I reckon this ride needs to be resurrected (remove the stake, pour blood on the ashes,
have a pig go past Castle Dracula playing a banjo onna Tuesday etc..).
It's always been a lot of fun - start at York Station at midnight again? The route was always pretty much Stamford Bridge-Malton-Pickering-Saltergate Bank-Blue Bank and into Whitby with a group decision on whether to follow the main road from Staithes, or to nip along the Esk and over the harbour. I wonder whether it's worth adding a few more lanes to dodge Pickering, as it's not really worth going into town, and I recall a few people commenting that the route was a bit short at 50 miles or so.
The halfway stop has always been an issue - I'll be happy to fetch a stove and brew up some water, and I'm sure we'll have a few cakemakers along. Unless anyone knows any 24-hour services round Malton/Pickering (routing out to Seamer McDonald's would be a bit too much of a dog-leg).
From Whitby, you can get a train back to Middlesbrough fairly easily, or negotiate your way onto one of the tourist steam services which go back to Pickering, then ride to Malton for a train. The only gotcha with trains is that TPE now insist upon bike reservations,
which have to be booked 24 hours in advance but you can book up to 15 minutes in advance, if there's space, and this would affect services from Middlesbrough and Malton. From Boro, Grand Central Services to York are still very bike-friendly, though.
Anyone fancy it?
PS Forgot to say - fancy dress is not compulsory, but definitely encouraged. I believe only one rider actually dressed themselves, and it's mainly been homemade tat-on-a-bike. Or not-tat, in the case of
Nikki's Trumps the Ghost. Can she get the colour shift to co-ordinate with her GPS this year? There's only one way to find out.
ETA: this will be a social ride, probably taking 6-7 hours to get to Whitby, and I'll ask around for someone to act as Tail End Charlie (or do it myself), and we'll regroup at significant points.
EFTA: likely route
here. I've re-routed through Thornton-le-Dale to keep it a bit lanier, and the finish is along the Esk and back over the swing bridge, though as usual we can re-group in Sleights to decide which way to take into Whitby (the main road is the sensible option if it's early, and then you get the howling descent into town).
I think there'll be eleven of us:
Deano
Graeme
MarkcjagarAndyoxon
Debs (notp)
Boab
ArminiusEllysH + 1
Col (notp)yorkieBring your own hot drinks if you want for the half-time stop, which will be Thornton-le-Moor. Some cake will be brought, but I'd recommend fetching along at least some snacks, as there will be nowhere open en route.
In Whitby, we'll aim for the Singing Kettle, but the 'Spoons is just down the alley as a backup.