Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 8 (Last day)

Hudson Way - Bubwith Rail Trail - Selby-York railway path - East and North Yorkshire

Stats
Kms ridden: 82
Running total: 502
Kms left: None!
Refreshments: 500ml water; OTE Sports energy bar; walnuts; Cafe stop food - pate, salad, almond and raspberry cake, coffee.

Weather: sunny, cold with moderate wind; 12 degC

Highlights - Beverley Minster; Cafe Velo; St Helen's Well; York Minster


Ride on Strava
Hull (Willerby) - Beverley - Market Weighton - Bubwith - Skipwith - Riccall - York


I woke up feeling pleased that the challenge was almost over, save for the small matter of riding 80km to reach my journey's end in York.

I had ridden to York before, going along the Transpennine trail, with a run into the city via the Selby-York rail trail. That route is largely traffic free and goes along farm tracks and canals.

Today's route would also be mainly traffic free, but would go slightly further north, and via two rail trails. I was slightly nervous about what condition the Hudson Way and the Bubwith rail trails would be in, knowing that this would determine how long my ride would take.

Having previously ridden the Hudson Way I knew that would be on a not-so-well manicured trail and could be slow going depending how muddy the trails would be after the drizzly conditions from weekend.

I had no idea what the Bubwith trail would be like, and guessed that it would be smooth given that that Google map had recommended it as a route from Market Weighton, where it had not recommended the Hudson Way when cycling from Beverley to Market Weighton.

During yesterday's ride it took me almost 90 minutes to cover 10 miles, as the Longendale trail was in such a muddy state. Riding at that pace today was not an option today, so I was prepared to ride on the parallel road. The nearby roads were not particularly busy, but I wanted to stay as true as possible to the off-road theme for the Festive 500. At least the Selby-York rail trail would be fine as that is tarmacked.

Cafe Velo

The main thing for me, was to get out of the house in a timely way - something which I had not done at all, apart from on the first day. On this day though, I made an effort, despite the sky looked uninviting.

From my hotel in west Hull it was a pleasant traffic-free ride up to Beverley, and along the way the sun came out. Whenever I go to Beverley I normally like to stop off at Cafe Velo and look at the beautiful Minster, but on this day I preferred to just push on, as I did feel a slight sense of urgency.

I would definitely recommend stopping at these two places though. Gary, who runs the cafe is a former racer and a very friendly guy too. And Beverley Minster looks as impressive as York Minster, but without loads of crowds.


Hudson Way

Anyway, it was onwards to the first rail trail, the Hudson Way, which runs for 10 miles from Beverley to Market Weighton. The initial section, to my pleasant surprise, had been surfaced and was now a wide gravelly, well drained trail.

Start of the Hudson Way - nicely resurfaced just at the start

That didn't last long though, and afterwards, became a farm track, interspersed with short stretches of gravel, and then a descent surface in the last mile before Market Weighton. The trail also crossed a few country roads - sometimes with steps or steep slopes to take you down to and up from the roads.
The main difference between this trail and other trails that I had done during the week was that the Hudson Way was not touristic. It was more like a local trail with comparatively few people on it, and locals taking their dogs for a walk. There was a picnic site at the disused Kiplingcotes train station, but it still didn't seem like a trail for a recreational afternoon out with the family.

I guess most people would prefer to go out nearer to Beverley, with its pastures, or further into the Wolds in places like Millington Dale. Having said that there were some pleasant views of arable fields, some of which may have inspired the likes of David Hockney in his paintings of the area.

A splash of colour at St Helen's Well

One noteworthy thing along the Hudson Way, is just outside Market Weighton when the trail goes through the woods. I am not sure what St Helen's Well represents, but it added a splash of colour to my ride.

With lots of colourful ribbons hanging from the trees it certainly made for something that broke the monotony. If anyone knows what the tradition is here I'd love to know!

Market Weighton to Bubwith Rail Trail

After Market Weighton, I then reached the Bubwith rail trail. This was not the easiest path to find. It did involve going along a 3-mile stretch of the main A614, and it was only by keeping my eyes peeled that I found the right-hand turn to get onto the trail.

