Epic ride - Dylan's Ride Blog

I have ticked my mega ride box for the year already, and it's still only May. How's this sound: York, Whitby Scarborough? 92 miles all told, and at least 40 of these off-road, often on technical single-track. The first 35 miles on quiet back roads and fairly benign gravel tracks were fine and I made good, fast progress. All to fast, as having cleared the woods between Sinnington and Cropton, after 4 hours in the saddle, I started to feel the first signs of cramp in my legs. Just before lunch the pain was bad enough that I had to walk a few of the rocky sections I knew I'd normally ride, because my legs had turned to jelly.

Rosedale provided a big lunch and 40 minutes break, but no Indian Tonic water (which had previously proved to work against cramp) , but the gruelling climb up Knott Road knocked me back again, and by the top of Glaisdale Moor, the cramps had returned. The rocket like descent from Glaisdale Rigg restored my good humour, but the hard climb in East Arncliffe Woods really started to hurt. Fortunatly I made it to Sleights and a shop selling Tonic Water in pretty reasonable shape, although I did stay on the road from Grosmont, as I just wasn?t up to offroad by then. After guzzling tonic water, and getting more than a few odd looks, my legs started to work again, and I got some really speed along the road. Once I picked up NCN route one by the viaduct in Whitby it was just a matter of keeping on slogging up to the top at Ravenscar. After that it was just a matter of gently pedalling to keep the speed up down the long downhill to Scarborough.