WEDNESDAY Night Northallerton and Environs Social Ride

[LindaG]

Blimey Deano - that really is the long way home 

[Deano]

'Snot really. It'd only add 3 or four miles. I don't think there are any fords downstream of that. You could go up Foxton Lane, but that would defeat the purpose a bit... No fords on the Leven?

[LindaG]

Right t, my train gets to NTR at 14.18.  See you shortly after that.  Get kettle on ...

[tiermat]

Remember, this weeks is a Darlo ride, meet 18:00 onwards @ Darlo station (my train gets in @18:07 if I can wing it on a EC train)

[Deano]

I think we'll have:

Me
tiermat
Crusty
LG
"Slow"coach

Anyone else?

[LindaG]

Phantasmagoriana?

[Deano]

Phantasmagoriana?

I can't see any expression of interest on the thread - but all welcome!

[LindaG]

That's because I posted on the wrong thread.   

I'm working on Thursday and definitely won't be there.  Crusty I don't know about.

[tiermat]

It doesn't look like I will be able to get there until 18:46, the train that gets in at just after 18:00 is an East Coast and the earlier TPE gets in at 17:33, which is cutting it too fine for Mrs T getting home and me getting tot he station on time.

Hope that's not too much of a problem for you guys?

[Deano]

No probs. There's a slightly shorter route we can take down to the river.

[phantasmagoriana]

Phantasmagoriana?

I can't see any expression of interest on the thread - but all welcome!

Actually, I might come as am free Thursday this week!

[Deano]

Come along if you can. It's a nice an interesting route.

[SlowCoach]

Sorry - I can't make it. I'd forgotten I have a game of football to watch at St James Park for those Olympic thingies.

[Deano]

That's a shame. You'll be out on Friday, though, no?

So just the three of us (I'll twist Crusty's arm), or will we have a phantasmagoria too?

[thelazycyclist]

Hi

Yes, I'm in.  I'll be in Darlo anyway, I finish work at 5 and because LG will have the car with her at work, I'll also have my bike with me, so it would be more difficult not to come.

I think I've persuaded LG to come and meet us at the pub after work, and this means I'll be able to get a lift home too.


See you there.

[phantasmagoriana]

I'll probably get the train that arrives at 18.13. Provided I put my bike back together by this evening.

[tiermat]

The rain has stopped, it's not going to go below double figures tonight (so liquid refreshment @ Manfield will be very welcome) and it's then not forecast to rain again until Saturday afternoon!

\o/ win all round, I would say

[phantasmagoriana]

What time are we likely to get back to Darlo? Not sure whether to book a space for the 22.25 train...

[tiermat]

What time are we likely to get back to Darlo? Not sure whether to book a space for the 22.25 train...

That's the one we usually jump on (by we I mean myself and CL, but she won't be there tonight), and we haven't had a problem yet with not having bike reservations (knowing my luck tonight will be the night we do!).  We use that one as it is drop off only @ NTR then straight thru to York.

[phantasmagoriana]

Ah good, thanks.

[Deano]

Isn't there an 11.15-ish train you guys can catch? You'll deffo need a bike reservation, mind.

[CrinklyLion]

Indeed, the 23.19 EC service.

[thelazycyclist]

I think that was one of the most bonkers bike rides I've ever been on.  It's at least in the top three (funnily enough Dean was organising the other two as well). 

10 miles of riding alongside the Tees over tree stumps, rocks, tree trunks, flattening giant bogweed with my pannier full of junk, sometimes the path was so overgrown I just had to hope there really was a path as I ploughed on through the bushes.  I was going so slow I was nervous about overtaking a dog walker in case I couldn't stay ahead of him, and this morning my legs look like they've been in a slasher movie. 

It's the kind of ride that really deserves a full blown ride report which I hope to get round to in time.  So much happened in such a short amount of time, but I have to go now, to put my shredded legs back on the personal bogweed flattener and do once again my 12 mile commute....yay!

[tiermat]

That was grand, right up to the bit when we got to the station.

As Crusty has said, it was major COR, Hogweed, mud, paths you could only ride by blind faith and only couple, but very cheery, dog walkers.

Lovely beer and the landlord wasn't as surly as normal @ Manfield.  A mad dash back to DAR to catch the train, only to be told by the guard that he only had room for one bike (there was 3 already on there).  I let Phanta take the space and I jumped in a cab, I tried reasoning with the guard but it seems that this time we got the wrong guard   Nevermind, you live and learn.  Back home by 23:45, in bed by 00:15 and slept like a bairn.

[phantasmagoriana]

I think that was one of the most bonkers bike rides I've ever been on. 

Ditto! That was, er...interesting. To think I'd cleaned my bike properly for the first time in ages only a few hours before, too... I did walk a bit, but a lot less than I thought I would, given that I won't normally even ride on bridleways. At least normal COR will seem tame in the future!  I can't comprehend how Deano could do that on a completely inappropriate bike, and nor could some of the walkers.

Tiermat very kindly let me have the last space on the train (IMHO there was plenty of space in the bike section for two more, but the guard wasn't having it!), thus meaning I didn't have to ride back to York in the middle of the night with no map or GPS, which I momentarily considered (for some reason I didn't even think of taxi - had no idea they took bikes). Thanks Tiermat, and sorry you had to get a taxi. I know for next time to book a space on the 23.19, not the 22.25.