Buttertubs or Bust! 9th July 2022

TL:DR (Google it!): Fantastic scenery, great weather and company.  Started well, ended in a bit of a shambles.

So, efficient briefing completed (including roll call for all 15 of us) we set off in a non-standard fashion, whilst trying to not get mixed up with the half day ride leaving at the same time. It seemed quite difficult to keep the group together due to the number on the ride but also due to us getting caught up in traffic lights in both Sherburn and Tadcaster.  Of course, it might of also have been due to us keeping up a fairly spritely pace through the lovely countryside.  One thing I’m keen on saying is that if we follow the drop off system properly then it shouldn’t matter if we do get spread out.  More of this later…

It was a fairly long anti-clockwise day out with our first stop scheduled to be at Bedale Station café.  The only problem was that when we arrived the café was closed and so we made a hasty decision to ride onto Masham to our regular haunt, Bordar House Teas, for our first break.  This did add a little time onto the trip but, nicely refreshed, we continued on to the main event – through Reeth and along Swaledale until we reached Buttertubs Pass.  Riding the pass from north to south is definitely more exhilarating than the other way around – the drop is a lot closer on your left-hand side!

Once the pass was safely navigated, we then had a quick fuel stop in Hawes before heading on to Ribblehead Viaduct - briskly (and hopefully courteously) passing another group of riders in the process.  Quick photo opportunity done, then we progressed to our lunch stop at the Knight’s Table café in Snainton.  A wonderfully narrow lane to get to it and over what I think was an old pack horse bridge, it was definitely not somewhere you’d stumble across unless you knew it was there (or had found by, ahem, looking on Google Maps the day before).

Lunch was a leisurely affair and so we were quite a bit behind schedule when we left.  Some of the group departed but the rest of us continued on with the intention for a late tea and cake at the Route 59 café via Halton Gill.  Unfortunately, things went a bit wayward after this.  The route was lovely and scenic but the roads narrow and then we get caught up in cars and vans stuck in places where there wasn’t enough room to pass.  We managed to navigate our way through a number of gridlocks, but by the time we’d emerged in Thresfield and continued on the group had fragmented somewhat. 

Safe in the knowledge that I could see bikes behind me I pressed on but, at the last A65/A59 roundabout, I’d run out of bikes. Suddenly a nice new Triumph appeared ridden by Alan who dropped off and then we were at the end! I reached the café, jumped off my bike and waited. And waited. And waited…

After about 10 mins John, the faithful back marker, appeared from the opposite direction with a couple of riders.  We realised it’d all gone pear-shaped and he headed off to collect Alan.  After 20 mins Phil also arrived after sensibly giving up at the junction before Alan.  It’s at this point that I’m now thinking we should ensure that we have all riders’ phone numbers so that we can call people in the future if we have any mishaps?

Then, to add insult to injury, the café was shut anyhow! By this time it was pretty late and the remaining four of us headed back to York.  By my calculation the Squires to A59 route was around 146 miles – it certainly was a full day ride.

Thanks to all for joining me – looking forward to next time!

Mike W

Don’t forget anyone can lead a ride or be back marker.  If you’d like a go and have any questions, please just ask any of the regular Team 5 ride leaders or Working Group members.  The hardest part is deciding to do one – once we’re on the road it’s pretty straight forward!

Download the Basecamp Route and/or the Track (both files in GPX format)