In fact, initially when I found the gap in the hedge I wasn't sure if I had reached the correct place, but after riding for around 400m I found a sign-post marked "Market Weighton-Bubwith Rail Trail". Then it was just a case of going straight on for around 10 miles.

This was barely a rail trail at all. It was a narrow track, sometimes a single track and there were no tell-tale cycle tyre tracks to show this path was used by cyclists. There were just horse-hoof marks for most of the way with the ground being cloddy, and in some places churned up by the horses. All along the way were paddocks and nearby stables.

It felt like I was in a cyclocross race - especially because I was working hard, trying to ride quickly over this challenging terrain, and removed my jackets on this mild winter's day.

Over the 10-mile stretch I saw two or three walkers and just one cyclist, but I did see five horse riders. The trail seemed hidden away like a little secret just for the landowners in the area and their horses.

There was practically no human life around; the horse was definitely king! Needless to say there was no picnic site! In fact, I kept thinking someone might pop up and have a "get off my land" moment!

The route was pretty bumpy, and well suited for mountain bikers, though the Cube Nuroad, with its Schwalbe G-One tyres still coped fine. Then, just when I was wondering how long I could be bumped around for, the path finally reached Bubwith, and my bottom got some rest.


Selby to York Rail Trail

At this point, I began to feel good about the fact that I was now in the county of North Yorkshire, and therefore not so far from York. After a pleasant interlude through the Skipwith Nature Reserve I arrived at Riccall and picked up the final rail trail of the day, the Selby-York rail trail.

This was on lovely smooth tarmac, albeit with ruts from pushed-up tree roots, but it was straight-forward. It was completely straight and flat, and child's-play to navigate. This is a popular path, used very much as a commuter link between York and Selby. As commuter paths go it is scenic, with various sculptures along the way related to the solar system and the planets.

On this day there were a few challenging moments when I was buffeted by a few gusts on this slightly windy day. Although there were plenty of sections to take a seat along this nine-mile stretch. I sucked up the wind and focused on reaching my destination - York Minster.

Once the path ended, the run into York was easy to follow. From the racecourse it was a case of following the Transpennine Trail signs which led to the River Ouse, and before I knew it I was in York City Centre.

Finally at the finish line, in York Minster

However, at that point my Garmin was only showing 75 km on the counter. So I carried on along the riverside, up to the Youth Hostel and then rode back into the centre of York on the opposite side of the Ouse, to reach Lendal Bridge and York Minster.

I had done it - and before sunset! I couldn't have chosen a nicer place to end my Festive 500 - on the last day of the year, in front of one of the most famous landmarks in England.

After taking a couple of photos I had a celebratory snack at Cafe Concerto, opposite the Minster. It had been a varied and pleasant ride, and is highly recommended.

These 500km covered this week have taken me to different parts of England and it's been an enjoyable ride. It's a bit of a blur now, but I'm glad I took enough photos to remind myself where I went and the nice time I had.

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Middlewood Way and Londgendale Trail - Northwest and Peak District

Stats
Kms ridden: 43
Running total: 420
Kms left: 80
Refreshments: 250ml water; Clif Bar; tortilla chips; walnuts


Weather: light rain, drizzle, hanging mist; 12 degC

Highlights: Seeing the sun set over Torside Reservoir and Woodhead Pass; getting an extremely muddy bike from the trails


Rides on Strava

Middlewood Way

Longendale Trail

Start of the Middlewood Way just outside Macclesfield (medieval labrynth just behind)

No cyclocross for me

Today was probably the worst day so far in terms of weather, which also impacted on the riding too. I had hoped to get out early and ride the Middlewood Way before my planned race in Macclesfield. However, at 8am it was still pitch black (Sun rises later up here than in London!), misty and raining. I really wasn't ready for this, so I waited for things to clear up a little.

In a way, if I were doing one continuous ride during the day that would have been easier to manage. At least once you stop riding you know you've finished for the day. However, my plan had been to do a ride, then stop to do a cyclocross race, then get in the car to drive somewhere else and do another ride. So taking off and putting back on drenched kit wouldn't have been great, and given that I was on the move there wasn't the facility to dry my clothes - logistics....

