Second
Simmy
Cycling
August 2007
Pictures
& Report by Robyn
Bowers may not reach the dizzy standards
of running to which he aspires, but for cycling & brazen good looks he takes
the biscuit. Talking of which, here follows a report from Robyn on the best
biscuits (& coffee) en route. Click on small pictures & hey presto!
On returning from our nuptuals, Roger
and I set off for a little cycling holiday with Simmy (a man of Arthurian (as in
King Arthur and the knights of the round table) proportions) and fellow Preston
Harriers. Nigel was our able route planner and navigator; Dave B was our
accountant ensuring that all waiters and waitresses were amply tipped; Barry
took on the role of Devil's advocate; Roy shielded us from the wind and rain;
John was motivator cheering us up with chirpy helloes as he passed us
easily going up hill; Mick entertained us with odd shoes and tartan evening
attire; George was our (mine anyway) mechanic, screwing on heads and such like;
and Joe our resident local, who seemed to have spent lots of time everywhere we
went and told us interesting things about everything. Phil2 conducted
studies on how beer enhanced the cycling performances of Preston Harriers but
had to leave for work on Tuesday; Roger cycled back to work from Stainforth
on Sunday and Mali, Ann and Kath had to leave all too soon after the Saturday
leg for dates back in the buzzing city of Preston.
Simmy wears chastity belt key round
neck
Mali maybe tells a
joke in Settle? I know a comfy chapel in Settle (& 4 good pubs).
The penny drops at
last for Barry!
Without going into too much detail,
we covered between 270 and 300 miles over our 5 day cycle, stopping overnight at
the Youth Hostels in Stainforth, Dufton,
Grasmere
and Ingleton. We usually set off from the YHA each morning between
09h00 and 09h30, stopping at about 11h00 for coffee and tea along the way, with
a sandwich, chip and beer stop at about 12h30. During these lunch breaks, we
conducted our own little survey of who produces the best chips and sandwiches.
The hospitality prize must however go to Anton in Great Strickland, landlord of
The Strickland Arms, who despite the unsociable hour on Monday morning welcomed
us with open arms, throwing down his vacuum cleaner to make us coffee, tea and
biscuits.
Of all the gin joints
in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine
Depending on the length of the day's
cycle (anywhere between 40 and 66 miles), we would end up for supper by 19h00 at
the designated YHA, followed by, more beer.
By the time Wednesday arrived, knees
were beginning to feel creaky and muscles stiff (we had ascended Buttertubs,
Kirkstone
Pass
, and the climb out of Dent to name but a few struggles), so the last lunchtime
stop at The Fleece Inn in Dolphinholme was taken as a right of passage and the
Copper Dragon flowed freely. It flowed and flowed and flowed, and this is where
I made my heroic but possibly foolish mistake.
After four pints of Golden Pippin and a
good feed, we remounted our bicycles for the final push back to
Preston
, where all sensible, wise and experienced members of the tour retired home. The
less experienced and over enthusiastic member of the group elected to travel
with her newly wed husband to Helmshore later that evening, for the 6.5 mile
fell race, hoping that her nemesis, Karen, might still be on holiday and that
the first place 20 points would be for the taking...
On arriving at the start, we met with
Harriers Mic, John C, John G, Pete, Brian, Bob... and Karen (Saint Roy elected
to arrive late for the race and rescue children off the fells when he went for
his own little jog). Soon afterwards, my hangover started kicking in, by which
time it was too late to pull out. Only getting a little lost along the 6.5 mile
way, I finally made it back over the line, with a Copper Dragon's breath and
alcholic sweat.
Back in the pub after the race, I
sanctimoniously sipped on my lime and soda, trying not to draw too much
attention to my sorry feeling self having run on top of a 270 mile cycle and 4
pints for lunch. Lesson learnt? For now, anyway.
Roy elected to arrive
late.............mmm
Thanks Robyn for the
great pictures & report. I've edited out the pictures of the Urinating
Navigator, once you've seen one you've seen them all! & wasn't Arthur the
one who left Guinevere locked up in her chastity belt while he went off
crusading, but left the key with Lancelot (for urination breaks only)? It
reminds me of a joke..............
In addition.....
Robyn kindly sent hundreds (It appears) more pictures but my neck is aching
& I'm an old soldier... I've had enough!
Plus there is trouble
afoot & I really wanted to make all of the pictures small but it wouldn't
work for unbeknown reasons.& anyway does nobody take pictures of runners
anymore?
Remember Bowers in
the old days?
Preston
Harriers Fell Section
:- fellblog
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