contend with Thank you Steve for correcting a few wrong turns and to Mike aka husband for back marking a pleasant ride and safely back before the biblical rain .Hope you all made it back to Harrogate as we peeled off at Spofforth having ridden in. Rachel
The Big ‘Un
A wise man once said to me ‘ no-one in their right mind would choose to ride that route in that direction’. However, Wheel-Easy Tradition being what it is, this year deigned that the Big ‘Un would be anti-clockwise and so, not being very wise men, that is what Mike Wills and I accomplished in a little over 14 hours door to door. The forecast was not good which may have put people off but I think the distance and difficulty had a part to play too.
In fact, we two plus Richard Leake set off at 8am. Following the mapped route to Leyburn more precisely than usual, we were blessed with calm , warm , even sunny conditions until Richard parted from us near Thirn to continue his tussle with Coverdale. The infamous ‘Thornton Triangle’ struck us at one point as we headed along a clearly marked No Through Road in confident hope of an exit. Not so. So we had to re-trace up a hill of course, recovering the route to Leyburn via Spennithorne and Harmby.
After the briefest of comfort breaks Mike and I tackled the first of the hills across Bellerby Moor to Grinton and a coffee stop in the Dales Biking Centre at Fremington. After an initial leg-tester out of Leyburn this is a pleasant ascent past rifle ranges spoilt only by the frankly daft driving of a group of Porsche enthusiasts ( no more need be said).
Mike confirmed he wanted to do the whole ride to Tan Hill and not a shortened version up Swaledale, so we set off for the quite testing haul to that benighted place. A little rain spatted ? spitted ? enough to get our waterproofs on, but I think we ended up with more moisture in them than on them. Tan Hill was pretty quiet, I think everyone had headed home before bad weather.
The descent of Stonesdale was dry and welcome. We diverted to see the ‘Our Yorkshire Farm’ restored farmhouse and then stopped in the usual chow stop in Thwaite. Again Mike confirmed he was in the for the Full Monty so it was on to Buttertubs (the harder way). Just before the top the rain really started. I ended up hunkered down against a stone wall for some shelter while Mike toiled up having slipped on some gravel on a hairpin. This was not a mere shower so we had no choice but to head on. The rain in fact lasted until Grassington ! but we only had one clap of thunder all day while there on Buttertubs.
Again in Hawes Mike agreed to head over Fleet Moss as the route dictated. That climb was as sapping as ever, although I managed the whole lot which I haven’t for many a year. Perhaps there is something to be said for wet conditions in that they spur you on. By now, all shops and cafes were closed so we just paused briefly in the Kettlewell bus shelter and checked that the forecast still suggested hope for an end to the rain. Miraculously, just after Grassington the rain stopped and gaps in the clouds appeared. By now I had stopped checking with Mike and just headed for more hills – Hebden, Grimwith and Stump Cross before a glorious downhill from Greenhow to Menwith Hill.
To get us both nearer our homes I decided to keep straight on to Hampsthwaite, Knox Bridge and the Greenway to Starbeck. Unfortunately just outside Killinghall a downpour of biblical proportions descended. By now, we had dried out considerably in the warm late evening but we were soon soaked more than ever as it continued until the end of the Greenway and we turned onto Starbeck High Street to find it completely dry. We parted at Greenfields about 10pm agreeing we’d both had a wonderful day overall. After Reeth we had seen only one other cyclist – look what a day they missed !
My Strava recorded 123 miles and 10,070 feet of ascent and it certainly felt like it ! PeterL
