September 1 - 3, 2006

The English Sea to Sea Ride

The Night Before

Fishcakes in the rain

Michael Brown had organised the trip. Our chosen route was to start at Whitehaven on the Irish Sea, go over Whinlatter Pass in the Lake District, across the tops of the north Pennines, and complete the trip with a closing run down the river Wear to the North Sea at Sunderland.

On the bus we exchanged stories of how much training we’d done. Some looked more worried than others….

 

Once we had checked into the guest houses in Whitehaven (there were too many of us to fit in one), we headed down the pub for a ‘route planning session’. En route we called in at a Chinese takeaway to pick up some fish and chips. With the fish having to be cooked to order, and the chips running out half way though the order (and a fresh batch thus having to be fried), it was over half an hour before the last two diners emerged clutching their suppers. It was worth it though – as the last to be served, I was given three pieces of fish and a bonus fishcake too! I looked upon this as an opportunity to lay down necessary energy stores for the next day, rather than base gluttony, of course!

 

Bikes and accommodation for the trip were arranged through Discovery Travel of York, who’d arranged to meet us in Whitehaven on Saturday morning.

 

The fourteen riders set off from York in a hired minibus at around 4.30, heading for Cumbria. The group varied from experienced cycle tourers and mountain bike riders, through cycle commuters to those who hadn’t ridden a bike for anything more than a quick trip to the pub in years.

Whitehaven harbour: the night before

After a couple of pints apiece of decent Jennings ale, we emerged from The Waterfront Bar and stepped into a torrential downpour. There was no shelter from the hard rain (especially for those who had left their waterproofs in their rooms…), and no way of avoiding the water running from the overflowing gutters and cascading in sheets across the pavements and roads. Best have a nightcap at the hotel bar then, to give the dampened clothes a chance to dry a little before taking them off…..

The Waterfront Bar, Whitehaven

(torrential midnight downpour not pictured…...)