First Ride Of The Year

Mountain Bike Ride

The Ginger One. Oz.

7th January route

First Ride of the Year.

The new year is almost a week old and some of us are only having our first ride; we couldn't have picked a windier day, a vicious depression the weathermen were calling it. Riding into the wind definitely induced a vicious depression. The route an old standard, Kildale, Clay Bank and back over Urra Moor to Kildale. Unfortunately the first 11 miles were predominantly uphill and against the wind, a situation my companions were not shy of mentioning. The top of the Carr Ridge steps was the windiest spot, when we  attempted to remount our bikes, nature had other ideas, knocking us sideways at every opportunity, even when we were riding it was in the style of The Pensioner, zigzagging along the single track over Urra Moor.

Gradually we reached the longed for moment when the wind was at our rear, spirits improved and insults declined considerably. Following the Cleveland Way to the Baysdale road was a sublime experience, payback for the suffering of the outward journey, for a few brief miles we were the cycling gods of our imagination, gliding effortlessly down the double track, pumping the drainage humps for extra speed, even enjoying the odd bit of phat air between tyre and ground as we launched ourselves upward. It might only be a centimetre but air is air.

Too soon the tarmac of the Baysdale road was reached, a slight incline taking us up to the cattle grid before the road plummets downward, rogue side gusts of wind giving sphincter twitching moments as bikes wobbled at 35 mph.

Undaunted and luckily unharmed we reach the cosy warmth of Glebe Cottage for the highlight of the ride. Food and drink.