How do you like your eggs? Sunnyside up would be appropriate today as the sun beamed down from a cloudless blue sky causing the ‘mercury’ to rise to levels you normally find on your holidays abroad. Accompanied by light winds, conditions were perfect for a day of cycling which is probably why there was such a good turn out this morning for our ride to Burton Constable. With Raymond relinquishing as ‘ride leader’, Heather “stepped up to the plate” to propose the route. Well I say Heather…but I suspect it was in name only with the ‘puppet master’ pulling the “strings from the wings”.

Seventeen Knights turned up at the meeting point at Tickton Grange setting off initially to Whitecross roundabout. Just after Routh, we encountered a tractor engaged in hedge cutting straddled completely across the cyclepath forcing us to join the main road for a short distance. 😬 After regrouping on the approach to Leven, the group continued towards Brandesburton.

Our next leg saw us heading towards Catfoss which involved a short sprint along the Bridlington road. As we approached the right turn junction we had to negotiate the oncoming traffic. While some waited for a clear road, others dashed across ahead of the traffic earning them a blast of the horn for their temerity. On this occasion with no shade near our usual regrouping spot there was no stopping as our main peloton continued onwards to Dunnington. Eventually we managed to find a lovely shaded area to wait for the “lanterne rouge”.

It seems that not everyone fully understood the route directions as two of the group went AWOL at Skipsea Brough. To be fair the instructions did mention “Skipsea, turn right to Seaton” so while everyone else turned right at Skipsea Brough the missing twosome were waiting around the corner out of sight ready to go to on to Skipsea. After waiting some time and nobody appearing they realised their error and set off on the “chase” to Bewholme.

If there was any doubt about who “created” the route it came clear as we approached the “straight on/ right turn” to Seaton when Heather sailed on past the “turn”. In her defence the road layout appears to continue round to the left becoming Mill Lane while Bewholme Lane is marked as a right turn junction. Fortunately some of us had checked the map against the “instructions” before setting off. On reaching Seaton we had another short ‘sprint’ along the main Hornsea road to Sigglesthorne before continuing south to Little Hatfield. As we rode our way through Whitedale to New Ellerby a familiar face appeared behind us having set off later, Colin caught up before immediately jumping on the front. With time getting tight to arrive at the cafe for 1130 Colin did a stirling job pulling us along.

Suitably refreshed the ‘peloton’ split into two groups for the return journey through Sproatley and onto the lovely new road surface of the Park road taking us to Coniston. After traversing our usual route through Swine and Beningholme we arrived back at Routh where we found the road traffic ‘nose to tail’ heading for the coast. Luckily a few drivers stopped to let us cross the road to the cyclepath and the final leg home. It was a great day for cycling with light winds creating a head wind whichever direction we were heading. A bit like having a personal punkah wallah wafting a fan in your face. Many thanks “Heather” for a good flat route! 😁