Ride Reports
Saturday 25th May 2019
C Group Ride report - Mick Hine
C Group Ride report 25th May
Well I have to confess that I was a bit worried as I rode across to Kirkby this morning that my wee tweaks to the C ride route might have been a bit OTT. Any way I got there good and early and went to check out the car park and looking around thinking “oh those are nice caravans” and “what a lot of dogs”. It took me a while (and a large snarling Alsatian) to realise that travellers had occupied most of the available parking, and there was no sight of a GCC jersey.
It was a relief when I found Tony by the burger van, at least there would be two of us. We were shortly joined by new members Peter and Paul, and then Frank looking to park his nice Audi as far away as possible from the car park. So little trust in this modern world. Any way Frank need not have worried as handily there was an unexpectedly large Police presence in the area for some reason. Gradually we were joined by Dave, Petula, Malcolm and Bob. We then set off towards Barbondale, nine of us in total.
Our approach towards the big slope of the day was pleasant and uneventful and we all positively whizzed up the hill to a chorus of “Easy, Easy (on the knees please)”. Well I did anyway. Once at the top we decided to go straight to the Café at Dent to eat and confer about the rest of the route. The Meadowbank café was full of pesky cyclists so we resorted to the Dent Heritage Centre which was not. As we sat there basking in the sun eating the excellent fare of said establishment the “B” group whizzed by waving cheerily on their way to another far distant café stop. I hope it was as good as ours.
Suitably refreshed we turned to agreeing the rest of the route. In a display of collective responsibility and compromise that would have made Teresa May weep we rapidly agreed that Boris is a clown, sorry gone off topic there, I mean agreed that given the mix of abilities in the group and possible extra hills due to the road closure west of Sedburgh, we would skip the loop up to Cowgill and take a quick loop out of Dent along the north bank of the river back to the “C” route to Sedburgh. We further modified the route along the way following a few suggestions by Malcolm who with Bob left us shortly after to follow a less hilly shortcut back to Kirkby Lonsdale.
Fortunately for the rest of us we were able to get through the road closure with a bit of bike lifting and avoided the long slog up to Killington. From there the journey back to Kirkby was largely uneventful other than we chanced upon Malcolm at an inconvenient moment at the road side. Bob was also there but not inconvenienced. Back to our full complement we headed back to the start point losing Petula on route as the lure of shops was just too much.
We all agreed that the various route changes and café stop worked out well. Thanks for your company today “C” riders it was a pleasure riding with you, it always is.
Well I have to confess that I was a bit worried as I rode across to Kirkby this morning that my wee tweaks to the C ride route might have been a bit OTT. Any way I got there good and early and went to check out the car park and looking around thinking “oh those are nice caravans” and “what a lot of dogs”. It took me a while (and a large snarling Alsatian) to realise that travellers had occupied most of the available parking, and there was no sight of a GCC jersey.
It was a relief when I found Tony by the burger van, at least there would be two of us. We were shortly joined by new members Peter and Paul, and then Frank looking to park his nice Audi as far away as possible from the car park. So little trust in this modern world. Any way Frank need not have worried as handily there was an unexpectedly large Police presence in the area for some reason. Gradually we were joined by Dave, Petula, Malcolm and Bob. We then set off towards Barbondale, nine of us in total.
Our approach towards the big slope of the day was pleasant and uneventful and we all positively whizzed up the hill to a chorus of “Easy, Easy (on the knees please)”. Well I did anyway. Once at the top we decided to go straight to the Café at Dent to eat and confer about the rest of the route. The Meadowbank café was full of pesky cyclists so we resorted to the Dent Heritage Centre which was not. As we sat there basking in the sun eating the excellent fare of said establishment the “B” group whizzed by waving cheerily on their way to another far distant café stop. I hope it was as good as ours.
Suitably refreshed we turned to agreeing the rest of the route. In a display of collective responsibility and compromise that would have made Teresa May weep we rapidly agreed that Boris is a clown, sorry gone off topic there, I mean agreed that given the mix of abilities in the group and possible extra hills due to the road closure west of Sedburgh, we would skip the loop up to Cowgill and take a quick loop out of Dent along the north bank of the river back to the “C” route to Sedburgh. We further modified the route along the way following a few suggestions by Malcolm who with Bob left us shortly after to follow a less hilly shortcut back to Kirkby Lonsdale.
Fortunately for the rest of us we were able to get through the road closure with a bit of bike lifting and avoided the long slog up to Killington. From there the journey back to Kirkby was largely uneventful other than we chanced upon Malcolm at an inconvenient moment at the road side. Bob was also there but not inconvenienced. Back to our full complement we headed back to the start point losing Petula on route as the lure of shops was just too much.
We all agreed that the various route changes and café stop worked out well. Thanks for your company today “C” riders it was a pleasure riding with you, it always is.
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