A Grand Day Out
My patience has been rewarded! All those weeks of being sensible and saying no to bike rides have paid off: we had a proper off-road, hill-climbing, high-level, sun-kissed adventure at the weekend.
We cycled from the edge of Hardcastle Crags, near Hebden Bridge, through the wooded valley of Crimsworth Dean and up on to the open moorland above. This was truly a trip back out into the countryside. We were travelling along rutted pathways surrounded by gentle sloping hills.
It was a trip only really made possible through the power of the electric motor. There were steep climbs as we pedalled up on to the higher ground. I would have felt like a dead weight on the back without the motor and I don’t think Pete would have appreciated the ascent at all.
It was wonderful to be able to travel along the high-level track with open 
views all around, maintaining the height we had gained. We had several stops to fully appreciate our surroundings, and, as we had brought our own stove (the “pocket rocket”), we could have plenty of mugs of tea as we relaxed in the last rays of summer sun. When we ran out of water, there was a handy stream where we were able to top up our supply.
The mountain bike tyres and springy seat were also put through their paces – the descent was (a bit too) exciting! The bike bounced and slithered over rough stones whilst I gripped tightly on to the handlebars. I watched the ground intently and saw no countryside at this point.
At the bottom I gingerly dismounted and slowly uncurled my fingers from the handlebars. We had reached a bridge crossing a gently flowing stream and I flopped beside it. It was another perfect spot for a rest and we felt no need to move for quite some time.
Our journey finished with a terrifying ride down from Pecket Well to Hebden Bridge along next year’s Tour de France route. (The Yorkshire leg – honest!) Now I know just what Mark Cavendish and co will be experiencing!
A Breath of Fresh Air 
Exciting to ready about your wonderful excursion!!!
Thank you, Catherine! It really was lovely!
With your descriptive words and pictures, I feel like I’ve been taken for a lovely ride. That was nice – thanks!
Thank you! I really enjoy taking and selecting the photos, and writing about my ride enables me to relive it too!
Wow – what a beautiful day for a ride – love the pictures. I just think its amazing what can be achieved with the tandem – maybe some time back you would never have thought you could have done this ride and here you are. A totally inspiring story.
This was definitely our most challenging route yet! We surprised a few walkers being up there on a tandem … and some cyclists!