Jude Eason’s Route of Two Halves - 6th August 2022

Today’s half day ride was a first for me on a couple of counts, and it reminded me why I have two unwritten rules about planning a group ride. It’s the first time I’ve used a route planner to determine part of the ride (in this case MyRouteApp, for the first leg to Risplith) and relied on the sat nav instead of recceing the route and memorising most of it. The app will work out a suggested route based on your requirements such as avoiding cities, squigglyness ( yes I made that up but you get the idea) and elevation. The second was leading a clockwise route, which I tend to avoid because of the number of right turns involved. Despite this, I posted the ride and twelve trusting riders set off behind me from Squires. We eventually made it, with only a few more grey hairs on my part, to G&T’s Ice Cream Parlour at Risplith for the T&P stop. 

What was the route you may wonder? Well, we went to Wetherby via Aberford, then picked up the road to Sicklinghall and Kirkby Overblow. We skirted Harrogate through Pannal and Beckwithshaw, then crossed the A59 towards Hampsthwaite. It unravelled a bit after this, so after a couple of U-turns (a Team 5 staple) and a hasty reinput of the destination, we picked up the Fountains Road and Scarah Bank, which put us back on course. This is a brief simplification of what felt like a complicated route, kudos to those who marked some fairly tricky junctions - successfully, as we didn’t lose anyone! 

Despite all the above, I’m going to add parts of this leg and the destination to a future ride, if only for the chance to eat another serving of the most chocolatey ice cream I’ve ever tasted – Chocolate Sorbet flavour, in case you’re interested. Refreshments were enjoyed, and a handful of riders left for home at this point. The rest of us turned towards Ripon along the Studley Road, then carried on to Boroughbridge and the Green Hammerton Road, in the interest of keeping us on track timewise. A right turn to Whixley, and a left then right on the A59 saw us cross the river at Cattal and continue to the Wetherby Road, where we turned left towards Long Marston. 

A right at Long Marston and an enjoyable flowing ride to Askham Richard eventually saw us cross the A64 at Bilbrough Top and then pick up the Bolton Percy road. By this time we were down to seven riders, more having peeled off along the way. D’Oyly’s had reserved us outside seating in their sunny courtyard, which provided a relaxing end to the ride. Thanks everyone for sticking with the first leg, Martin for providing back marking duties and Andrian for the team photo at G&T's.