All posts by Barry Ring

HAB 26th July Ride-Out to Bancroft Mill Barnoldswick

Copyright 2026 Bancroft Mill Engine Museum

We are doubling up on our Sunday Rides this month with a trip to Bancroft Mill in Barnoldswick as they are steaming up their engine on Sunday 26th July.

Meet at Leathley Farm Shop and Cafe, Harrogate Road, Leathley LS21 2PS where you can get coffee and a bite from 8.30am. Please arrive from 9.00am for a 09.30am departure after a chat and ride briefing. Mileage isn’t extreme so we will have time to enjoy the exhibits at each destination. The roads will be enjoyable and probably be familiar to HAB members.

© 2026 Visit Calderdale.

Next stop is Gordon Rigg’s near Todmorden for coffee at The Cotton Weaver’s Cafe and a look around The Mill & Motor Museum (£8 entry or £5 concession). (https://www.gordonrigg.com/our-stores/todmorden-riggs-mill-motor-museum/) Rochdale Rd, Walsden, Todmorden, OL14 7TJ. Then on to Bancroft Mill Engine Museum Gillians Lane, Barnoldswick, BB18 5QR(https://bancroftmill.org.uk/) in Barnoldswick where they will be steaming their two mill engines. Entrance is £8 (£7 concessions) The tea room at the museum serves cake or light bites. Or stock up at the ride start or morning coffee stop.

Return ride is via a quick dip into the Forest of Bowland, then Otterburn, Cracoe, Grassington, Greenhow Hill, Pateley Bridge and finishing at Ripley for a well-deserved ice cream.

Ride Leader- Geoff Hale, TEC-TBC, a volunteer if possible please- mileage approx 105, please arrive with sufficient fuel. Route below or download from the HAB website GPX file page.

https://plan.tomtom.com/route/view/6a640ebe-2052-490c-9f21-65ba541e7a3d

PLEASE NOTE:  All participating riders need to be fully paid up members (or Associates) of HAB and IAM. Associates-if it’s your first club ride please discuss with your observer beforehand and also inform the Ride Leader before the ride briefing.

Harrogate Advanced Bikes Monday July 13th Club Meeting and Ride-In

Venue- Bilton Cricket Club, Bilton Lane, Harrogate HG1 3DQ. 7.15pm for a 7.30pm start. This month we have two HAB members giving an interactive talk on Ride-Outs.

Chairman Richard Stembrowicz and Chief Observer Bob Hill want to emphasise the do’s and don’ts of group riding, keeping us all together in a safe and smooth manner and avoiding the potential pitfalls that can arise. Group riding is a big subject and they’ll be plenty of time for questions and answers as we go along. Whether you are an experienced Advanced Rider or just starting your journey along that path you will get plenty out of the discussion so please come along this Monday evening and take part.

I’ll be leading a Ride-In so come along for that if you can manage it. Meeting at The Curious Cow, Killinghall, Harrogate HG3 2AP from 5.45pm where you can get a coffee or soft drinks and use the loo. PLANNED DEPARTURE 6.15PM after a pre-ride briefing for an hour’s jaunt around the local hills and lanes and arriving at BCC for 7.15pm in plenty of time for our meeting.

Barry Ring-Ride Out Coordinator.

HAB Sunday 19th July Ride-Out-North Pennines

Meet 09:00am at The Curious Cow Harrogate HG3 2AP for ride briefing, setting off at 09:15am prompt to head up to Reeth for our coffee/breakfast stop.  Via a very scenic route; Lofthouse, the reservoirs, through Leyburn, past the army ranges arriving around 11:00 in time to catch breakfast items at either the Copper Kettle or other venue of your choice in Reeth. 

Following coffee, we head out of Reeth for our lunch destination of Kirkby Stephen, through the stunning roads of the Teesdales, up to join the A66 for just ~ two mile stretch. Onto Middleton-in-Teesdale, via Romaldkirk, Egglestone and then onto one of the best biking roads in the country; B6276 which takes us into Brough then our lunch stop at Kirkby Stephen. 

