Arch
Married to Night Train
- Location
- Salford, UK
For the YACF thread that inspired it all:
http://yacf.co.uk/fo...p?topic=36874.0
A few weeks back, User10119 pointed me at the YACF forum, where a couple of night rides to the coast from York were being organised. I missed out on doing the official FNRttC back in June, due to work, so I leapt at the chance... And since I wanted to use the trike, and trikes on trains can be at the whim of the guard, and are officially verboten, I'd have to ride back. So, there's my chance to kill 3 birds with one stone - first night ride, first 100 miles on trike, and first 200km on any bike...
We arranged to meet by midnight, at the station. Alas, Aidan, who'd set the whole thing up, knackered his knee on the way over to York, and had to drop out, but enough of us had GPS/maps/a vague idea to be confident of finding our way. I rolled up just after 11pm, to find several folk already there - Hulver I knew already, but the rest were new to me in the flesh - although MrCharley turns out to be the Dad of someone I do know.... While we waited for a quorum, we nattered, and confused the station manager who approached us with a worried expression, clearly wondering how 7 or 8 cyclists were going to get on the remaining 2 trains out... We assured him that we were leaving on our own wheels. We also gave some hostel advice to a chap who had got off a train in York, but apparently needed to be in Scarborough and was under the impression that it wasn't far away. On being told we were riding there, he asked if we had a bike spare...
CrinklyLion arrived on the stroke of midnight, laden with cake, and off we went. Our progress out of town was fine, but not really much different to just cycling home from the pub. Once we got to the ring road, and got on the A166 though, it was a completely new experience for me - blackness, lights floating in my mirrors, cars approaching and passing with bewildered care. I enjoyed the sight of my shadow illuminated by the riders behind - a very odd squat alien egg shape, with wheels and mirrors. The moon was 3/4 full, and low in the sky, and there were more stars than you ever see in town. Indeed, at a brief comfort and layer-shedding stop, we had a chance to play with the i-phone astronomy app, and identify Jupiter.
On the main road we were soon through Stamford Bridge, and onto the back roads - just as dark, but no white lines, or passing traffic at all. Heading to Pocklington we set some farm dogs barking - at least the first couple barked, the rest howled, long after we'd passed. We imagined a bemused farmer coming out with shotgun, scratching his head at what on earth set the dogs off... At Yapham Mill we stopped for User10119 to ring ahead to arrange our food stop - her Mum was housesitting and kindly offered to give us hot drinks and sandwiches. Cake we had with us! It was a most welcome break, as many of us were getting very cold, and my feet were like ice. So tempting to just stay the night.... But no, on we go. After Pocklington we knew that the hills would begin, which would help keep us warm.
And begin they did, just after Nunburnholme with a stiff little climb. In the dark of course, you can't see the hill, and I had the added challenge of not being able to see which gear I was in. A steep hill gave you a clue as to the gradient ahead, as the rear lights ahead rose up, but a lot of it was down to reading the feeling in your legs. But I managed, and we rolled up and down for some time. Traffic was non-existant - the first vehicle we saw for the next hour or so was a milk lorry. After Garton on the Wolds we turned right and percieved that the road was very slightly going up hill. And continued to do so, for over a mile. Not very steep, just relentless. Silence fell, and I could see rear lights ahead, and, in my mirror, front lights, but also retroreflective strips on people's leggings reflecting my multitude of rear lights. It was like red lanterns, bobbing up and down, very serene. I also glanced to the east and was pleased to see a thin strip of lighter sky beneath the clouds. But soft, what light....?
We regrouped at the top (where I totally missed Sir Tatton Sykes' monument in the dark, an enormous stone tower) and then it was through Sledmere and into some nice gentle contours along the valley. By the time we pulled up in Butterwick to have a route conflab, it was to all intents and purposes light. I realised that it was the first time I've watched dawn come up - 41 years it's taken me.
We elected to cut out the Filey arm, as people had trains to catch. I'm sure someone said something about it being all downhill to Scarborough. Except for the massive uphill, that is. Still, the descent of Staxton hill was grand, albeit a little bit illegal, as the road was actually closed for surfacing work. From the bottom of that road, it was A64 into Scarborough - busier than anything so far, but not so bad at 7 in the morning. Annoyingly a lack of signs to the station led to the group riding down to sea level before hauling back up a steep hill to the railway. Once trains had been checked and tickets brought, we retired to the local Wetherspoons for a slap up breakfast, and very welcome it was too!
It had been a thoroughly enjoyable ride, in excellent company. I've always seen the attraction of the FNRttC, but now I really understand the joy of riding in a group at night. The disembodied lights, the silence except for ticking freewheels and tyre hum, the lack of traffic, the stars, the first hint of dawn. A lot of things I recognised from Arallsopp's book, of course, but so nice to actually experience them myself.
The next one is arranged for the end of October, to Whitby. I'm a strong 'probably' for that.
