Friday Night ride to Tan Hill, July 1st 2011

[Kim]

As a bonus, your deadpan delivery of your comedy off-road experiences, is another of the memories that I'm still smiling about 

I must have missed that bit...   

[CrinklyLion]

We established this on the first page:

Lungs, knees and weather permitting.

Sacrificing both of my knees, plus various others, practically guaranteed excellent weather (and well-behaved lungs, in spite of Stupid Allergies).  Certain parties neglecting to bring any sunblock clinched the deal.

Or indeed, having sunblock in their bag but utterly failing to remember this until after getting home and noticing how sunburnt she was.....

Ah well, at least I survive the wasp or whatever sting on the lip without falling off, or wobbling so badly that I caused an accident.  Quite proud of that.

I took precisely 4 photos. 

My breakfast - the last one served, and possibly the latest ever Tan Hill breakfast!


And, for those of you in the fast train, this is what Team Slow got up to on the way back to Darlo


(all three were mine - the one on the left to keep me awake, the one on the right to keep my hydrated and the one in the middle to keep me cheerful!)

[mrcharly-YHT]

Some GPS goodness...

07/01/11 -  York, York YO10 3, GB

See? Just the one hill.

Maximum speed of 176mph, I notice 

Ah, now that's interesting.

After descending Sleightholme moor, my GPS acquired a max speed reading of 130kph.

I wonder if there is some installation around there that interfered with the signal?

Oi, CL you silly bugger, I offered you sunblock at Scotch Corner. I did think it a bit wierd that you turned it down. You insisted you had some on.

[Andrew Br]

This time we did get organised and a train formed. It started when I asked Jane to sit up more so that I could get a better tow and off we went..............

Blimey, if I'd realised you'd all gone to that much effort just to get me on a train I'd have tried to do my bit at the front, although saying that I had all on hanging on so I doubt I'd have even got to the front  

The only time I got within spitting distance was when I let my not inconsiderable mass fire me off down the hills with impressive momentum.

It was no effort Doosh/Whoosh, the train just happened (in fact I didn't know that we had a deadline, I just picked up on a sense of urgency).

I think that I heard you say that it was the longest ride that you've ever done. Keeping in a group that was moving like we were (I don't think that it was slow) was bloody good going, especially as some of us were riding £'kin lots bikes on skinny tyres (that would be me then; ATGNI    ).

[Kim]

(all three were mine - the one on the left to keep me awake, the one on the right to keep my hydrated and the one in the middle to keep me cheerful!)

It might look innocuous in the photo, but that lemonade was chilled to within a gnat's crotchet of absolute zero, and was dissolving extra CO₂ from the atmosphere at such a rate that the fizziness actually increased with time.  Attempting to drink it at any kind of speed was a real challenge for my suffering sinuses.

The salt stop was an excellent idea though.  Even Walker's now-fried-in-triffid-oil crisps tasted great.

[Andrew Br]

As a bonus, your deadpan delivery of your comedy off-road experiences, is another of the memories that I'm still smiling about 

I must have missed that bit...   

I particularly cherish the "Yes, I am mad" explanation to the hikers and the "Death grip" comment when we re-grouped at the end of the track 
Understatement, you haz it !

[CrinklyLion]

There was one moment, when crossing Sleightholme Moor, that MrCharly commented that a fairly large ker-pinging rock had just managed to fly up and hit the top of his foot.

Then giggled.  Rather a lot.  In a slightly bonkers 'this is very very silly but really rather entertaining' manner.

This is the reaction that I am coming to expect when comedy off-roading on mildly inappropriate bikes....

[Doosh]

It was actually the most enjoyable part of the ride for me, although I doubt it would have been if we were navigating it in the opposite direction 

[Kim]

It was actually the most enjoyable part of the ride for me, although I doubt it would have been if we were navigating it in the opposite direction  

Indeed.  I was getting some serious wheel-spin from the lie-back-and-think-of-Wowbagger gear on the upward bits and serious knee-pain from the sensible gears.  I found that the usual recumbenteer's method of carrying as much momentum as possible into the climbs and hoping for the best achieved the optimum results.  In a "See above Re: death grip." kind of way.

[andrewc]

Well I'm finally feeling 100% again so I'd better do something of a write up.

I'd had a bad nights sleep on Thursday & a draining day at work on Friday, mid afternoon I was pondering about abandoning in fact...
Uneventful train ride to York but looking out of the window all I could see were gathering black clouds.
Arrived at York station and met Peter on the platform followed by a multitude of others just outside. Old friends were greeted, new ones introduced themselves and shiny bikes were ogled.  I may also have been encouraged to consume cake by that wicked temptress CrinklyLion...

