Reeth Ice Cream Run

On Saturday we went on a rideout to Reeth for some ice creams. We headed over to Clitheroe by our usual roads and then followed our usual route to Settle via the minor backs roads of Sawley and Wigglesworth. Due to the upcoming horse fair at Appleby we came across several travellers walking there horses and caravans down  a national speed limit road.  We got by as best and as quietly as we could and then passed through Settle. We then joined the B6479 and headed for Horton in Ribblesdale. Just before we got to Stainforth several cars where flashing us with the international speed trap sign. I always go through Stainforth with care anyway due to cars pulling out and people crossing the road. Just on the other side of Stainforth on the straight bit just before the climb up the hill was a safety camera van (van location). I gave him a nice wave as I went passed. Anyway we continued on to Horton in Ribblesdale and stopped for lunch at our usual tearoom on the far side of Horton in Ribblesdale.

After lunch we left Horton in Ribblesdale and then soon arrived at Ribblehead Viaduct. We then followed the stunning B6255 to Hawes. We passed through Hawes and then turned off the main road to take the road over Buttertubs Pass to Muker. Unfortunately their was a cycle race going on so we had to overtake several mini pelotons on our way to Reeth. I had forgotten how bumpy the B6270 to Reeth is in, especially the bit between Gunnerside and Low Row. Due to my bike still only having done around 1000 miles the suspension is still fresh and hard. This resulted in me leaving my seat and the pegs at one point, fortunately I wasn’t going very quickly and my feet came back down on the pegs. We soon arrived in Reeth and parked up in the middle of the cars and went for some ice creams.

We left Reeth and headed back the same way we had come and then stopped in Settle for coffee and cake at the  Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe. We left Settle and headed home via the usual route of Wigglesworth, Sawley, Sabden and the A56/M66.

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Hartside Run

While the weather was forecast to be nice and dry this weekend Helen and I decided to go on a run on Saturday. We both thought Hartside independently and it would be a good long run to test the satnav and bike to bike comms.

We filled up with fuel first thing and then headed over to Clitheroe on the M66/A56. As we already had fuel we went through Sabden and over the Nick of Pendle. When then did are usual route to the A65 at Settle via Sawley, Wigglesworth and Rathmell. We then joined the A65 and followed that all the way to Devil’s Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale. We stopped briefly to use the toilets, it wasn’t mega busy and some cars had also nicked some spaces(which they are not allowed to do on a weekend).

We left and headed north on the A683 towards Sedbergh. Around half way down this road one of the bridges had been damaged in the recent winter floods, at the moment is a sort of metal table top affair. So caution and reduced speed is most certainly advisable, it was well signed though and isn’t on one of the really fast sections. Just before Sedbergh we joined the B6256 and then did a right then left onto and off the A684. Here we joined the B6257 and continued north towards Tebay. We followed this road to the A685 and then headed through Tebay and down the B6260 to Orton. From here we continued on the B6260 to Appleby-in-Westmorland. We then joined the A66 briefly before getting off at Temple Sowerby and joining the B6412 to Langwathby. We then turned right onto the A686 and headed from Hartside. Just after Melmerby the proper climb of Hartside starts, we had a relatively quiet run and managed to catch cars at overtaking points. We continued over the top of Hartside and down the other side and into Alston where we stopped for fuel. We then joined the fast and quiet B6277 and headed over the Pennines passed High Force and into Middleton-in-Teesdale. We stopped here for a late lunch at one of our favourite cafes, Cafe 1618.

After lunch we joined the equally fast and quiet B6276 to Brough.

We then followed the A685 to Kirkby Stephen and then turned off onto the B6259 to Nateby. We followed this picturesque road all the way to the junction with the A684 at The Moorcock Inn. We then turned left and followed the A684 to Hawes. Just before Hawes in Appersett we came across a Police incident that was blocking the road, looked like a crash. I knew an easy way around it so we turned around and backtracked a 1/4 mile and then turned right and headed through Hardraw. We then passed through Hawes and joined the B6255 and headed for Ribblehead Viaduct. At the viaduct we turned left onto the B6479 and headed through Horton in Ribblesdale to Settle. We stopped in Settle and parked up and headed over to the Ye Olde Naked Man Cafe to have coffee and a cream tea.

After our afternoon coffee stop we headed home via our usual route of Rathmell, Wigglesworth, Sawley, Sabden and the A56/M66. The satnav and my comms worked flawlessly and seemed far clearer on this bike. However Helen seems to have an issue with hers, I don’t always hear her and her helmet speakers are only in mono. I suspect a damaged wire from the unit, we might try and use the passenger lead instead. If that doesn’t work and us plugging into each other bikes to test her helmet wires fails to reveal anything, then we might have to replace the Autocom unit.

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Lowther Castle Run

Helen an I went out yesterday for a run up to Lowther Castle. We had visited the castle a few weeks back in the car and had decided we should have a run up on the bikes as it has a nice cafe on site.

