Ian R's Solo Ride 24-03-2020

From home I rode out to Five Lane Ends via our regular 'trade route' then down Whams Lane to cross the A6 at Potter's Brook, Wallace Lane, Winder Lane, Radcliffe Wharfe Lane and the 'B' road towards Garstang. A couple of hundred metres after the Patten Arms I made the Right turn into Winmarleigh village and at the Give Way by the school I turned Left then almost immediately Right into New House Lane to take the second Right into Nateby Hall Lane, at the end of which I made a Right then a Left into Croston Barn Lane to go straight across the A6 at the traffic lights, traversing Green Lane West and Green Lane East to gain the by-way to Gubberford Lane. Once over Gubberford Bridge, a Right turn saw me reversing our regular Tuesday morning “Barnacre Loop” but climbing past the end of Keeper's Lane and Barnacre church I turned Left by the estate lodge, into Eidsforth Lane to eventually descend the short sharp brow to rejoin my reversal of the “Barnacre Loop”.

            After crossing the two, albeit dry, water splashes a right turn on to the bridleway had me starting up Grizedale. Once through the first gate I met a descending MTB rider at a bouldery water splash where I had to dismount to negotiate the obstacle. Standing well back, to observe social distancing regulations, allowed the MTB rider to float across the boulders assisted by his suspension and voluminous tyres. Shortly after this I decided to partake of a banana and the contents of my water bottle, sitting on a rustic wooden bench dedicated to 14 years-old Vicky Lynn:- “Rest awhile and think of Vicky, sipping coke and looking pretty”. A second gate and another bouldery watersplash, that again required a dismount, along this level, lower section of the track led me to the loose gravel and stoney ( many the size of golf balls ) ascent which proved fully rideable with careful wheel placement. A third gate signified arrival at the reservoir dam, after which progress was easy, on a level surface of compacted gravel, with three more gates before emerging on to tarmac at the entrance to Fell End Farm.

            A quick and easy descent to the ford soon had me out on Long Lane to reverse our usual Tuesday morning route from Lancaster to Scorton.

            Although the regular cafe stop had been sorely missed, this ride did highlight to me just how much of an extra loop can be fitted into a Tuesday morning ride by restricting oneself to a picnic elevenses.

Ian.