Off we went into the mysterious dark at a good speed, it was fairly warm and there was no rain, though the cloud cover meant no starry skies.  A few brief stops to rest & regroup where various people plied me with cheese scones, flapjacks and more cake.  If you are going to carry on feeding me like this I may need to ask for contributions to the New Shorts fund......

Despite my earlier tiredness I was feeling strong and riding well. It got light at about 4 and we had a lovely sunrise, riding on deserted roads through beautiful countryside is as good as it gets.  An extended break while Arch fixed a puncture left me feeling chilled though.  By this time we'd split into 2 groups and the rear party swept into Scotch Corner to find the FastFolk had been there for a while and in some cases were having a snooze.  For the prices the Costa Lot shop was charging you'd think they'd have more than 1 employee on as well. Poor chap was rushed off his feet.

Off we went again (sadly minus Arch), it was a glorious, sunny day and I'd only brought a half full 30ml tube of sunscreen. That did the face...

A stonkingly beautiful ride through Richmond & lower Swaledale, by this time I was in the last group, with mrcharly, Slowcoach and a slightly knee damaged  Kim who I suspect was running on willpower and drugs in equal measure.  A mechanical with Slowcoaches bike and a visitation on Kim's rear wheel enabled us to rest though. I took the chance to remove my long sleeved top and expose bare flesh to the sun god..

More climbing to Reeth, who's lovely village green seemed entirely surrounded by pubs. No one said rude things to me and several people said "Hello" and "Lovely morning".   

Up again through Arkengarthdale, more beauty than you could shake a stick at and a very bloated dead sheep at the side of the road.

Living up to my sig I was last into the pub (when not cycling it's usually the other way around!) and after getting a bottle of cold water and a half of Black Sheep I slumped down to await a Deano organised breakfast. This was dealt with in short order. The pub was filled with people in various stages of fatigue, from manic to catatonic.  Coming back from the gents I found Kim asleep, lying perfectly straight on one of the pub benches, looking like a vampire waiting for dark, or the centrepiece at a wake....

I'd ticket for the 14:24 from Oxenholme, 35 miles away. I didn't think I was going to make it in time , but had to try, so said my goodbyes and left. 

Some lovely fast downs took me to just before Kirby Stephen, where I necked my emergency bottle of Frij. McShroom and BillPlumtree turned up, but stopped in the village for a bit.  I carried on, feeling knackered & slightly ill.  McShroom overtook me again just outside the village as I was pushing uphill.

I'd seriously underestimated how hilly the route to Oxenholme was, and how tired I was going to be after riding 77 miles with no sleep. A couple of incidents where I rode off the road with my eyes shut persuaded me to do some more walking. A rest & Ribena in Sedbergh restored some life to me but I didn't reach Oxenholme until 17:00.  A nice lady sold me a new ticket back to Liverpool.

I woke up in time to change trains at Wigan, got home, showered, changed and had some pasta then woke up again at 04:30 fully clothed on my bed.   I've been feeling continually thirsty all day today, thought I'd been drinking regularly during the ride.

All told the ride itself was wonderful, the aftermath less so. Many thanks to Deano for organising it and I promise to bring the whiskey next time !

One of many visitations



A much photographed sign



Glorious day...



mrcharly



Kim & Slowcoach



Arkengarthdale



Shiny, happy Kimble having fun....



mrcharly



Landscape past Sedbergh

[Peter]

Andrew, that was a good read!  Sorry you suffered so much on the way to Oxenholme.  Good pictures, too.

Hope you're recovering - I'm still a bit sleepy, myself.

Nice to meet you and hope to again, sometime soon.

[Andrew Br]

\o/

Do you know, we have some roads up here that don't have holes in them? 

I'm making no comment 

[CrinklyLion]

Well, obviously we wanted to make you feel at home on some bits of the route 

[thelazycyclist]

Hi, Just to say a HUGE THANKS for a fab ride! It was my first night ride and wasn't sure what to expect but it turned out to be excellent. Brilliant to see friends and meet new people too. Not so much 'night' though as it seemed to start getting light after we left York! I reluctantly left at Scotch Corner so missed lots of the action but it sounds as though you had an amazing ride! loooking forward to catching up with you all again soon, 

I passed you in Middleton Tyas about 6 am.  I said hello but I didn't recognise you properly until you had SpeedyGonzalezed yourself round the next corner.  I shouted after you but you may have thought I was a random shouting nutter as it was 6 in the morning

[jogler]

Got back home a couple of hours ago.Sorted out bikes,camping gear & clobber.Pizza & chips ready for scoffing so more about the ride later........

