Last week I had an idea of riding from my home in Fife, Scotland to my folk's house on the east side of Leeds. Its a 400 if I plan my route correctly, but as the weather was forecast to be good, with the High over the UK the weekend, I decided that as our final destination was Nottingham I could extend to 600 using a previously planned 200 from Leeds to Nottingham.
So Sat 8th April I set off at 5am and rode across the Forth Rd Bridge and through a quiet Edinburgh to the A7 down to Gorebridge where I turned off over the Granites, a lump of hill between Gorebridge and Innerleithen. 8am I arrived at Innerleithen and found food at an open bakery. Then off over the hill to Gordon Arms pub and over another to Ettrick valley where I rode over to Eskdalemuir for 11am and double bacon rolls.
Continuing south I stayed away from Langham heading towards Lockerbie before turning off on more B roads to Longtown. Leaving Longtown I called briefly at Brampton for chocolate and water before continuing on to Alston.
3:30pm and I was heading out of Alston up the cobbles towards Yad Moss. Stopping only to take in food en route, I caused a pinch flat, crossing a trench, but had plenty of spares. Down to Barnard Castle I continued without stopping to just south of Darlington, Croft on Tees, before turning south again for Northallerton and a curry at an old friend of Audax Ecosse, Tiermat.
South then around 11pm towards York where I skirted the centre stopping only at a BP on the south side for Tea and snacks. Then over the river at Cawood and realising my first navigation mistake, a field track, I stuck to the main roads to my parents home outside Leeds, arriving at 3am. 22hours for 400k. So far so good. The weather had been fair, not hot and not too cold.
Up at 8am on Sunday I set off for Howden in sun and a strengthening southerly breeze towards Hull.
After calling in at the Coop in Howden I continued east as the southerly wind picked up through North & South Cave to Ferriby where I found a home made jam seller, who provided water and jam filling for my 6 hot cross buns bought at the coop.
There is a nice park north of the Humber Bridge, where I found iced cream to cool me in the warming temperatures.
I cycle over the Forth Road Bridge a few times a week on average but this was my first time over the Humber on a bike. The bridge's structure is very different to the Forth Bridge. More level as it starts high up, less of a bend.
Passing through Barton upon Humber I headed up the hill to the plain and Brigg, only stopping for another flat, a faulty previous patch, 1 tube left. Leaving Brigg I struggled in building SW winds to Kirton in Lindsay and iced cream number 2 and more water, before ploughing on south towards Scampton. Here the road runs along the west edge of a high plain exposed to the SW winds. Dropping down after a surprise climb out of Scampton I headed for Saxilby, where again I bypassed the shop and continued on to Collingham. At Collingham I confused the coop location with Saxilby but eventually found the local coop, closed. Bally silly English closing times. So I found a pub, drank a pint of lemonade and had a water refill.
Leaving I found Newark via a rather expensive looking cul de sac complete with large houses and 2 Aston's spotted on drives. Finally under the A1 where I rode through the town centre and out to the A46. The road NW of the A46, A617, looked busy on google maps so I took the A616 and turned off on to Kelham lane. OK on google set to walking but in reality a dirt track between feilds. With the wind now from the West and no hedge cover the field track was a pita. Lesson learned.
Arriving in Averham I ate 2 more hot cross buns. In hindsight I should have eaten a proper meal as 4 hot cross buns, iced creams and a couple of yoghurts were not enough on day 2.
With my goal in sight I followed the quiet country roads with little traffic to the outskirts of Nottingham at Burton Joyce as night fell on finally. Arriving in Nottingham proper all the was left was a not inconsiderate climb up to Mapperly. Westdale lane east was a bugger with an appalling road surface and a brutal climb to the top. But finally at 8pm I arrived at the in-laws and a warm welcome from the family.
613km done in ~39 hours. A good slog on day 2 but a great feeling of achievement and once it is confirmed something I won't need to do again this year.
Dave C
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