9:30am and I'm enjoying the Peace & quite with a coffee watching the world go by, with people cumming from as far a Scotland & Lincoln I start to wounder if a simple cake run is worth traveling for.

The car park starts to fill with retrobikers and all the normal faffing and lusting over every-one's bikes



We finally get the group piccy -1 who was to catch up with us later



The Start

Guissy woods are at the edge of the north Yorkshire moors and the only way is up, after what seamed like an eternity to most we arrive at the top of the unsuitable's



After gathering our thoughts and our breath we take a stone paved trail to Highcliff nab






With all the damp weather and probably some cow wee, a small lake has appeared over the winter in the lower part of the trail.
The brave rode through but some were so warm from all the ascending that they waded through



Soon we were at the back of Highcliff With its view's of sea & open moorland



We start to cross the moors and on to the fast downhill double track to Sledale




As we climb (again) we chat about "air time" over the drainage ditches.
We gather at the top of the next descent, some one tells me a rider has gone to open "the gate" the descent is wide and fast but the surface is full of small stones that make it like riding on ball-bearings but with a bit of grip. At the bottom there's a level crossing then just a short tarmac roll to kildale tea rooms.



The Cake Shop



The 19 athletes (retrobike renta mob) form an orderly cue to order cakes, the cake begins to arrive along with beer, tea and coffee


As tails of passed deeds and epic rides are chatted about with friend new and old (it was more like a chimps tea party





The cake stop was all to soon over and a stiff challenge lay ahead.




Going Home



The climb up to Coates moor is not the nicest stretch of tarmac but with a belly full of cake it makes some want to take a second look at what they've just eaten.
The tarmac horror's are soon forgotten as the trail turns to pine needles and easy going, we gather at the entrance to "The Tunnel"






All out the other end safe "ish" its a short uphill (again) to Captain Cooks Monument





Where we find we have a mechanical

Whilst every one takes in the views of the North Yorkshire moors, Cleveland hills and the industry in Teesside, gaffa tape save the day(tyre wall rebuilt with it)





Next is downhill on dry,dusty and steep singletrack (I did tell them to drop there seats)



At the bottom the trail winds round to the roots of certain death (every one was warned)





We gather at the cross roads and head for the back of Roseberry topping, resting at the bottom and taking in the afternoon sun.





We ride along some undulating singletrack to the swamps of "where's my wheel gone" muddy hell, this is the start of the last few miles back to the car-park.



As we float through some man made singletrack (artistic licence) and speed our way back along the fire roads, its all to soon over and we're back at the car-park with just two things left to do.
Pass round the celebration cake and thank everyone for making it a GRAND DAY OUT..............


Thanks for reading and a very big thanks to everyone who made the journey to the cake shop.



More pics here http://s746.photobucket.com/albums/xx10 ... %203%2011/



.

Awesome trails, awesome weather, awesome craic, awesome riding, god it was good, excellent organingSir! New faces, old(er) faces...
Arent bikes great?

As above but you forgot the awesome cake

Thanks Vern for a top day out.

I'm back now.
Loved the ride, the scone and vern drizzle at the end, talking to you lot. Even if i.ve realised I've forgotten who most of you are, especially the forum names
Also nice to see the mystery guest

I think my camera lens was a bit dirty at teh edges, but they've come out ok. The bright sky didn't help either.
Better put them up some place.

EDIT to add some pics.

Man Cake


Train-ing for the Ski Jump


Obligatory Piss shot


Please Stay on the Path


Lincs Deputy AEC ?


How much Gaffer Tape does it take to keep the inner tube in? more than you think as more holes keep appearing







And a few more here, if for some reason you want a pic, PM and I'll send you the high res version.
https://picasaweb.google.com/bensimmo/K ... srQjZzBbQ#

Cake AND pancakes were awesome, cheers for the great day vern, will sort a few pics later.

Back home and clean now so all's well.

Really enjoyed the ride today. Brilliant mixture of trails, great company and a superb day out. Good to catch up with old faces (inc the mystery guest. Looking forward to seeing the secret project ) and meet new ones.

Endurance award has to go to Chris for limping that tyre home. I will always carry gaffer tape from now on!

I must learn how to set canti's up properly as mine scared the hell out of me a few times. I proved to myself that there is room in my collection for discs

Anyway, here's a few pictures I took. Big thanks to all involved in setting up the ride with a special mention to Vern aka The Cake King.

More.

More.

More.

Two dirty, tired but happy retro bikes!

.....And finally...... All hail the Cake King

Back home after taking a scenic route back...I blame the SatNav

Top day out on the bikes, good to catch up with some old faces and some new ones

Excellent organisation Vern & a great route too with a mix of everything on the route

Here's my GPS of the route, listed as 17.6 miles, but looking at the data it registered 1.5 miles at the cake stop, so more like 16 miles in total

http://www.sports-tracker.com/#/workout ... hte4uaslbg

A big thanks to Vern for this fantastic ride with great company and fantastic views.

Just back to Edinburgh now. A good day it has to be said.

And a few lessons learnt.

I really need to start training more seriously and try to remember I'm 45 years old!

Vern's concept of a bimble is a cruel one, more up than down

Yorkshire mud is evil and capable of containing a dreadful stink.

I am capable of being stupid enough to go over the bars twice, in the space of 100 yards!!

Fix my sodding front mech.

Finally the NE and Yorks boys are a tough bunch of sods if all the rides are as uphill as that.

The few pics I took up at Captain Cooks Monument.