A Yorkshire Day ... with JB

[Micky]

Not so much a ride report than a collection of a few photographs of a grand day out with Johnny Boxer

JB, his pal Fritz (nice to meet ya Fritz) Bilko and myself had a grand day out oop in't Dales today, being as its Yorkshire Day

I was the first at the Bordar House Teas Cafe in Masham, to make sure I could get a hearty breakfast before anyone else saw me shovelling in the cholesterol

Not to be ... Malc akar 'Bilko' arrived within minutes, and was soon dribbling egg yoke down his front ...

Soon followed by JB in person and pal Fritz ...

JB 250 Honda trail bike (knobblies)
Fritz 225 Yamaha Serow (knobblies)
Bilko G650Xchallenge (knobblies)
Micky G650Xcountry (Tourance)

Can you see already where I'm coming from? See where I'm going

So a few piccies out on the wild moorland of the Yorkshire Dales. I've really no idea where we went, the odd place name jumped out in front of me, but really really I didn't have a clue. Within minutes JB turned down a track and disappeared ... strewth. It's not that he was fast or anything, just that the track was so overgrown you quite simply couldn't have fallen off, you quite simply couldn't see a bloody thing. Think of the Darién Gap and you'll get the picture ... I couldn't have seen my hand in front of my face, had I dared to take one off the handlebar, and so just rode the 'bike ... it took me along the track ricocheting off the greenery

OK, if I'd stopped to take a photo Bilko would have hit me up the Acropovic

Then on to open territory ...

JB in all his morning glory

So the farmer is using his four wheel drive, and a couple of dogs to move his sheep .... JB steps in and helps too

We came to a ford, an itzy bittzy tiny kinda ford. We three wise Kings ushered, cajoled, ridiculed, nay, even resorted to Blackmail for JB to show us how to do it ... so we all went over the bridge

The water was deep. and it was running fast, from last nights heavy rain, so wise move JB

The creature from the black lagoon ...

Malc fell off here but contrary to the usual UKGSer spirit he had picked his bike up before I could get there with the camera ...

BIG thank you to Fritz here, who was riding 'shotgun' to pick up the bits of 'bike and people Thank you Fritz ... but you could have left Bilko there until we had the picture

Back on the road ...

And so in to Bainbridge for lunch ... a very nice coffee and sandwich. It was a hot sticky day and you can see here clearly the outline of JB's Teddy Bear he carried 'tween chest and jacket ... we never did get to see Teddy ...

It was at Bainbridge that I decided to call it a day and go home. I used the excuses that my knees were killing me, I had a headache, I had left the house unlocked, I had a prescription to pick up, that my sons were waiting for me to buy them a pint in the Tute'n Shive in Doncaster, but in reality I had been terrified and in fear of my well being

Well I haven't got to where I've got for being daft and stupid have I

I'm sure JB will be along shortly with more photographs, and tell you where we went

Oh ... in case you want to know ...

JB fell off
Bilko fell of
Fritz didn't
Micky didn't

Oh ... and in case you want to know ...

The Abbot real ale was superb

Thanks JB for a great day out playing in your back yard

 

[Dec]

Great stuff..... Weather looks great, pissing it down all week here! Them tracks look great fun.....wonder would Biko give me a loan of his 650!!!!
It's hard work enjoying yourself Micky, I keep telling people that

 

[paintman]

Looks like splendid day out, and nicely written up Micky.

 

[Micky]

Great stuff..... Weather looks great, pissing it down all week here! Them tracks look great fun.....wonder would Biko give me a loan of his 650!!!!
It's hard work enjoying yourself Micky, I keep telling people that

Watching you ride your 650 up the Stella Alpina last month I'd lend you mine anytime son

 

[Deleted account 251212001]

Great write up. looks a good fry up, was it good vfm i might need to check the place out!

