Cycling the Dales Divide

On the pier in the picturesque South Lakes town of Arnside, after much less than desirable British weather, a group of hardy riders gathered under blue skies with a promising forecast ahead. A brief welcome and encouragement speech was given by event founder Chris Ellison, joined by Alex Pilkington (winner of the Highland Trail 550 in 2018) alongside Pat Hall, mother of late ultra-endurance cyclist Mike Hall, who, whilst riding the Indian Pacific Wheel Race in 2017 was fatally injured in a collision with a car, at the tender age of 35. Mike, having previously set the world record for the circumnavigation World Cycle Race, completing the route in 91 days, was highly respected and regarded globally as one of the finest ultra-distance cyclists of his time.

Also in attendance was Debbie North, founder of the charity ‘Access the Dales’, who was delighted again to be chosen as one of the beneficiaries alongside Bay Search and Rescue for monies raised through a voluntary entry fee. Last year, a donation was put towards the purchase of an all-terrain vehicle. Chris had chosen the charity due to its shared values of getting people out and about in the countryside and its effects on mental health and well-being.

Debbie North founder of Access the Dales

All riders gathered around the flagpole on the pier to oblige my request for a group photo before ‘The Grand Depart’. I suggested they all raise a hand and shout, “BE MORE MIKE. ” The Cowbells sounded, and 150 riders made their way through the village one by one, their sights set firmly on the Yorkshire Dales.

After competing in the American Tour Divide, a 2,700-mile bike-packing event, Chris Ellison returned home to Yorkshire with his vision of creating a race that would introduce people to the world of ultra-distance riding.  A race open to riders of all ages, genders, ethnicities, nationalities, cycling ability and diverse bike setups. A race that would be a great starter to the year’s ultra-distance bike-packing calendar.

In 2018, The Dales Divide would be borne. Open to riders just getting into long-distance riding, well-established riders, plus competitors and winners of previous ultra-distance cycling events. Riders would be encouraged to help each other, gaining valuable tips from the more seasoned and weathered bunch. The Bikes themselves were as varied as the countryside they would be traversing, from lightweight racing setups to fully loaded off-road touring bikes and everything in between. Some were kitted out to the bare minimum to keep weight down, others heavily packed with provisions and cold weather sleeping gear, waterproofs, sleeping bags and tents.

The route traverses the Yorkshire Dales National Park via the iconic feat of engineering the Ribble Head Viaduct, passing the doorsteps of both Alex Pilkington and Chris Ellison, onwards along bridal ways, farm roads and moorland tracks. Crossing close by Malham Tarn and Bolton Abbey, en route to The Vale of York, passing through the city taking in the formidable York Minster.

Once through York, the route follows the Way of the Roses cycle route towards Stamford Bridge (famous for another battle in 1066), past the Rudston Monolith (at 25’, the tallest megalith in the UK), and then experiencing the elation of reaching Scarborough on the East coast. If you have time, you may indulge in a much-needed portion of some of the finest fish and chips in Yorkshire. After all, you’ve more than earned it! No time to rest for long, though, as the next section takes you through Heartbeat territory and Northallerton, including two river crossings and two climbs with gradients over 20 and 30 per cent (at this point, you may regret the extra ballast taken on board of fish and chips) next to Catterick where you’ll find a welcoming community baring many choices of sustenance for the onward journey.

Bob at Ribblehead Viaduct

High on the Moors above Wensleydale are three bothies to be found, a welcome respite for those wishing to recharge their batteries and maybe catch a little sleep. A long climb takes you to the highest section of the route on Cam Fell (590 metres above sea level), descending towards Dent, skirting Sedbergh, at which point you can almost taste that first delicious pint of hand-pulled ale!

Spectators of this cycling discipline are known as ‘Dotwatchers’. Each rider carries a satellite tracker that ‘pings’ their location back to a monitoring centre, which can then be accessed through Dotwatcher.com. Trackers give the spectators ‘real-time’ information about the rider’s position on the route and give the rider access to emergency services.

You may be wondering what happened to my husband at this point!? After feeling strong, despite the horrendous Trail conditions after the record-breaking wet winter, we’ve been two hours ahead of his previous race time. I’d hope to meet with him at Elaine’s Tea Rooms in Feizor. Fate wasn’t, however, on our side as, ironically, he came off the bike headfirst at Flascoe Bridge (the bridge we got married on!), taking a knock to the head, leaving him flailing in the river below, rendering the challenge over for this year, leaving him feeling incredibly deflated but putting his safety first.