Now, of course, for most of the group, the story ends. But remember, there was the ride back...
http://yacf.co.uk/fo...p?topic=36874.0
A few weeks back, User10119 pointed me at the YACF forum, where a couple of night rides to the coast from York were being organised. I missed out on doing the official FNRttC back in June, due to work, so I leapt at the chance... And since I wanted to use the trike, and trikes on trains can be at the whim of the guard, and are officially verboten, I'd have to ride back. So, there's my chance to kill 3 birds with one stone - first night ride, first 100 miles on trike, and first 200km on any bike...
We arranged to meet by midnight, at the station. Alas, Aidan, who'd set the whole thing up, knackered his knee on the way over to York, and had to drop out, but enough of us had GPS/maps/a vague idea to be confident of finding our way. I rolled up just after 11pm, to find several folk already there - Hulver I knew already, but the rest were new to me in the flesh - although MrCharley turns out to be the Dad of someone I do know.... While we waited for a quorum, we nattered, and confused the station manager who approached us with a worried expression, clearly wondering how 7 or 8 cyclists were going to get on the remaining 2 trains out... We assured him that we were leaving on our own wheels. We also gave some hostel advice to a chap who had got off a train in York, but apparently needed to be in Scarborough and was under the impression that it wasn't far away. On being told we were riding there, he asked if we had a bike spare...
CrinklyLion arrived on the stroke of midnight, laden with cake, and off we went. Our progress out of town was fine, but not really much different to just cycling home from the pub. Once we got to the ring road, and got on the A166 though, it was a completely new experience for me - blackness, lights floating in my mirrors, cars approaching and passing with bewildered care. I enjoyed the sight of my shadow illuminated by the riders behind - a very odd squat alien egg shape, with wheels and mirrors. The moon was 3/4 full, and low in the sky, and there were more stars than you ever see in town. Indeed, at a brief comfort and layer-shedding stop, we had a chance to play with the i-phone astronomy app, and identify Jupiter.
On the main road we were soon through Stamford Bridge, and onto the back roads - just as dark, but no white lines, or passing traffic at all. Heading to Pocklington we set some farm dogs barking - at least the first couple barked, the rest howled, long after we'd passed. We imagined a bemused farmer coming out with shotgun, scratching his head at what on earth set the dogs off... At Yapham Mill we stopped for User10119 to ring ahead to arrange our food stop - her Mum was housesitting and kindly offered to give us hot drinks and sandwiches. Cake we had with us! It was a most welcome break, as many of us were getting very cold, and my feet were like ice. So tempting to just stay the night.... But no, on we go. After Pocklington we knew that the hills would begin, which would help keep us warm.
And begin they did, just after Nunburnholme with a stiff little climb. In the dark of course, you can't see the hill, and I had the added challenge of not being able to see which gear I was in. A steep hill gave you a clue as to the gradient ahead, as the rear lights ahead rose up, but a lot of it was down to reading the feeling in your legs. But I managed, and we rolled up and down for some time. Traffic was non-existant - the first vehicle we saw for the next hour or so was a milk lorry. After Garton on the Wolds we turned right and percieved that the road was very slightly going up hill. And continued to do so, for over a mile. Not very steep, just relentless. Silence fell, and I could see rear lights ahead, and, in my mirror, front lights, but also retroreflective strips on people's leggings reflecting my multitude of rear lights. It was like red lanterns, bobbing up and down, very serene. I also glanced to the east and was pleased to see a thin strip of lighter sky beneath the clouds. But soft, what light....?
We regrouped at the top (where I totally missed Sir Tatton Sykes' monument in the dark, an enormous stone tower) and then it was through Sledmere and into some nice gentle contours along the valley. By the time we pulled up in Butterwick to have a route conflab, it was to all intents and purposes light. I realised that it was the first time I've watched dawn come up - 41 years it's taken me.
We elected to cut out the Filey arm, as people had trains to catch. I'm sure someone said something about it being all downhill to Scarborough. Except for the massive uphill, that is. Still, the descent of Staxton hill was grand, albeit a little bit illegal, as the road was actually closed for surfacing work. From the bottom of that road, it was A64 into Scarborough - busier than anything so far, but not so bad at 7 in the morning. Annoyingly a lack of signs to the station led to the group riding down to sea level before hauling back up a steep hill to the railway. Once trains had been checked and tickets brought, we retired to the local Wetherspoons for a slap up breakfast, and very welcome it was too!
It had been a thoroughly enjoyable ride, in excellent company. I've always seen the attraction of the FNRttC, but now I really understand the joy of riding in a group at night. The disembodied lights, the silence except for ticking freewheels and tyre hum, the lack of traffic, the stars, the first hint of dawn. A lot of things I recognised from Arallsopp's book, of course, but so nice to actually experience them myself.
The next one is arranged for the end of October, to Whitby. I'm a strong 'probably' for that.
Now, of course, for most of the group, the story ends. But remember, there was the ride back...
Hero
