Riders: Adrian Shores, Lawrence Buckley, Rob Drohan, Tom Drohan, Pete Down, Jenny Down, John Musgrove, Tina Musgrove, Diana Simpson, Kevin Thomas, Karl Davies, David Lee, Martin Colly, Gillian Challenor, Frank White, Jonathan Brough, Martin Bagshaw, Andrew Singleton (there and back in one day!)
Sunday Riders: Gary Durham, Nigel Tune, Keiron White, Katie Webster, Mary O’Shea.
Support Drivers: Sue Drohan, Chris Broadhead
Saturday 15th September Tickhill to Scarborough
A few months ago Adrian Shores and Lawrence Buckley had a plan, a plan to help a young man called Olly get funds in place for a motorised wheel chair to help him with challenges in later life. This weekend after weeks of planning they delivered that plan in the form of the TVC 2018 Charity Ride to Scarborough and back 203 miles for Olly.
Eighteen riders, two support cars, three food stops, five members riding out to meet us on Sunday morning and one member riding to Scarborough to get changed and ride back with the group at 09:00. An early start was in order due to the distance to be covered so just as the sun rose we assembled at Tickhill in the first light to put bags in the cars and pose for photos before starting our adventure. Adrian took a moment to thank everyone for coming, do a quick safety talk and remind everyone why were doing this.
Eventually, a few minutes late, we rolled out under the TVC banners to head for Crowle where there were bacon butties waiting. The first few miles were on familiar roads which shouldn’t have been a problem but we only made to Haworth before we had a technical issue in the form of a flat Di2 battery but the support car was despatched to pick up the spare while Rob continued on his high tech fixie.
Mattersey, Clayworth, Gringley on the Hill all came and went as they have done on countless other Sunday rides but it was in the back of everyone’s minds that his wasn’t a normal Sunday ride and energy levels needed conservation for the lumpy bits after lunch. We continued along the side of the Trent until at mile 26 we turned left at Butterwick to head inland. As we headed up the Trent we had a little bit of drizzle to contend with but not enough to stop the support cars for waterproofs and the time passed quickly as we spotted deer in the fields and I shared my classic Owston Ferry story. If you’ve not heard it yet it’s a classic tale, ask me about it next time we’re out on a ride.
The left turn at Butterwick gave us a little indication of the southerly wind that Lucy Verasamy had warned us about, but a bit of wind wasn’t going to cause us any problems on a ride like this. Having said that the riders following Adrian may have a different opinion if the stories told over dinner were anything to go by!
Crossing over the M180 the roads were a little less familiar ad we started to pay a bit more attention to Gamins, thankfully several riders had the route programmed so not being dependent on my GPS which has lead us on a couple of detours on previous rides. No sat navs needed though on the way into Crowle as the peloton homed in on the café at mile 33 like a pack of bacon hungry bloodhounds. Sandies Café did us proud coping with the lycra invasion and no one was left waiting too long before being fed and watered. Another photo outside the café and we were back on the quiet, relatively flat North Lincolnshire roads as we headed for Goole. As we crossed the bridge in Goole few people realised we were crossing the River Don which after rising in the Pennines flows for 70 miles through the Don Valley via Sheffield, Rotherham, Doncaster and although it originally joined the Trent it was re-engineered in the 1620s and now joins the Ouse at Goole, I love Wikipedia!
After negotiating Goole town centre, we headed for the next river crossing over the Ouse via Bothferry bridge and headed towards Howden on roads which were familiar to some as we’d been this way a couple of weeks earlier on the Humber bridge ride. The road from Howden to North cave is just a long drag but eventually we reached the cave at the end of the road and turned left and started for Market Weighton and lunch passing the time with impromptu songs from various riders some more talented than others. The journey was punctuated with frequent stops with the support cars to top up water bottles and top up on flat jack and bananas.
Rolling into Market Weighton at mile 66 we stopped for lunch at The Bay Horse Inn where we had sandwiches and chips arranged by our organisers, brilliant. It was here that a gent having a lunch time pint asked what we were doing and after being told about Olly donated £20 to our cause! Talk over dinner covered a range of topics but never far from our thoughts was the fact that within a couple of miles of leaving the pub the lumpy bit starts and eventually we were rounded up to get back on the road and bag some hills. So, at 68 miles we found ourselves at the foot of Londesborough hill and started to tick the elevation for the next 24 miles! Of course, for every climb there was a thrilling descent but it just felt like climb after climb continually splitting the group but we were a team regrouped regularly while Sue and Chris in the support vehicles shuttled backwards and forwards like a couple of attentive sheep dogs keeping the flock together.
After passing through Wetwang and arriving at Weaverthorpe I reassured Dianna that the hills were over and done with but was a little hasty as we turned left to climb what felt like a 10% wall after riding 90 miles but climb it we did and with that behind us we dropped onto the busy A64 at Sherburn for the run into Scarborough and the finish line at the Crown Spa Hotel 10 hours after setting off and after clocking 104 miles.
After photos and a quick pit stop for John to change the bearings in his free wheel hub the group split to their various hotels to get ready for an evening meal at Pizza Express at 20:00. There were 6 of us stopping near Peasholme park so we decided to get a taxi into town a little early and called into The Newcastle Packet pub which was full of drunk people banging out Sweet Caroline on the karaoke machine, brilliant. At one point we did think Diana was receiving medical attention, but it turned out to be a member of a stag party who were all dressed up as Surgeons! After the Newcastle Packet, Pizza Express was a bit of a let down with pretty poor service compared with other years perhaps prompting a rethink on venue for next year. Despite the poor service the company was good and a few bottles of wine and beer were consumed which hopefully wouldn’t be an issue in the morning.
