Expotitions by BoyCycle

Saturday in Kirkby Lonsdale.  I woke up quite late and had a bit of time to watch TV.  For breakfast we had a full english breakfast.  It was really nice.  We went to the bakers and bought something for a snack later and then we left Kirkby Lonsdale.

We had to climb a big hill that was about a mile long.  I managed it.  Down Dalton lane I went 21 mph and it was pretty bumpy and gravelly.  Then we saw billplumtree coming towards us – he recognised us because of my king of the mountains jersey.  We rode to Arnside with him and he bought some fish and chips for us and then I went to play on the beach.  Then we went to the train station to catch a train.  The train arrived and it was quite full of bikes but we managed to get on.  It went to Ulverston and we got off.  From the station we turned right up a hill and after a couple of minutes we got to a park and played there for a bit. 

Then we set off up a few quite steep hills over Birkrigg.  We stopped at the cattle grids and opened and closed the gates.  Then we went quite a bit down to Scales where we stopped and played at another park.  Next we rode down the hill to the coast road.  The coast road was quite easy because it is very flat.  Some of the cars passed sensibly or waited until there was a safe place but one beeped at us.  Soon after we got to Barrow and it was pretty easy to navigate our way to Bedstemor’s house (by the way, Bedstemor is Danish for Granny) and when we got here she was at the end of her street and had loads of banners put up around the house.  I’m really happy I got here.

Friday morning in Hawes.  I woke up and looked out of the window and it was rainy.  Then we went down for breakfast and I really liked it.

After breakfast I watched TV in our room while my mum went to the shop to buy me a hat.  The hat was really good!  The lady at the pub didn’t charge us as much as they would usually charge because of what we were doing and our big ride to raise money.  We are going to give the money that we saved to Gabriel’s charity.  

It stopped raining by the time we set off, but a little later it started raining really heavily.  I thought it was hail because of how hard it was hitting us.  It was also pretty hilly as well.  And we had a strong headwind.  We stopped at Garsdale and wondered if we should carry on or just give up and go home.  My mum asked billplumtree (her friend from a cycling forum) if he would help us out if we got stuck and he said yes.  So we set off, and didn’t give up.  From Garsdale to Sedbergh it was mostly downhill so it was easier but then it started to pelt it down again and it was very blowy as well.  It was pretty hard to brake and there were lots of cattle grids too but we didn’t ride over them because they were wet and slippy.  Eventually we got to Sedbergh and went to this really nice bookshop and very shortly after that we went to a cafe and had lunch at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.  I had a full monty hot chocolate which has cream and marshmallows and cocoa sprinkled on.  I also had a cheese toasty and an eton mess and it was really really nice.  

When we set off everyone we talked to suggested going on the big road because it was much less hilly and it was a very good decision.  It rained most of the way and by the time we got to the bed and breakfast we were totally soaked.  We were going to write a ride report but we were much too tired so we just went out for teas at the pub and I had fish and chips.  Then we went back and went to bed. 

Today we started off with breakfast at the Crown in Boroughbridge. My breakfast was rather large! Then we set off – we noticed it’s on a street called Fishergate, like my school.  The road to Ripon  was quote hilly with lots of fast cars and trucks plus   a tractor or two. In Ripon we stopped to look at the map while I played in a park. My mum nearly got us lost! The little lanes to Bedale were even hillier and we really enjoyed our ice cream in west tanfield where we met a postman who helped us with directions. He likes cycling too! We got to Bedale in time for the afternoon steam train. For lunch we had a sandwich on the train. We got off at Redmire and took a few pics of the locomotive being uncoupled, taken to the other end of the train and reverse coupled. From Redmire to Hawes it was very very hilly but it was beautiful too. We got off and walked on.one hill just after Askrigg – because it was so steep downhill. We stopped to look  at some people building a teeny bridge out of stone like a dry stone wall.
Now we have finally got to Hawes. We are staying in another place called the Crown, but this time it’s a pub. The landlady was really helpful, the room is brilliant. She’s made our beds for us and put our bikes in safe place. For tea I had fish and chips (again), sticky toffee pudding and hot chocolate covered in cream. We ate at the pub and it was fit for a king, as I said to the lady!  After tea we went to the park and got a mobile signal so I could write this (well, tell mum what to type!) We are getting bitten by loads of bugs though, so we’re going back to the pub and going to bed

It was fun at the swimming pool. I went in a  bubbly thing and I also went under the water a few times. We swam for over an hour and a half! For tea I had fish and chips at the hotel restaurant. It was delicious. Now I’m about to go to sleep. Night night.

We’re in Boroughbridge! Today’s ride included a trip to the bakers, lots of roundabouts, loads of bumpy hills and for lunch a chicken pasty, which I ate at Cattal station. For  pudding I had wild berries picked by my mum. The man at the station showed me how the signals work-and he said he likes cycling too.
We are in the Crown hotel, we have done our laundry and had a wash and next we’re going to the swimming pool here!

…but the day after tomorrow isn’t far away, and that’s when we’re off!

We are raising money at http://www.justgiving.com/ZaksVeryBigBikeRide for a charity called DebRA.  Thank you for the donations.

We have raised over £200 so far!

I feel excited about going on our big ride.  I think we could do it in two or three days but Mum thinks that’s a bit too much, so we have decided to do it in four days.  We’ve just about decided what our route willl be…..

We will start off at home in York, then we will go to Boroughbridge.  We will probably stop at my friend Rosie’s house on the way – because my mum needs to sort out a computer for Rosie’s mum :)  

The first hotel we booked (which has a swimming pool!) sounds fun.  But it’s only 20 or so miles from home, which isn’t as far as we had planned to ride on day 1.  So, on the second day we will have to ride at least 35 miles (plus catch the Wensleydale Railway which will be a steam train if we can get to Bedale in time for the one at 10:30) to a pub we stop at in Hawes. We will then eat our tea and go to sleep.

The next day we will ride to Kirkby Lonsdale.  We haven’t found out where we’re going to stay yet – that’s a job for my mum tomorrow.

On the last day we will ride to Arnside where we will catch a train to Ulverston then cycle all the way down the coast road to my Bedstemor’s house (bedstemor is the Danish word for granny, and she’s my Danish granny).  I just can’t wait!

We set up this blog a while ago, planning to keep track of some of our Silly Bike Adventures.  But we’ve been too busy (mostly out riding our bikes) so we never got around to posting!  However, it’s nearly time for our big ride of the summer holidays and we thought it might be a good way for anyone who is interested to keep track of what we’re up to.  So we’d better try to figure out this blogging malarkey….

So – who are we, and what is the plan?

Zak (who is 8 – nearly 9!) and Kat (his mum!).   We live in York, and have recently started riding our bikes a lot more than we used to – mainly because we both got lovely new bikes and discovered how much fun it can be.  And, in just a few weeks time we will be setting off to ride to Granny’s house…. in Barrow in Furness, in Cumbria!  The route will be somewhere around 110 to 120 cycling miles over 4 days, and looking at the maps we appear to have some hills in the way.

Now, for a lot of ‘serious’ cyclists this isn’t actually very impressive.  But we are a team of one 8 year old and his (fat, unfit!) mother.  Until Easter neither of us had ever ridden further than about 10 miles.  So it’s probably fair to say that we don’t expect it to be easy – although we do expect it to be fun.