Ride Reports
Saturday 8th December 2018
B1 / A Ride Report – RT Arnside - Peter Heyworth
With storm Etienne threatening a wet and wild day, holidays and the dreaded lurgy there was only RC Pedro and Mario on the cobbles.
Hoping to shelter from the elements we planned on a re run of an earlier RT to Arnside, so the first leg is the 25 mile haul down the canal, except now with all the rain the tow path is now a leg zapping mud bath. From here the route altered slightly to tackle some new bridal paths just east of Kirby Longsdale. Time seemed to stand still during this mid section as the off road section was rideable just, but the road section was just an onslaught of short sharp hills.
We finally arrived on Farleton Knott and the conditions were now truly appalling, with driving rain squalling in from the west. The tracks were turning to streams so we agreed caution over technical descent on the wet limestone rocks. 100 yard later and Pedro’s front wheel washed out and Pedro head planted over the bars.
It's now way past two o’clock, were 55+ miles in, the rain is battering down, Pedro spread eagle on the trail and Mario’s spannering fixing the bike / breaking out the emergency rations. We’re at least 5 miles from Arnside for the lunch stop and were going cold fast, mother nature is winning and we need to take on some food fast. So now a very ginger slide down the rapids and full steam ahead into the wind and headed for Arnside.
60 miles in and we finally land in Arnside at about half past two, The pie and chips didn’t touch the sides nor did the pint and a slack hand full of pain killers.
It’s three o’clock, going dark, the rain is lashing on the window, we’re thirty miles off home, mainly into the fan and we’re both shivering. So what’s the extraction plan? Carnforth, then the A6, hit Lancaster then the old Railway to Glasson Dock was soon agreed.
Not the most glamour’s of routes back to Glasson but this was now about keeping warm and making headway. The Rain eased as we hit Lancaster but the road flooding soon made up for any spot that were not completely soaked. It’s now pitch dark lights blazing we battled into the wind from Glasson to pilling.
We hit Pilling just before five o’clock, now just shy of 90 miles, we debated about sticking a loop in and pushing for a 100m RT, we even debated some Après mtb-ing and just agreed that we needed more basic requirement like getting warm and food
93 miles fat tyre ride, 3,5oo ft climbing and an ave of 13 mph, which is plenty of miles given the conditions.
Hoping to shelter from the elements we planned on a re run of an earlier RT to Arnside, so the first leg is the 25 mile haul down the canal, except now with all the rain the tow path is now a leg zapping mud bath. From here the route altered slightly to tackle some new bridal paths just east of Kirby Longsdale. Time seemed to stand still during this mid section as the off road section was rideable just, but the road section was just an onslaught of short sharp hills.
We finally arrived on Farleton Knott and the conditions were now truly appalling, with driving rain squalling in from the west. The tracks were turning to streams so we agreed caution over technical descent on the wet limestone rocks. 100 yard later and Pedro’s front wheel washed out and Pedro head planted over the bars.
It's now way past two o’clock, were 55+ miles in, the rain is battering down, Pedro spread eagle on the trail and Mario’s spannering fixing the bike / breaking out the emergency rations. We’re at least 5 miles from Arnside for the lunch stop and were going cold fast, mother nature is winning and we need to take on some food fast. So now a very ginger slide down the rapids and full steam ahead into the wind and headed for Arnside.
60 miles in and we finally land in Arnside at about half past two, The pie and chips didn’t touch the sides nor did the pint and a slack hand full of pain killers.
It’s three o’clock, going dark, the rain is lashing on the window, we’re thirty miles off home, mainly into the fan and we’re both shivering. So what’s the extraction plan? Carnforth, then the A6, hit Lancaster then the old Railway to Glasson Dock was soon agreed.
Not the most glamour’s of routes back to Glasson but this was now about keeping warm and making headway. The Rain eased as we hit Lancaster but the road flooding soon made up for any spot that were not completely soaked. It’s now pitch dark lights blazing we battled into the wind from Glasson to pilling.
We hit Pilling just before five o’clock, now just shy of 90 miles, we debated about sticking a loop in and pushing for a 100m RT, we even debated some Après mtb-ing and just agreed that we needed more basic requirement like getting warm and food
93 miles fat tyre ride, 3,5oo ft climbing and an ave of 13 mph, which is plenty of miles given the conditions.
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