We left home and headed up to Clitheroe services to fill up for the day. From here we followed our usual route to the A56 at Settle via Sawley and Wigglesworth. We then followed the A56 to Devil’s Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale. Devil’s look very busy so we carried on and as expected the A683 was quiet. We followed the A683 towards Sedbergh but turned off just before on the B6256. We then used the A684 briefly to get to the B6257 and then followed that to the A685. This we followed over the M6 and down into Tebay. We then joined the B6260 to Orton and then followed the B6261 back under the M6 and over to the A6 near Shap. We joined the A6 and headed north into Shap, where we stopped briefly to use the toilets. We then followed the A6 and passed through Hackthorpe, after which we turned off and headed over to Lowther Castle.

After lunch we headed back to the A6 and then headed through Shap and then over the top and back down towards Kendal.  Just before Kendal we turned off to the left and headed for Meal Bank on minor roads. We then crossed over the River Mint and headed for the A685. We crossed over the A685 and continued on down Paddy Lane  and then crossed over the A684. We followed Hayclose Lane to the junction with the B6254 at The station Inn. Here we turned left and followed the B6254 through Old Hutton towards Kirkby Lonsdale. We sooned arrived in Kirkby Lonsdale and then headed over to Devil’s Bridge for an ice cream. It was still very busy but we managed to spot some of our old biking buddies Pab, Gary and Mick.

After our ice cream and brief catch up we left and followed the A65 through Ingleton and then turned off and headed on our tried and tested route passed Stocks Reservoir and through Gisburn Forest. We then joined the B6478 and headed through Slaidburn to Newton-in-Bowland. We then continued on the B6478 over Waddington Fell and back down into Clitheroe. We stopped in Clitheroe for fuel, my new bike isn’t getting the same mpg as my old one, hopefully as it breaks in it will improve. From there we headed back home via Sabden and the A56/M66.

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North Wales with old Crew

Today we went for a ride into North Wales with some of the old crew off NUKB. It was a bit of a reunion ride as we haven’t seen some of them since Ella’s birthday last year.

We meet up at Lymm Services and then headed on the M56 and A55 to Mold. Here we joined the A494 and then followed the A541 and A543 to Denbigh were we stopped at a café to meet up with some other guys.

We left Denbigh and headed on the A543 and then the A544 towards Llansannan. Here we joined the B5382 and headed across to the A548. We followed this to Llanrwst were we joined the A470 and then headed into Betws-y-coed. We filled up with fuel at the local petrol station but decided not to stop for lunch here as it was to busy. We continued on the A470 through Dolwyddelan and Blaenau Festiniog. We turned off the A470 at Trawsfynydd and headed on the A4212 to Bala. In Bala we joined the A494 and headed back North towards the A5. We joined the A5 and headed towards Corwen but soon stopped at Rhug Estate for our lunch and some Bison burgers.

After a late lunch we headed for home the rideout sort of broke up into a few different rideouts at this point. We followed CJ the original rideout leader and headed North on the A494 towards Ruthin but soon turned off onto the A5104 and headed for Wrexham. Near Llandegla we joined the A525 and headed over to the A483. We turned onto the A483 and headed North to by-pass Wrexham. Just North of Wrexham we joined the A5156 and then the A534 and headed towards Nantwich. Here we joined the A530 and headed for Middlewich. We then joined the A54 and headed for the M6 but stopped briefly again for some fuel. We then headed home on the M6, M62 and M60. It was nice to see the old crew but North Wales is far to busy at this time of the year to make any decent progress. It is far more pleasant riding on back roads in the Dales than constantly having to overtake cars going stupidly slow.

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Dales run and Equipment Test

We went out on Saturday for a run around the Dales and test out all the equipment we had recently fitted on the bikes. Due to the weather being forecast to be hot we decided to avoid the main roads and instead have a ride around on very minor roads, what we like to call goat tracks.

We left home and headed for Settle on our usual route via Clitheroe, Sawley and Wigglesworth. We stopped in Settle briefly to use the toilets then head North on the B6479 towards Langcliffe. We turned right here onto minor roads and headed for Malharm Tarn. At Malham Tarn we bared left and headed towards Arncliffe. We passed by the gate warning signs as usual, but for once we had to actually stop and open and close a gate. We then passed through Darnbrook House and alongside the Great Clowder where we stopped to take a few photos. We then passed through Arncliffe and headed towards Kettlewell after joining the B6160. We stopped in Kettlewell for lunch at the Cottage Tea Room.

We left Kettlewell and headed towards Braidley we negotiated Park Rash and passed alongside Hunters Stone Bank. We then passed through Horsehouse and Gammersgill before arriving in Carlton. We then continued through Melmerby and Agglethorpe before joining the A684 at Wensley. We continued down the A684 into Leyburn where we took a left and headed over Preston Moor towards Reeth. We then went over Ellerton Moor before dropping down into Grinton. At Grinton we joined the B6270 and headed into Reeth. We stopped in Reeth for an ice cream as usual.

We left Reeth and continued down the B6270 heading for Muker. We passed through Healaugh, Feetham and Gunnerside on the way to Muker. In Gunnerside someone had knocked a cyclist off her bike and she was lying in the road with a cut to her head. Fortunately a motorcycle paramedic was already on scene, so we carried on knowing she was in safe hands. Just after Muker we turned left and headed over Buttertubs Pass to Hawes. We passed through Hawes and took the B6255 towards Ribblehead Viaduct as usual. We turned left at the Viaduct and headed for Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Just after we crossed the railway tracks I accelerated on the straight. Just ahead I noticed a car braking in the dip, as I neared and crested the dip I realised he had hit a dog that was still in the road. I had to really get on the brakes and bring the bike to a stop. The BMW performed brilliantly and stopped very quickly even though the bikes weight had lifted as I went over the crest. After I stopped the dog ran across in front of me and he was obviously limping quite badly. The car had stopped to help, as we were on the bikes there wasn’t much we could do so we continued on into Horton-in-Ribblesdale and stopped at our usual tearoom by the railway bridge.

