New Years Eve ride#
30th December 2011
Despite the distinctly soggy weather we’ve had recently, [[Sue Austin|Sue]] and I wanted to get out for a ride. The aim was to park at the top of the Kettlewell to Leyburn road, ride offroad down to Starbotton from where Sue would go and wait in a cafe in Kettlewell and I would ride back up the hill for the car. As it turned out we got to the top of the singletrack Leyburn road have just made it up the icy road. This was a bit unexpected as it we didn’t think it was that cold. Not wanting to leave the car and it get worse we drove back down. I dropped Sue off part way down and then I continued on to near the bottom. On the way down I saw six roadies coming up the hill. Parts of this road are very steep; four of them were weaving about a lot and the other two were pushing. Sometimes roadies need to fit a triple chainring but they’re too worried what hardcore roadies will say to do it.
The road climb was easier on a bike than in the car. There was a light snow covering at the top and it was freezing. For some reason which I still don’t know I had decided not to wear my recently modified overshoes. I was toasty warm at this point but I was sure how my feet would fair. I finally caught Sue up part way down the descent and Molly didn’t look massively happy. Think we should have brought her coat along with my overshoes.
Back at Kettlewell we split up, Sue went back for the car and I set off to ride home over Mastiles Lane. Having had a winter of sitting on the turbo trainer I wanted to see if it had made any difference or been a waste of time. I can usually do Mastiles Lane from Kilnsey but only just, it’s a granny gear climb up the steepest bit. At the bottom I was a bit worried, I felt like I was struggling already and would never make it up in one go. Somehow I did but still don’t know how.
The rest of Mastiles was wet and sloppy. My feet got worse and worse and by Street Gate I started to day dream about blackened toes. I rode over to the Cove road and down the bridleway to Malham and then back along the road to home. By now I wasn’t sure I had any feet left!
Lesson to learn - dress properly for bad weather!