ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
@Fnaar is planning to be down in West Yorkshire when the Tour de France peloton passes through and asked if I could work out a route to let him sample some of the local hills. I quite fancied the idea, and this forum ride is the result.
Stage 1 of the Tour is on Saturday 5th July and traverses the Yorkshire Dales, which are 20+ miles north of here. Stage 2 comes through Hebden Bridge on Sunday 6th July, and carries on down to finish in Sheffield.
Fnaar and I are proposing to ride some of the local stage 2 route on the Saturday. I know that many of you who come here for Tour weekend will be up in the Dales for stage 1, but if anybody fancies joining us for this ride to get a taste of what the Tour riders will be tackling the following day, you would be welcome to join us.
I scaled back my original route. I looked at it and realised that it was pretty brutal. Even if you lot could manage it, I would have been at my limits and might have taken 9 hours to get round. So, the new route is shorter and easier, though still quite challenging. I have split it into 2 loops from Hebden Bridge, the idea being that we do the first loop, have a cafe stop here, then do the second loop. If anybody only wanted to do the first loop, that would be fine.
Loop 1: Follow the Tour route from Hebden Bridge to Mytholmroyd, then tackle the 'Cote de Cragg Vale'. It is England's longest continuous climb, but isn't too scary unless the weather turns nasty. Turn left at the top after 5.5 miles of climbing, and descend the A58 to Ripponden where we would turn right and tackle our second Tour climb, the stiff slopes of the 'Cote de Ripponden Bank'! There we would leave the Tour route and drop down into the valley after Barkisland. Climb back out of the valley through Stainland to the A640 at Outlane. We will come off the A640 and then continue climbing to the top of Scapegoat Hill. This is just a scenic detour which will eventually bring us back onto the A640 higher up at Pole Moor. From there, we will do a nice little circuit of Scammonden Water on a singletrack lane, followed by a steep climb back up to the B6114 at Moselden Height. A quick descent over the M62, then a small rise to Ringstone Edge reservoir where we turn back to our left to follow a singletrack lane to the foot of Booth Wood reservoir and then climb up to the A672. Another quick descent brings us to Rishworth. We then have to climb some very steep, narrow lanes to get us up to Blue Ball Lane, and can then take one of my favourite local routes back to Hebden Bridge. We drop down into Mytholmroyd and can go back to Hebden Bridge on the A646 or take the Calder Valley Cycleway to avoid the traffic. 38 miles, or a few more if we decide to add one of my 'scenic detours' before the descent to Mytholmroyd
There are lots of cafes to choose from in Hebden Bridge. We can decide which to go to when we get back here.
Map of loop 1
Profile of loop 1
Loop 2: Climb the Keighley Road 4 miles to Cock Hill, then plunge down to Oxenhope. This is the reverse of the route to be taken by the Tour riders, but we will be coming back the other way later! From Oxenhope, ride along Haworth Brow as far as the B6142 which is where the peloton will arrive from Keighley. Descend the B6142 into Haworth, take a look at the steam trains there if we fancy that, then climb the steep little hill up the side of the park. The Tour riders will be going up the narrow cobbled climb of Main Street. I suspect that we will not be able to because of Tourist numbers. If so, we can either walk our bikes up to take a look at the official route, or just stay on the B6142 and ride round it, rejoining the route at the top of Main St. From there we can stay on the Tour route all the way back to Hebden Bridge - descend into a dip, then steep climb back out. Turn left and descend to Lower Laithe reservoir, then do the steep little climb of Penistone Hill and descend off it to Oxenhope. From there, it is a 2 mile climb back up to Cock Hill at about 6%, then a nice 4.5 mile descent back to Hebden Bridge. The second loop is about 19 miles.
Map of loop 2
Profile of loop 2
So, if you do both loops without the bonus scenic detour, that would be about 57 miles. With the detour, about 60 miles. The pace will be easy, speed of the slowest rider. Including stops and taking the hills into account, I reckon we will probably average no more than about 15 kph (9 mph) overall.
We'll be aiming to set off at 10:00 so let's meet at Market Place car park, Hebden Bridge, at 09:45 on Saturday, 5th July. (Map showing car parks)
The centre of Hebden Bridge is now pedestrianised and there is a one-way system. To get to the car park turn right up Commercial Street as you come into HB from the Halifax direction, second left after about 100 yards by the White Lion. Follow that road round over the river. The car park is then on your right.
If you are coming from the Todmorden direction, turn left down Old Gate (one way street) at the end of Market Street, just after the bar/pub on your left. Follow the road round past the (boarded up) Hole in t'Wall. The car park is straight ahead on the right just beyond the new council buildings.
If anybody decides to turn up UNannounced (it has happened before
) make sure that you get to Market Place car park by 09:45 because we won't be hanging about once all those officially riding have gathered!
I reckon we might get back from the second loop at about 16:00, maybe even a bit later. (Told you it would be slow!) The local parking wardens nab people all the time, so pay for a full day in the car park - it is a lot cheaper than paying a hefty fine!
