Ride Reports
Saturday 1st June 2019
B Ride Report Hest Bank - Steve Hopkinson
When I posted the route earlier in the week, the forecast was for dry warm and sunny, but when I checked on Saturday morning, they had changed it to cool, cloudy and rain around lunchtime. Undeterred, eleven all male riders (where were you, ladies?) left the Cobbles.
We took the usual route to Condor Green. On the short climb out of Condor Green, Phil D suffered a flat tyre. Whilst he was adroitly changing the tube, he mentioned that he had had two more punctures during the week. Once the wheel was back in place, he said all he needed to do was put back his lucky blue valve cap! Perhaps it’s time he had a rethink.
On we rode through Lancaster. Several decided to go a slightly different way, but we all regrouped at the Lune bridge and continued on to Overton. I had already decided to give Sunderland Point a miss – there is nothing there to see and the road is usually covered in sand and mud. We therefore arrived at the Half Moon Café just after 11 and as it seemed busy anyway, we carried on to Hest Bank and the Shore Café, where there was plenty of room and we received excellent service.
During the café stop the promised rain started, so donning rain jackets we set off again only to be thwarted by the flashing red lights of the level crossing. There was a car in front of us whose driver was thinking of trying to beat the lights but had to reverse rather quickly to avoid the barrier coming down on his bonnet.
With café legs came the first real climb of the day over to Halton, and then on to Caton. Rather than taking the normal route back to Scorton, it was decided to add an extra loop over Procter Moss and through Dolphinholme, and then back through Scorton, where several of the group turned west to make their own way home. I arrived back at Garstang with only three companions.
All in all, despite the rain a pleasant ride, perhaps rather less hilly than rides of late, with excellent company as usual, no mutinies and no animals in need of rescuing. Approximately 48 miles at an average speed of 13.9 mph and 1750 feet of climbing.
We took the usual route to Condor Green. On the short climb out of Condor Green, Phil D suffered a flat tyre. Whilst he was adroitly changing the tube, he mentioned that he had had two more punctures during the week. Once the wheel was back in place, he said all he needed to do was put back his lucky blue valve cap! Perhaps it’s time he had a rethink.
On we rode through Lancaster. Several decided to go a slightly different way, but we all regrouped at the Lune bridge and continued on to Overton. I had already decided to give Sunderland Point a miss – there is nothing there to see and the road is usually covered in sand and mud. We therefore arrived at the Half Moon Café just after 11 and as it seemed busy anyway, we carried on to Hest Bank and the Shore Café, where there was plenty of room and we received excellent service.
During the café stop the promised rain started, so donning rain jackets we set off again only to be thwarted by the flashing red lights of the level crossing. There was a car in front of us whose driver was thinking of trying to beat the lights but had to reverse rather quickly to avoid the barrier coming down on his bonnet.
With café legs came the first real climb of the day over to Halton, and then on to Caton. Rather than taking the normal route back to Scorton, it was decided to add an extra loop over Procter Moss and through Dolphinholme, and then back through Scorton, where several of the group turned west to make their own way home. I arrived back at Garstang with only three companions.
All in all, despite the rain a pleasant ride, perhaps rather less hilly than rides of late, with excellent company as usual, no mutinies and no animals in need of rescuing. Approximately 48 miles at an average speed of 13.9 mph and 1750 feet of climbing.
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