The Byway Tour of Great Britain
October 10, 2015“My only skill set is over confidence!” The birth of Central Bristol TRF Events
October 25, 2015
The Teeside and North Yorkshire TRF Coast to Coast is a well established event on the trail riding calendar. Hundreds of members have enjoyed spectacular green roads and good company as they weave their way up and over the country from West to East.
This year was no exception as an intrepid bunch of riders headed towards the hardest earned bag of fish and chips in Yorkshire. Teeside & North Yorkshire TRF member John Belamy captured the spirit of the trip with Scott Heydon and Leo Crone in tow with their cameras.
TRF:
Hi John. You recently took part in the Teesside and North Yorkshire Coast To Coast weekend. This has been a longstanding date in the TRF events calendar. Can you tell us a little more about the history of it?John:
Well. I believe it started back in the early 1990’s by our then Chairman, Fred Garbutt and it was run on a Saturday/Sunday in late May or June every year. We used to get about 70 riders + leaders. It started from South Bay beach in Scarboro’ and finished at Hest Bank, Morecombe with an overnight in Hawes, as the midpoint.
It was always a cracking event 20 years ago, with riders on all sub 500cc bikes in the main, and this year was no exception.TRF:
And the weekend itself, where do you start and finish? What kind of riding did you experience from one side of the country to the other?John:
This year’s event started at 9am at Hest Bank, on the Weds and finished at North Bay in Scarboro’ on the Thursday tea time. I was riding a XR400R and was in 1 of 2 small bike groups on sub 500c bikes, with the other group being on over 600cc bikes, led by Leo Crone. Our group, led by Scott Hayden covered a variety of terrain from the rolling hills and hedges of Lancashire, to the fells of the Yorkshire Dales, with it’s picture postcard villages, to the bleaker heather clad North Yorkshire MoorsTRF:
Some people would think that you must need a big bike to do any kind of distance on Green Roads. Coast to Coast sounds like a long way. Is this true? What kind of bikes were you riding with?John:
Not at all, I did nearly 400 miles (including liaison stages) on my XR400R and it coped very well. There were 2 small bike groups and all fared well with the mileage. Our particular group had 2 CRF250L’s, a Sherco 250 Racing, a KTM 450EXC and even a Beta Alp200. So a big bike wasn’t needed to complete the eventTRF:
And how did the midweek ride pan out? Everyone make it safe and sound? Any notable incidents?John:
I think Leo’s big bike group had a few bike problems with burnt out clutches (Mike Irving’s 1200 GSA in particular), but our group sailed along, with not even the hindrance of a puncture. We all had a great time.TRF:
Finally, do you have any words of advice for any TRF members that might be thinking of taking part in the Coast to Coast next year?John:
Well, make sure your bike is well prepped for the event as there is quite a bit of roadwork, in some very remote locations and also have all the kit to cover a breakdown, like a puncture and in the event of a serious mishap, make sure your bike is covered for recovery.
Take decent wet weather gear as you are out for 10 hours each day or more, however we had 2 glorious days.
Although the event is suitable for relative beginners, nobody will get left behind – please make sure you are physically fit and also ‘bike fit’.
"That was a really enjoyable two days. I rode some interesting lanes for the first time. Thanks to the organisers, my group leader, Martin, and the other group members for making memorable. P.S. don't burnt out clutches smell awful!)" - Rob
"Although we had riders of all abilities, from a rider who had recently passed their test and only been trailriding for a couple of years to a very able former MX rider, all participants had a great time, the group gelled and nobody felt over faced or out of their depth" - Jonny
Many TRF regional groups host events like the Coast to Coast throughout the year. Click here to find out what's coming up soon.
