Last year I took the opportunity to ride Glossop - Llandudno and this proved to be the precursor to the Manchester - Llandudno CC ride. Fast forward a year and we're here again. Only this time there's no Easterly wind, just prevailing SWerlies. So I bought a ticket online to get me home, mapped a route and.............we're off to the seaside again. Only this time not N Wales, we're off to Scarborough
It's a long way; 112 miles all told. And I've got to get over the Pennines first. Then flat, flat, flat. Then the Yorkshire Wolds. Then the seaside. There's about 5,000ft of climbing which isn't too much but a fair chunk comes right at the end when you're feeling a bit knackered
Pretty warm so dispensed with the rain jacket even before I'd got out of Glossop. Didn't need it all day. There aren't many ways over the Pennines from Glossop that are vaguely in the right direction. The Snake goes the wrong way (sort of SE when I want to go NE). Holme Moss is the right way but it's hard. The other option is the Woodhead Pass. Heads NE....check. Not very steep.....check. But it's really busy. I did it. Not too bad, all the traffic behaved well and the tailwind made it a big ring climb all the way. Managed to touch 52mph down the other side.
On through lots of rolling roads via old S Yorkshire colliery towns that have, sadly, seen better days. After about 35 miles you get to Pontefract which really marks the end of the urban-ish, lumpy stretch and the start of the rural flat stretch. I was feeling good and could bowl along on the flat at 18mph no problem with the tail wind. Endless wheat fields, interspersed with potatoes, leeks (I think) and some other brassicas. We only grow grass in the Peak District....hard to identify some of these crops
I think the red thing is a bit of farm machinery. At least I hope that's what it is
I'd brought some flapjack with me to keep me going but after about 60 miles I was in need of lunch. Problem is that skirting around York, the villages are small cafes are few and far between. I got to Wheldrake.....no café. But it does have a pub. So I had very pleasant thick-cut ham sandwiches and chips. And a pint of course
Another flat 20 miles or so to follow. Wildlife wasn't terribly interesting. There were a few chiffchaffs and whitethroats still singing. What was really noticeable was the Yellowhammers. They just don't exist in the Peak District. But in E Yorkshire they're everywhere singing.
The Yorkshire Wolds. These hills aren't as well known as the Dales or the N Yorks Moors. But let me tell you, they're hard. Particularly with 80 miles in the legs. The climb out of Uncleby was a real struggle. A full mile of 9% with a half mile stretch of 11%. Here's the view at the top looking back to the flatlands I'd come from
Managed to see a butterfly I'd never seen before too; Marbled White. They are a S England species but the y have an outpost in the Wolds
Up another hill I came across this field. It was full of purple flowers. I don't recognise them. Is it the flowering of a crop? They were only in this field so I am guessing it's a crop
The riding started to get a bit easier and the final 20 miles run to Scarborough were excellent. It's interesting on these long rides to see how your cycling performance varies. For the first 50 miles I felt great. Then I started to feel some fatigue. About an hour after eating lunch I felt great again. I guess I just needed to eat and then it took a while for the food to take effect
Speaking of food.....can't go to the seaside and not have fish and chips.
Those bits of batter in amongst the chips are "scraps". Not sure if this is a Northern thing but the fryer saves the bits of cooked batter and you can request to have them (free) with your chips. Pure batter....with salt. Delicious (and justifiable after such a long ride)
Last photo; seaside. It was about 6pm by then and not particularly warm. Doesn't do justice to a nice beach
Had a tootle around town. Nice rum and raisin ice cream
Train back home with a few beers to keep me company. Great day out
,then the heavens opened , I did some fettling and watched a bit of the TDF before heading out past Looughrigg Tarn towards Skelwith Bridge, then round the east side of Loughrigg Fell and onto the A591. Luckily it wasn't too hectic on a dreich late Monday afternoon (everyone must've been gear shopping in Ambleside....) and I headed north over Le Col de Dunmail, up the east side of Thirlmere and back down the west side (a lovely quiet road). Lots of low cloud and mist swirling around the fells, so I was glad I wasn't up on the tops today, but beautiful to look at in a Turneresque kind of way. Flew back up and over Le Col de Dunmail, then into Grasmere via Easedale Road and back up the lovely Red Bank. Actually I quite enjoy RB, but it's definitely one to avoid on busy days.Just MTFU and get yer sweat on!
) and is now of the opinion that all cyclists suffer from the same OCD distance thing!
