RSF - The Off Road Cycling Club

The Adventure Starts Here

1958

"On my tenth birthday, a bicycle and an atlas coincided as presents and a few days later I decided to cycle to India." - Dervla Murphy, Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle

 

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The 'Evergreens' , a small company of 'old Teesiders', with a sprinkling of 'rough-stuffers', had met at Marske Bridge, Swaledale, to cycle on to Hurst by way of Marske and the old road, to take lunch at the Red Lion Inn. Hurst (1113'), is a village of the past, it being a lead-mining village which has decayed since the lead boom collapsed in the 19th century - an old building with a thatched roof is still standing, and is the only one left in the area
In 1745, Cope, instead of going to meet Prince Charlie on this pass, marched to Inverness on a recruiting drive, and his failure to command the Corrieyairack gave the rebellion a sporting chance by opening the road to the south. Cope was accordingly court-martialed, and one of Wade’s last acts was to sit in judgment on the case. This was indeed a bitter blow to Cope, for no man was fitter to speak on the Coirieyairack  than Wade, for he 'knew' its possibilities - he built it.
It is probably true that Cornwall’s chief source of income today is the 'tourist industry', way back in 1933, ’Kuklos' in his 'ANNUAL’ advised all cyclists to avoid Cornwall in August, 'as tne noise and stench of motoring are everywhere’ (’Kuklos’ was a rude fellow, who did not endorse the claim of the motoring organisations, that motoring must not be criticised, as this promotes bad feeling. His successors however, had the ’offending' passage expunged from the ’ANNUAL’).
Although it was hard going, I found no difficulty through Hrnant, but I was counting my chickens before they were hatched. All the inhabitants from miles around were gathered at Hant-y-moch for the annual shearing, and the only one who could speak English, after discussion with his colleagues, said dogmatically, "You won’t do it!”. So I pushed on.
it is to be hoped that the younger element in clubs shew more decorum than they exhibit in cafes and on the roads, and endeavour to follow the example set by the Fellowship in country behavior, closing gates, keeping to the track or path etc. The Fellowship has an excellent name to keep up and I feel it is up to us, as and when the opportunity occurs, to try and educate these youngsters in country manners, an education the majority of them seem to have missed in their road and eating habits
From this farm-once-pub, I saw approaching, my friend the sheep-dog. Being a true lover of cyclists, he passed by two cars and their passengers nearby, and made straight for me, or to be more exact, my saddle-bag! Then began the process of sniffing around and looking pleadingly at me alternatively, until a few of the biscuits he was sure were there were produced. Having consumed these with much tail-wagging, seen me throw my leg over the saddle, he realised that the ’feast' was over 

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