Fast blog - Derwent Walk - 1st May 2011

Swalwell to Hownsgill Tea Rooms and back - Approx 24 miles

A sunny Sunday afternoon, and the only two members of the club who were physically able to get on a bike made plans, and the bikes were loaded into Jim's van and we headed off for the Derwent Walk and the cafe at Hownsgill.
Jim did his usual trick and missed a turnoff, so we went "the long way", but we got there eventually, and soon we were rattling along at a fair old pace, over the Nine Arches Viaduct

A Red Kite. Probably got it's eye on Jim.

It was a nice day, bank holiday weekend, so the track was quite busy. Lots of C2C riders coming the other way.

Lintz Green Station - Jim being cruel to Jelly Babies.

Usual water stop at Lintz Green Station. We parked under the bridge, as that sun was fierce.
At this stage, I removed the jacket as it was getting quite warm, even with a stiff breeze. The large rear pocket on a cycle jersey is a wonderous thing.

That slacker Ian isn't the only one who can do artsy photos.

We didn't really stop much on the way up to the Hownsgill Tea Rooms cafe, averaged 9.6mph which is quite good for uphill all the way.
Toasties were consumed, and we chatted with the owners for a while.
If gossiping was an olympic sport, Jim would have won the gold medal.

Lamb

Goat

And then it was time to head back. It was quite breezy up there which meant the jacket went back on.
Jim managed to lose his bike pump in the car park. Ironically, I'd seen it as we left, but as he appears to have dropped it on the way in, I ignored it as an old one that had been there for a while. Oops.

We kept to a fairly swift pace all the way back, fairly uneventful except for a moment of drama at the Nine Arches Viaduct.

4 young lads cycling across the width of the path up ahead, they saw us coming and move apart to let us through, then at the last moment one of them veered across the track.
I slammed on both brakes, evidently the front one a little quicker, as the back wheel went about a foot into the air according to Jim, with lots of noise and dust.
Inches away from a spectacular pile up.
And no, there's no photo. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Anyway, that was it. Back to the van and off home.
Again, Jim missed a turn-off and we went "the long way" back. 
He's going to have to work on that.