The Cinder Track

What a day!  The track from Scarborough to Whitby met my worst fears and exceeded by best hopes.  It's called the cinder track as the old railway line was laid on cinders instead of the normal stone ballast.  The track started off well, with a smooth surface climbing steadily, but just before the last point I could bail out and go for the road, it worsened. 

A deep gully had been created by running water and was filled with loose stones.   The sides were smooth but narrow and there was the frequent opportunity to wobble down the side of the gully, or the other way into the overgrown verge.  Exciting.   Every now and again there would be a field of brick-sized rocks to navigate.

I decided to carry on, puffing up the hill, my legs going like pistons ... you get tehw idea...  the views were largely of fierce hills that I was avoiding,  with the occasional view of the sea.  When I reached the summit at Ravenscar, after 10 miles and 200 metres of climbing, there was a glorious view of the sea and Robin Hood's Bay. 

Then downhill all the way, mostly on fast decent surfaces with the occasional crater field to keep me concentrating. 
At Robin Hood's Bay the old station is high above the town, so I cycled down - a 30% slope so brakes on hard.  RHB is crammed into a steep narrow valley and there's only one way in & out.  So after an ice cream I had to go back up the 30% mountain.  Should have left the panniers at the top. 

Onwards to Whitby on the cinder track- up and then down again with superb views and exhilarating cycling.  Highly recommended,  maybe not for Great Aunts but anyone in search of fon on a bike.  I arrived at the B&B with my legs black from cinder dust.  :-)