Tour of Yorkshire 2022. Day 5 Pateley Bridge to York

                                                              Day 5  Pateley Bridge to York

Friday was the final stage of the Tour of Yorkshire as we returned to York. It was a straight forward stage with just one tricky climb out of Pateley Bridge but after that it was virtually downhill all the way. It felt like more of a procession before a mass sprint finish after 8 laps of the premier inn car park.

So what could possibly go wrong? Well as we climbed out of Pateley Bridge my chain came off as my pedals just started to spin freely. However on further inspection I found that the chain was still on. The only other thing that could cause this is a failed freehub. If you know about bikes you'll no what I mean. If you don't then its very bad and normal fatal on a ride. After a bit of fing and jeffing I decided there was just one possible fix and I gave the freehub a solid kick. To my relief the free hub reengaged and I was still at the top of the hill first.

A re-enactment of the bike fixing kick

From here it was a very easy ride to our cafe stop Chez Nous at Borough bridge. It had a nice court yard setting and good, if not large, range of cakes.

At Chez Nous in their outdoor seating courtyard area

The cakes were excellent but it was Cadburys hot chocolate again and apparently the coffee was only fine. However it was the second cafe this week that bettered its Norfolk rivals by just 0.02.

The final push was panake flat and apart from the excitement of a wooden road bridge it was smooth sailing.

Big George crossing the wooden bridge

Then before we knew it we were back where we started.

Back at the start and incredibly in one piece

I just needed to hand over all the data I had gathered from the last two years to the boffins to crunch the numbers and let me know if Norfolk or Yorkshire cafes are best. I can then put in my entry form for the Nobel prize.

But what have we learned.

1. The boffins tell me that the average cafe in the Yorkshire moors and dales is 7.02

2. Fascinatedly an average Yorkshire cafe is 0.12 better than an average Norfolk one, and I have science to prove it.

3. If you see a sign telling cyclists to follow a division then follow it rather than going to check out the reason why first as this takes a lot longer.

4. It can be chilly at the top of hills so bring warm clothing if you always get there first.

5. Youth Hostel Bunk beds are 6 foot long regardless of the length of their guests.

6. If you are planning to do an iconic climb on your ride it is best to do it nearer the beginning than right at the end of the ride if your want to avoid a frosty supper.

7. When your bike breaks make sure you know where you need to kick it to fix

8. A route must never go on the same bit of road twice. Ever.

9. Unless you like cycling on tricky offroad sections then check your computer generated routes more carefully.

10. Some people seem to enjoy the views on climbs more than me as they like to get off their bikes so they can spend more time on them.

Todays route

Trip Stats

Route	Miles	Average Mph	Time on Bike	Metres climbed
York to Helmsley	38.4	13.4	2:51:50	484
Helmsley to Great Broughton	58.22	10.6	5:28:29	1991
Great Broughton to Hawes	79.49	11.7	6:49:19	1580
Hawes to Pateley Bridge	67.45	11.4	5:55:06	2082
Pateley Bridge to York	41.5	12.8	3:15:08	523
Totals	285.06	11.71	24:19:52	6,660

Cafe ratings

Cafe	Hot Chocolate Quality	Guest Hot Drink Quality	Cake Selection	Cake Taste Quality	Atmosphere and Ambiance	Total
Curious Coffee Company, Haxby	7.6	5.5	7.1	7.4	7.0	6.92
Hutton le Hoe	6.9	7.65	7.9	7.6	8.1	7.63
Danby Bakery		7	8.1	7.4	7.2	7.43
The Mustard Tree Café, Hurworth	5	7	6	7	7	6.40
No.15 Coffee House, Barnard Castle	5	7	6	7	7	7.06
&Then Tasting Deli, Kettlewell	8.7	9	6.3	7.45	8.6	8.01
Tea on the green, Bolton Abbey		7	8	7.6	8	7.65
Café Chez Nous	5	7	6.8	8	7.8	6.92

 

Tour of Yorkshire 2022. Day 4 Hawes to Pateley Bridge

                                                              Day 4  Hawes to Pateley Bridge

Last night I learnt that a YHA bunk bed is 6 foot long. Sadly I’m not so sleep provide a bit tricky. I thought this would be the end of my bunk bed issues but late last night  todays hotel rang me asking where we were. Clearly not at their hotel as they were expecting as we had a difference of opinion on what night had been booked. After an exchange of emails and phone calls I was in the clear, demonstrating I had booked the right night even if we had now got nowhere to stay. They did have a small room but it has a bunk bed, I explained that wouldn’t work for me and a family room for 4 we could share but that was never going to happen. As I write this, while waiting for the others at the top of todays opening climb, I’m hoping the situation will resolve itself during the day.