After a refreshing cold drink we headed back to Settle and then continued on home via Sawley, Saben and the A56/M66. The Satnav and Autocom that I fitted last week worked as they had previously on the VFR, so we are set for the holiday. The Michelin Pilot Road 3’s have really transformed my feeling on the bike. They turn in and hold their line so much better than the Metzler’s ever did. They are also less susceptible to bumps than the Metzler’s were and give a much better ride. I will certainly not be putting the Metzler’s back on again. Helen had fitted her Airhawk seat cover before we went out and was pleased with it. She said that the only minor issue was that on steep downhills and very twisty roads you do shift about a bit on the seat.

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First Run out for Helen in a while.

We had a reasonable 210 mile ride yesterday around the Dales and up to the outskirts of County Durham. We mainly went out to test Helen’s ankle after her recent ankle operation. Everything seemed to go well and she was able to do the distance without to many issues, the new Daytona boots seemed to help.

We left home and headed to Hawes via our usual route to Clitheroe and then via Sawley and Wigglesworth to Settle. Then we headed over to Hawes via Ribblehead Viaduct. The corner between Horton-in-Ribblesdale and the viaduct is still terribly potholed. There was quite a few cars about around Clitheroe but once we turned off the main road at Sawley the traffic reduced. Due to the Appleby horse show the usual spots were full of travellers and horses. We left Hawes and headed on the A684 for Sedbergh but turned onto the B6259 at The Moorcock Inn and headed to Kirkby Stephen. I like this road as it follows the Settle to Carlisle railway line for quite a while. In Kirkby Stephen we joined the A685 and head over to Brough. We then took the stunning and empty B6276 to Middleton-in-Teesdale and stopped at our usual haunt Café 1618 for lunch.

We left Middleton-in-Teesdale and headed back to Kirkby Stephen and continued on the A685 and even saw a steam engine running at Stainmore Railway as we passed by. We then turned onto the A683 and headed for Sedbergh, we passed several more traveller camps on our way. You really need to take car at this time of year as they really don’t seem to realise that this is a 60mph road. We also passed several horse and carts holding traffic up in the other direction. Thankfully we didn’t see any cars doing stupid overtakes to get passed them. From Sedbergh we continued on the A683 down to Kirkby Lonsdale and stopped at Devil’s Bridge for an ice cream. We also met one of our biker friends CJ while we were stopped there.

We left Devil’s Bridge on the A65 towards Skipton and then stopped briefly in Ingleton for fuel. From Ingleton we continued on the A65 before turning off before Clapham and heading over Burn Moor and past Stocks Reservoir. We then turned right onto the B6478 and headed through Slaidburn and then over Waddington Fell and down into Clitheroe. From Clitheroe we followed the A59, A671 and then the A56/M66 back home.

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Derbyshire Run

I went out with NUKB today on a run around Derbyshire. I left home at around 9:45 and headed over to Holmfirth via the A6052 and the A635 to meet up with Gary and Scotsy.

We left Holmfirth and headed on the A6024 towards Woodhead Reservoir. I do really like the A6024 as it has plenty of different types of corners and lots of elevation changes, plus it is usually pretty quiet. We then crossed over the A628 and joined the B6105 and headed over to Glossop. We stopped in Glossop at a local cafe for coffee and a bacon and egg barm.

We left Glossop and headed on the A57 towards Ladybower Reservoir on the infamous Snake Pass. This is a great road however it is often spoiled by vast amounts of traffic and the 50mph limit doesn’t help either. Today the traffic wasn’t too bad and so we were able to make some progress quite easily. At Ladybower Reservoir we turned onto the A6013 and headed for Hope. We then turned left onto the A6187 and headed towards Hathersage. In Hathersage we joined the B6001 and headed for Bakewell via Calver. In Bakewell we joined the B5055 and followed that over the A515 and towards Longdor. We then turned right and headed back to the A515 via some minor roads. We joined the A515 and passed through Buxton and then joined the really twisty A5004 and headed for Whaley Bridge. We stopped just outside Whaley Bridge in a lay-by and had a coffee at a butty van.

We left there and headed via Chapel-en-le-Frith and Castleton back to Ladybower Reservoir. The Yorkshire guys turned right here and headed for home, were as I turned left and headed back over the Snake Pass to Glossop. From here I retraced my outward route all the way back home via Holmfirth and Oldham.

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Blast to County Durham

Yesterday we went out on the VFRs for a run into County Durham and back via Tan Hill.

We filled up at our local garage and then headed over to Clitheroe as usual. For a change we headed to Devil’s Bridge via the B6478 through Slaidburn and then through Gisburn Forest and past Stocks Reservoir. This brings us out on the A65 a couple of miles outside Ingleton. We passed through Ingleton and soon arrived at Devil’s Bridge but decided not to stop because it was so busy.

