Clifton CC

I'll start then.
Robin Hood's Bay Challenge Ride on Sunday. Cool but sunny day with a useful little northerly breeze to push us home. Eight riders in the Square, and all still together by the end. Simon, AndyT, Andrew, Steen, Jonny, IanH, PeteP. The group kept together really well, tackling most hills in formation. It was only on the monsters that the gaps began to open, but there was still barely the need for a foot down.

Settringham Bank, Nettledale Lane, Troutsdale, Silpho, Harewood Dale, Boggle Hole, Robin Hoods Bay. Our usual café had become a chippy, but I think this still counts as carbohydrate? Then the traditional ride down through the crowds to the beach, dip tyre in the surf, then back up the 33% gradient through the spectators.

The return leg took us up the huge climb to the coast road, then Littlebeck (we all agreed not quite Boltby or Hardnot, but definitely in the premier league of back-breakers). Then Sleights, Grosmont, Egton, Egton Bridge, Roman Road to Pickering, then home on the traditional lanes.

I was drinking tea in our kitchen well before 1730, with 190k and 2500m of climbing racked up.

Brilliant day out, thanks once again for the company.

Sunday ride also for me

The ride really did have everything you look for, great company, good café (and garage) stops, tough climbs and a sense of achievement when you (eventually) get home

Littlebeck is truly one of cycling's shortest, but toughest tests....I'm sure the 33% gradient sign is telling a little lie throughout some of the sections. If you've not done it, do it.
Managed to get through the ride with no mechanicals (Di2), so that's a bonus versus the previous week..

117 miles, 15.26 mph average, 2608 metres of climbing and an NP of 205W

A slightly larger than normal group of 13 (Claire, Julia, Rebecca, Alison, Daniel, MarkB, MarkF, DaveI, DaveB, Chris, Nick, Kevin and myself) on the “K” Ride to Hawnby. Rebecca and Daniel were on their first Cifton ride and had an unfortunate coming together at the junction between Haxby and Strensall. A bit shaken but fortunately Rebecca and her bike were ok. DaveB put a positive slant on it by saying “Best to get your first group ride fall out of the way quickly”.

DaveB’s chain broke just before Crayke. Having fixed it, and ignoring the consensus that it might be best for him to turn back at that point, he continued with us through Coxwold and Kilburn and up White Horse Bank.

As we passed Sutton Bank Visitor Centre, Claire suggested we try something different and take on an extra climb by heading through Cold Kirby and Old Byland. Sounded good, although some people weren’t so sure when we came across a ford and a rather testing, gravelly climb (I rather enjoyed it Claire) leading up to the junction with Murton Bank. Claire was still somewhat “persona non grata” at the cafe stop and avoided eye-contact by wearing her sunglasses indoors. Yeah, yeah we know you needed them to read the menu.

The Hawnby cafe stop has to be one of the cheapest we frequent and the family who run it always cope remarkably well with the sudden influx of hungry riders. We were tucking into lunch when the door swung open and an elderly gentleman, apologies to any of my fellow riders who may actually have been older, entered. “Full of cyclists!” he exclaimed, followed by “Does Pete Smith still ride with you guys?”.

What ensued can only be described as pure comedy, a sort of Clifton C. C. meets The Last of the Summer Wine as two women, whose arrival he’d preempted by informing us that it was his wife and his current partner, also entered. At this point, DaveB states that he recognises one of the women, I think he still owed her a signing-on fee from a race she’d organised in the distant past. Don’t think I’ve laughed so much at a cafe stop as tales of past indiscretions began to emerge.

There’s no avoiding a climb out of Hawnby and we headed back up Murton Bank, first left to the B1257 and onto Helmsley. DaveB’s chain and rear mech finally gave up the ghost at that point and despite Kevin voicing his concerns we left him to sort it out. Standard route back through Nunnington and Hovingham, where Claire, MarkB and Julia headed to Castle Howard and the rest of us went via Brandsby, Farlington and a quick blast down the main road to Wigginton.

I really enjoyed the ride on Saturday. Kevin chose a fantastic route to begin with and actively adapted it to accommodate the group. We did have a couple of incidents but 75 miles and 4,000 feet of climbing on a "K" Ride was excellent and good to have two new riders in Rebecca and Daniel.