Day 2 Helmsley to Great Broughton
On last years trip to Yorkshire porridge seemed in short supply. As this is my go to pre ride breakfast I struggle having to make do with a tiny box of something from the Kellogg variety pack selection which is the normal alternative. However the Black Swan came up trumps today with 330 kCal of porridge to set me up for the morning.
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| Pre start of day faffing as usual |
The first climb of the day started right outside the hotel and was a long if not steep one. Whinging therefore stated early. The views were great on the way up but there seemed to be a cycling guest cycle and chatter meeting going on at the top with the emphasis on the chatter. I would clearly have to put away the encouragement whip and get out the cruel one if we were to get through today successfully.
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| Too much talking and not enough cycling |
As we set off I was furious as my carefully planned eta was already under threat. However the shoe was soon on the other foot when I realised I had plotted the route over a couple of miles of off-road gravel. It was tricky going down a very steep bit on gravel although Andrew showed off his superior bike handling skills while the rest of us tentatively made our way down with breaks hard on.
And then disaster as Ali got a puncture. I obviously waited with him to make sure there were some good photos as the others pressed on.
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| Fortunately Ali is very good at sorting out punctures |
It had already been a long morning so I was horrified to find we had only done 5 miles and the tricky climbs were ahead of us. Its all dales round here with the first to be tackled being Bransdale. It had some 20% sections which proved a bit challenging but the views were great. Fortunately it was cloudy and drizzle so no heat wave here as that would have added another unwanted dimension.
When I got to the top there was no sign of my cycling guests so while I waited I decided to jump in the air.
There was plenty more ups and downs but it wasn’t until lunchtime we got to our so called mid morning cofffee stop so once again, showing my flexibility, I made it the lunch stop instead.
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| On some of the many ups and downs |
Lunch was at the Barn tea room in Hutton-Le-hole which I visited early this year during my time on crutches (which I may have mentioned before). It would therefore be a combined rating to see if it was better than my average cafe cycle visit. Remember I’ve done the maths and it needs to beat 6.9.
The staff were very friendly, the views delightful and the tea and cake excellent so it was no surprise to see it rated 7.63 and easily past the benchmark. Yorkshire cafes were certainly performing better than the 2021 selection.
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| Excellent tea and cake with our sandwich based lunch |
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| The way down Rosedale on the steep side it advises you to get off and walk down |
As tradition dictates then at the top Big George had announced he needed a longer rest and shorter route so here his story ends for the day. Although I can reveal he did make it back safely.
For the rest of the group I had to crack the cruel whip if we were going to make our second cafe stop before closing time. Unfortunately the route went from one steep climb to another steep climb with the remains of the peloton being split apart. I had several long waits so was able to enjoy the scenery.
Just as tea looked in the bag we first met a super steep hill.
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| Waiting for the peleton as I enjoyed the views |
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Followed by an unexpected and impossible to ride (although once again Andrew did most of it) off-road section.
With a final crack of the whip we made it to tea shop with 15 mins to spare.
This time it was the Danby bakery on the edge of the village. Sadly it didn’t have great views as there were some houses in the way. I was too thirsty and tired to face my normal hot chocolate so we all had take away tea, bread pudding and flap jack as we sat outside.
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| Take. Away tea and bread pudding from Danby |
Once again it was a 7 plus rating making it 3 out of 3 for Yorkshire.
My remaining cycling guests were keen to know what was left to go and were relieved it was just two short climbs. But as we left Danby I spotted we were heading for an off road section so plotted a route around. As it turned out it was a rather long bonus climb and the off road bit would have been flat and easy. Well done me.
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| Bonus climb as opposed to the easy flat off-road section you can see below |
It was fairly easy going with the last 10 miles climb free so we got to our hotel bang on my most pessimistic ETA.
Tomorrow is a long day of miles but with only two climbs. However they come right at the end. Big George has already planned his alternative route.
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 |
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Hawes to Pateley Bridge |
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Pateley Bridge to York |
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Totals |
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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 | 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 |
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No.15 Coffee House, Barnard Castle |
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&Then Tasting Deli, Kettlewell |
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Tea on the green, Bolton Abbey |
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Café Chez Nous |
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