We joined the A683 and headed over to Sedbergh, where we stopped for a quick comfort break. We then continued on the A683 all the way to the A685 which we then followed into Kirkby Stephen. We passed through Kirkby Stephen and headed on the A685 to Brough, where we joined the B6276. We followed the B6276 passed Selset and Grassholme Reservoirs and all the way into Middleton-in-Teesdale. We stopped at Cafe 1618 again for lunch as we were very impressed with our last visit a few weeks ago.

We left Middleton-in-Teesdale on the B6277 and headed over to Barnard Castle. We didn’t stop as we had only just had lunch so continued passed on the B6277. We crossed over the A66 onto Stang Lane and headed over to Arkengarthdale. We then turned right onto the Long Causeway and followed that all the way to Tan Hill Inn. Here we turned onto minor roads and headed South to Keld. Just before joining the B6270 at Keld you go down some very tight hairpins, which Helen really doesn’t like. As usual she managed to meet someone coming up as she was going down. We passed through Keld and then joined the road that takes you over Buttertubs Pass and down into Hawes. We passed through Hawes which was very busy and then joined the B6255 and headed over to Ribblehead Viaduct. We stopped at the viaduct for a much needed ice-cream. Just as we were about to leave Camsdad and Mickster from NUKB turned up.

After a brief chat we left and headed our separate ways. We joined the B6479 and headed through Horton-in-Ribblesdale and onto Settle. We stopped in Settle briefly to fill up as we were both on one bar on our fuel gauges, we only put £10 in due to the price. We left Settle and headed back to Clitheroe via Wigglesworth and Sawley and then turned left and went over Pendle Hill and down into Sabden. We then continued on to Simonstone and then followed the A56/M66 home.

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Typical late Start Dales Run

We left home at around 10:30am and headed over to Clitheroe by our usual roads, where we stopped to fill up. From Clitheroe we followed our usual route to Settle via the minor backs roads of Sawley and Wigglesworth. We passed by Settle and joined the B6479 and passed through Horton in Ribblesdale, we decided to stop at the tearoom just outside Horton in Ribblesdale for lunch.

We left the tearoom and headed for Ribblehead Viaduct, where we turned right on the stunning B6255 to Hawes. We didn’t go into Hawes and turned immediately left and decided to head over to Devil’s Bridge. We joined the A684 and headed for Sedbergh, but instead of following the A684 we turned right at the Moorcock Inn onto the B6259 towards Kirkby Stephen. I decided to this route as we enjoyed this stretch of road last week. We didn’t go all the way to Kirkby Stephen and instead joined the very minor Tommy Road at Pendragon Castle; we did this to cut across to the A683.

We turned left onto the A683 and headed South to Sedbergh. We passed through Sedbergh and continued on the A683 down to Devil’s Bridge.

After a brief stop at Devil’s Bridge for an ice cream we left and headed for home. We took the A65 heading towards Skipton and soon arrived in Ingleton. Just after Ingleton we turned right onto minor roads and headed through Gisburn Forest and past Stocks Reservoir. We then joined the B6478 and headed for Slaidburn. We continued on this road and headed over Waddington Fell and down into Clitheroe. We passed through Clitheroe and then went over Pendle Hill and through Sabden. We then followed the A56/M66 back home as usual.

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Kirkstone and Hartside Passes

As it was bank holiday weekend we decided to go out on Saturday and hope it would be quieter on the roads. We left home and headed over to Clitheroe to fill up. We then followed our usual route to Settle via the minor backs roads of Sawley and Wigglesworth. We didn’t go into Settle instead we turned left onto the A65 and headed towards Kirkby Lonsdale. We passed by Devil’s Bridge, but didn’t stop as we were running late due to an incident at Clitheroe Services. We continued on the A65 and passed over the M6 and then joined the A590 to Kendal. We then got off the A590 as it turned into the A591 and then Ulverston. We then turned right onto the A5074 and headed towards Bowness-on-Windermere. Not many people seem to know about this road and instead use the A590 and A592 to get to Bowness. This of course is good for us as we usually get a fairly clear run. We soon arrived in Bowness and then joined the A592 and headed towards Kirkstone. We then went straight over at the dodgy mini-roundabout junction with A592/A 591. We passed through Troutbeck and into the national zone and then started the climb up Kirkstone Pass. We stopped at the Kirkstone Inn at the top for a brew and some cake. 

We left the Inn and headed down the other side of Kirkstone Pass. I really like this part of the Pass as it is a nice challenge to get all the lines right. We were soon down off the Pass and then following the sweeping A592 as it twisted and turned its way to Patterdale. At this point the road starts to run alongside Ullswater, which it follows for its full length. We then turn away from Ullswater and head over to the A66 and then pass by Penrith. We then join the A686 towards Alston and follow that for a while. We then pass through Melmerby and now the fun starts as we start to climb up Hartside Pass. This is a wonderful and challenging piece of asphalt with tight hairpin bends and some nice fast open corners. We would normally stop at the café at the top but since it wasn’t that long since we were at Kirkstone we decided to carry on and try Middleton-in-Teesdale for lunch.

So we continued on the A686 and dropped down the other side of the pass and soon arrived in Alston. We turned right at Alston and headed on the B6277 towards Middleton-in-Teesdale. This is also a very nice fast piece of road and is often deserted, today was no exception to that rule. The snow poles at the sides of the road, gives you and idea of how remote and barren this place is. We soon passed by High Force and then arrived it Middleton-in-Teesdale, we stopped at Café 1618 for lunch.

