Beadle's Bash (or How to Keep your Man Happy) Day One

This is a picture of my nearest and dearest at the end of Beadle's Bash described as a '100 mile challenge route for mountain bikers'. As you can see he was happy man despite having to adjust his pace slightly to keep up with me! Actually, I think its only considered a challenge route if you do the whole route in under twelve hours rather than the leisurely three days that we took. But they say compromise is at the route of all good marriages - and I certainly compromised on my idea of a romantic (?) break for two. The route starts in Scarborough and finishes in Helmsley and I can recommend a guide book by J. Brian Beadle  (ISBN 1 899004 11 4) sold on line by Waterstone's. Feel free to look at the linked memory map route if you have the software.

Day one involves old railway track and bridleways before lunch, nothing too technical but stunning views across Robin Hoods Bay. At Fylingthorpe you head in land across the moors and we did a small detour to Midge Hall at Falling Foss for some very necessary cakes, soup, sandwiches and more cakes ... yes I was at that point when the legs say no more hills until you give me food! After lunch there's some forest tracks and then my favourite bit a great section of single track across Widow Howe Moor. We were on the homeward stretch for the first day, just us and a beautiful, empty expanse of moorland in all directions and I must admit my enthusiasm got the better of me. There were a couple of instances when the bike and I parted company - I managed to jump over the handlebars rather fly over them the first time but the second off brought me to my senses and I was forced to take things a tad slower. We had booked into the Mallyan Spout Hotel in Goathland for the first night and this was definitely the 'romantic break for two' bit of the holiday. They were slightly surprised when we arrived mid afternoon, soaked to the skin and absolutely filthy black but we took full advantage of the hot water, fluffy  towels, soft beds, beer, fabulous food, more beer and bed again - in that order. There were no adverse comments when we pitched up for dinner minus any footwear except dry socks, a spare pair of shoes was not part of the minimum luggage / weight policy we had adopted; and breakfast the next morning was equally good but that's Day two ....