So after waiting an hour or so I ventured out, but the weather had only marginally improved. Then I began to worry about doing the cyclocross race. Last week when I raced in similar conditions at the Mendips Raceway it was at least 90 minutes after finishing racing before I could get going. That's how long it took to clean myself and my bike up after getting covered in mud. I couldn't afford to spend that much time again, knowing the other things that I had to do.

So in the end, I had to choose between doing the cyclocross race or doing the trails. Well, given that a cyclocross race only gives about 10km as opposed to a trail ride giving me double that amount in the same time period, for the purposes of getting the 500km-challenge done, I had to leave out the cyclocross race. It was sad to have to leave it out because Macc Supacross is a good event, and I have fond memories of going to South Park in Macclesfield.


Middlewood Way

Without too much crying over spilt milk I got on with the task of riding the Middlewood Way. I am familiar with this trail as part of it was my regular commute when I worked in Macclesfield. It was great to ride or run on it, through the woods, to get to Tytherington.

That section near Macclesfield is fully tarmacked. However, with the damp weather it was still a messy affair with all the leaves and mud on it. The surface is still fairly compact through Kerridge, and up to Bollington. Then after the bridge in Bollington it becomes a forest trail, which is very muddy in the wet.

Picnic time! Middlewood Way near Poynton

Still, the weather didn't deter people and there were lots of folks out - more groups of mountain bikers than leisure cyclists. Lots of people were on lunchtime walks too. In fact, the picnic area near Poynton was quite popular even on this dreary day, as was the nearby Boars Head pub!

Some years ago, I wrote an article for the now closed magazine, Cycling Active. I remember having a good day out when we did the photo shoot here.

I didn't do the full 10-mile trail, which runs from Macclesfield to Marple (near Stockport), but instead turned around at Middlewood train station and returned to Bollington via a road route, just to give the bike respite from the mud. The road route is still pleasant, and passes along the edge of Lyme Park. It burns more calories than being on the trail though, as there are a few steep climbs to get through the village of Pott Shrigley. Thankfully, there's a handy coffee shop along the way.


Longendale Trail

After the Middlewood Way, I jumped into the car and made my way over to Glossop, to ride the Longendale Trail.

The last time I was in this area was when I rode the Transpennine trail from Southport to Hornsea a couple of years ago. Discovering this trail was a real delight, especially when the weather was so much nicer than on this day.

Torside Reservoir shimmered beautifully in the sun, there were loads of brightly coloured flowers of early summer, and near the Woodhead Tunnel people were even sunbathing. Not so today!

Torside reservoir seen from the Longendale trail

It was misty and damp, there was low cloud on the hills, and the trails were very muddy. People had shied away from coming out today, as there weren't many people at all.
Up until now my clip-on mudguards on the bike had done a good job. But with today's conditions were probably a big ask, and the bike plus my ankles and shoes were covered in cack.

Once again, I didn't ride the full 8.5 miles as it was just too dark, damp, and miserable. The riding was very slow-going, and I needed to get to my lodgings in East Yorkshire that day.

So I turned around after around 5 miles and returned to the car via a minor road. It was lovely seeing the sun set over the hills and the reservoir, with the lights from the towns in the distance. In a strange way I felt lucky to have the chance to ride along this road through the Peak District at this time of the day.

With my Proviz jacket and Exposure lights, plus a high viz cover on my rucksack I was sure that any vehicles would have seen me, so I felt pretty safe. The road wasn't busy in any case. This route was slightly longer, and hillier (naturally) than the Longendale trail, but nothing too steep. The best bit was the long descent into Padfield, which made the road route worth it.

I still have around 80km to ride, and I will have to do it all tomorrow. Hopefully, it shouldn't be too difficult. I would prefer not to deal with a lot of mud though!





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Monsal Trail - Derbyshire Peak District + a cyclocross race


Stats
Kms ridden: 34
Running total: 376
Kms left: 124
Refreshments: 500ml water; nutella sandwich; raspberry jam on toast

Weather: sunny with cold wind; 10 degC

Highlight: Tunnels through the Monsal trail; Notts and Derby League cyclocross race


Rides on Strava
Monsal Trail

Cyclocross race

Warm-down

This was a day to look forward to, as I had heard a lot of good things about the Monsal trail. It appears to be one of the most popular rail trails in the country, yet for all my cycling in the Peak District I had never been on it. So it would be good to finally make it onto the trail.