After a lovely lunch at this highly recommended café we left Middleton-in-Teesdale on the B6276. This road is pretty much a mirror of the B6277 and was as barren and deserted as usual. We didn’t enjoy the road as much as usual as we passed by around seven dead lambs at the side of the road. It was clear that they hadn’t died as a result of a collision with a vehicle. So it’s possible an outbreak of something or the harsh cold April that we have had might be to blame. Anyway we soon arrived in Brough and then joined the A685 to Kirkby Stephen. We filled up in Kirkby Stephen and then instead of heading over to Sedbergh we took the B6259 through Nateby towards Hawes. Again this is a quiet road and for much of it length runs parallel to the Settle to Carlisle railway tracks. We then turned left at the Moorcock Inn onto the A684 and headed into Hawes. From Hawes we followed the B6255 to Ribblehead Viaduct and the turned left onto the B6479 and passed through Horton in Ribblesdale before arriving in Settle. We passed though Settle and then headed back home via our usual route through Wigglesworth, Sawley, and Sabden.

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Windy Dales Blast

The weather this week has been rather shocking, with some rather heavy and prolonged rain showers. Saturday although windy appeared to be looking the best day of the weekend. 

We left home at around 11:00am and headed over to Clitheroe by our usual roads, were we stopped to fill up. From Clitheroe we followed our usual route to Settle via the minor backs roads of Sawley and Wigglesworth. We passed by Settle and joined the B6479 and passed through Horton in Ribblesdale before turning right at Ribblehead Viaduct. We then followed the stunning B6255 to Hawes. We stopped for lunch at the Penny Garth Cafe. It wasn’t too busy this week at Hawes and the majority of bikes about were cruisers.

After lunch we left Hawes and decided to head over to Devil’s Bridge via Sedbergh. We joined the A684 and headed for Sedbergh, thankfully the surface was still in good shape. A few years ago this road was horrendously potholed for much of its length. We arrived in Sedbergh and then joined the A683 and headed down to Devil’s Bridge. It wasn’t mega busy for this time of year, although it was busier than we expected. We stopped here for an ice cream as we felt it was just about warm enough to warrant one. The only issue we noticed was that the toilets are currently closed and have been replaced by one Portaloo.

We left on the A65 heading towards Skipton and soon arrived in Ingleton. Just after Ingleton we turned right onto minor roads and headed through Gisburn Forest and past Stocks Reservoir. We then joined the B6478 and headed for Slaidburn. We continued on this road and headed over Waddington Fell and down into Clitheroe. We passed through Clitheroe and then went over Pendle Hill and through Sabden. We then followed the A56/M66 back home as usual.

The wind especially up high yesterday was very strong, thankfully I was on the VFR but the bike and I still took a battering. I am aching on my chest and between my shoulder blades today, probably as a result from having to fight the wind. Helen has also managed to bruise some of her tendons in her left wrist, also probably due to fighting the wind.

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Bank Holiday Dales Run

We had a lazy morning today so only set out late, so just decided to have a trip up to the Creamery at Hawes.

So we headed over to Clitheroe by our usual roads. The from Clitheroe we followed our usual route to Settle via the minor backs roads of Sawley and Wigglesworth. We passed through Settle and joined the B6479 and passed through Horton in Ribblesdale before turning right at Ribblehead Viaduct. We then followed the stunning B6255 to Hawes as usual. We then parked up at the Creamery and headed inside to get some lunch. We then saw the length of the queue for the cafe and the restaurant also looked full, so we decided to leave.

We headed back through Hawes to have a look whether the Penny Garth Cafe was also busy. Which it was so we decided to head back to Settle and see if the small tearoom just outside Horton in Ribblesdale was open. We soon arrived back at Horton in Ribblesdale and thankfully the tearoom was open so we decided to stop and try it out. It was a bit like sitting in your granny’s front room, but the coffee and food was nice. We even bought some nice handmade biscuits, to take back with us as well.

We left the tearoom and headed back home via our usual roads through Settle, Wigglesworth, Sawley, and Sabden.

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Ice Cream Run to Reeth

The weather this week has been stunning, with unusually high temperatures for this time of year. We decided that it was easily warm enough for the first outing of our leathers in 2012. We decided to have a fairly short run around the Dales and so headed over to Clitheroe by our usual roads. From Clitheroe we followed our usual route to Settle via the minor backs roads of Sawley and Wigglesworth. We stopped in Settle for lunch at the Ye Old Naked Man Café.

We left Settle and joined the B6479 and passed through Horton in Ribblesdale before turning right at Ribblehead Viaduct. We then followed the stunning B6255 to Hawes. The dodgy resurfacing that was carried out last year has completely bedded in now and so I have complete faith in this stretch of road again. Just as we arrived at Hawes we noticed that a new 40mph zone had been added just before you get to the 30mph zone. It is quite a sensible speed reduction zone and is not extended further than is required. We passed through Hawes and then turned off the main road to take the road over Buttertubs Pass to Muker. Thankfully there were no sheep about trying to commit suicide this time. We passed through Muker and then followed the B6270 through Gunnerside to Reeth. This is not really a road for stiffly setup sportbikes as it is very bumpy in places. I left the ground several times on the ZX-9R so I can quite imagine how bad it could be on a sportsbike. At some point along this road we did come across an imbecile who had parked up around a blind bend in a dip on our side of the road. Anyone coming around this corner at speed, whether it be a car or bike would have been in trouble. We soon arrived in Reeth and stopped to sample one of the many lovely ice cream flavours on offer.