Away from admin and back to cycling then all the climbing action today comes at the start, some in the middle and a bit more at the end. Just the way we I like it. We also have added jeopardy as I hope to meet up with an old school friend Dave, who is my go to Yorkshire cycling expert, at our last cafe stop today. 

Going up the opening climb

The first climb was a 4 mile beauty called Fleet Moss with lots of 20% sections so I was easily first up but after waiting at the top for nearly 15 minutes I decide to jump in the air early today. Apparently this one is called a parachute jump.

From here it was a pleasant and gentle ride to our first coffee stop at &then deli in Kettlewell. 

We went there last year and it was the best Yorkshire cafe on the trip. Once again the drinks and AaA got top marks but cakes were a bit thin on the ground, tasty but not spectacular. It still averaged a very high mark and easily beat the Norfolk benchmark score.

It was here where Big George and Ali announced that they would continue with us but take a shorter route back so not come to my planned cafe stop with my go to Yorkshire cycling expert. 

The next climb was a brute and possibly hardest of the week. I waited at the top and when Andrew appeared we decided to press on as there was no sign of the others and we were on the clock. Apparently cafes at Bolton Abbey close 3 ish so it would be tight.

Waiting with my bike (who get there the same time as me) at the top of the unknown climb

As we continued we were treated to lots of spectacular scenery, especially in the Malham Cove area, although be the end of the day I had become a bit blasé about it.

Every time it looked like we would make the three o’clock deadline another hill would rear up and set us back.

One of the 11 official climbs today

Then Andrew suggested an obvious shortcut that would cut off a big climb and 6 miles. However I pointed out this would mean we would be going back on ourselves for a couple of miles. So I had a choice to make, shorten the route and go on same bit of road twice but get to catch up with an old school friend. Or stick to original plan and risk the cafe being shut. It was a no brainer so we stuck to the original route as you must never double back on yourself. EVER!!

Lovely view on way to Bolton abbey which I took as we rode along to not delay us further 

We soon hit another big steep climb which was the final nail in the 3;00 meet up coffin. However a long decsent got us to the meeting point only10 mins late. And for once our luck was in as the cafe were only just closing and happy to let us have takeaway drinks and cake. We were both in need of flapjack as had done last 40 miles on half an energy bar and gel each.

Outside tea on the green cafe

Using the gift of text my go to Yorkshire cycling expert soon found us and was able to grab a coffee to.

The drinks at cafe on the green were ok, cake selection very good and flapjack were excellent. With a high AaA it smashed through the Norfolk cafe average.

It was good to see Dave who was able to describe all the hills we had climbed but didn’t know most of their names. He claimed they didn’t all have one but I wasn’t buying it and have started the search for a new go to Yorkshire cycling expert.

He joined us on the next section and on the up bits demonstrated the difference between a Yorkshire and Norfolk cyclist as I struggled to keep up.

Dave my former go to Yorkshire cycling expert in action 

After he waved goodbye we just had a few miles and one climb left but it was enough for us to smash through the 2000 metres of climbing for the first time this week.

Passing 2000m for the day mark

When we arrived at the hotel it was more good news as they had found us all rooms although not the biggest we had seen and Ali had taken one for the team and gone bunk.

Tomorrow is a short ride back to York and with climbing meters in the bank we have plenty of down hill to enjoy before returning to Norwich. What could possibly go wrong?

Todays route

Trip Stats

Route	Miles	Average Mph	Time on Bike	Metres climbed
York to Helmsley	38.4	13.4	2:51:50	484
Helmsley to Great Broughton
Great Broughton to Hawes
Hawes to Pateley Bridge	67.45	11.4	5:55:06	2083
Pateley Bridge to York
Totals

Cafe ratings

Cafe	Hot Chocolate Quality	Guest Hot Drink Quality	Cake Selection	Cake Taste Quality	Atmosphere and Ambiance	Total
Curious Coffee Company, Haxby	7.6	5.5	7.1	7.4	7.0	6.92
The Barn Tearoom, Hutton le Hole
Danby Bakery
The Mustard Tree Café, Hurworth
No.15 Coffee House, Barnard Castle
&Then Tasting Deli, Kettlewell	8.7	9	6.3	7.45	8.6	8.01
Tea on the green, Bolton Abbey		7	8	7.6	8	7.65
Café Chez Nous