CYCLE TOURING MEMORIES - YORKSHIRE

Once in a land far far away called Yorkshire, before I had children or a wife, I used to get on a train with my trustee Dawes Galaxy touring bike and go on a cycling adventure. Usually I'd do the trips on my own, with the aid of a Sustrans leaflet and map and the blue signs of the National Cycle Network.

On this particular trip I got the train to York, stayed one night with an old School friend and then set off in the direction of Settle and The Three peaks. At one point it was snowing with a 20mph sidewind and I had to cycle with one eye closed, but I was smilling throughout. Before I came into Settle, I slowly climbed up and up until I was at 'The Tops', where an almight gust propelled me to a terrifying speed on a bumpy little farm track with 30m visibility. speeding along at 30mph suddenly I could see a huge Scottish long horn cow in the middle of the path. Somehow I managed to skirt around his huge shaggy bum and continue on heart racing. Couldn't stop laughing, on the descent the cloud cleared and I wiggled my way down to Settle in time to book into a cosy budget hotel with friendly, chatty staff.