Fuel is available (Shell) at entry to Kirby Stephen and Mulberry Bush Café is suggested for lunch, just beware it’s cash only (cashpoint next door), however plenty of alternative lunch venues in Kirkby Stephen.

After lunch, we head over to Hawes via the scenic B6270, over Buttertubs Pass then down into Hawes, taking the A684 all the way into Leyburn and finally finishing the ride for a well-earned ice cream at Brymor Ice Cream Parlour (right turn off A6108). Link to Myrouteapp.com for the route below or download the file from the HAB GPX library. https://harrogateadvancedbikes.co.uk/rideout-gpx-file-library/

https://www.myrouteapp.com/en/social/route/11473806?mode=share

Ride Leader-Ranjit David, TEC Richard Smith-The good weather is set to continue. Hope to see you on the day.

Ranjit David

PLEASE NOTE:  All participating riders need to be fully paid up members (or Associates) of HAB and IAM. Associates-if its your first club ride please discuss with your observer beforehand and inform the Ride Leader before the ride briefing.

Please welcome new member Nolwenn to Harrogate Advanced Bikes

This is me on “Hariet” the Honda (500CL) and I bought her roughly a year ago as pretty much my first bike.

She is light enough for me to handle her and learn riding.

I’m French, I’ve been living in the UK for 23 years now and as I’m getting close to my 50th birthday I wanted to challenge myself with passing my motorbike license and here I am. 

My husband is a long time motorbiker and wants to learn a bit of off road biking so that will be next. 

And I might go to Nepal next year motorbiking in the mountains, I’ll see if I can make that happen. 

That’s me for now. 

Take care and ride safe. 

Nolwenn 

HAB Ride-Out Wednesday 1st July

Our next Wednesday Ride-Out will take place on Wednesday 1st July. Meet at the top end of Morrisons Carpark Boroughbridge (YO51 9UR) at 9am fully fuelled. Briefing will commence at 09.15 with a departure at 09.30.

Ride Leader – Richard Smith. 07784 500380. TEC – Paul Holmes. 07746 378175.

Our route will take us out towards Easingwold and on to the beautiful scenery of the Howardian Hills, through Ampleforth, Helmsley and on to our coffee break at Bedlam Grange Farm Shop (YO62 7TD). https://maps.app.goo.gl/m86bcWJiCScdN5VB9

After a 30/45 minute break we head East along the A170 and head towards West Ness, Slingsby, Coneythorpe, Malton, Norton, North Grimston, Sledmere and will arrive for our lunch stop at The Mile Cafe, Pocklington (YO42 1TW). https://maps.app.goo.gl/iT7Zcz4xtb3AukJW7

Time for a catch up/food and refreshments (for a maximum of an hour) we leave and head towards Pocklington, Melbourne, North Duffield, the former RAF Church Fenton (Leeds East Airport) , Escrick, Cawood, Tadcaster and towards our ride finish at Wetherby Moto Services (LS22 5GT) where toilets, fuel and refreshments are available.

Mileage is 131 miles, finish time estimated at 15:30. Fuel stop available if necessary, please inform the ride-leader. Route file will be made available on the GPX download page on our website.

PLEASE NOTE: All participating riders need to be fully paid up members (or Associates) of HAB and IAM. Associates-if its your first club ride please discuss with your observer beforehand and inform the Ride Leader before the ride briefing. Paul and I hope you can make the ride.

Richard Smith.

HAB Slow Riding Workshop Saturday 4th July

Another great opportunity for Associates and full HAB members to improve their Slow Riding Skills in a controlled environment at one of our popular workshops taking place on Thorpe Arch Trading Estate this coming Saturday morning between 9.30am and 12.00 Noon.