We left Reeth on the B6270 and headed towards Grinton, where we turned onto minor roads and headed over Wipperdale Bank past the rifle range to Leyburn. In Leyburn we joined the A684 and headed back to Hawes. From Hawes we re-traced our route all the way back home, with a brief stop at Clitheroe Services for fuel.

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Wales Season Opener

Apart from Boxing Day this is the first time since last November that we have been out on the bikes, as the weather and icy conditions haven’t been very favourable. We met up with some of the guys from NUKB at Lymm Services for around 9am. I was out on the ZX-9R as the VFR’s MOT has currently lapsed and I am in the process of rebuilding the callipers as the front discs keep glazing over.

We left Lymm Services on the M56 and the got off at Jct10 to join the A49 to Whitchurch. We continued on the A49 for a while before turning right onto the A534 to Wrexham. We skirted around Wrexham and joined the A483 and headed South for a short distance before getting off the dual carriageway and joining the A525 towards Llandelga. Somewhere along this road one of the guys picked up a puncture which ended up splitting up our group. I continued on the A525 and then joined the A5104 at Llandelga which I took to the A5. I then turned right onto the A5 which I only followed for a very short while before turning onto the A494 to Bala. The road to Bala is a good one but is often filled with lots of traffic, even at this time of the year. I arrived in Bala and stopped in the public carpark on the left as there are toilets there.

I then left Bala and continued on the A494 to Dolgellau, this part of the A494 is even better and as some of the traffic usually stops at Bala it is usually a little bit quieter. An alternative route to Dolgellau is to take the A4212 from Bala past Llyn Celyn to Trawsfynydd. This is a very nice road with lots of different types of scenery. You would then turn onto the A470 and follow that to Dolgellau, this part of the A470 is a bit boring as it is very straight road. I stopped for lunch at Dolgellau where I expected the other guys to catch me up, but due to the puncture they had stopped at a farm café back on the A5. I was obviously now miles away from there so it wasn’t really feasible to head back there.

So I left Dolgellau on the A470 heading towards Mallwyd but soon turned off and joined the A487 to Machynlleth. The A487 is a fantastic road and is also fairly quiet so you can usually get a decent run down it. The road starts off with some faster more open corners before you climb up to the top of the pass and then drop down on the other side. The way down is a twisty fast affair we a huge drop off to the right hand side. Just after Corris the road changes again as you get into the trees and follow the very twisty last part Machynlleth. Due to lots of double white lines in this area if you get stuck behind traffic it will be spoilt, so I would consider stopping and allowing yourself a clear run if possible. I arrived in Machynlleth and stopped at the fuel station to fill up, it is just after the railway bridge on the right hand side.

I left Machynlleth on the A489 and then took the A470 towards Newtown. This part of the A470 is certainly worth doing and is pretty open and you can usually get a good run at it. At Caersws I joined the A489 and headed over to Newtown, unfortunately it was too late to head South on the fantastic A483 to Crossgates. So instead I headed North and followed the A483 through Welshpool and Pant towards Oswestry. This part of the A483 is really only a means to and end. As it is quite boring in places and usually full of a lot of traffic. I stopped at Oswestry Services to see were the other guys were currently. I got a text back to say they were at Whitchurch and would wait for me to catch up.

So I left Oswestry Services and headed on the A495 through Whittington and Ellsemere and over to Whitchurch. Although not a challenging ride the A495 is very scenic for most of its length. I then joined the A525 and A41 to met up with the other guys at Lynns Raven Café in Whitchurch. We then headed home via the A49, M56, M6 and M62/M60.

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Short Dales Run

Helen and I went out yesterday with for a short run around the Yorkshire Dales. I had initially planned to go to Hartside, but the roads were still damp early on so we waited till they had dried off a bit before going out. 

We set out to Clitheroe to stop at the services to fill up with fuel for the day. We then headed over to Settle on our usual route via Sawley and Wigglesworth. We didn’t stop in Settle and so continued on the B6479 and headed through Horton in Ribblesdale to Ribblehead Viaduct. We turned right at Ribblehead Viaduct on to the B6255 and headed for Hawes, Helen decided that she would have a go on the nine for the run to Hawes. She took it fairly easy although she did get it over on one corner as I managed to get her VFR’s pegs down following her. We then stopped in Hawes for lunch, not many bikes about and absolutely no power rangers on sight.

We left Hawes and headed over Buttertubs Pass to Thwaite. We then headed on the B6270 over Birk Dale  to Nateby. In Nateby we turned left and joined the B6259 and headed through Outgill to Garsdale Head. At Garsdale Head we turned left and joined the A684 and headed back to Hawes.

