80 km (50 mile) ride from Hebden Bridge, Sat, 27th April, 2024

[ColinJ]

***** ColinJ's forum rider tag list *****
Fellow forum riders, I am planning another ride!

@colly, @neil_merseyside, @Sea of vapours, @Domus, @Julia9054, @Spiderweb, @Slioch, @EasyPeez, @Kestevan, @Venod, @Soltydog, @NorthernDave, @Buck, @si_c, @videoman, @FrothNinja, @GuyBoden, @Vantage, @Dadam, @Jameshow

If anybody wants their name to be added to the list, let me know.

(If anybody wants their name to be removed, let me know, but... )

NB Make sure that you have enabled tag alerts in your account preferences - HERE (tick 'mentions you in a message')

(I may know that some are already signed up for this ride, or can't make it, but I copy and paste the list from one ride to the next so I don't want to edit it.)
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I'm planning another ride from Hebden Bridge and you would be welcome to join me.

Let's give April another couple of weeks to get over this wet and windy weather, and hopefully get properly into spring! Provisional date Sat 27th April. Backup date, Sat 4th May in case of thunderstorms etc. on the 27th.

Basic route... Hebden Bridge, Widdop, Haggate, Worsthorne, Mereclough, Long Causeway, Blackshaw Head, Great Rock, Cross Stone Rd, Todmorden, Lumbutts, Walsden, Calderbrook, Caldermoor, Littleborough, Blackstone Edge, Blue Ball, Hubberton Green, High Stone Rd - CAFE STOP AT CRAGGIES - u-turn, High Stone Rd, Scout Rd, Mytholmroyd, cycleway to Hebden Bridge.

The cafe stop at Craggies is late in the ride (see red spot on profile) so carry enough food and drink to get you there. Hopefully, the weather will be good enough for us to sit outside catching the sun. Getting back from the stop is gloriously easy - downhill to Mytholmroyd, then a quick flat ride back to Hebden Bridge.

Distance just over 80 km, so 51-52 miles. Very lumpy (around 1,500 m/5,000 ft of ascent, some steep), so not for anybody who hates hills, or lacks a degree of fitness or motor assistance. We won't be breaking any speed records but we don't want to make the same mistake as on one of last year's rides and end up missing the cafe. Craggie's cafe shuts at 15:00 so we want to aim to get there by 14:00. Let's start at 09:00 to give us plenty of time. Even on this hilly route, we ought to be able to average the required speed of approximately 14 kmph/9 mph.

Map and profile of route

If you are interested, or have any questions - post below...

GPX viewer

 

[neil_merseyside]

Sorry can't make it.

 

[Julia9054]

Looks good but I‘ll decline because I think this one may be a little tough for me at this stage in the year and with my current level of fitness

 

[Dadam]

Pencil me in. It'll be a challenge as I'll need to be careful with the battery capacity but I should have enough to make it to Craggies. Need to keep some reserves for that climb from 53-57 ish km!

 

[ColinJ]

Pencil me in. It'll be a challenge as I'll need to be careful with the battery capacity but I should have enough to make it to Craggies. Need to keep some reserves for that climb from 53-57 ish km!

That's the climb from Littleborough to Blackstone Edge. If we stuck to the A58 it would max out at around 8% but I prefer to use the old road to avoid some of the traffic. That is more like 12%, then eases off. Either way, it averages 6.5-7%.

 

[FrothNinja]

In Salop, sadly, on that date

 

[Vantage]

I'll give ya a provisional yes for now. Just had carpal tunnel surgery which should heal by then but train strikes...again...and I've heard that First and Northern are set to ban ebikes on their choo choo's due to idiots with s**t batteries.

 

[ColinJ]

In Salop, sadly, on that date

That's a shame.

Er, Salop? [Never heard of it; searches...]

Oh, old name for Shropshire! That's somewhere that I fancy cycling round some time.

I'll give ya a provisional yes for now. Just had carpal tunnel surgery which should heal by then

Excellent. Heal well!

but train strikes...again...

Aaargh! Which reminds me - I got caught out on my last trip to Devon. I must check...

Hmm, okay for 27th April AND May?

I've heard that First and Northern are set to ban ebikes on their choo choo's due to idiots with s**t batteries.

Bummer if they do, but watching videos of some of those battery fires you can see why.

The police really ought to crack down on illegal electric vehicle use, but they don't seem to have the resources to do much these days... (not even turning out for shoplifting, burglaries etc.)

 

[Buck]

I may be free in the day but need to be home earlyish ! I’m presuming from Craggies to the start/finish is pretty quick as it looks to be down hill?)

Also, can you post the GPX file please?

 

[ColinJ]

I may be free in the day but need to be home earlyish !

Great!

I’m presuming from Craggies to the start/finish is pretty quick

If you came to the cafe, you could probably get back from there to HB in about 20 minutes. If you were running short of time, you could leave us at Steep Ln (where we climb up to Craggies) and head back to HB directly, taking around 15 minutes.

Also, can you post the GPX file please?

Oops - I had intended to, but forgot! I'll do that in a minute... DONE!

 

[ColinJ]

An even quicker shortcut would be to head straight down from Blackstone Edge to Mytholmroyd, so you would have 4 options, depending on how you were doing for time...

1. Plenty of time: Do full ride including long cafe stop.
2. Slightly pushed for time: Do full ride, short cafe stop.
3. Tight for time: Say goodbye at Steep Ln and head back without a cafe stop.
4. Really tight for time: Say goodbye at Blackstone Edge, no cafe stop, lightning descent to Mytholmroyd and back to HB!

 

[Buck]

One option might be to get there earlier and park at the café? Cycle to the meeting point then save some time at the end of the ride.

I’ll double check my timings this end but pencil me in!

 

[ColinJ]

*BUMP*

It would be nice to have a few more riders join us...

I will post again nearer the ride or to answer any questions that are asked.

 

[Vantage]

I don't think the current weather is helping matters

 

[ColinJ]

I don't think the current weather is helping matters

Nope!

I have been coming up with ideas for interesting solo rides but have so far put them all on hold...