Catching Some Sun

Last weekend was unfortunately called off, so a fallow weekend with no training, so this bank holiday weekend we decided to set off out into the midday sun, well almost. It was more mid-afternoon, with another challenging route planned,  heading again in search of the Transpennine Trail, a reconnaissance mission if you will. Due to a late start there was to be no leisurely amble to a rural public house unfortunately, a much more testing pace was set (by our standards). We aimed to pick up the trail around Elloughton and investigate some of the particulars around Broomfleet; and were surprised to find a very sizeable hill running through Riplingham towards Elloughton, it just didn't seem to stop and was quite a bit scary considering how fast we were descending with the breaks on.

View Loop via Broomfleet, N Ferriby etc. in a larger map

It was certainly the first really good day we have had and so the sun lotion was applied liberally pre-ride; a light wind blew the whole way round but nothing like that which we have experienced in recent weeks. It almost felt like summer, just about right, something in the region of 16 degrees.

Still there were some decent ascents to challenge us this time at North Ferriby up towards Swanland and also on our way to Welton before that; we may have to try this route backwards some time as I feel that it will be much more challenging the other way round, finishing with hills is exactly what we need to prepare for as our second leg of the challenge will be rising to 400+ metres in the Pennines.

Separately, we have managed to organise the accommodation for the trip this weekend, some very helpful people are providing spaces for us on camp sites along the way; this proved to be very challenging in terms of identifying potential sites as there doesn't seem to be many along the trail and this was surprising.

So we are only 8 weeks away from the start line, it is starting to get a bit exciting as everything falls into place both in terms of planning and support; at the last check we were above 26% of our target with online donations and I am reliably informed that cash donations will take us over the 30% mark. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will be able to persuade local businesses to support us and lift that much closer to the target.

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Trek Around the Wolds

It was a ride filled with challenge and rewarded with spectacular views and an afternoon in the pub! Eagerly, or perhaps not so much, we set-out on our weekend ride in the early am hours; surprisingly after Mark's session the previous afternoon come evening. Again we headed out into the wind, head-long for a much lengthy period of time as we aimed for Pocklington; no sooner had we turned the corner from the blowy stuff than we hit our first of many hills, in fact there were a few practice hills along the way, but they really started in earnest just North of Pocklington heading up towards Kilnwick Percy.

It seems that this particular section of the 164 is very popular, but the addition of a cycle event coinciding with a handful of leisure cyclists ensured the warm tarmac hummed with the rolling tyres. Somewhere in the region of 200m we peaked after climbing past Millington Wood and then there was a wonderful descent through Huggate, Tibthorpe and Kirkburn, very relaxing after pumping our legs for so long.

View Wolds Loop 1 in a larger map

The longest ride of the year so far weighed in at around 48 miles in total, and cost us a Mars bar and Snickers in energy (and the rest) so we were justified in spending the afternoon at the Goodmanham Arms for their annual beer festival. 

Not quite sure where next weekend will lead us, but I have a feeling we may opt for a flatter option for once, we have seen a few hills this past few weeks and can only feel confident that when we hit the Pennines we can do the business.

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