A lovely day with friends

Hannah and Norn were over for the weekend, unfortunately I was working the Sunday so missed out wandering around the Well Dressings but on the Sunday we took the bikes out for a play. The plan was to head over to Great Longstone and get on the Monsal Trail to ride through the Monsal tunnels, something I have been meaning to do since they have be opened for cycling use. We started by climbing up Coombs Dale, an easy enough climb till I suggested to Hannah we climb up the nearly vertical slope beside us (my excuse was Three Peaks Training), I was kind enough to not make her carry the bike up.

Some more pedalling and we arrived at Great Longstone, two pubs but we wanted icecream. Following a sign to the Cricket club saying there was a ladies match on we were nearly roped into playing but also got ice-lollies, perfect. Then it was a short freewheel and onto the Monsal Trail. It was busy, expected on such a sunny day, and the tunnels felt really cold when riding through them. Reaching Miller's Dale it was time to leave the trail, ice-cream first though!

Down into Litton where we decided to eat, seeing as we hadn't had lunch and it was nearly teatime. Burgers all round!

Then a nice pootle home via Silly Dale.

About 19miles in total but lots and lots of smiles.

Making an adventure out of a ride

Today I headed over to Skipton for a gentle ride with friends. I had considered riding but was feeling tired after yesterday so got the train to Clitheroe and rode over. It was a pretty hilly ride and a wrong turning led to me adding a couple of miles and hills and me being five minutes late. Still at least I was ready to go when I got there.

Heading out Kat led us on a lovely ride. It was gentle so no really techy downhills but it was high on the fun factor. I loved it on my cross bike. At one point we came across a guy with a bike who was selling icecream, well it'd be rude not to! At the end Kat provided cake, the perfect ending.

I had managed two punctures on this ride. The first was on the ride, the last near the end and I had nursed it back to Kat's. I fixed it then it exploded, I guess I had caught the inner tube or something. So after the others left I fixed it again, then talked and talked. The route back to Clitheroe was obviously hilly and I wasn't quite fast enough for the train, just missing it. I got some food at tesco and headed back to the station. Checking the trains on my phone I found out the next one was cancel. So I was left with a long wait and a late night. Oddly this made it feel like I was travelling back from a holiday.

It was a great ride and worth the late night, should have brought lights so I could have at least rode part of the way home.