We passed through Hawes and headed over to Ribblehead Viaduct on the B6255. We turned left at Ribblehead Viaduct as usual and headed back to Settle on the B6479. We stopped briefly in Stainforth to use the local toilets. We then passed through Settle and tried the back road via Booths, it is much quicker than going through Settle itself. We then headed back to Clitheroe via Wigglesworth and Sawley and then turned left and went over Pendle Hill and down into Sabden. We then continued on to Simonstone and then followed the A56/M66 home.

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Masham End of Year Big Meet

Helen and I went out on Sunday with the Lancs arm of the NUKB on a rideout to Masham for the end of year big meet. We met up with the North East and Yorkshire NUKB regions as well in Masham Market Square.

The weather forecast initially was for poor weather early on but it was due to brighten up later. For this reason we decided to leave late and not join the main ride to Masham and instead proceed directly there. We left home and met up with Debs at Boundary Mill in Colne. We then headed on the A56/59 to Skipton where we joined the B6265 to Grassington. We stopped in Grassington briefly for a comfort break before continuing on the B6265. Just after Pateley Bridge we turned left to continue on the B6265 and soon arrive at our turning at Risplith. It said that the road was closed ahead but we decided to see whether we could get through anyway. Just after Grantley we found that a small bridge had collapsed and we couldn’t get past. However with Debs sat-nav we were able to take a small diversion to get around the problem. We then got back on our original route and continued on to Masham via Kirkby Malzeard and Grewelthorpe. We soon arrived at Masham and were pretty much the first group there, so we got our food orders in early.

We left Masham at around 1:30pm on the A6108 heading for Leyburn, after passing through Middleham we soon turned left onto a cut through road to Wensley that by-passes Leyburn. At this point we joined the A684 and continued on that road all the way to Hawes.

We passed through Hawes and headed over to Ribblehead Viaduct on the B6255. We turned left at Ribblehead Viaduct as usual and headed back to Settle on the B6479. We stopped in Settle for a while to enjoy coffee and cake at the Ye Old Naked Man Café.

We then left Settle and headed back to Clitheroe via Wigglesworth and Sawley and then turned left and went over Pendle Hill and down into Sabden. We then continued on to Simonstone and then followed the A56/M66 home.

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Barnard Castle Run

Helen and I went out yesterday for a ride up to Barnard Castle and back. The weather looked like it would be nice all day so we set out at about 10:45am.

We left and headed over to Clitheroe Services to fill up as usual. Not long after we left home we past about 40 cruisers on the M66, not sure where they were going. We then passed about 50 scooter riders on the A56 who had parked up in a very dangerous position on the edge of the inside lane. We arrived at Clitheroe and found it was also very busy with bikes. We had been hoping it would be relatively quiet out as there was a bike show on in Stoke and another one in Durham. We then headed over to Settle on our usual route via Sawley and Wigglesworth. Just outside Settle we joined the A65 and headed up to Devil’s Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale. Devil’s Bridge was busy but it wasn’t absolutely heaving, so we only stopped for a brief break.

We left Devil’s Bridge and headed up to Sedbergh on the A683. It was fairly quiet up here as usual and so we made nice progress. We then headed through Sedbergh and continued on the A683 towards Kirkby Stephen. We then joined the A685 and headed through Kirkby Stephen to Brough. At Brough we joined the B6276 and straight away hit some loose chippings, thankfully it was only a short run of about one mile. We then headed on to the B6276 proper and had a good run over to Middleton-in-Teesdale. We passed by Selset Reservoir and Grassholme Reservoir before turning right on to the B6281. We then joined the B6277 and headed over to Barnard Castle for a late Lunch. It was fairly busy in Barnard Castle but managed to park the bikes up easily.

We left Barnard Castle and headed across the A66 and on to Arkengarthdale. We then turned right and headed up to Tan Hill. We encountered more loose chippings here although these had bedded in a bit more. We passed by Tan Hill and then turned left and headed down the famous hairpins to Keld, thankfully there was no loose chippings here. As we turned left on to the B6270 we came across more loose chippings, looks like the road workers have been very busy of late in his area. We then turned right and left the chippings behind and headed over Buttertubs Pass and down into Hawes. The top of Buttertubs Pass was full of sheep again, the majority of which seem to like congregating in the middle of the road. We passed through Hawes and headed over to Ribblehead Viaduct on the B6255. We turned left at Ribblehead Viaduct as usual and headed back to Settle on the B6479. We stopped in Settle briefly to get an ice-cream each from the Ye Old Naked Man Café.

We then left Settle and headed back to Clitheroe via Wigglesworth and Sawley and then turned left and went over Pendle Hill and down into Sabden. We then continued on to Simonstone and then followed the A56/M66 home.

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Creamery Camera Run

Helen and I went out yesterday to the Creamery in Hawes to pick up the camera that Helen had dropped there last weekend.

We set out to Clitheroe and then headed over to Settle on our usual route via Sawley and Wigglesworth. We passed through Settle and joined the B6479 and headed through Horton in Ribblesdale to Ribblehead Viaduct. As we arrived at Ribblehead Viaduct we found the road littered with walkers, who were forcing oncoming traffic on to our side of the road. I think some of them had left some of their brain cells at home, walking four a breast on a 60mph road is not really very clever. As we turned right at Ribblehead Viaduct on to the B6255 it started to rain. We headed for Hawes and were soon out of the rain and back on dry roads. The new surface is looking fairly well bedded in now so my confidence with it is almost there now. We arrived at Hawes and headed up to the Creamery for lunch and to pick up Helen’s camera.

