Teesdale - Wensleydale - Littondale - Ribblesdale

Coffee stop, Middleton-in-Teesdale

GBMCC AGM weekend, Patterdale

Four counties ride day with GBMCC to the North Pennines and Dales

Cumbria, Durham, Yorkshire, Lancashire then back to Cumbria. In just one run this route took in most of the best of riding in the UK. After the twisty lakeside road out from Patterdale, then up the multiple hairpins to Hartside Summit, the route took in single track roads, moorland open roads and narrow roads with dry stone walls on both sides and grass in the middle. Steep climbs and hairpins, deep valley bottoms compressing the bikes’ front forks, summits with a tendency to go airborne and straights to hit the revs limiter, at least on my 250. Views over to Cumbria, Morecombe Bay and down Teesdale to the North Sea coast.
Very physical but great sport for me wrangling my little Ninja Z250SL to stay in the same time-zone as the litre-plus bikes, and good of Scott, Paul, Nic, Cal and Ian to accept me to ride with and encourage me in this group of famously “progressive” riders.

We enjoyed a late lunch outdoors in Settle; I split from the group to ride back seeing the renowned Ribblehead Viaduct. The mist was drawing in and there were more than a few spots of rain on the road up to Shap Fell, between Kendal and Penrith.
A good day’s riding with the club I’ve been a member of since 1981 - thanks to Scott and Paul for leading the run and the GBMCC guys who designed this fantastic route.

Coffee with chocolate & orange cake stop, Middleton-in-Teesdale