Rides to picnic at Mardale Head, Haweswater. Wed 31st May

 Rosie and I are leading 2 rides from Beacon Edge cemetery lay-by starting  at 9.30. Both rides will go through Shap for a loo stop, and then to Mardale Head via the concrete road for a BYO picnic. Weather looks wonderful. Routes to Shap will be determined on the day,  probably via Little Strickland (Rosie), or Crosby Ravensworth (Phil). Hope to see lots of you out.

 Dalston to Upfront Gallery Unthank 9:30am Sunday 28th May

Fine weather forecast again for Sunday, no ride down so I have added this one from Dalston to the coffee stop at Unthank.

Start at the Dalston car park, out via Southwaite, Lazonby, Salkeld Dykes then across to Unthank, return via Hutton Roof, Hesket Newmarket, Raughton Head. 48.6miles with a few hills.

Route here.

Would be great if anyone wants to come along. Text or WhatsApp 07590 605203.

Thanks Nigel P.

24/05/2023: Today's EV club ride - The Solway Sizzler ☀️🥵

Well not quite a sizzler temperature wise (as promised by BBC weather forecast ☹️) but a fantastic 'sizzling' day out with 11 other riders from the EV club. Nice & warm with sunshine some of the time but mostly cloudy & a bit chilly in parts. 

A few pics from today attached 👍

Bike Ride from Dalston 09:30 Wednesday 24th May

As fine weather is forecast for Wednesday (& there being no listed ride) I'm cycling round "the island" starting at 09:30 hours from Dalston. 

The 50 mile route takes in part of the Solway coast, an AONB, via Wiggonby, Lessonhall, Newton Arlosh, Anthorn & Bowness on Solway (29 mile) for lunch. Then back to Dalston via Brugh by Sands, Beaumont & Great Orton. Route >> HERE <<

One stop for lunch at either the cafe or pub in Bowness or BYO for a picnic overlooking the Solway Firth.

Though listed as a 3 bike ride it is a fairly flat route & suitable for all abilities.

Would be great if anyone wants to come along. Text or WhatsApp 07855534727.

Cheers, John H

Nigel P's Ride for Sunday 21st May

No ride on the list for this Sunday, I will be riding from Dalston to the coffee stop at Melmerby, if anyone would like to join me?

I have a route which is just under 50miles link attached, but am happy to alter as required, route as is, goes through Armathwaite, Kirkoswald, Gambelsby, Melmerby, back via Ousby, Langwathby, Plumpton.

Text or Whatsapp 07590 605203

 

Route

Nigel.

Adventures in France

Planes and trains are so boring, but this was how John, Simon, Phil, Martin, Alex & I spent last Sunday getting home after cycling 627 miles (1000km) over 8 days from Ouistrahem on the channel coast in Northern France to Sète on the Mediterranean coast. The trip was organised and fully supported by “Sport Ecosse Events". They even picked up our bikes in Cumbria and will bring them home again later this week. All we had to do was get to Portsmouth to catch the ferry and fly home at the end of the trip. When I think about cycling in France I imagine tootling along quiet roads in glorious sunshine – it wasn’t quite like that. It was unseasonably cold & rainy. Although we did have some sunshine, we also had at least one rainy session every day including on the last day one of the heaviest downpours I have ever cycled in with nowhere to shelter – no choice but to keep going and then the sun starts to shine again! Organisation of the trip was brilliant thanks to Kevin from Sport Ecosse who made sure that no-one got lost + Alan & Andy in the support vehicles.

The Route

8am Day 1

Sète Sea Front

Grade 2 Ride from Clapham into Ribblesdale, Wednesday 17th May

Please note we have TWO rides on offer today! This one from Ernest (40 miles) and the one from Geoff (70 miles) in the post below this one

Meet at the entrance to the main car park in Clapham at 9.30am.

Route: Clapham, Austwick, Settle. Wigglesworth, Gisburn (coffee), Rimmington, Downham, Chatburn and Holden (lunch).

Return via Giggleswick and Lawkland.  Distance about 40 miles.