 

[Bilko]

Decky, I'd lend you my bike anytime and by the way Micky, later in the day Fritz also fell of in a deep ford.
A good day was had by all
Malc

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

It was grand to have a ride out again......................and so soon

Well after meeting up at Masham, we headed off into Colsterdale & then Wensleydale, with a bit of Wharfedale thrown in, going in the rough direction of Hawes

On the Moor and looking out over Colsterdale......................what a view

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Just for Nutty.......................rush hour in the Dales

Beats the Surrey commute

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Micky..................in fine form and looking as 'happy as a sandboy'

Life's grand

Sum's it up

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

On Cam High Road, they were carrying ballast by Helicopter to a nearby footpath, so we had a good chat to the Park Rangers and had to cut across the fell (with their permission) to the end of the road

A cracking day out, with plenty of lanes completed and some lovely views..........on YORKSHIRE DAY

 

[Micky]

Great write up. looks a good fry up, was it good vfm i might need to check the place out!

Good value for money indeed

I think the better cafe is in the far corner of the market square 'The Sunseeker' but not signed as such .... JB will come in on this one maybe

Hey JB you should go for a career in photography ... you almost make it look as if I knew what I was doing

I think I got out at the right time if all three of ya's fell off

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

Good value for money indeed

I think the better cafe is in the far corner of the market square 'The Sunseeker' but not signed as such .... JB will come in on this one maybe

Hey JB you should go for a career in photography ... you almost make it look as if I knew what I was doing

Both cages are good

Bordar house is more traditional Yorkshire - meat & 2 veg, fry-ups whereas Sunseeker is more 'bistro'

Room for both in a great little town like Masham

You're a sly old dog Micky, you rode like a pro

 

[Giles]

Looks good

I'm gonna have to come up and try out some of these byways ...

 

[Micky]

Looks good

I'm gonna have to come up and try out some of these byways ...

Byways? Byways? FFS they were the Paris Dakar, the Darién Gap and the feckin' Karakorm Highway all rolled in to one

Would be good to see ya oop north

You have free B&B at Micky Mansions Sir ....

 

[fritz]

Byways? Byways? FFS they were the Paris Dakar, the Darién Gap and the feckin' Karakorm Highway all rolled in to one

Thank Flip you didn't take up my insistance of 'you'll really regret not staying for the Roman Road'


You should still regret not doing that Mick - but for fact JB through in a spanner half way with a divert to the ford of fun

Ford 1
Fritz (wet) 1...i.e. bump, fall, drown

A heavy day and night of rain made Ford no 1 avoidable by footbridge, but Ford two no possibilitty, silly fellows going down Marsett way

anyway, before...

 

[fritz]

A lovely trail (sorry road) down towards our watery grave

 

[fritz]

Whist John was medically assessing Bilco I rode down to the ford, well, lets get this clear, its a stone paved road that is entirely submerged for a considerable distance - brown fast flowing and angry after the previous rain. Chatting to a couple of mountain bikers they said 'you won't get through there'. I suspected they were a little more worried than we need be so set off.

Would have been fine if it weren't for a couple of stone blocks hidden in the torrent that (due to trying to keep me feet dry instead of being boots in water) I hit and fell sideways right into the road...I mean river

bent the gearlever of my prized magenta Serow and poped the indicator lense off - great design, popped it back on again

Finally got bike working again after JB joined me in the wet boot league to help haul me out.

Got straight through next time and spent next 3 hrs with water sloshing around me boots

John took bilko's bike through, then his own.

Here's the 'road' with JB and Bilko in background

 

[fritz]

Tensioning his rib-cage Malc rode through the follow on ford that was deep, but firm sandy smooth bottomed before we went back to the Roman Road

 

[fritz]

Back to the Roman Road this is what you missed Micky, 9kms of a lovely route with cracking views

 

[fritz]

It's not often you have to risk assess the possibility of helicopter strike on the hills (excepting rescue services anyway)

Once we got to the loading point they were refueling with rotors still turning and the guidance "just ride around the rear guys" what? You mean a member of the parks Authority is asking us not only to ride off the trail, but also to the rear of a chopper with it's tail rotor still spinning and not as much flat ground behind it before the fell side