Likewise, after a wet night, 50 odd (some very odd) riders set off from Ponteland NW of Newcastle at 6am. We battled a rising cross-headwind and some serious mountain roads, down to Stanhope in Weardale, before turning into the teeth of it for the twin cols of Nent Head and Hartside. The latter was a particularly torrid affair with nowhere to hide as we went through and off at 12kph. By Penrith we'd covered only 120k, but half the climbing, and seriously needed a cafe stop.
The riding then much easier, tailwind, following very quite lanes up the M6 corridor. The climbing started again once past Hadrians wall and into Scotland just past Bewcastle. The cafe at Newcastleton at the 200k point was doing good business and from there we flew along on good roads through Kielder Forest and then final leg through some grand scenery between Belingham, Elsdon and back to Ponteland. The last kilometers done in glorious evening sunlight, back in the HQ at 9-15pm. Just over 300k, at 25kph with over 4000m of climbing beneath the wheels (and 12000 Garmin-calories).
Got to say that this ride harder than the Wiggy 300, and great that the furthest point south on this ride was just north of our usual roads, so lots of new lanes, or at least roads not ridden for a very long time.
The last climb was Winter Gibbet Hill, complete with real Gibbet at the top. The last time I'd been up there was in '98 when, with Mussy and Kevin (yes, that one), we won the team prize from a big field in the Tyne Vagabonds Mountain Time Trial. The contrast in speed (then v now) really made me smile. Happy days (then and now).
Thanks to Steen and Andrew for the great company and teamwork. I couldn't have got round on my own.
I think I will start supporting another Yorkshire club 