Open Destination ride to Gliding Club & Fimber - 3/11/18 - Paul Rushton
This was definitely a full ride, good challenges and generous riding time. But boring it was not, for a start 23 bikes had turned up! Admittedly higher than our normal recommended number for a ride,but there was only one ride so off we went.
Left out of Squires and up the old A1 to Bramham, left down Thorner lane and with much weaving cruised around Wetherby joining the A168 for a while then right & left to hop over the one way bridge into Cattal, then joining A59 briefly to ride through Whixley to avoid the straight crossing of the said A59 which would've been particularly tricky and dangerous with that number of bikes.
So far excellent pace, plenty of weaving through the countryside, all enjoying the progress.
Still wiggling & weaving through Thorpe Underwood to cross Aldwark Bridge (for free of course) and on, skirting Easingwold and North to Oulston, Newburgh Priory, Coxwold, Killburn and yes...up White Horse Bank (obviously) still pretty challenging, to the Gliding Club atop Sutton Bank where we refreshed and bantered with the joyful Sarah ;-)
Here is the happy team:
A few of our number left to go their separate ways and the rest ploughed on to Fimber via...well Helmsley, Brandsdale, Gillamoor, High Blakey, back down through Hutton le Hole, and then of course one of the very best fast wiggly roads in that neck of the woods down to Amotherby, just look at the route if you haven't done it before!
It would have seemed plain sailing through Norton and join the good old B1248 all the way to Fimber. But no, when we diverted to Settrington, some of us knew what was afoot, the Fords there of course! They are absolutely splendid, if you like Fords that is, quite deep, steep and a must according to Paul.
Fimber secured for the wonderful baking, camaraderie et al, almost the last of the year!
Thanks to Paul for the classic PR ride and to Mark for protecting the rear.
Here's the route:
Tootle pip