We left the Creamery, after a long wait as it took them a while to find the exact location of the camera. We then headed back to Ribblehead Viaduct. While we had been having lunch it looked like we had missed some heavy rain as the roads were very wet in certain places. As we got nearer to Ribblehead Viaduct the road was fully dry again and the temperature was starting to heat up. We turned left at Ribblehead Viaduct as usual and headed back to Settle on the B6479. We then continued back to Clitheroe via Wigglesworth and Sawley and then turned left and went over Pendle Hill and down into Sabden. We then continued on to Simonstone and then followed the A56/M66 home.

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Reeth Ice Cream Run

Helen and I went out with Mike from NUKB yesterday for a run to Reeth for some ice creams.

We met up with Mike at Clitheroe Services at around 10:00am and then headed over to Settle on our usual route via Sawley and Wigglesworth. We stopped at the petrol station as we were meeting up with some other guys off NUKB. But Paul was having issues with his new Tiger so he headed back home while we continued on to Hawes.

We left Settle on the B6479 and headed through Horton in Ribblesdale to Ribblehead Viaduct. We joined the B6255 here and headed over the new gravely surface to Hawes. The surface has bedded in pretty well but I am still not fully confident with it yet. We arrived at Hawes and it looked very busy with the Police parking up all of the bikes. We decided to head up to the Creamery instead and surprisingly it was pretty quite and the café virtually empty. So we decided to have lunch here while it was quiet.

We left the Creamery and headed back through Hawes, I didn’t see the other guys so we just continued on. We turned off onto minor roads and headed over Buttertubs Pass to Thwaite. We joined the B6270 here and headed through Muker and Gunnerside to Reeth. We stopped at Reeth for some ice creams and had a rest in the hot sun.

We left Reeth and headed back to Thwaite on the B6270. We then went back over Buttertubs Pass and headed through Hawes. We then joined the B6255 and headed back towards Ribblehead Viaduct. Pretty much as soon as we left Hawes we were getting flashed and the thumbs down sign, which pretty much spelt out Police. After a while we came across them, three Police vehicles and several Policemen and a laser gun. I’m not quite sure why so many were required, good to see tax payers money going to a good use. Anyway we passed by and continued up to Ribblehead Viaduct where we turned left and headed back to Settle on the B6479. We stopped briefly for a water break at Settle, at which point Helen noticed she had lost our small Nikon camera somewhere.

We left Settle and headed back to Clitheroe via Wigglesworth and Sawley and then turned left and went over Pendle Hill and down into Sabden. We then continued on to Simonstone and then followed the A56/M66 home. After we had arrived home Helen phoned up the Creamery in Hawes and thankfully someone kind soul had handed the camera in. Apparently Helen had dropped it outside on the grass when she was messing about in her bumbag.

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Hartside

Helen and I went out yesterday on a run up to Hartside and back down via the North Yorkshire Dales.

We left home at around 9:00am and headed up to Clitheroe Services via the M66/A56. We stopped briefly at the Services for fuel and then continued on the A59 towards Skipton. As usual we got off at Sawley and then headed via Wigglesworth and Rathmell to Settle. We didn’t go into Settle and instead joined the A65 and headed over to Devil’s Bridge at Kirkby Lonsdale.

After a short break we left and headed up the A683 towards Sedbergh. Just before Sedbergh we turned off onto the B6257 and followed that to the junction with the A684. We then had to do a right and then a left after a couple of 100 yards to rejoin the B6257. We followed this road for a while and went under the M6 and then joined the A685. We followed alongside the M6 on the A685 and soon arrived in Tebay. In Tebay we joined the B6260 to Orton and then joined the B6261 and headed over to Shap. We passed under the M6 again and then joined the A6 and headed towards Penrith via Shap. Just outside Penrith we joined the A686 towards Alston, which we followed all the way to Melmerby. Just after Melmerby A686 start to climb and twist back and forth as you head up to Hartside Café. I had a decent run up Hartside and only got held up once on the very twisty section by a campervan. Considering it was a bank holiday Monday the roads were pretty quiet. We soon arrived at Hartside Café which was pretty windy, so we parked the bikes up to lean against the sidestand in the wind and then had a spot of lunch.

We left Hartside Café and then dropped down into Alston on the A686. In Alston we turned right onto the B6277 and followed that all the way to Middleton-in-Teesdale. In Middleton we turned right again and joined the B6276 and headed to Brough. We stopped in Brough for a quick comfort break and managed to get to grips with a nice Ginger Tomcat.

We left Brough on the A685 and stopped briefly in Kirkby Stephen to fill up with fuel. We left Kirkby Stephen on the B6259 to Nateby, then joined the B6270 there. We passed over Birkdale Common before dropping down to Keld and then went on to Thwaite. From here we passed over Buttertubs Pass and then dropped down into Hawes. We didn’t stop in Hawes and proceeded to Settle via Ribblehead Viaduct on the B6255 and B6479. We arrived in Settle after a while and stopped to get an Ice-cream at the Naked Man Café.

We left Settle after a while and headed back home on our usual route to Sawley via Rathmell and Wigglesworth. Then we joined the A59 towards Clitheroe and then turned left and went over Sabden. We then joined the A56 and M66 on our way home.

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