Robbie by the roadside |
Coast to Coast 3rd, 4th, 5th June 2011 By Paul Baillie (and Robbie) View the Photo Book of the ride (remember to click on the arrows Day 1
It was a glorious sunny morning when the 13 riders met at Glasson dock ready for the 2011 edition of our Coast to Coast ride. Pip Riley's well used route was billed as just short of 150 miles from Glasson to Flamborough Head with a mixture of tough climbs quiet lanes and some more tough climbs.
As we gathered for the off, introductions were made and names were exchanged (I think all the girls were called Denise!) It was then time for a few pics
We set off as one through Galgate towards Dolphinholme and soon reached our first climb at Abbeystead. with everyone safely over the top, any pre conceptions that this was going to be a social 3 day tootle across the country were gone!
We made steady progress up Boundary Hill in very hot conditions then after a welcome water top up and banana break at the top courtesy of Mike (the best support driver in the entire world who made us all smile with his "encouraging " signs along the way). We sped down to the first stop of the day in Slaidburn. Sitting outside in bright sunshine we enjoyed our brunch and were soon on our way.
The climb out of Slaidburn saw the group strung out and the undulating roads to Tosside were enjoyed more by some than others. After a quick re-group at the North Yorkshire sign we soon made our way onto quiet lanes and made good progress towards Hellifeld and after crossing the A65 we climbed a series of challenging hills and passed some other groups on the "way of the roses c2c route" It was somewhere near here when Brian appeared after driving to Grassington and cycling back to meet us.
The legs were starting to tire by now and the re- groups were happening more and more frequently as people found the terrain and the intense heat a tough combination but after a final re group at Linton we pushed on as one one to our overnight stop at Grassington.
With the bikes safely stored it was time to relax some went to find a tea room and the other more sensible riders (all the men!) found the bar and settled into some comfy chairs to rest weary legs.
We all met up for the evening meal where the wine flowed freely and we all ate and drank well in nice surroundings with good company.
An early night was on the cards as breakfast was at 8 the next morning
Day 2
The talk the previous evening (except Pip's stories about Blackpool airport which had us all in stitches) had all been about the long climb out of Grassington to Stumps cross caverns.
There were tales of long steep gradients and as it was so soon after breakfast I decided to only have one full English breakfast as I'm such an athlete!
The sky as we set off was quite grey with arm warmers and jackets being the order of the day.
It didn't take long for the road to tilt skywards out of Grassington and some of us were starting to regret that second or third piece of bacon. after an initial steep section or "the wall" as one rider described it the ascent does flatten out although it is still a tough slog with some steep sections thrown in. Once you reach the sign for the Caverns you think you must be as the top but no,there is a way to go yet. once you are at the top the views are stunning, well so I've been told it was too cloudy to see anything! The descent into Pateley Bridge turned a few of us (myself included) into 10 year old boys who flew down the descent reaching 45mph. For others it was a bit much and some decided to warm their brakes whilst others resorted to more drastic measures and walked. A quick brew stop by the river and once again en mass onto the hills, The weather had deteriorated and was actually quite cold. Mike informed us it was 10c but on the top of the hills it felt much colder. We were all glad when the slog along this section came to an end with a right turn towards Fountains Abbey. It was here that Pip broke into song but I think its best for all concerned that we leave it there! Onwards and after some pictures at Fountains Abbey it was nice to see the weather improving as we made our way to Boroughbridge. We arrived here about an hour ahead of schedule so decided to explore this nice little town. Actually the girls explored the town and the boys had a sandwich and then went to the pub for 2 hours! After a few more of Pip's stories it was time for the off and we had about 15 miles to go to our overnight stop in Raskelf. This is when we joined on our tour by a celebrity in the form of Robbie Williams. Now some said that the cardboard cut out had more personality than the real thing but I'll decline to comment! Once at Raskelf some of the group had another 4 or 5 miles to their overnight accommodation which by all accounts seemed to be the greatest B&B in the world and a must for future events in this area. The evening started with watching the England game in the bar then a nice meal and a drink or 4. it didn't take long for the conversations to turn to arm wresting and Pip showed us all that he is the undisputed champion after beating the Bob into submission!
A nice evening was had by all but it was bedtime as tomorrow we would reach the coast. And it was all flat from here........................... wasn't it?
The girls going well! Day 3
The weather was much windier today but at least the sun was trying to make an appearance
After one too many pieces of fried bread I wasn't feeling at my best as we set off on the 4 mile jolly to meet the other group, so I was more than happy to oblige when the job of rear gunner became available. Once we had scooped up the other group We sped through the villages of Stillington and Sherriff Hutton before hitting the tough climb at Bulmer which was nasty 20% climb that was just long enough to make you regret that last beer the night before! Mike had helpfully placed some signs along here such as "it's only an undulation" and "nearly there" They did make me smile as I sweated eggs and fried bread out of my system. Mike then sped off to take up his position to capture us entering the Castle Howard Estate which saw lots of picture taking and something I will refer to only as " the fence incident" which involved a couple of people (myself included) falling through a fence whilst posing for the camera. Once we left the estate we really bombed on and reached Malton in what seemed like no time for our morning brew at Morrisons. Pip decided to tell us here that there was one more hill to worry about just after the village of Setterington which was 5 miles down the road and it didn't disappoint. It was a real leg burner with tough gradients and seemed to go on for ever but once at the top the views were breathtaking (if you had any breath left) The feelings and talk at the top of the hill were all about what a great sense of achievement we all had for nailing the last climb of the ride. Pip decided to spin a joke which will live long in the memory and it was a really nice moment as we all set off as a group from the top of the Yorkshire Wolds.
What followed was my favourite 30 minutes or so on a bike. Long sweeping lanes with no traffic whatsoever. Incredible speeds were reached as the road stretched out in front for as far as you could see. You could start to feel that the end was near and although we were battling a strong headwind we made good progress through the villages of West and east Lutton and before long we were at Grindale. After a left turn we saw the 1st sign for Flamborough and we rode the rest of the way as one group. As we neared the lighthouse we ushered Pip and Bob to the front and we reached our destination following our leaders Phil and Pip. Lots of handshakes hugs and pictures followed before we all jumped in the cars and headed home.
A huge thank you on behalf of all the riders must go to all the drivers but a special mention for Mike, who was always close by with water and a smile to keep you going and I cant wait to see some of the pictures he took.
Thanks also to Phil for leading the way but the biggest thanks go to Pip who devised such a great route that we probably saw more bikes than cars on our whole trip. We discovered roads and villages we didn't even know existed and the whole thing was planned to perfection. This ride is an absolute must for anyone who loves cycling
Paul Baillie
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