@Nickyboy's Leeds to Scarborough Spectacular, brought to you by @I like Skol. 8th Sept 2018

[I like Skol]

Hi folks, thought I had better post in here so everyone isn't worried about the ride taking place. I have been riding a fair amount recently so will definitely be ride fit for this.

I am hoping to do a reconnaissance trip some time in Aug to check the route is ok.

In the meantime there has been a development. Oldest son has asked if he could join us and would he be able to do it? With some training during the summer he will be fine, after all he did ride the Manchester-Blackpool 60 mile when he was only 11 and is now a big strong 15yr old.
Good job i hadn't booked my room yet. I need to sort out accommodation and we will need to catch a train to the Leeds start as he won't want to do the 35 miles to the start!
Jnr doing the ride means Mrs Skol will definitely be collecting us from Scarborough so we will be able to offer a return trip to Leeds or the east Manchester area for at least one person and bike and maybe two if she doesn't have to bring our youngest child along for the ride.

So a few things for me to do this week.

• Accommodation
• Trains to Leeds
• Plan a recce trip
• Finalise details of the Mrs Skol repatriation mission
• Start training Jnr in the art of distance riding

The good thing about having the boy on board is that i will be less likely to make an arse of myself on Saturday night because i will have to keep an eye on him......

 

[Julia9054]

i will be less likely to make an arse of myself on Saturday night.

Well that's a shame!
Actually, i will be attempting not to make an arse of myself either. Due to the train thing, i am currently persuading Al that cycling to York the next day and getting the train home from there is the way round it

 

[DiddlyDodds]

Sadly i can only do the first part of the ride to Cawood Park food stop then will have to get back, as this year its my parents 50th anniversary and i have been informed my presence at the family meal is required.

 

[DiddlyDodds]

I would like to say i know the route out of Leeds but ended up with this little hiccup last year

 

[Littgull]

Well done Skolly (@I like Skol) for stepping into the breach and leading this excellent Forum ride.

Pleased to say that you can add myself and cycling chum @ColinJ to the list of definites. This will be our third consecutive year.

We have booked the 2 bike spaces on the 18.50 hours evening train for the post ride journey back to Leeds.

Looking forward to meeting old friends and new and the end of ride chips, of course.

 

[ColinJ]

Yes, indeed - I am officially in! Brian and I managed to get special offer tickets from Scarborough to Leeds for only £5.95 using our Old Fogey Senior Railcards.

I am going to have to work out where to add my extra miles this year to get an imperial century in. I'd rather not be doing loops of Scarborough this time while you lot scoff fish and chips! If I feel energetic, I might get up early enough to do whatever I need to (17 miles?) before catching the train to Leeds.

 

[NorthernDave]

Yes, indeed - I am officially in! Brian and I managed to get special offer tickets from Scarborough to Leeds for only £5.95 using our Old Fogey Senior Railcards.

I am going to have to work out where to add my extra miles this year to get an imperial century in. I'd rather not be doing loops of Scarborough this time while you lot scoff fish and chips! If I feel energetic, I might get up early enough to do whatever I need to (17 miles?) before catching the train to Leeds.

Why not ride to Leeds?

 

[si_c]

Why not ride to Leeds?

Might as well ride home from Leeds then too... Make it a 200k day!

 

[Pale Rider]

He could do with improving on last year's plan.

Everyone had finished their chips, gone home/to the pub, and there was Colin still doing laps of the seafront.

In the rain.

 

[ColinJ]

Why not ride to Leeds?

Halifax would leave me 5 miles short so I suppose Bradford would be about right. Alternatively, Halifax in the morning then alight from the return train one stop early and cycle home from Hebden Bridge?

 

[ColinJ]

Halifax would leave me 5 miles short so I suppose Bradford would be about right. Alternatively, Halifax in the morning then alight from the return train one stop early and cycle home from Hebden Bridge?

@Littgull got off at Hebden Bridge last year to ride back from there so perhaps I will join him this time. He could make up the rest of the distance by riding to Todmorden to catch his train to Leeds.

 

[Littgull]

@Littgull got off at Hebden Bridge last year to ride back from there so perhaps I will join him this time. He could make up the rest of the distance by riding to Todmorden to catch his train to Leeds.

Yes, I think that is probably what I will do again this year to get the extra miles in for an imperial century. Last year @ColinJ sacrificed a well earned leisurely eating of the fish and chips in Scarborough to do laps near the chip shop. Some of which, were in the rain! Whereas, I made my century complete by alighting at Hebden Bridge instead of Todmorden and riding the 10 miles home. I needed about 8 miles to complete the century. Getting off the train at Todmorden would have only given me 6 extra miles. But the upshot was that I got off a warm comfortable train at Hebden Bridge after a highly enjoyable but very long day, and within 2 minutes the heavens opened, the wind increased and I got extremely wet cycling the 10 miles home - and it was forecasted as 95% certain to be raining heavily that evening!!. Colin and I had a humorous discussion next time we met as to which one of us was the most daft - Colin with his chip shop laps or me willingly stepping off a warm dry train and knowingly getting a complete drenching all for the sake of clocking up another century. The even more daft thing is - I'd probably do the same this year. I set myself a target of 12 imperial century rides for this calendar year (so averaging one per month). Though my intention is to complete all 12 between April and the end of October thereby minimising riding for hours in the dark. So only 3 to go!

 

[Littgull]

Why not ride to Leeds?

Unfortunately, that would require a far too early get up from bed and start out time to be viable which is a pity because it would be good to get those extra miles done first thing.

 

[Littgull]

Yes, I think that is probably what I will do again this year to get the extra miles in for an imperial century. Last year @ColinJ sacrificed a well earned leisurely eating of the fish and chips in Scarborough to do laps near the chip shop. Some of which, were in the rain! Whereas, I made my century complete by alighting at Hebden Bridge instead of Todmorden and riding the 10 miles home. I needed about 8 miles to complete the century. Getting off the train at Todmorden would have only given me 6 extra miles. But the upshot was that I got off a warm comfortable train at Hebden Bridge after a highly enjoyable but very long day, and within 2 minutes the heavens opened, the wind increased and I got extremely wet cycling the 10 miles home - and it was forecasted as 95% certain to be raining heavily that evening!!. Colin and I had a humorous discussion next time we met as to which one of us was the most daft - Colin with his chip shop laps or me willingly stepping off a warm dry train and knowingly getting a complete drenching all for the sake of clocking up another century. The even more daft thing is - I'd probably do the same this year. I set myself a target of 12 imperial century rides for this calendar year (so averaging one per month). Though my intention is to complete all 12 between April and the end of October thereby minimising riding for hours in the dark. So only 3 to go!

In my 'defence', I only live 300 metres from Littleborough train station and (recent heatwave excepted) it rains so regularly and heavily in Littleborough that I often get totally drenched walking or cycling those 300 metres from the station to my house. So my reasoning on that night last year was that if I'm going to get soaked doing just that short distance I might as well get soaked doing the 10 miles from Hebden Bridge.

 

[si_c]

In my 'defence', I only live 300 metres from Littleborough train station and (recent heatwave excepted) it rains so regularly and heavily in Littleborough that I often get totally drenched walking or cycling those 300 metres from the station to my house. So my reasoning on that night last year was that if I'm going to get soaked doing just that short distance I might as well get soaked doing the 10 miles from Hebden Bridge.

Once you're wet, you're wet, and at home there is at least a shower to get, erm, wet again?