One of four tunnels along the Monsal trail

There was also a cyclocross taking place. That's my favourite type of racing. Mind you, these days it's the only type of racing I do!

So after another longish drive cross country to reach Bakewell I checked out the Monsal trail. Again, I was limited on time because I needed to be back in time to sign up and prepare for the race. By prepare that just meant getting my bike out of the car and putting on my race number. There wouldn't be time to pre-ride the course, so I would be racing it blind - something that I quite regularly do!

Monsal Trail

At least today, I would be nicely warmed up after a quick blast along the 8.5 mile Monsal trail. Finding the trail was easy enough because it was right behind where the race was taking place. I just had to navigate around the various tapes across the field, which was fun and games given that racing was already in progress!

The start of the trail from Coombe Lane

The first section onto the trail involved a steep ramp and I feared that it would be this steep all the way along. In fact, this was the only ramp on the ride. There are many places to enter and exit the Monsal trail, and all of them will involve a steep ramp given that this trail is above the village and the dales.

Immediately onto the trail and I could see that it was definitely popular. This trail had more people on it than I had seen on any of the other trails I had done during the Festive 500. There were groups of walkers, groups of cyclists - leisure bikers and mountain bikers - even a group of horseriders. It seems everyone was on the Monsal trail, and those who weren't were at the cyclocross race!

The surface is compacted earth and gravel that drains well, so it was not muddy. Along the way were refreshment stops in the disused railway stations - notably at Harrop.

One of the main features of this trail is the tunnels. There are four of them, each being around 400m long. They are fully lit in daylight hours, though I think it woud be good to still have lights on the bike just to alert walkers. When travelling towards Bakewell the route goes slightly downhill so you can pick up quite a speed if you want. So from a safety standpoint a light would be a good idea.

Views over the Derbyshire Dales and the Peak District

I went through two of the tunnels and then turned back in order to get back to my race in time. In the afternoon sunshine the Monsal trail is a lovely place to be. There are beautiful views over the Peak District and the surface is very easy to ride on, and easy to navigate. This was definitely my favourite trail to date during the Festive 500 week.

Notts and Derby League Cyclocross race

Once back at the Bakewell Agricultural Showground I set about preparing for the cyclocross race. Although the temperature was advertised as 10 degC, the windy conditions made it feel a lot colder, and for the first time since I can remember I actually did the race in long tights. I didn't overheat either - not even on the testing climbs.

As with races in the Notts and Derby league, the women's field was pretty big. There must have been at least 30 women signed up for it. The level would also be quite high as I recognised a number of names of people who race the National Trophy series of races.

For me, this was just a chance to do a cyclocross race and get my pulse rate working a bit higher than the plod I had mainly been doing over the rail trails.

Conditions were nowhere as claggy as the two races I had done the previous week in Tonbridge and at Mendips Raceway. There were still a few sticky patches though. More importantly there were some tough climbs and a very tricky descent that was steep with loads of bumps. I have no idea how I managed to do it without crashing. In fact as I bounced down the hill with my body being thrown around like a ragdoll, there was a "whoa" from the crowds as they were expecting me to stack it. But somehow I stayed on the bike. I guess it's called focus and core stability!

Overall, the race was hard work and I languished near the back, as usual sparring with a couple of local women from Ilkeston and Derby, fighting not to be the lanterne rouge. I think I finished third last in the end, but I was just happy to have got round without any incident. I felt reassured to know that I could do this race even after all the other stuff I'd been doing.

It remains to be seen how much energy I have tomorrow when I tackle another cyclocross race as well as two rail trails! Whatever happens tomorrow, I can say that today was a good day.

