Great Ayton and Stokesley Biking and Guzzling Society
The Great Ayton and Stokesley Biking and Guzzlng Society started in 1990 formed just before the first major ride by the founder members Jeff King, Mike Newton, Ray Turner and Ray Vamplew. The first major ride was from Great Ayton to Whitby, Scarborough, Helmsley and returning to Great Ayton, a total of just over 100 miles in one day.
Since then there has been one major ride every year with the rides being between 100 to 165 miles with an average of 50 miles a day. Year 2000 was the first year with 2 major rides
- a mixed ride Coast to Coast with 7 men and 6 women - this being the first major ride with women participating
- a mens ride with 8 men participating
The Society has evolved from men only initially to now with an almost even number of women. The weekly rides are punctuated by pub stops, with the rides being anywhere between 15 to 30 miles.
The Annual General Meeting is normally held in the Buck Hotel in Great Ayton, with everyone having agenda items to speak to, as diverse as:-
- MUSICAL BIKING
- BIKING AND COMPUTERS
- EXCUSES FOR MISSING ALL RIDES
- THE ART OF DRINKING IN THE BUCK
- GREEN EFFECTS OF BIKING
- BIKING WITHOUT TRAINING
- MY MIDNIGHT STROLL AT BAMBOROUGH
- WHY BIKING SHOULD BE ON THE NATIONAL CURRICULUM
The Annual Christmas Dinners have normally been held in March with many of the local restaurants having been sampled.
Some of the members were recently asked why they liked GASBAGS:-
Peter
Ray V
Jim
Ray T
Neil
Rennie
John
Mike
Craig
Jeff
Zoe
Feels at home with a bunch of middle age farts
Easy to have a good pump
Neil's talks about nature; bonhamie
Loves the uncertainty; Pain in the arse
Antithesis to Fell running
Hates GASBAGS
Cycling and drinking
It's there
The women
Still not sure
Can show off her legs
Poem by Zoe Lewis read at the GASBAGS Annual Dinner when announcing her pregnancy
AGEING GASBAGS CRISIS
There once was a young group called GASBAGS
Who all in their forties were ‘fit as’
But as the years wore on
And the aches and pains grew strong
They slowed to the pace of old grandads
With a combined age I can’t count
And an average that’s starting to mount
The rides have grown shorter
The stops have grown longer
And the guzzling is fizzling out
A crisis we fear is in hand
Father time is dribbling his sand
With no new young members
The future is in embers
However the lewis’ have a plan
New recruits are required that is clear
But hope is in hand do not fear
For drastic action has been taken
To secure the future of our gasbags nation
With a new recruit next May, coming here!
Yes a bet for fifty pounds with Paul G
That by the age of 34 pregnant I would be
Did not cause us to fret
As our planning was perfect
As 34 and 21 days I was actually.