[CrinklyLion]

And I have another new bridge
<------

Apparently it necessitated an emergency stop on the comedy off-road section.

Suggest you copy the pic to the thread.  You change your avatar rather frequently...
And it is a rather nice bridge.

A good point, well made, since I'm about to change it again

Is the one that I was referring to.  It cries out for a visit for a picnic.  And a game of billy goats gruff....

[Kim]

I must have missed that one entirely.  Where was it?

[mrcharly-YHT]

Off to the left as we descended the track through Sleightmoor

[CrinklyLion]

You may have been concentrating more on the not falling off and dying part of the adventure then

[Kim]

You may have been concentrating more on the not falling off and dying part of the adventure then

Found it on the satellite image, along with a couple of particularly shark-infested-looking potholes on the track, so I think you may well be correct.

Annoyingly this means I have to go back.

I can has mountain bike plz?

[CrinklyLion]

Found it on the satellite image, along with a couple of particularly shark-infested-looking potholes on the track, so I think you may well be correct.

Annoyingly Excitingly this means I have to go back.

I can has mountain bike plz?

FTFY   You could always try the road down to Kirkby Stephen next time too....

[Kim]

Annoyingly Excitingly this means I have to go back.

I can has mountain bike plz?

FTFY   You could always try the road down to Kirkby Stephen next time too....

Up across the fiddly technical bits, and down the fun road route?  That sounds like the basis of a plan... and probably the sort that would be ruined by using a appropriately sensible bike.   

[jogler]

Here's a collection of random comments.
Firstly a big THANKYOU to Dean for organising this ride & with such efficiency &,on the night/day,patience & good humour.
There is a lot of comment upthread about the various aspects of mechanicals,punctures & who did what when & with who to which I can add nothing new so this is really a collection of my personal thought & recollections.
My pre-ride notion was that it would be a night ride on a flat route followed by a lumpy ride of varying degree after a bit of R&R at Scotch Corner.In effect two rides.This is how it panned out for me.I really enjoy night riding & this ride reinforced & endorsed that attitude.The dawn seemed to arrive rather early & it was a marvellous sight to witness.I was suprised to realise how much of this route I had ridden on previous different rides & also didn't realise that Middleton Tyas was so close to Scorton therefore putting me on the road to Edinburgh.I did ask Dean where the LEL control was in M.T. & his reply made me laugh a great deal.
"0n top of a hill of course"
Que the first hill of any note on the route.
The ride from Scotch Corner to Richmond was an enjoyable bit of kidology(a.k.a. downhill) & then Swaledale was a delight.The rising temperature was welcome & the short sharp upbit to the village green in Reeth made it essential to get some kit off in preperation for the ride up Arkengarthdale.Doing this in a bus shelter added another touch of the audax experience to the ride.
The climb was exactly what I been told to expect:gradual & very long with a couple of "f88ck me" wall-like blips.What was not expected was a 60 minute exposure to so much sun & heat giving a gradual  slightly roasted jogler result.The last climb immediatley prior the Inn was a bit of challenge.I actually stopped for a breather & to lower my heart rate on this bit but I sure as hell wasn't going to use the 24" gear now( I knew I was close because someone had told me that the two ruined railway carriages on the roadside were "nearly there").The last 100 metres down to a finish were a wonderfull novelty.Breakfast was terrific.
The company was excellent. I enjoyed meeting friends,previous acquaintances & new faces.Meeting MyRock in the dining room was marvellous.A perfect end to the ride.

I never imagined that riding up a hill could be enjoyable.This is only the second hill I've ever ridden up that I would choose to do again.The other one being being the climb up to the Crask Inn from Altnaharra at the end of the Strathnaver Valley.
The ride down was a little different to that of the Darlo bunch.I was chaffuerred in the Volvo to Leyburn for a couple of days of R&R.
Off topic.I noticed,when in Hawes,that Buttertubs is near there.Marj & I enjoyed camping in the Dales & I reckon we will be back.

[GillP]

Looks like that was a truly classic yACF ride. Maybe if you repeat it next year we might be able to join you 

[Wowbagger]

It was a truly classic ride - I'm still buzzing after it.

And I've raised my saddle!