Text Ernest: 07549 131994

Staveley and back? Ride on Wednesday 17th May

Planned a while ago the weather looks good on Wednesday for quite a long ride 110km and 1300m of ascent. Start Frenchfields Penrith (GR NY533 294) then out via Glenridding to Kirkstone Stavely Bowston, Meal Bank, Crook of Lune, Fair Mile, Shap, Bampton etc!

Hope to have company! probably stop in Staveley Bakery or Mr Duffins coffee shop (byo)

Route <HERE>

Geoff
Text or WhatsApp 07711842885

Cycling holiday Tuesday 22nd to Friday 25 August at The Sill YHA

 Apologies to all those who are working but at this short notice you'll appreciate that weekends - which I was aiming for - are pretty booked up already, so...

This is a new form of club holiday the Committee has decided to try. The Sill is a recently built hostel situated along the Hadrian's Wall route and this is a chance to explore somewhere different but by booking yourself you can choose the option which suits you.

There are a total of 8 x 2 bedded en suite rooms in the hostel of which 5 currently remain for the set dates (I have just booked one for Nigel and me). The rest of the rooms are 4 bedded; several of them are en suite or you can simply book at £30 per night per person for a shared bedroom.

For the two bedded room for 3 nights the cost is £240; I have just become a YHA member at a cost of £20 because it saved me £24 (10%). I have also pre-booked breakfast. There is a self-catering kitchen but you can also eat evening meals provided at the hostel. That means you can travel light if you want to cycle there and back as well as on the days in between. I will have to get a bit fitter if I'm going to do that...

If you're interested, all you have to do is get on the YHA website and book. If you want a 2 x bedded room, you probably need to do it sooner rather than later. If you let me know if you're coming, I can aim to book a pub meal (the Twice Brewed is just next door) for the final evening.

If this works well, we can try it for other hostels/areas at other times of the year. I hope I'm not going to be Billy no-mates!

Alison

Ride on Wednesday 10th May from Cotehill

Ride leaves Glendale, Cotehill at 9.30 heading to Lowther Castle for coffee. We will follow a different route back but this can be discussed and will depend on the wishes of the group. About 45 miles at a steady pace.

Text James on 07802415607 

AGM IN BRIEF and further developments!

 Not everyone will have been to the AGM but it was a pleasant social occasion as well as a key event from which the activities of the club stem. You can read the minutes in full on the website here but a brief summary follows:

There were the usual reports from the Secretary, Runs coordinator, Treasurer and Campaigns and promotions officer. Considering we have been without a chairperson all year the club has thrived with a very successful TriVets event and a continuing calendar of rides (thanks to our ride leaders).Those rides have depended quite heavily on a small core of leaders and we both need more members to take on leading rides and try our best to return to the ride list where we plan a full quarter ahead.

Well now we have a complete committee with Alison S as our chair and a new Treasurer in Tony S. Thanks to Cecilia for keeping things going during the awkward Covid years particularly as she has been so busy with driving matters Eamont and Ullswater ways! Particular thanks also to Bill O for his Chairmanship during the Covid years. The club could easily have collapsed but for his good works. We came out the other end with a superb and greatly appreciated TriVets event in 2022.

Now to AOB and what your committee intends in the next year:

Mike is going to encourage ride leaders to populate our runs list at least a month in advance so that we have the opportunity to plan and encourage more riders to join us on regular rides or at coffee stops.

Plans are afoot for a number of Pic-Nic rides particularly on the Summer Solstice at Long Meg - see runs list for further details.

The idea of Challenge rides or Reliability rides is being pursued with alternative 60km or 100km rides on possibly 30th September - watch this space for more 

Thought is being given to some form of group away events - currently we are researching days at the Sill YHA but longer stays are possible and the idea of a supported CToC or equivalent was possible. Again watch this space for developments.

Thanks as always to the committee for their hard work and enthusiasm and don’t forget you need not be a permanent member of the committee to help with the organisation of these events - just come and get involved!

Geoff

Minutes of recent cttee meeting here

Fund raising for Hospice at Home

Thank you for your contributions yesterday. You were very generous and we raised £216 which will become £270 as it has been gift aided. The sun shone on us as a thank you.