Wetherby 100
Not sure how this RR is going to go, it’s a very benign ride, 100km in North Yorkshire and maybe a little bit of West Yorkshire. I rode there, 30km from The Chateau, that part went very well, cool with a little drizzle. I missed a turn, hadn't realised until I arrived at somewhere else, about 100m down the road. On the way back I saw my mistake, I should have turned left on th corner of Main Street in Allerton Bywater. I can’t remember what time I set off, about 06:45 I suppose. Some of my clubbie who were doing the 200 with it’s 08:00 start said “I’ll see you at the start” but I didn’t really expect to be there in time. About half a mile from the start hall I saw them all rolling down a hill, “morning, morning, morning” shouted I. So gets there at about 07:05 and sat around chatting to the organiser and his helpers who also happen to be clubmates of mine. No one else whom I knew showed up and I wondered what sort of ride I’d have, you see sometimes I am not too good at making new friends sometimes, shy you know, but today I was on form. “Just follow Martin” said Peter as we waited for the hour. I think I was the most sporting looking rider there, these 100s attract a different set of riders to what I am used to, I must confess feeling a little over dressed, thankfully I had a rack an mudguards on my Hewitt !!
Off we go, sure enough everyone sucked my wheel, I split the group pretty quickly and four others hung on, perhaps that’s too strong a word, I wasn’t challenging them or trying to drop anyone. In Garforth after about 10km I need to switch my gilet and armwarmers for my rain jacket. I stopped at a red traffic light and told the others what I was doing, no one waited of course when the light went green. I thought I’d catch them up. I rode on alone, in the rain. I moment of indecision in Barwick-in-Elmet and I lost a minute or two. I pushed on, I know these roads very well and on arriving at the A64 I saw my prey, the busy main road probably delayed them. They were delayed a bit more when they failed to see the turn for the bridleway. They stopped soon after and shouted back to me as I waited for them to U-turn. It was wet and muddy but thankfully not very long. I could have navigated us directly to the first control at Thorp Arch but first we had to find an info control at Wetherby Racecourse, I wasn’t sure about this as I don’t go that way very often, the 2007 Easter Arrow was the last time. I was leading us by now, I was in this position for most of the day but I didn’t mind that as it meant I kept out of other peoples spray. The gate to the racecourse crept up on us, I noticed it as a truck overtook, we stopped and u-turn and had a brief conflab about the turn. We went onto the racecourse but couldn’t see the info On through to find a locked gate for our exit. Climbing over a wet steel gate made of tubes is not easy in Look cleated shoes, I did not want to fall. I made it. No info here either but plenty of rain. On to the control, I led again and we arrived while John the organiser was still there, he set off 20 minute before us to give the stamps to the controls. He was angry about the locked gate and couldn’t see the info either.
The next section to Copmanthorpe is quite nice in the sunshine and not too bad in the rain. I got my head down and sucked the rest alone, I know the roads. The York-Selby path was used for 9km and it was wet and muddy, my bike that was cleaned only yesterday is now filthy and no longer purring alone . Some lunch at Selby Bus Station café, John was there still and they have a picture cut from Arrivee on the wall taken on Christmas day last year.
The final 20km took less than an hour, easy. The while ride was easy for me, I am very pleased. The 30km home took just over an hour so all in all an easy day that shouldn’t have been that easy. I think I need some more challenges now.
