I like to ride my bicycle...(YDH Day2)

View to Fremlington (nr Grinton)

One of the reasons we chose this part of the country was because of the biking - mountain biking to be specific.  I don't really look like a mountain biker, and to be honest, I'm not.  I have a bike, I can ride, I don't like uphills but I love downhills.

Pedalling like buggery

Mr Lisa on the otherhand is a mountain biker, he does ups and downs, offroad and onroad, and not just on holiday.  He'll ride to work and back!

Carl was particularly interested in visiting The Dales Mountain Biking Centre, over the hill (literally) 4 miles away in Fremington (between Grinton and Reeth).  The centre offered bike hire, local rides, training, accommodation and a cake shop.  We arrived early-ish and chose a 'gentle' ride (as Carl requested) which took us along one side of the river Swale, over the bridge to the other, along to Gunnerside, crossing the river again and back to Fremington (a 15 mile round trip) with an optional pub stop at Gunnerside.

Uphill...                                                                                                        
The first part of the ride was horrid, up a steep hill, I did have to get off and push.  It was far too early in the morning for me to be riding up hills like that.  Fortunately that was the steepest bit of hill in the entire ride, so it was good to get it done early.

Downhill....
The route took us off the road and onto tracks, the downhills were puddly, muddy, rocky and wuhoooooooooooo and the uphills (though not many) were slow and always began with a handful of swear words from me.  Carl was suprised at the amount of energy expended in complaining about the hill before I'd actually ridden it.  But that's just "my coping mechanism."

I don't always wear my cycle helmet outdoors, I have a bike as well

Uphill (again)...
There was a horrid-horrid road bit just before Gunnerside, but the free-wheeling into Gunnerside was nice, and a can of coke in the beer garden was just what I needed before the return journey.

Crackpot? Who? Where? Me?

The best bit (more downhill)...
The journey back was mostly off road, it was a great mix of rubble-rocky downhills, mud-tracks with deep puddles (which I couldn't help but ride through), a cobbled bit which ran right along the riverside, really tricky to ride - but I did it, which turned into a grass path, slow but ending with a slope into a singletrack, and rocky-muddy stretch, we finished back on the road we started, and into the Dales Mountain Biking Centre for food (& cake).

I still don't have great technique going up; I sit back and pedal like buggery, and going downhill I'm a bit reckless; I hold on tight, let the front suspension ride the bumps, I'll keep my balance, whooping and squealing with excitement, then get to the bottom and think about what I'd just done, and how fast I'd just done it.

Our route: Fremington - Gunnerside - Fremington (abt 15miles) Top Speed: 28mph!

Lunch & cake

That's MUCK not hair!

Back in The Dales Mountain Biking Centre cafe, we compared mucky legs (Carl's looked worst, because his are hairier than mine), he washed the bikes, we got changed and enjoyed a late lunch, which did include cake.

Carl eyed up some very expensive full suspension bike, and enquired about hiring her out later in the week, Tuesday looked to be the best day for it...

Dinner at The Bridge Inn, Grinton
Dinner that night was at The Bridge Inn, Grinton - a cosy place right by the river, before you get to Fremlington.  We both opted for specials, Carl chose grouse and I chose monkfish.  Mine was delicious, meaty fish with a sweet, buttery, fennelly sauce.  Carl's grouse had a real gamey taste, I'd never had it before - and was expecting something like pheasant, but it wasn't it was more like venison in taste and texture - which wan't what I'd expected.

I was designated driver, and took us back over the hill to Redmire.  At the top we stopped to look at the stars - it was such a clear night we could even see the Milky Way.