Catenary Yorkshire Dales Group Ride, 13 Jun 2021

Tim organised a beautiful scenic route starting and finishing in the North Yorkshire village of Hawes, including some of the big climbs; Park Rash and Fleet Moss.

I was a little apprehensive to do this ride as I'd had a scary crash down a hill about a month and a half ago, and I knew there would be some long descents on this route. But I also knew if I didn't sign up for the ride I would regret it and feel like I'd missed an opportunity! I checked out the route on Strava and Google Maps beforehand so I knew what was coming- I knew the two main descents had some steep bits but otherwise weren't too bad. I also planned to drive up and down the second hill on the way to the start so it would give me a chance to check it out properly.

I arrived at the car park and I was feeling even more anxious after driving there. I'd got into my head that I would lose control going down the hills and would end up crashing like last time. I was trying not to cry because everyone else seemed to be ready to get going on the ride and I didn't want to seem like a wuss! But the others were all so supportive and encouraged me not to turn back and go home. The thing that really helped was Tim saying that if I needed to I could walk down the hills.

So I pushed myself to get on the bike. We set off and I was perfectly happy, I knew the first 40km were undulating and didn't have any scary descents. We were cruising along averaging about 26-27kph. I relaxed, enjoyed chatting with the others and even enjoyed some of the mini descents that weren't too steep!

But I was also anxious about the hills coming up. I'm no climber but I know from living up in Yorkshire that I CAN do the hills, just at my own pace (slowly!). I hadn't done any as big as the ones in this ride before though so I was a little worried. Lara and I stuck together on the hills which was really helpful to keep us both going, and the rest of the group were really supportive too. We stopped at the top of the first climb, Park Rash, before setting off down the worst of the two descents. I took my time going down the hill, and as soon as I got to the steepest part (25% with some sharp corners!) I started to get flashbacks from my crash. The worst part about that crash was the feeling of being completely out of control- having picked up so much speed that your brakes can't slow you down enough. I didn't want to put myself through that all again so I braked to a stop whilst I could and walked down the steep part. Thankfully I wasn't the only one who walked the steepest bit there, so that made me feel better.

I was smiling by the bottom of the hill, having nearly fallen over while walking down and making a scene for the others to watch!! I felt relieved to have completed half of the scary parts of the ride, and I was so glad I knew my limit and was safe.

Soon we were in Kettlewell, eating ice cream, chatting and drinking coffee!

Onwards onto the remaining 25km of the ride. The second big hill, Fleet Moss, was the bigger of the two but it started fairly gradually so we stayed as a group at first. Then it began to ramp up so myself, Lara and Tim stayed together while the others had gone ahead. I was using the elevation graph on my Garmin screen to try and pace myself (mentally more than physically!). I pushed myself with this one and I only stopped because my chain came off! Tim stayed with me to the top and we regrouped at the top of the hill. I knew the end of the ride was close, and I remember reflecting on how many fears I'd overcome and how proud I would be by the end. Just one more scary descent to go!

This descent wasn't as bad as the first. There was a long fast stretch which felt safer because you could see the road ahead clearly. I was still battling the voice in my head because I was picking up more and more speed which was terrifying. I did use my brakes occasionally to slow down, just to remind myself I had control of the bike, but I didn't stop. I did walk a little bit right at the end though which was much steeper.

I was so happy to get back to the car park that I actually cried a little! I thanked everyone in the group for encouraging me to do the ride in the first place, and for sharing their worries and past crashes too. I faced many challenges in this ride and although I walked some of the descents, I still pushed myself a lot which is a massive step for me after the crash. Knowing my limits and that it was OK to walk down the steepest parts is what got me through the ride, as well as all the support from everyone else!

Frances Lammyman