Chris Armstrong will lead this ride with Enzo Denti as tail ender. Meet at Asda lorry park, Dragon Road, Harrogate from 09.00 for a 09.30 departure. We head via Ripley to Pateley Bridge, Burnsall and Linton for coffee at Cracoe’s Cafe, Cracoe BD236LA.
After coffee and buns we are off to Hetton, Gargrave, Carleton and over the top to Foulridge for lunch at Cafe Cargo BB87 PP beside the canal.
Suitably refreshed, Hellifield is next via Thornton in Craven and then on to Otterburn, Airton, Hetton, Grassington to end at Stump Cross Caverns HG35JL.
The route on well planned roads is suitably short for this time of the year with a mileage of just 104.
Welcome to the Club – Howard Poulson Associate Member
“I have only been riding for 2 years. I spend quite a lot of time in Florida and I got my American bike licence first in Nov 2017 and my UK licence in Jan 2018. In the 2 years I have had 7 bikes while I sorted out what suited me (dropping the heavier bikes a few times along the way) and currently have a BMW F750GS in the UK and a Triumph Tiger 800 in the USA. I’ve done 3 short tours to Germany, the north of England and the Great Smokey Mountain area of the USA”.
“I’ve been retired for a few years now and previously worked turning around companies for both public and private investors. Having got over the first two years of learning to ride I am eager to improve to a better level and hence my joining HAB”.
Please say hi to Howard the next time you see him.
Following similar very successful events of recent years we have decided to arrange a 2-day/1 night trip in lieu of the May midweek ride.
The planned date for the outward trip is Wednesday 6th May, with an overnight stop at The Auld Cross Keys in Deholme, where we have stayed before and been well looked after, returning on Thursday.
The route has yet to be finalised but will generally head north through the Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty up to Northumberland where we will pick up the Scenic Coastal Route then ride west into the Scottish Borders. The return journey heads generally south mainly on pleasant country roads picking up Lanercost Tea Rooms for coffee and the Black Swan Inn at Ravenstonedale for lunch.
5 twin rooms have been booked at the Auld Cross Keys at £45pp B&B and a limited number of singles are also available at £60pp B&B.
Mileage is approximately 200 up, 170 down.
Please contact John Blanchfield for details and to book your place. johnblanchfield@talktalk.net
The speaker for our February evening meeting will be Nikki Hullah, Traffic Officer for Highways England.
Nikki’s talk will centre around her work and that of her organisation with regards to road safety. Most of us have wondered at some point what is the purpose of these officers cruising the motorways in their Mitsubishi Shoguns, well now is the chance to find out.
As usual Bilton Cricket Club’s splendid buffet will follow our speaker’s presentation.
Please join us and make the evening a success.
See you on Monday Evening.
John
You can access video presentation of Highways England’s work with this link.
Meet Ripley car park from 9.00am for a 9.30am start.
The route takes us first due north to Bedale passing the Fountains Abbey estate, Kirkby Malzeard, West Tanfield, Well and on into Bedale for a Coffee stop:The North End Café, Bedale DL8 1AF
After coffee head west on the A684 to Leyburn, turning right at the top of the market square then left on the minor road, passing the MOD ranges, and on to Grinton, turning left to Reeth.
From Reeth we’ll continue due west on the B6270 up Swaledale to Nateby before skirting the southern edge of Kirkby Stephen to take the A685, with a left shortly afterwards to Ravenstonedale and our Lunch stop:The Black Swan, Ravenstonedale CA17 4NG
The return journey heads east to pick up the B6259 south to the A684, turning right at the Moorcock Inn for a mile or so then left at Gardale Head and on to Ribblehead, where it’s left again south on the B6479.
At Little Stainforth we turn left to Foxup, Litton, Arncliffe before joining the B6265 and on to Kilnsey. Continuing south and eventually meeting the A59 where we turn left to the Bolton Abbey roundabout, then left again to the Abbey Tea Rooms and the end of the route.
Total distance as described: 135 miles.
David Haywood will lead the ride out with Tail Ender to be appointed on the day.
