vernon
Harder than Ronnie Pickering
- Location
- Meanwood, Leeds
August Bank holiday loomed, I was undecided on how to fill it. Solfest Festival near Silloth was tempting but it inevitably involved doing things to excess aided and abetted with a pal who'd just been on tour with me in the Czech Republic and former East Germany where industrial quantities of spirits and beer had been consumed. I also fancied detoxing and craved the solitude of solo touring but where to? I have a boxful of Sustrans maps and decided to do the Way of the Roses as yet another way of doing a coast to coast ride.
I dutifully packed a couple of panniers and a rack top bag on the Friday night and was ready for an early-ish departure for the 08:20 Leeds to Morecambe train. Torrential rain woke me up at 04:00 on Saturday morning and my first thoughts were of the campers at Leeds Festival followed by how lucky I was going to be as I was going to travel through the weather front into dryness and follow in the wake of some heavy rain if the weather forecasts were to be believed. As it turned out, the forecasts proved to be accurate. Leeds station had quite a few disconsolate looking folk, covered in mud having literally bailed out of the festival and were making their way home several days earlier than expected.
Day 1 - Morecambe:
+I have a sneaking regard for the place. It's fallen upon hard times but is currently busy undergoing regeneration. I made my way to the stone jetty to have a cuppa and a view of the sea before picking up the route by the station. The initial part of the trail is along an abandoned rail track with many clues about its origins.
Cormorant statue on the stone pier.
Eric Morecambe statue on the sea front
View attachment 28497
Goods crane on the site of Lancaster Green Ayre station.
Halton Station
The ride was uneventful apart from the climb from Settle to Airton - it was an arduous push and the excellent fish and chips eaten in Settle did little to fuel my legs for the climb. Cycling into the increasing darkness was a pleasant experience - no traffic and the hoots of tawny owls were the only noises other than tyre buzz. A secluded corner of a field near Winterburn was the perfect spot for stealth camping.
View attachment 28518
Day 2 Winterburn to Burnt Yates
What a day this turned out to be. A record breaking departure from the stealth pitch - 25 minutes from waking to pedalling way and a gentle pedal to Grassington led to an encounter with Sean, a South African saturation diver who was pedalling from Manchester to Middlesborough to get re-certificated for his job. His wheel was badly buckled and I managed to true it sufficiently enough for him to be able to reconnect his rear brake. We set off together towards Pately Bridge but he was fitter and he pressed on towards Ripon and then to Northallerton to catch a train to Middlesborough. He was remarkably upbeat despite the parlous state of his hire bike - it was barely fit for purpose.
The climb to Greenhow was torture. A long push ensued and a prolonged stay at the cafe at White Scarr Caves' cafe was used to gird my loins for the final push over Greenhow Hill and the climb out of Pateley Bridge. The Greenhow descent was done at a moderate pace. There'd been several bad accidents involving cyclists on the descent who'd lost control of their bikes. I was determined to reach the bottom in one piece. Fish and chips and the climb out of Pateley Bridge followed.
I'd had enough of hils and decided not to follow the official route at this point and instead followed the descent of the Wharfe towards Ripley instead of climbing further and then descending into Ripon. Another stealth camp followed between Burn Yates and Ripley. I slept for nine hours.
Day 3 - Ripley to Warter
Breakfast at Ripley Castle tea rooms followed by a 'boar hunt' took an hour and the flat part of the ride was started. Uneventful flat ride followed to Pocklington with a pause in York for a snack. My friend in Pock fed me cake and sandwiches and I stayed for a chat before pedalling into the dusk for another stealth camp near Warter, There was very little light pollution and it was possible to see the Milky Way. I was lulled to sleep by the calls of tawny owls and lapwings.
Pig sick
A boargler
Day Four - Warter to Bridlington
Another flat ride after the climb to Warter. In another departure from the official route, I stuck to the B1246 and A164 chopping out some pointless miles. Bridlington was reached sooner than expected, 12:00, and as I paused in the old town part of Bridlington, a local lass asked to take my photograph to use in a publication about the old town that she was writing. My tuxedo cycle top had caught her attention and she claimed I was a perfect example of the diversity of folk found there. I spotted a butcher and entered the shop to purchase a celebratory pie. It was a good pie and a great butcher. When I declined to have the pie put in a bag because I intended to eat it on the bench opposite the shop, he made me a mug of tea to go with it. The pie scored 8/10 and customer service 11/10. A dawdle down to the sea front took me to a totally different world - brash, loud and obese. I'd never seen so many people whose girths were greater than mine. I'd also not seen so many people using mobility scooters, many of the users dwarfing me. Bridlington does not seem to be a healthy place to live. I found the station and beat a retreat back to Leeds via Hull.
