110km from Ponteland to Rothbury/Alnwick and return ridden by 2 Velos and 2 CTC friends.

 

Our first foray into the world of Audax riding required assembly at Ponteland Leisure Centre car park at 0830 on a clear, frosty October Sunday. Ride registration and cake eating formalities completed we set off into the rapidly warming morning air.

 

There was good cycling on minor roads via Saltwick, Mitford, Benridge and Blackpool. The 3 fords over the Tod, Maglin and Forest Burns presented a challenge with their steep, gravelly, downhill approaches and steeper exits. The liquid state of the fords was dry, moist and wet in that order.

 

Into Rothbury for the first control point where we were cheerfully informed that we were the last to arrive. Consoled ourselves with more cake before setting off on the real challenge of the day, the Seven Steps climb out of Rothbury past Cragside. I actually counted eight steps, unless the landing near the top only counts as a mezzanine level. We swept downhill towards Edlingham, climbed Corby's Crag where the view from the top is superb, then rode on to Alnwick for the second control point at Barter Books where, despite our (presumably) still being the last to arrive, the assistant seemed to know nothing about the event.

 

The return via Shilbottle, Guyzance, Tritlington, Hebron and Mitford was fairly uneventful apart from losing a pump handle and meeting a Zeus CRT rider who, despite nursing a failing bottom bracket, could still kep up with us easily.

 

End of ride refreshments were provided at the Gubeon Golf Centre after which we went our separate ways home.