I’m looking at my weather forecast now and it’s predicting 4.8 hours of sunshine, 10% chance of less than 0.1mm rain and a heady 9ºC. What could be a better day for getting the bike out?
We still have a number of subs payments outstanding. These were due on the 1st January. We would appreciate all those who haven’t paid yet to send their subs payment to our treasurer, Richard. Details below.
You can pay by BACS, cash or cheque made out to Harrogate Advanced Bikes, at Lloyds Bank, sort code 30-93-91 and account number 01807888. If you prefer, you can give me a cheque or cash at our usual meetings or send me a cheque at Farthings, 42, Colber Lane, Bishop Thornton, Harrogate, HG3 3JR.
This coming Sunday our ride-out should take advantage of a sunny weather forecast.
Starting point is the usual Harrogate ASDA lorry park on Dragon Road 9.00 am for a 9.30 am startafter a pre-ride briefing.
Leaving Harrogate on the Otley Road towards Beckwithshaw, we will have a lovely country route around Fewston and Swinsty Reservoirs taking us to the A59 at Blubberhouses. A quick blast-up Kex Gill along the A59 and a left turn at Beamsley near the bottom of the hill with a great route through Langbar and up Beacon Hill. Watch out for plentiful sheep on the way up and down the hill into Ilkley. Then through Ilkley, up past the Cow and Calf, through Mention and along The Chevin to stop for a break at the High Trees Garden Centre cafe on Otley Old Road LS18 5HZ
Leaving the cafe we retrace our route for a few metres and turn left along Dean Lane which soon turns in Scotland Lane on the way into Horsforth. Weaving our way through Horsforth then past Kirkstall Abbey taking a right lane off the A65 onto the B6157. It’s a tricky junction and we should gather together before this point. After that a route through urban areas to Tong Lane and a few fields again then Birkenshaw, Birstall and finally Batley, to Jem’s Pitstop Diner and Motorcycle Shop, WF17 8ND where we stop for lunch.
All day breakfast recommended!
After lunch and a look around the bike shop, we can set off again on a quick run on main roads through Rothwell, Oulton and Garforth, onto the M1/A1 up to Wetherby Services, where the ride finishes.
Total mileage is only 78 so should be no need for a fuel stop.
GPX files can be sent you for your sat nav if you want to look at the route beforehand. You can email me at the address below.
I hope you all can make it. It should be sunny weather. The Pit Stop Diner gets busy, so numbers would be helpful. Send me a text on 07847 786608 if you can and I will book a table for us.
I will be leading the ride with John Blanchfield kindly being the tail-ender on this occasion.
Welcome to the Club-Samuel Relton Associate Member
Sam passed his test in Nov 2019 and rides a 2010 Kawasaki ER6N. He joined HAB to learn everything he can from the massive experience in the group and take his riding to the next level – whilst hopefully saving a bit on insurance! When not on the bike he does healthcare research at the University of Leeds.
Welcome to the Club – Peter Germaine Associate Member
Ready!
Peter re-took his motorbike test in 2015 at the ripe age of 65 and is now looking to improve his riding skills with Harrogate Advanced Bikes.
Peter retired from work in 2005 due to ill health, now aged 70-seems to be bike fit now! He has had a varied working career, with a mixture of jobs but the main ones are as a motor mechanic and electronic engineer-should be handy for a few technical tips! Good to see he knows how to pick an excellent bike!
Please say hello to Peter the next time you see him.
Special Guest Stephanie Kovrlije-Store Manager-SPORTSBIKESHOP-Leeds .
Stephanie has kindly agreed to talk to us about Sportsbikeshop and their new and impressive motorcycle gear and clothing store on Regent Street in Leeds.
As usual our January meeting is at the Bilton Cricket Club 7.00pm for 7.30pm start. Before handing over to our guest speaker, I will run through any other business and then make way for Stephanie to tell us all about Sportsbikeshop’s comprehensive range of motorcycle clothing and accessories followed by the Cricket Club’s splendid buffet afterwards.