Sunday 16th September Scarborough to Tickhill
Sunday dawned a bit over cast but not raining which was good but a bit windy which could have been good if it had been coming in the opposite direction. It wasn’t so we got ready for a 96 mile ride into a head wind all the way home.
We congregated at the Crown Spa Hotel at 9:00 ready for the grand depart where we were joined by Andy Singleton who had ridden out from Tickhill in the early hours of the morning to join us for the return leg, what an athlete. Bags stowed in the cars, photos taken it was time to get on the road and started climbing our way out of Scarborough at 09:00. The A165 is the main road between Scarborough and Filey so was a little busy as we laboured up the hills but be fore too long we took a minor detour onto quieter roads. Being responsible cyclists, we split the group to provide an overtaking spot and we had a vehicle in it for an extended period while we weaved around on the country lanes. Credit to the driver though as instead of getting frustrated wound the window down and handed over some cash after reading the signs on the support car, top bloke.
Back on the A165 we skirted round Filey before turning into the hills and countryside again leaving the traffic behind with our only concern now being the stiffening gusty head wind although this was a distinct advantage to the riders taking part in some time trial who were benefiting from what was a tail wind to them pushing them along to personal bests. This 11-mile section from Filey to Burton Agnes was through lovely open countryside but we had to work as a team with some riders taking epic stints on the front soaking up the relentless breeze to help the group along so we were grateful for a support car banana stop by the duck pond in Burton Agnes. We met Gary Durham and his Sunday crew Mary O’Shea, Katie Webster, Nigel Tune and Kieron White here who had cycled out to meet us but Gary’s gang weren’t hanging around and headed back down the road to Beverley sharpish taking some racing snakes with them.
The Burton Agnes bananas and flapjack fuelled us over the next 16 miles of quiet roads and villages until we joined our old friend the busy A165 for the run into Beverley and the café. Nothing to say about this 5 mile stint other than everyone got their heads down, found a wheel and counted the miles down to lunch.
Our lunch stop was the Velo Café in Beverley which, apart from having to carry your bike down some stairs while wearing cleats, was a fantastic set up and again coped with the TVC flash mob descending on them very well. Excellent food and drink served in a timely manner with the icing on top being the fact we had enough cash left in the catering budget for a bun each! As with all good café stops it had to come to an end so it was back up the stairs with the bikes and back on the road for the home run to Tickhill. Although we were on the final leg it was still 50+ miles back to the Cricket club so we still had an extended period to do into the stiffening wind and ominously darkening clouds.
Heads down from Beverley to the Humber Bridge was another 10 mile slog along a busy A road which we completed with no dramas although we did have Lancaster Bomber fly overhead which was a bit surreal but were eventually climbing up on to the bridge for a breezy crossing over the estuary. The clock was ticking now but there was still time for a few photos in the middle of the bridge especially as It was the first crossing for some but we were soon back on solid ground with the only hiccup being a puncture for Andy S. A couple of racing snakes (Pete D & John M) stopped to help while the rest of us mortals started the climb from sea level up Gravel Pit Lane and a right turn to home.
By now it was starting to rain and the spots became drizzle and the drizzle became rain until we were soaked and feeling thoroughly miserable, still hours from home with flagging energy levels. The group split over this section but a little group stayed around Dianna who was doing a fantastic job in awful conditions but never looked like calling on the support car which was reassuringly behind us all the way. By the time out little B group reached the river crossing at Gunness we assumed the A group had done the sensible thing and pushed on home to keep warm but we found the second car and a few of the group waiting for us which lifted our spirits. It had even stopped raining, almost, so some opted for dry socks while some opted for flapjack and bananas from the cars before we set off again. A mile down the road we came a cross Martin & Gillian sitting on a bench gazing across the river waiting for us and a little further three heads popped up from behind a banking as we passed, everyone had waited, we were a complete group again and the rain had definitely stopped.
As a TVC peloton now we navigated familiar roads through Beltoft, Epworth and Wroot getting nearer and nearer to home as we ticked off each village and as if to welcome us home the wind dropped, the clouds parted and we were bathed in glorious evening sunshine for the home run. So it was sunnies on for the run through Bawtry and definitely the last hill before Tickhill.
So, 10 hours after leaving Scarborough we formed a tidy peloton with our captains Adrian and Lawrence on the front and the two support cars bringing up the rear we rode into Tickhill and back into the Cricket club to a welcoming committee that included young Olly who we’d been raising money for, suddenly the legs weren’t so tired and perhaps it hadn’t been that wet and windy.
Thanks all round to Adrian, Lawrence and Rob for organising another brilliant weekend. Sue and Chris for driving to Scarborough and back at 15 miles per hour and everyone who took part this year making it another Tickhill Velo mega event. See you next year!
Martin B
Chapeaux:
Adrian, Lawrence and Rob for organising.
Sue & Chris for driving the support cars.
Andy Singleton for doing both legs in one day.
Dianna for sticking at it when the going got tough.
Tom for clocking some serious mileage.
Everyone else for taking part to raise funds for a worthy cause and make it a fantastic weekend.
Back to ride reports