A fantastic ride!

[gbnz]

Anyone had one of those? Have to admit recently it's as if I've been going through the motions, as I weekly pass great castles, cross the moors, head along the coast! A full fourteen weeks and one day since an "awesome", inspiring ride - end of July, down the Vale of York, over the Howardian Hills, cycling through great country, 120 odd miles.....

And then today; supermarket out of stock of my favoured baking ingredients, so jumped on the bike for a 40 mile round ride to check whether the nearest branch had stuff in stock. Heavily overcast and a fair wind on setting off, not at all promising - twenty miles down the road, managed to buy both the ingredients and spur of the moment took a mild 12 mile detour.

I know these roads, yet it's been twelve months since I've headed through that part of the county; stunning views South to the Northern Pennines 35-40 miles away, a rolling landscape, a hawk of some sort flying at a height of 2-3' alongside me, 7-8 miles heading North through plantation woodland of beech, a red squirrel running across the road in front of me (Nb. Quite noticeable that in the last 5-6 years the greys have really pushed North). Still, makes it all worthwhile

[Cyril Haearn]

40 miles to buy ingredients, Plus One, that must be the opposite of TDC, the Tragedy of Drive-Cycling

[Spinners]

How nice to read such an upbeat post! Well done.

My mum's side of the family are from Middlesbrough and we normally rent a cottage a bit further south so that we're close enough to visit my mum's three sisters but not close enough to visit the extended family . I've taken my bike to Yorkshire a few times now, to Bedale last year and Easingwold the year before and hadn't realised 'the white horse' was so close and also learned that one Aunt served in the 'Land Army' and was based at Easingwold.

[fastpedaller]

I had a good ride 2 weeks ago, and a RAT ran alongside for several yards! That was a first for me.

[gbnz]

40 miles to buy ingredients, Plus One, that must be the opposite of TDC, the Tragedy of Drive-Cycling

It's only yesterday I got down to the gym/swimming pool 5 minutes prior to it opening; car, after car, after car turned up to discharge the "keep fit" people for an early start !

As to the 40 miles for ingredients, it was necessary in order to buy chocolate chips with the right cocoa concentration (85%)!. It helped with my motivation for the first ten miles against a fair head wind, spotting rain and the immediate 1000' climb to get out of town! But turned into a great ride

[Vorpal]

[quote="gbnz
As to the 40 miles for ingredients, it was necessary in order to buy chocolate chips with the right cocoa concentration (85%)!. It helped with my motivation for the first ten miles against a fair head wind, spotting rain and the immediate 1000' climb to get out of town! But turned into a great ride [/quote]
Proper chocolate chips can be hard to find! I've been known to take a butcher's knife to a bar of Green & Black'sas a substitute

[Jon Lucas]

I had a good ride 2 weeks ago, and a RAT ran alongside for several yards! That was a first for me.

When I was cycling in Galloway many years ago, I had a hare running in front of me down a lane for the best part of a mile. A few miles before this, I had been resting up on the side of another lane when a hare came racing past me down the lane, almost skidding round the bend. Those Galloway lanes, close to the coast, are so quiet you can forget which century you are living in, and just enjoy watching life pass you by.