Twixt Coffee and Lunch – How has it taken 2 ¼ hours to do 14 ½ miles?

Preface and reminiscences

This little article is written as the antidote to the more heroic experiences recorded in this blog of our Long Distance on Hot/Wet/Windy Days CTC Brethren, in case any casual newcomer to our site gets the idea that that is the only way to travel (on two wheels). There has to be some balance here: slow and short can also be fairly tiring but at least in lockdown days you get the coffee (at home) and the lunch (back at home), and, dare we say it, the bathroom facilities (back at home) also getting home in time to do a full afternoon’s gardening, hoovering or just wandering about as lonely as a cloud with no fixed purpose, as one does.

Time was for me that anything less than 75 miles in a day was a disappointment; more than several decades ago with the computer on 98 miles, could or couldn’t the extra twice round the block give us complete satisfaction? Oh! The rides, the companionship, the cafes; the breath-taking (literally) countryside around us and within reach; the gallons of fresh air surrounding our city breathed in; the Exhilaration and Exhaustion in equal measure at the end of a fantastic day after the wonders of the tops of Fleet Moss, the Coal Road, Park Rash, Tan Hill, Cross of Greet, spread out around and below us; the Dales – Dentdale, Barbondale, Kingsdale, Widdale, Arkengarthdale, Garsdale, Littondale; deepest profound Lancashire: Bowland, Stocks Reservoir, Bowland Knotts, Bolton by Bowland; Malham, Mallerstang and Grinton Moors; Hartside and Eden Valley; Clarion Hut (Newchurch, back of Pendle), Grizedale and Ferry, East shore of Coniston Water, Lonsleddale to Kentmere, Shap in Borrowdale, Fair Mile, Bardsea (one time) And lovely places more local. It was always accepted that walking was fine or even essential and part of the day.

There were CTC YHA tours, and then the cycle camping, the tandem camping at home and abroad, snails with our home in the paniers, progressing day by day. Self-satisfied smugness when people, probably my age now, come up when restocking at supermarkets: Where have you come from? How far have you come? We used to ride a tandem! and the smugness kicked in, it couldn’t help itself because we couldn’t imagine the day, the time of life, when this was not to be our total way of living: Well you still can, we’d say, not being able to imagine the ailments afflicting, the walking stick now essential, applying to ourselves.

And now, of course, the Hillyberg tent, that most cosy and convenient of tent creations is tucked away in a cupboard. Sitting crossed legged cooking on the Trangia at its doorway with views spread before, this was the life. Naturally, also was the life of getting soaking wet. Accumulated memories of cycling through a day of pouring rain eventually to find the site and pitch, no radiator to steam clothes dry on and the ghastly ‘wet pack’ the following morning. Exhilaration, Exhaustion and Saturation – those were the days – perhaps with a bit of Starvation chucked in because however (intentionally?) revolting I made the Trangia meal come out, it seemed to be relished by the other diner, the pub meal never a suggested option.

The Spring and Summer of 2020 Coronavirus has been the final thorny puncture to the slowly deflating tyre of everything that had gone before, bringing me back to the first paragraph, the necessities of the times and the exploration of the local.

There are quite a few short circuits available to us south of the river, and to make things more interesting the Brompton had been untangled and brought out of hibernation whilst Big Bike went in for several repairs, delayed by lockdown, along with restocking with well- padded leg wear acquired after similar delays. This bike has several advantages: It means I can be quite happy walking up hills – I believe it has 6 gears but 3 of them don’t seem to make any odds, so 3 gears; I’m not going to go further away than I could (eventually) walk home in case of breakdown, physical or mental. but retraining after my long lay-off has been slow, and determination week as a clap of thunder a mile from home (twice) sent me scurrying back fast.

Ruth’s Ride Sunday 10th July

So, the destination of Friday 10th July: Cockersands Country Park. 14.5 miles door to door, 2 ¼ hours, with a lot of walking.

A very strong wind deterred progress to Glasson Dock, along Jeremy Lane and down to the Shore. Very black clouds hung to the north over the Bay but the wind kept them where it wanted them. Once at the shore and the holiday home site, the footpath was a pleasure to walk, greeting other walkers and never mind the long grasses caught in the spokes. By the time Bank End Farm and the tarmac was reached, the sky had lifted to blue with white fluffy clouds and there was time to stop for the views over sea and hills.

From that point the wind was behind. Another permitted walk was up to Hill House Farm and the Cockerham Road. However, turning left for home I was now steering directly to the blackness, and felt the urgent need to press on post haste, having this one time only no rainware. For that reason the cycle track back from Conder Green and the Green Finch café was a good option. Clearly it had already rained here and halfway along I encountered a walking husband who had caught it full force.

Turning right onto Aldcliffe Hall Lane with its very long recently accumulated puddle to steer through, I knew I had my third promised walk up the hill ahead, before left again and down to the canal, and home. No gardening or hoovering that afternoon, but the bike got a bit of a clean and the birds got a fresh supply of sunflower seeds, and I now had a very satisfactory ride to report.

This is dedicated to all the wonderful companions, CTC and Tandem Club over the many decades with whom I have shared such amazing adventures.   

Ruth Tanner (Feinberg).