NOT JUST RAIN BUT RAIN AND WINDS, GUSTING UP TO 30MPH SOUTHERLY. WE WERE HIKING SOUTH THAT WAS THE FORECAST AND THEY WERE RIGHT. 10:00AM AFTER REPAIRS TO THE BIKES AND A CHAT ABOUT CRICKET THE LANDLORD OF EASTFIELD LODGE WAS A FORMER CAPTAIN OF DACRE BANKS. WE SET FORTH OK AT FIRST DOWNHILL ALL THE WAY TO WENSLEY OVER WENSLEY BRIDGE THEN WE STARTED TO CLIMB OVER INTO COVERDALE. 1ST PUSH OF SEVERAL PUSHES INTO THE WIND AND RAIN,

WET SUITS ON SEEMS TO BE NORMAL ATTIRE FOR THIS HOLIDAY

 PASSING RACEHORSES WE CAUSED SOME AMUSEMENT TO THE JOCKEYS. 1ST DISASTER OF THE DAY MY WHEEL CAME LOOSE IN MELMERBY, RUNNING REPAIRS BY COLIN. THEN IT WAS RIDE, PUSH RIDE PUSH INTO THE WIND AND RAIN UP COVERDALE. STOPPED AT HORSHOUSE POST OFFICE FOR REFRESHMENT CAUSED SOME STIR AS I TRIED THE WRONG DOOR WHICH LED INTO THE FRONT ROOM OF THE HOUSE. POSTMISTRESS AND SON APPEARED SHOCKED.

THE SCARY WET CREATURE OF  THE YORKSHIRE DALES

POSSIBLY HER FIRST CUSTOMERS OF THE DAY, ALTHOUGH SHE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT FOR
SALE. 

RAIN AND MORE RAIN RIDING DIRECTLY INTO IT. IT WAS A LONG HARD PUSH
UP TO HUNTERS STONE, TOP OF WHERNSIDE IN DRIVING RAIN, AND HOWLING WIND.

IT WAS EVEN HARD TO STAND UP IN THE STRONG WIND

IT WAS HARD GOING GRAEME KEPT OUR SPIRITS UP. TOILET STOP AT COVERHEAD THEN UP TO THE TOP. IN THE LOW CLOUD, RAIN AND WIND. THEN THE LONG DESCENT INTO KETTLWELL. LUNCH STOP, COLD, WET AND HUNGRY. YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS CHIPS AND HASH BROWNS. LANDLADY SAID TO GRAEME, ONE BASKET BETWEEN YOU AS THERE ARE A LOT OF CHIPS. GRAEME ORDERED ONE EACH AND NONE WENT TO WASTE. 

DID GRAEME REALLY EAT ALL THAT FOOD

NOW IN THE VALLEY BOTTOM WE HAD A RIDE DOWN THE VALLEY AND THE LAST STAGE OF THE RIDE TO GRASSINGTON. 2ND DISASTER A STRING CAUGHT IN MY CHAIN HAD TO  BE CUT FREE. GRAEME AND COLIN FOUND IT HIGHLY AMUSING ALL THE SECONDARY SYSTEMS  I HAD FITTED BY STRING ON MY BIKE. STEADY RUN INTO GRASSINGTON APART FROM THE RAIN. IT WAS THEN A STEADY RIDE COME PLOD GRASSINGTON, HEBDEN,APPLETREEWICK,BARDEN TOWER. BY THE TIME WE GOT TO BARDEN I WAS TIRED THE WEATHER HAD EASED A LITTLE BUT EVERY RISE IN THE ROAD FELT LIKE A MOUNTAIN EVENTUALLY WE GOT DOWN TO BOLTON ABBEY. TURNED RIGHT AFTER CONFIRMING THE WAY. THE GUY SAID IT WAS JUST A BIT OF RISE, MORE LIKE A BIT OF A MOUNTAIN, AND IT WAS INTO THE WIND. EVERY ONE OF THE LAST MILES WAS A SUPREME EFFORT. EVENTUALLY THE LONG RUN INTO SKIPTON CAME IT WAS A GREAT FEELING, HEADING TOWARDS SKIPTON RAILWAY STATION. GRAEME SAID WE GO IN AS TEAM AND WE DID.
ALTHOUGH I NEARLY CAME A CROPPER IN THE LAST FEW YARDS WHEN A FORD ESCORT PULLED ACROSS ME INTO MORRISONS CAR PARK, COLIN LAUGHED SAYING IF ONLY THAT DRIVER KNEW WHO HE HAD NEARLY KNOCKED OFF HIS BIKE! BUT WE MADE IT ALTHOUGH A LITTLE OVER TIME. A GREAT EFFORT IN ALL WEATHERS. JANE, KAREN AND CHALKY WERE WAITING - 
PHOTOS, T SHIRTS, CERTIFICATES AND TORRENTIAL RAIN

SOAKED TO THE SKIN COLD AND TIRED  BUT VICTORIOUS

. CHALKY WHISKED GRAEME OFF, BACK TO MILLOM WE
LOADED UP AND DROVE BACK TO RIPON FOR FISH AND CHIP SUPPER. IT WAS A
GREAT RIDE AND WE ARE ALREADY PLANNING 98, 

THE EAST COAST HULL TO  FELIXSTOWE CYCLE ROUTE.

WE HAD A GOOD TIME, WHATEVER THE WEATHER THREW AT US WE GOT THROUGH
WITH A SMILE.

GOOD MEMORIES - MY SUDDEN MISSED GEAR CHANGES AT THE BOTTOM OF EVERY HILL ALWAYS IN FRONT OF COLIN. COMMENTS ABOUT MY BUNGIES AND BITS OF STRING. LIVESTOCK RUNNING OUT IN FRONT OF US. OUR PUB VISITS SOMETIMES NOT TO OUR
COLINS APPROVAL.
IS GRAEME A MACHINE? 
AND LOADS OF LAUGHS

GRAEME SUMMED IT UP "GOOD TIMES GOOD RIDE GOOD COMPANY AND GOOD CRACK "