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Marriott's Way - Norwich

Stats
Kms ridden: 40
Running total: 342
Kms left: 168
Refreshments: 150ml water
Weather: Cloudy but mild 12 degC

Highlight: Marriott's Way

Ride on Strava
Norwich - Drayton - Lenwade - Norwich

This was a long and a short day - long because I had an early wake-up call in order to do my chores before leaving the house for a few days; I stopped off briefly to visit my sister before getting in the car to drive to Norwich to do a more Festive 500 riding.

As ever, due to cramming in various other chores I set off later than planned, and by the time I started my bike ride it was 2.30pm.

I had bemoaned starting my Brighton stage at almost 1pm, or starting my Kent coastal ride at midday. But I felt I really had surpassed myself today by setting off in the mid-afternoon!

The plan had been to ride Marriott's Way and another nearby trail called Bure Valley path, but I realised that the latter would be done in darkness. That was something that bothered me - not necessarily the idea of riding in the dark. After all, my USE Exposure lights would have been perfect for illuminating my trail.

For me, the issue was that when riding somewhere for the first time, particularly somewhere scenic it's nice to be able to appreciate the beauty of the area. That's not something you can do in pitch black!

I started the trail from near where I was parked in Hellesdon - I was too much in a rush to take any other photos

So I resigned myself to just getting on with it, while understanding that not seeing the landscape around the Bure Valley path is my penance for setting off late.

From the Hellesdon neighbourhood of Norwich where I parked, it was a short ride to reach the Marriott's Way. This is a very pleasant woodland trail that passes arable fields and parks.
It would have been nice to just zoom along this path to reach Aylsham, the end of the Marriott's Way and the start of the Bure Valley path.

However, it wasn't to be as the trail was slow-going. This was a forest bridleway, with a lot of muddy sections - the polar opposite of the smooth tarmacked Bristol-Bath path. Furthermore, this was not a continuous off-road path. Sections of it would go on-road and I had to keep my eyes peeled for the blue signboards indicating the directions to the next section of the trail. At one point I missed the sign and ended up completely lost. Even when I asked one of the locals about how to get to the Marriott Way she was clueless. Do the locals here really not give a toss about their rail trails?

I eventually found my way after having lost a bit of time, but as the going was soft I would not have been able to match the speeds I had done on other rail trails.

Maybe the lady I had asked for directions was not representative because there were actually quite a lot of people on the trails - walking, on family bike rides, and a few horse riders.

Onwards I pressed until my route came to an abrupt halt when a bridge over the River Wensum was closed, meaning I had to make a diversion via a busy main road.

Initially I stood there lamenting at the possibility of another delay to my ride. In the end I saw it as a blessing in disguise. I had ridden far enough to return to Norwich while still getting in a reasonable mileage.

I decided I wasn't going to do the Bure Valley Path, and instead I would make my way over to my lodgings and enjoy a relaxing evening. Well, with all this travelling around I think I deserved a rest. So back to Norwich I went!

My return to Norwich was quite fast - it may have been that I felt motivated to get back to my car, but it was more the fact that the path was slightly downhill.

After a quick spin around the city centre, which I can't tell you much about because it was dark, I returned to my car and made tracks to Wisbech where I would stay for the night.

This is definitely a place I will return to next year, and do the Full Monty of trails. But for today I was satisfied with my taster.


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Crab and Winkle Way - Viking Coastal trail - Kent

Stats
Kms ridden: 83
Running total: 302
Kms left: 198
Refreshments: 250ml water; cheese sandwich; cereal bar
Weather: sunny, cold, later misty 9 degC

Highlights: mad traffic in Canterbury; Riding along the Kent coastline; Mist suddenly dropping down, getting lost and having to take the train back!

Ride on Strava
Tankerton beach - Canterbury - Cliffsend - Ramsgate - Broadstairs - Margate - Birchington-on-Sea


Not too much to say about this day. I guess the phrase, all's well that end's well is fitting here. I was not happy to have had to end my ride by being compelled to catch the train, so that was a bit of a downer.

One moment I was enjoying a ride along the beach, just after Margate, looking foward to getting back to Whitstable, and the next minute it all went dark, misty and cold and I could no longer find the trail. I was the only one around, as everyone I'd seen was going in the opposite direction to me.

