June 21 Sunday Coddiwomple - The Interesting One!

June's Sunday Coddiwomple was a run out to Nidderdale and How Stean Gorge.

Usual meeting at Beverley with 7 bikes turning up. Another member, Neil Ford, was meeting the rest of the group at Shiptonthorpe, then on to Bubwith, Tadcaster and onto Otley for a cuppa. With such a small group it was decided to ride as one group. After Otley it was the plan to head to Pately Bridge and then How Stean Gorge for lunch.

As stated - that was the plan.

It lasted, oh, around 10 minutes, as exiting the 'Jockey' roundabout, half the group picked up on another group of riders and went north instead of west!

Hoodie, playing tail end charlie wasn't able to enable an overtake to get to the 'new' leader until Bainton, passing one member before getting to the 'rogue' lead and turning left at Bainton roundabout. Still doable to get to Shiptonthorpe via Warter...except the other rider went straight on! Unable to carch up, Hoodie liaised with Dave Scott, the ride lead, to let him know that the group would re-form at Otley Garden centre.

Hoodie also spoke to the errant rider who was now in Malton, and informed him of the 'new' plan!

Hoodie led via Harrogate to and at Pool caught up with the Mr Malton bringing the second half of the group neatly into Otley Garden centre, ready for a coffee after all the excitement

Dave's group had arrived without incident, however the cafe was closed! Schoolboy error!

Hoodie and Dave decided to head straight to How Stean for lunch, a 50 minute ride via Pately Bridge. No problem.

Have you ever been to Otley? Apart from being the location of Hotten, for Emmerdale fans, it is also the worst traffic light controlled, dog legged junction in the centre of the town with a four or five way sequenced slow changing light system. Can you see where this is going? Bet you can....

So, Hoodie led the second group, having come through from tail end charlie.

BMW Nav6 satellite system had decided the way to play was to go 'Kaput' for this Sunday, and Hoodie had to switch to Google maps through helmet comms.... which had also decided it was best to keep shutting off...

A cracking ride along some superb roads put paid to the frustration, and How Stean saw the gang back together.

After lunch, one member of the group decided that, despite some impressive credentials, he would demonstrate a commando role and test the tip over protection of a GS...

Shiny sides up, the WHOLE group, managed to stick together and rode to Brymor Ice Cream parlour - a dairy farm that deliver ice cream from the udder to the freezer on site!

A decent run back in glorious sunshine and dry roads from Brymor via Masham to Malton to Beverley. Except that the weather decided it would be a really good idea to finish the last 5 miles off with....torrential rain. Marvellous!

Actually a great day out, and the ones with incidence are theones that memories are made of!