Meet at The Great British Diner (AKA Tim’s Cafe) Unit 9.7a, Retail Park, Thorp Arch, Estate, Wetherby LS23 7FE. Cafe open from 8.00am.

All HAB members are welcome to attend and it will be especially useful to Associates. Come along and practise your slow manoeuvres in a safe environment and at a level you are comfortable with. We made some interesting changes with our previous workshop and plan to do so again. HAB Observers will of course be available for advice on the day. Hope to see you all there. 

Bob Hill

Chief Observer

HAB Ride-Out Wednesday 3rd June

Meet at the Smith’s Arms in Beckwithshaw (HG3 1QW) from 9.00am to depart at 9.30 prompt after a chat and a pre-ride briefing. Please arrive with a full tank although a stop for fuel can be made mid-ride.

We’ll be taking a variety of roads from tight twists to flowing sections combined with typical Yorkshire Dales scenery of course and a brief dip into Cumbria for our lunch stop.

Morning break in Airton is at Town End Farm Shop (BD23 4BE) 30 minute stop.

Lunch at Owen’s Farm Shop and Cafe near Kirkby Stephen (CA17 4HE) 60 minute stop.

Finish at Cafe by the Lake at Kilnsey Park (BD23 5PS). Estimated total mileage 150.

Ride leader is Brian Lydamore 07831 432100

TEC is Barry Ring 07847 786608

This is a Social Ride for IAM, Associate and Full HAB members only. New Associates should discuss their participation with their Observer and please make themselves known to the Ride Leader and TEC at the Ride Briefing.

I hope you can all make the ride.

Brian Lydamore.

Harrogate Advanced Bikes Monday June 8th Meeting

Dear Members,

For our club meeting on June 8th I have arranged for Richard Gladman, Chief Examiner of IAMRoadsmart, to come and give us a talk at Bilton Cricket Club, Bilton Lane Harrogate HG1 3DQ at 7.30 p.m.

I’m positive that it will be very informative in general and probably encompassing IAMRoadsmart itself, the changes that are taking place there, advanced riding in general, the role of Observers and, particularly for Associates, what Examiners are looking for in the test.

Richard is a very engaging speaker and this talk should be of great interest to all of us. He is coming from some distance and it would be great if we could have a maximum possible attendance on the night.

https://www.iamroadsmart.com/member-stories/member-stories/our-changemakers-richard-gladman

I look forward to seeing as many of you as can attend.

Best wishes,

Richard Stembrowicz
Chairman

HAB Slow Ride Workshop Saturday 16th May

Harrogate Advanced Bike’s Slow Riding Workshop is back by popular demand and planned for Saturday 16th May. Being held at the renamed-Great British Diner (formally Tim’s Cafe), Unit 9.7a, Thorpe Arch Industrial Estate LS23 7FE. Starting 09.30am-finishing at 12 Noon. Cafe open from 8.00am.

This Workshop is primarily for the benefit of our Associates, however, all members are welcome to participate and brush up their skills. Come along and practise your slow manoeuvres in a safe environment and at a level you are comfortable with. HAB Observers will be available for advice. Hope to see you all there.

By the way, the bacon and egg butties are legendary. Don’t get a double unless you are seriously hungry. 

Bob Hill

Chief Observer

https://www.facebook.com/TimsCafeThorpArch

Harrogate Advanced Bikes 2026 AGM Monday 11th May

Dear Members,

This is a reminder that the AGM will be held during our May meeting, next Monday the 11th at 7.30pm. I know that some of you will be away on the Spring Trip but other HAB members please make every effort to attend.

There are no contested committee positions, so the election of the Officers and other committee members should be completely straightforward.

I look forward to seeing those who can make it there and, for those of you who will be away, at some point in the future.

Below you can click on the download buttons to view the committee reports, Chairman, Treasurer, Chief Observer and Ride-Out Coordinator and other relevant documents. Just click on the links to read the file.

Richard Stembrowicz

Chairman