Margate beach, right before the mist arrived

That made me feel even more that continuing onwards would not be a wise idea. The alternative route was a fast busy road - which I did not want to risk in the fog, or even just the dark.

I got rather scared as I was just surrounded by this massive cloud and I didn't know which way to go. So regrettably I had to get on a train at Birchington-on-Sea.

In typical style the train was cancelled, so I waited for the next one. By the time I added in the faffing around, the train cancellation and the train journey itself it took me almost an hour and half to get back to Whitstable. If I had ridden it would have taken me just over an hour!

Maybe I should have been bolder and not panicked about what to do. Who knows. So for that reason I don't think today was the best.

Having said that, I would recommend the ride along the Crab and Winkle Way to get to Canterbury. The 7-mile trail is a mixture of gravel and tarmac. It is a bit undulating, with a steep climb when riding from the Whitstable end, but it is a very pleasant ride.

Ramsgate harbour

I also liked the ride along the Kent coastline, starting from Pegwell Bay - known as the Viking Coastal Trail. It is generally well surfaced, and you get great views of the different beaches. Some are nicer than others.

I would definitely recommend Whitstable and Tankerton, plus seeing Ramsgate Harbour. The places seemed much of a muchness to me. But maybe I am just biased because I was traumatised by the fog!


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Downs Link - Brighton

Stats
Kms ridden: 87
Running total: 219
Kms left: 281
Refreshments: 300ml water
Weather: dry, cloudy, mild 10 degC

Highlights: St Leonard's Forest; Arriving in Brighton; Riding empty country lanes in pitch black

Start/end of the Downs Link in Shoreham-by-Sea

Ride on Strava
Colgate - St Leonard's Forest - Downs Link - Shoreham - Brighton - Pease Pottage - Colgate


After an interlude from riding along disused railway lines, normal service resumed and I rode the rail trail of the day, the Downs Link. The full route is 37 miles from Shalford, near Guildford and runs all the way to Shoreham-by-Sea on the Sussex coast.

Bridleway through St Leonard's Forest

I joined it from about two-thirds of the way down at Copsale, after having done a very pleasant ride along a bridleway through St Leonard's Forest.

Having done the Downs Link in the past, I knew what to expect - a long straight path mainly through forest and at short intervals passing through villages. The main difference this time around was that the surface was a bit wetter and muddier than in the past. That was not a problem for me though, as it meant that the trail was a bit more comfortable to ride than the bumpy ride that I usually get when going over the stony path in the summer.

There were lots of folks out riding, especially kids on what was probably their Christmas present. I like this time of year because people seem so much more care-free. One little girl who can't have been more than 7-years old, smiled at me as she passed, saying "Happy Boxing Day". That made my day.

Although there were quite a lot of people out, the refreshment stops at West Grinstead and Partridge Green were closed. Everyone needs a holiday, I guess!

My arrival run into the coast was nice and flat. When riding to Brighton, I usually have to go over a climb like Ditchling Beacon or Devil's Dyke. In fact, the first time I rode on the Downs Link I got a bit bored of the flat unchallenging stuff and diverted onto the South Downs Way at Bamber to go up Edburton Hill. Today, was feeling much too sensible to do such a crazy thing, and kept to the text-book flat route all the way to Shoreham, before riding along the tarmacked traffic-free path along the coast from Portslade to Brighton.

Arriving in Brighton at dusk

Because I had started my ride so late it meant that by the time I arrived in Brighton it was dusk, and I ended up riding back to my car (which was parked in Colgate) in the dark.

The route back was signposted, (I followed the signs for Crawley) and took me on paths and country lanes that went parallel to the A23 trunk road. And then nearer to the end of the route I was on empty country lanes above the M23 motorway.

Thankfully, my USE Exposure Lights, were pretty powerful, and when on the empty, pitch black country lanes the roads were perfectly visible. I also wore a Proviz 360 jacket which is totally reflective at night. So I didn't feel vulnerable at all.

Being in the dark when there's no one around feels great. I felt so free and it was really peaceful. Only the sound of the natural night life, and the creatures running out of the way could be heard as I zoomed past the trees. I need to do this sort of thing more often.

Maybe I'll do another night ride tomorrow.


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