It was the Durham Big Ride - The Beast 52 mile road Sportif today leaving & finishing from Sniperley Park & Ride. I have rode the route many times over the years and is some beast with well over 5000ft of climbing. This year they have extended the route and added in an additional loop making it up from 49 miles to 52miles. I called in past to watch and photograph the start @ 9am - it was packed. I then went off to Baxter Wood Farm to join onto the old railway lines for a ride upto the Consett junction. From there i had planned to drop down the line to the Metro Centre then along to Gateshead but it was working out to be to short a ride and didnt want to ride from Gateshead back home on the road with the Krampgrease, i dont mind doing this leg on my cx bike. The other option was to drop down to Cox Green then back home but in the end i turned left and headed straight upto Parkhead Cafe instead. It wasnt long before the temperature dropped to 9 degrees, over cast and spitting drizzle. The only advatage was i was flying up the line with ease. When i reached the cafe i had to keep on going through the old quarry and out onto the road / top of Crawley bank. This was just over 25 miles so by the time i got back in i knew i would hit the 50+ mile mark. Quick drink and a few photos it was time to blast back down but there was a massive headwind so that put pay to freewheeling most of the way down, thought it was too easy going up! Here is a link to the photos from the start of The Beast and below are a few photos from my ride, not many as it was a head down and arse up ride.  |
| All lined up and ready to go |
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| And they are off, not sure that bloke is stood in the middle of the road ! |
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| Off onto the lines now |
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| Consett junction - which way to go ? |
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| Bikes heading the right way for going up the Waskerley |
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| Could not see the cafe in the distance today, too overcast and cold |
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| In the background is Crawleyside Bank somewhere |
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| Turning point for todays ride |
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| No views over Rockhope Common either |
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| Horse Trial onto today, starting & finishing from Baxter Wood Farm, had to past loads of them but very friendly |
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| No mud but plenty of dust |
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| whiching is sticking to everything |
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| Too tired to wash it, time for food instead |
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| A well earned snack after 50 miles |
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