Scotforth to Settle 23 June

Six thirty is a nice time to start if you’ve woken up at five (but only at the end of June on a dry day!). I’d just fitted 38mm tyres on the black bike, a Specialized Tricross, to give more comfort and the possibility of rough stuff.

From Scotforth I took our normal route past the Boot & Shoe, Postern Gate and along the A683 from Caton, then Wray, Wennington, Clapham. I stopped opposite the New Inn for a banana. A passing pedestrian said,

“Couldn’t you sleep?”

He must have worked out I’d come some way and it was only about 8:15. After Clapham, I arrived at the Austwick turn to find it totally blocked by a white van –  impossible to pass either ahead or behind. Rapping on the passenger window, I awakened a workman. He must have nudged the driver, because they then backed up enough to let me out. Never mind – I’m only an old bloke on a bike.

It was about 8:30 and people were starting to move about, strolling, walking dogs, jogging. As I’d finished off the climb to Wharfe, I took it a bit easy along the stretch below the crags and was suddenly overtaken by a young woman on a bike. I was not out for a race, and she was now 200 yards ahead, but then I thought,

“I might be able to catch her on the uphill going to Knight Stainforth.”

So I put on a spurt to try to catch her. She was still 10 yards ahead of me at the summit, but then she took off. She must have had nerves of steel, because she went downhill without fear. I tried to keep up but I kept using my brakes. I caught her at Knight Stainforth, but only because a load of cows were being driven across the road. I let her disappear into the distance.

Arriving at Settle, I was surprised to find the market apparently in full swing, with loads of motorcyclists in evidence, most holding paper cups of coffee. The Naked Man was doing takeaways. Whoopee! I bought a bacon bun and an Americano and then headed off through the back route to Giggleswick. I’d already decided to take the hilly short cut (local traffic only) to cross the A65.

It starts off at 17% then goes past the school playing field and kicks off again at about 12%. It dips down a bit then finally kicks up again at 16%, which didn’t feel too bad. The view from the top showed rain over the eastern fells, so I kept moving to cross the A65 below and into Eldroth, where I sat outside the village hall eating my Bacon Bun and drinking coffee.

I was now on the route to Mewith Lane and already starting to feel my legs. I shouldn’t chase young women at my age!

Uneventfully, I continued to Wray, where I stopped for an oat bar and more coffee. I decide to go the lowland route home, via Caton and the riverside path. I’d done 57 miles when I got back and it felt like 70 (and I hadn’t done any rough stuff!). I must get out more!

Mike Codd

Local members may be interested in my encounters with other members

 Just past the Hornby turn Nick Hall called to me, going towards Wray. Just before Crook o’ Lune, I caught Sandra Waterhouse and we chatted for a few minutes. Then, fleetingly Ruth Tanner and I greeted each other on Aldcliffe Road and finally Keith Jewsbury passed going the other way as I was going back to Piccadilly.