Office Gossip - May 2011
Leech & Co
David Wilcock won tickets provided by Leech & Co to watch Manchester United
play Arsenal at the Emirates stadium on Sunday 1st May 2011.
David, a lifelong supporter of Manchester United took his Mum to watch this
important league game only to see his team lose 1-0 in a game played well below
their usual standard. In the photo you can see David and his Mum within the
stadium.
A Long Way For A Beer
A trip with some old friends to Masham for the weekend to visit a couple of
breweries looked to be the recipe for a relaxed weekend until someone mentioned
taking bikes. In my foolishness I thought rather than take my bike in the car,
I could ride there from home in Cheadle Hume near Stockport.
After all it was only 90 miles and pretty flat, just the Pennines and the Yorkshire Dales to negotiate!
We had a Brewery tour of the Black Sheep Brewery set up for 3.30pm on the Friday afternoon, so filled with over -confidence I decided a 7.00am start should get me there in plenty of time.
I reckoned on doing the first 30 miles or so in about 2 hours as it was pretty flat stuff through Stockport, Ashton, Oldham and on to Rochdale. However it was neither as flat nor as quick as I thought with quite a few less than gentle slopes and more traffic lights than you could shake a stick at.
It probably took closer to 3 hours and even though I set off at 6.45am I was already running behind time! Surely I could not be late for the proverbial **** up in a brewery!
A biking friend (and work colleague) Craig had told me it was all downhill from Rochdale to Hebdon Bridge, but when I passed the aptly named "Summit" pub I knew I had been conned again. I should not have trusted him - he is from the wrong side of the Pennines!
From Hebdon Bridge the serious work began this was (supposedly) the hardest and longest climb of the day. The climb starts with a pretty steep section up through the trees on the side of a steep hill. It works its way across with a view over a low wall down to the river and to the town. I could only take the odd glance after wiping the sweat from my eyes! The only blessing was a fairly constant strong breeze from the South West which meant my route was pretty much downwind the whole way. This was a precious boon once I was out of the trees and on to the open moorland.
I lost count of all the false summits to this climb but once I saw the communications
aerial I knew I must be nearing the top. I stopped to admire the view (honest).
At last a bit of respite, a nice long descent into Keighley. I arrived in Keighley at about 11.00 which meant I was not as far behind the clock as I thought. I must have allowed too long for the climb in my calculations.
An unpleasant couple of miles on the main A629 towards Skipton and I was glad to get back into the country towards Silsden. This relief was short lived as another sharp climb out of Silsden kept my heart pumping and breath in short supply. I was feeling pretty tired and I still had two more climbs through the Dales to go (and another 40 miles!) There followed another good descent at speed down and across the A65 into Addingham where I allowed a brief stop for much needed chocolate and an extra drink.
I had now reached the bottom of the Yorkshire Dales and apart from the breeze the weather was beautiful. Time for some lovely cycling through gorgeous countryside, if only they would flatten it! Norfolk for me next.
I reached Bolton Abbey in Wharfedale at midday.
I was looking forward to this part of the ride, but I could not hang around, I had beer to think about after all!
It was up and down all the way along the valley to the top of Wharfedale with some fairly short but sharp climbs. At Appletreewick, just short of Grassington I came across the 2nd serious climb of the day. Either I was more tired (true) or this was steeper and longer than it had looked on the map. So much for the first hill being the hardest. I had to zig-zag my way up the road in order to keep the bike moving! I then joined a more major road over the top with a really steep section with no possibility of zig-zagging, so out of the saddle and with burning thighs and lungs I made it over the top of the pass. No time for stopping, other than a quick drink, but now just one more climb to go. It was already nearly 2pm and I still had over 20 miles to go.
I could not stop just one though going round in my head and that was that the phrase up hill and down dale was just plain wrong - it was up hill and up dale!
I received a cheery hello form a man on the top with the warning that I would be glad I was going in my direction rather than the opposite way. This prepared me for an unbelievably long and steep descent passing some poor devils making their tortuous climb to the top. With a quick nod and grunt, but no wave from me as I daren't leave go of the brakes, I reminded myself that I would not be cycling back!
The next and last dale was Nidderdale. I had never been here before but I will
definitely go back again. It is a lovely quite spot with a reservoir (nice and
flat), woods and farmland.
There was a splendid looking pub at the top of the reservoir called the Yorke Arms, but I had no time to waste, another climb to go before I could have any beer!
I got to a little hamlet called Lofthouse at the top of the dale, knowing that I only had one hill and 10 miles to go, only to find a dispiriting sign that read "Masham 10 miles via steep hill"
This was not what I needed with 80 miles gone and over 7 hours in the saddle.
I got started, and believe me I tried, but even the zig-zagging could not help, I had to get off.
There is nothing more depressing than pushing your bike up a steep hill. I had not met anybody for over an hour but no surprise when 3 car loads of people have to turn up when you're pushing your bike.
After a mile or so of steep pushing, the misery of pushing outweighed the misery of riding and I forced my painful body back onto the bike. I still had a couple of miles of steep uphill cycling to get to the last communications aerial (seem to be a feature of Yorkshire hills). I was too weary to even get off the bike for this picture, never mind the fact that it was nearly 3pm and I was in serious danger of missing the tour.
Downhill all the way!
Well not quite! There were still a couple of nasty little uphill sections to negotiate, but the smell of beer was in my nostrils and although every pedal push was painful, nothing was going to stop me now.
I don't think I pedaled at all for the last mile and a half, I just free wheeled my way along the slightest incline and arrived in Masham town center at 3.25pm
Perfect timing - now for some rehydration…..