All in all it was an enjoyable ride but not one that I'd recommend as the first coast to coast ride to do. The lumpy bits around Settle, Grassington and Pateley Bridge are challenging and would be miserable in wet weather. I'd been lucky enough to enjoy sunny weather for the entire ride. I completed the ride in three days effectively - Saturday lunchtime to Tuesday lunchtime. Four of five days would be more appropriate for folk of moderate fitness.
I dutifully packed a couple of panniers and a rack top bag on the Friday night and was ready for an early-ish departure for the 08:20 Leeds to Morecambe train. Torrential rain woke me up at 04:00 on Saturday morning and my first thoughts were of the campers at Leeds Festival followed by how lucky I was going to be as I was going to travel through the weather front into dryness and follow in the wake of some heavy rain if the weather forecasts were to be believed. As it turned out, the forecasts proved to be accurate. Leeds station had quite a few disconsolate looking folk, covered in mud having literally bailed out of the festival and were making their way home several days earlier than expected.
Day 1 - Morecambe:
+I have a sneaking regard for the place. It's fallen upon hard times but is currently busy undergoing regeneration. I made my way to the stone jetty to have a cuppa and a view of the sea before picking up the route by the station. The initial part of the trail is along an abandoned rail track with many clues about its origins.
Cormorant statue on the stone pier.
Eric Morecambe statue on the sea front
View attachment 28497
Goods crane on the site of Lancaster Green Ayre station.
Halton Station
The ride was uneventful apart from the climb from Settle to Airton - it was an arduous push and the excellent fish and chips eaten in Settle did little to fuel my legs for the climb. Cycling into the increasing darkness was a pleasant experience - no traffic and the hoots of tawny owls were the only noises other than tyre buzz. A secluded corner of a field near Winterburn was the perfect spot for stealth camping.
View attachment 28518
Day 2 Winterburn to Burnt Yates
What a day this turned out to be. A record breaking departure from the stealth pitch - 25 minutes from waking to pedalling way and a gentle pedal to Grassington led to an encounter with Sean, a South African saturation diver who was pedalling from Manchester to Middlesborough to get re-certificated for his job. His wheel was badly buckled and I managed to true it sufficiently enough for him to be able to reconnect his rear brake. We set off together towards Pately Bridge but he was fitter and he pressed on towards Ripon and then to Northallerton to catch a train to Middlesborough. He was remarkably upbeat despite the parlous state of his hire bike - it was barely fit for purpose.
The climb to Greenhow was torture. A long push ensued and a prolonged stay at the cafe at White Scarr Caves' cafe was used to gird my loins for the final push over Greenhow Hill and the climb out of Pateley Bridge. The Greenhow descent was done at a moderate pace. There'd been several bad accidents involving cyclists on the descent who'd lost control of their bikes. I was determined to reach the bottom in one piece. Fish and chips and the climb out of Pateley Bridge followed.
I'd had enough of hils and decided not to follow the official route at this point and instead followed the descent of the Wharfe towards Ripley instead of climbing further and then descending into Ripon. Another stealth camp followed between Burn Yates and Ripley. I slept for nine hours.
Day 3 - Ripley to Warter
Breakfast at Ripley Castle tea rooms followed by a 'boar hunt' took an hour and the flat part of the ride was started. Uneventful flat ride followed to Pocklington with a pause in York for a snack. My friend in Pock fed me cake and sandwiches and I stayed for a chat before pedalling into the dusk for another stealth camp near Warter, There was very little light pollution and it was possible to see the Milky Way. I was lulled to sleep by the calls of tawny owls and lapwings.
Pig sick
A boargler
Day Four - Warter to Bridlington
Another flat ride after the climb to Warter. In another departure from the official route, I stuck to the B1246 and A164 chopping out some pointless miles. Bridlington was reached sooner than expected, 12:00, and as I paused in the old town part of Bridlington, a local lass asked to take my photograph to use in a publication about the old town that she was writing. My tuxedo cycle top had caught her attention and she claimed I was a perfect example of the diversity of folk found there. I spotted a butcher and entered the shop to purchase a celebratory pie. It was a good pie and a great butcher. When I declined to have the pie put in a bag because I intended to eat it on the bench opposite the shop, he made me a mug of tea to go with it. The pie scored 8/10 and customer service 11/10. A dawdle down to the sea front took me to a totally different world - brash, loud and obese. I'd never seen so many people whose girths were greater than mine. I'd also not seen so many people using mobility scooters, many of the users dwarfing me. Bridlington does not seem to be a healthy place to live. I found the station and beat a retreat back to Leeds via Hull.
All in all it was an enjoyable ride but not one that I'd recommend as the first coast to coast ride to do. The lumpy bits around Settle, Grassington and Pateley Bridge are challenging and would be miserable in wet weather. I'd been lucky enough to enjoy sunny weather for the entire ride. I completed the ride in three days effectively - Saturday lunchtime to Tuesday lunchtime. Four of five days would be more appropriate for folk of moderate fitness.
