videoman said:
Have a great time you lucky devil and hope the weather stays dry. This is something I would love to do but do not have any friends into cycling (probably don't have any friends come to think of it).
Dry? Hah!
Most of the outward leg was in heavy rain with a single strike of lightening to add a frisson of fear at the very start of the ride near Whitby Abbey. The cycle track along the old rail bed was awash and made the surface energy sapping.
We had a very odd experience at a part of the route which was fenced off because of a land slide and a diversion was followed. Despite our sincere beliefs that we'd followed the diversion, we rejoined the rail bed 50m further back from the start of the diversion - weird. We decided to ignore the diversion and lifted our bikes over the fence and pedalled along the rail bed to the landslip to find that we could, with little impediment, get through. Anyone cycling along the rail bed could ignore the route closed sign and press on.
We had tea and cakes at Ravenscar. We were accosted by a four year old who wanted to have a dea rat removed from the pavement round the corner from the tea shop. He wouldn't ask the shop owners and he persuaded us to follow him to view the body. It turned out to be a shrew and was most pleased when we kicked it into the gutter. He was a persistant little chap.
The rain stopped just in time for beer in Scarborough. A Brace of pints and the return journey started. Although the rain had stopped the track bed was still very sticky with large puddles to pedal through. A brief stop six miles in the homeward leg for more beer and we press on on with a vew of a beer in Robin Hoods's Bay. The stickiness of the rail bed surface took its toll though and we could only mange around a 10mph average speed. We reached Robin Hood's Bay too late to contemplate beer at the bottom of the hill but just in time for heavy rain all the way back to Whitby.
I've never got so dirty from a bike ride before. My bike is covered in grit and crud as is my saddle bag and pannier and shoes. Off ot clean things up and lube the chain ready for the second 'off' in the morning.
Despite the foul weather, we had a nice time especially the post ride curry at the Station.
Edinburgh here I come!