Post below if you fancy coming along!
Stage 1 of the Tour is on Saturday 5th July and traverses the Yorkshire Dales, which are 20+ miles north of here. Stage 2 comes through Hebden Bridge on Sunday 6th July, and carries on down to finish in Sheffield.
Fnaar and I are proposing to ride some of the local stage 2 route on the Saturday. I know that many of you who come here for Tour weekend will be up in the Dales for stage 1, but if anybody fancies joining us for this ride to get a taste of what the Tour riders will be tackling the following day, you would be welcome to join us.
I scaled back my original route. I looked at it and realised that it was pretty brutal. Even if you lot could manage it, I would have been at my limits and might have taken 9 hours to get round. So, the new route is shorter and easier, though still quite challenging. I have split it into 2 loops from Hebden Bridge, the idea being that we do the first loop, have a cafe stop here, then do the second loop. If anybody only wanted to do the first loop, that would be fine.
Loop 1: Follow the Tour route from Hebden Bridge to Mytholmroyd, then tackle the 'Cote de Cragg Vale'. It is England's longest continuous climb, but isn't too scary unless the weather turns nasty. Turn left at the top after 5.5 miles of climbing, and descend the A58 to Ripponden where we would turn right and tackle our second Tour climb, the stiff slopes of the 'Cote de Ripponden Bank'! There we would leave the Tour route and drop down into the valley after Barkisland. Climb back out of the valley through Stainland to the A640 at Outlane. We will come off the A640 and then continue climbing to the top of Scapegoat Hill. This is just a scenic detour which will eventually bring us back onto the A640 higher up at Pole Moor. From there, we will do a nice little circuit of Scammonden Water on a singletrack lane, followed by a steep climb back up to the B6114 at Moselden Height. A quick descent over the M62, then a small rise to Ringstone Edge reservoir where we turn back to our left to follow a singletrack lane to the foot of Booth Wood reservoir and then climb up to the A672. Another quick descent brings us to Rishworth. We then have to climb some very steep, narrow lanes to get us up to Blue Ball Lane, and can then take one of my favourite local routes back to Hebden Bridge. We drop down into Mytholmroyd and can go back to Hebden Bridge on the A646 or take the Calder Valley Cycleway to avoid the traffic. 38 miles, or a few more if we decide to add one of my 'scenic detours' before the descent to Mytholmroyd
There are lots of cafes to choose from in Hebden Bridge. We can decide which to go to when we get back here.
Map of loop 1
Profile of loop 1
Loop 2: Climb the Keighley Road 4 miles to Cock Hill, then plunge down to Oxenhope. This is the reverse of the route to be taken by the Tour riders, but we will be coming back the other way later! From Oxenhope, ride along Haworth Brow as far as the B6142 which is where the peloton will arrive from Keighley. Descend the B6142 into Haworth, take a look at the steam trains there if we fancy that, then climb the steep little hill up the side of the park. The Tour riders will be going up the narrow cobbled climb of Main Street. I suspect that we will not be able to because of Tourist numbers. If so, we can either walk our bikes up to take a look at the official route, or just stay on the B6142 and ride round it, rejoining the route at the top of Main St. From there we can stay on the Tour route all the way back to Hebden Bridge - descend into a dip, then steep climb back out. Turn left and descend to Lower Laithe reservoir, then do the steep little climb of Penistone Hill and descend off it to Oxenhope. From there, it is a 2 mile climb back up to Cock Hill at about 6%, then a nice 4.5 mile descent back to Hebden Bridge. The second loop is about 19 miles.
Map of loop 2
Profile of loop 2
So, if you do both loops without the bonus scenic detour, that would be about 57 miles. With the detour, about 60 miles. The pace will be easy, speed of the slowest rider. Including stops and taking the hills into account, I reckon we will probably average no more than about 15 kph (9 mph) overall.
We'll be aiming to set off at 10:00 so let's meet at Market Place car park, Hebden Bridge, at 09:45 on Saturday, 5th July. (Map showing car parks)
The centre of Hebden Bridge is now pedestrianised and there is a one-way system. To get to the car park turn right up Commercial Street as you come into HB from the Halifax direction, second left after about 100 yards by the White Lion. Follow that road round over the river. The car park is then on your right.
If you are coming from the Todmorden direction, turn left down Old Gate (one way street) at the end of Market Street, just after the bar/pub on your left. Follow the road round past the (boarded up) Hole in t'Wall. The car park is straight ahead on the right just beyond the new council buildings.
If anybody decides to turn up UNannounced (it has happened before
) make sure that you get to Market Place car park by 09:45 because we won't be hanging about once all those officially riding have gathered!I reckon we might get back from the second loop at about 16:00, maybe even a bit later. (Told you it would be slow!) The local parking wardens nab people all the time, so pay for a full day in the car park - it is a lot cheaper than paying a hefty fine!
Post below if you fancy coming along!
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