Rosedale Railways and Sore Bum

Well, we all do it sometimes.

Lose sanity that is.

I’d not been on a bike since the first time we did the Cleveland Way as a relay, so the chance to try mountain biking on a route following railways sounded like an opportunity not to be missed. After all, railways are not noted for their steep gradients are they?

So it came to pass that the telephone call was made and I arranged to meet Alistair and the rest of the crew at the Lion Inn at 11:00 for 11:30.

After coffees etc., 14 of us set off for the railway track. Straight down what I’m sure was a 1 in 1 hill with B@##!y great rocks in the way.

Helpful advice like “Get your weight back” was easier to listen to than take, as on the borrowed bike, the saddle was a bit too high leaving me in danger of damaging a delicate part of my anatomy.

Somehow I made it down to the track and promptly adjusted the saddle height.

A lovely section then ensued where I could look around and enjoy the scenery as we made our way to the Rosedale Bank road. Here my anxiety returned due to the signs “Danger Cyclists Dismount and Walk”. Not a bit of it, the leaders just set off down.

With trepidation I followed. My nerves made worse by their talk of overheating rims and exploding tyres.

Somehow, I made it to the bottom without incident, looking forward to the teashop stop in Rosedale, after all, are not the cyclists reknowned for their addiction to teashops?

Not the ruff stuff lot! Straight through the village and headlong at the hill the other side. Thank god for 21 gears. Even then I found myself walking for the last 50 yards (46 meters for some of you) back up to the old track bed with a welcome stop for lunch bellow the old ironstone hoppers.

We then had a delightful ride to the head of the valley before the “Technical Bit” where the track bed disappeared.

By now I had discovered that you don’t forget how to ride a bike and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of getting through the mud and puddles without making a spectacle of myself.

Further track bed riding brought us back to the bottom of the 1 in 1 hill from the start. After seeing the experts end up base over (or was it under) apex, I took the easy option and carried my bike to the top.

Back in the beer garden, a few pints of shandy were enjoyed whilst avoiding putting pressure on certain parts of the anatomy.

Thanks Alistair for leading and thanks Ed for lending me the bike. I will certainly be trying another of the easier rides.

Geoff Kensett

PS. Any tips for putting more padding on the posterior?

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