The weather forecast wasn’t too promising, and there were dark clouds in the sky, but that didn’t stop eighteen of us on fifteen bikes gathering at the Grey Horse on Sunday 15th May for our monthly rideout to Devils Bridge, near Kirby Lonsdale in Cumbria.
Lorna did a sterling job as Cha Lady, and organised the teas and coffees in the Grey Horse kitchen (for a very reasonable 50p !!!), prior to our departure. Steve ‘Jagster’ Jagger was along on his new bike, brave man, as in all likelihood it would be filthy by the end of the day.
Following our obligatory team photo, we set off at 10, and headed out of Wakefield on Aberford Road (A642) prior to cutting across to the A650 at Pinderfields Hospital. We followed the A650 to Tingley roundabout, then took Dewsbury Road (A653) towards the White Rose centre, picking up the Leeds Ring Road (A6110) and out towards Wortley, Pudsey, then taking a left onto the A65 at Broadway roundabout in Horsforth. The A65 would then see us all the way to Devils Bridge.
The weather up to this point had been steady rain but was now starting to clear. We followed the A65 past Otley and had a toilet / fag break in Ilkley for 20 minutes, then continued our journey on the A65, past Skipton where we met up with Ozzy and his missus on his VMAX at Gargrave (all pre-arranged via a phone call whilst back in Wakefield). Onward we then forged, with the weather getting noticeably colder and wetter again (although the scenery was getting noticeably more picturesque).
We continued past Ingleton & Settle, finally arriving at Devils Bridge at lunchtime. By now the rain was steady and it was freezing. Devils Bridge normally would be rammed with bikes but due to the weather there were only three parked up when we arrived.
First thing was a sprint to the café for a hot drink to warm us up.
A few of us had a spot of lunch before we decided where to go next. Normally, we would have been tempted to press on into the Lake District, but given most of us were pretty cold and wet, we decided to find a nice pub for a slap up Sunday dinner.
Back on the bikes in search of a carvery !!! We stopped at the pub where we had met Ozzy on the way out only to discover that although they had a pretty comprehensive menu, they didn’t actually do Sunday Dinners ... on a Sunday !?!?!? Onward we pressed and found a pub in the centre of Gargrave that advertised Sunday Lunches. We parked up the bikes and took the quiet pub by storm when nearly twenty of us piled in and ordered food. Not the cheapest Sunday dinners most of us had ever had, but at least it was WARM !!!! Following our dinner, we retraced our steps back along the A65, with a few heading off towards Squires, and the rest continuing back to Wakefield.
A cracking, if somewhat cold and wet rideout. Great to welcome along a few new faces too, together with two learners on their inaugural Wakefield MAG rideout.