Sometimes I ride up to Swaledale for a ride. Sometime to Hamsterley. I’ve been thinking “why not both?” for a while now. Last Wednesday, I finally got around to doing it. It turns out, it’s quite far and, if you’ve not been on a bike for three weeks, it hurts a bit. But it was still fun.

In numbers: 150km with 2200m of climbing; 10 1/4 hours; 1 gear; 7 mini pork pies; 1 punnet of cherries; 2 oat bars; 3l apple juice; 4l water.

Usual route up to Swaledale, then down Fremington Edge, over Surrender Moor and up to Great Pinseat. Down again and up to (almost) Tan Hill before following the Sustrans route via Bowes to Barnard Castle. Up to Woodland from Barney, down the end of the ‘new’ Hamsterley red route before returning to Woodland and riding home.

My legs felt fine throughout, but my “contact points” suffered. The stitching going around the pad in my shorts probably didn’t help this… So, new shorts needed and probably going to get some chamois cream too. My gloves have had it too, so I’m going to invest in a new pair. Also thinking of swapping the oversize bars and stem on my bike for the identical but non-OS set for a bit more vibration reduction. Pondering whether a 29er front wheel with a 2.1″ tyre gives more comfort than a 26″ wheel with a 2.4″ tyre. Long-term, I need a more forgiving fork than the steel On-One.

After 7 mini pork pies you don’t want to eat number 8, so I need to find something else for a bit of variety on long rides. The cherries I bought in the Barnard Castle Coop worked, but I need something more robust for rides like Kielder 100.

Annoyingly close to 100 miles.

Distance: 151km (69km Darlington to Tan Hill via bits of Swaledale, 21.9km from Tan Hill to Barnard Castle, 12.7km from Barnard Castle to Woodland, 16.2km from Woodland into/round the forest and back again, and 31.2km back home again)
Surface: Road and off-road
Time: 10:15
Weather: Hot and sunny!
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ tyres on 32:17)

Back up to Hamsterley again on Tuesday. Legs were feeling tired after Monday’s ride so I just did three laps of Section 13 and then headed home. Pretty pleased with knocking 12 seconds of my previous best for Section 13, but all the climbs on the way out were slower and overall time on the ride out was much longer

But, despite the forecast, it didn’t rain.

Taken Wednesday off to rest, eat and watch Le Tour. Back out again on Thursday…

Distance: 75km (31km Darlington to Woodland, 13km from Woodland into/round the forest and back again, and 31km back home again)
Surface: Road and off-road
Time: 4:20 (1:54 + 0:54+ 1:30)
Weather: Warm and dry
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ tyres on 32:17)

I found them by following the Red; I think that might have been the long way round. They’re ace.

Rode up there and followed the Red from the DH Cabin to the Grove. Then rode home. I’d have proof on Strava of just how amazingly fast I was, but the app crashed and died and wouldn’t come back. I was awesome though. Watch the above video, but imagine it slower. 5 hours and a bit home-to-home.

Tweets:
“Made it to Woodland. Head wind. Slooooow.” @11:47
“At Woodland again, on the way home. Ace fun ride!” (pic) @13:39
“Home!” @15:18

Distance: Between 40 and 52 miles (20 miles to Hamsterley, ?ish miles round Hamsterley (the full Red is about 12 miles) and 20 miles home
Surface: Road and off-road
Time: 5 hours 30 minutes
Weather: Warm and dry, occasional spits of rain. Windy – badass headwind on the way up
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ tyres, 32:17)

Unlike the last ride, I didn’t feel crap. Usual route up to Woodland in the usual time, then dropped into Hamsterley using the tail end of the Black route. Rode the Red for the first time every, including the lovely new trails toward the end, followed by a sausage sarnie and a coffee. Then razzed around the Blue and the remainder of the Black before riding home again.

I’d post a link to the GPS of the route, but my phone battery died and then I left it on a bench in Woodland, because I’m an idiot.

Felt soooo much better than last time, though had a niggle in my right knee again part way round that went away after a bit of stretching. Felt fine when I got home, though stiffened up a lot sitting in a car back to Woodland to try (and fail) to retrieve my phone.

Bike worked fine, apart from almost losing the front brake again (I may have cocked up shortening the hose) and the rear wheel moving under braking and then pedalling (need to file down the axle a bit more, I think).

Distance: 68 miles (20 miles to Hamsterley, 28ish miles round Hamsterley (the Red, Blue and Black routes are about 12, 9 and 7 miles) and 20 miles home (phone battery died, so no GPS))
Surface: Road and off-road
Time: 8 hours (1:40, 5:00, 1:30)
Weather: Warm and dry
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ tyres, 32:17)

Rode to Dales Bike Centre on the (mostly) road. Knee hurt, headache. Rode up to and over Reeth Low Moor. Knee hurt more, felt crap. Rode/grovelled home.

Not great.

Distance:65 miles
Surface: Road and off-road
Time: can’t remember
Weather: Warmish and sunny
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ tyres, 32:17)

First proper ride on my new bike, though it’s essentially the same as my old bike so no great surprises.

Got properly soaked riding up to Woodland; giggling because you’re so soaked and thinking it can’t possibly get any wetter, then it does. It shouldn’t be that dark at midday in July. Really impressed with how the 2.4″ Racing Ralph tyres roll. Did a lap of the Black loop, which was interesting in the wet when my front brake decided to fail.

Probably the fastest I’ve ever done the ride there and back, but slow on the off-road due to lack of braking.

I’m sure I could do this in 4 1/2 hours, which would make it a great ride to stick in with an early start on a Saturday morning.

Distance: 80km (30km to Woodland, 20km round Hamsterley and 30km home (phone battery died, so no GPS))
Surface: Road and off-road
Time: 5 hour (1:40, 1:52, 1:15)
Weather: Torrential
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ tyres, 32:17)

A loop round the town, using bike paths and bits of off-road and taking in a few laps of the pump and 4xtracks. Alternating laps of the 4X track and West Park in the middle was fast and fun. Faster than the last one and a bit further.

Distance: 34 km (map)
Surface: Some off-road, bike paths, bits of road
Time: 1 hour 46 minutes
Weather: Nice and warm, sunny
Bike: Inbred SS (with 2.4″ tyres, 32:17)