Sorry to leave you in the lurch, guys, but I'm out. I can still hardly speak, and a wee ride around town has left me a tad woozy and very sweaty. I'd be NFU.
Now, is someone bringing a stove and bits for the stop?
Anyway, a quick guide of how I planned the thing to go - feel free to ignore, but I hope you find it useful.
- I'm assuming phanta knows the route sorta well enough, but someone to act as tail-end charlie who knows the route or has it on their GPS would be useful - any volunteers? It's not hard, just be prepared to ride at the pace of the slowest rider and make sure no one vanishes off down a side road or gets et by werewolves.
- The scheduled stop is in Pickering, at the bus stand to the right of the town centre roundabout. I don't know if anyone's bringing cake? You'll probably need your own snacks and stuff, as there'll be nowt open en route. And obviously this is depending on someone having a stove.
- On the route, don't miss the crappy left turn in Stamford Bridge - it's the left just before the traffic lights on the Bridge itself.
- The lights on the right turn onto the A169 in Malton are rubbish at responding to cyclists, so if you do have to jump them, go with extreme care. Even if you don't have to go through red, it's worth taking your time, as there was one year when an ambulance came flogging down from Old Malton Ambulance Station and went straight through the red lights without pause. He was probably still half asleep.
- If you do find yourself too far ahead of the others, please wait at the tops of hills or at junctions. Especially wait at junctions if you're not sure of the way! Generally, the group is pretty compact until Pickering, then starts to break up, and the points we've waited before have been at the Hole of Horcum, at Fylingdales, and the top of Blue Bank.
- I usually ask people to wait in Sleights village as well, as Blue Bank is a tricky descent. Don't worry about losing your momentum, there's plenty more descending to come after that.
- I think I'm the only one who knows where the
Old Copper Kettle Cafe is in Whitby. It's in the alley next to the New Angel Hotel, which will be a Wetherspoons by now. Opens at 5.30 am. Does veggie as well as meaty.
Streetview linkIf in doubt, ask a cabbie - they're guaranteed to know somewhere that's open.
Have fun! I'm frustrated not to be able to come, but it's sensible not to try.
I've updated the OP with those I think are riding - haven't heard back from Socks, so I assume he's not planning to ride, I think tom_e will be there. Andrewc hasn't been on the thread for a while, but I've left him in there.
I have mobile numbers for most people - someone to coordinate this on the ride would be v handy!
