Set off yesterday morning to go to Kirkby Lonsdale, Hawes, Leyburn, Ripon, York, and then back home. Home to Kirkby Lonsdale is 81 mile.
I have a route that bypasses Harrogate to save going through the town centre traffic. It was all going rather smoothly until I got to the part where the trees were overhanging the road for 2 miles and the road was wet through. I wasn't a happy bunny, at all. I had to bite the bullet and carry on. The weather was very weird, it was warm, but a lot of cloud and moisture was in the air, which was causing all the dampness. I didn't see the sun till I got to Skipton. I fuelled up in Ingleton, and a lad came walking up admiring the bike. I used to have one of those he said. He told me he's regretted it ever since he sold it. I told him I have no sympathy for you. Sorry. Why did you sell it I asked... To buy some kitchen units. At that point it looked like he was struggling to keep the tears at bay.
I wished him well and carried on with my journey. When I arrived at Kirkby Lonsdale it was cracking the flags at 24c.
I had my lunch and carried on to Hawes, which is a nice twisty 24 mile route. Hawes was it's usual packed out with bikes. After having a mooch around, and once again got chatting to a fellow bike who used to have an Exup. He too sold it on, and wishes he hadn't. He bought three bikes afterwards, and nothing compared to his Exup. Big regrets he said. Moving on to Leyburn. 17miles from Hawes. Leyburn is a nice market town in the Yorkshire Dales. They do a cracking ice cream there.
Then on to Ripon. Leyburn to Ripon is 20 mile. I only stopped at Ripon for a pee stop. I didn't take any photos there. That goes for York too.
I set off at 915am and got back at 4.30pm. 198 glorious miles in total, and not an ache or itch anywhere.
