England : West Yorkshire Forum ride: Hebden Bridge to Wharfedale, bank holiday Monday (May 26th)

[kiwi-Sal]

Hi Colin - unfortunately I cant make either date. I am on holiday and am not back until the 3rd June. This northern weather.....ggrrrhhhhh....

 

[Littgull]

Colin, unfortunately I can't make the 31st May either. Roll on the 7th June and hopefully better weather.

 

[ColinJ]

Well, the weather may have scuppered this ride for now, but it looks like it will break early next week which is great for me because I have hundreds of miles of cycling planned - Hebden Bridge to Nottingham (stay with niece), Nottingham to Coventry (stay with older sister), Cotswold Challenge with Dave r, Coventry to Towcester (stay with younger sister), explore villages round Silverstone, Towcester back to Coventry, train to Preston then ride back to Hebden Bridge from there, about 400 miles in total. Watch out for reports in the 'Your Ride Today' thread!

If I can do that little lot without collapsing, then I should really be up for this delayed Dales ride and the subsequent Bowland ride.

 

[Littgull]

That sounds a terrific schedule you have drawn up there, Colin. You have made great progress with your fitness and health since your illness.

Good luck with it and have a great ride and time with your family.

 

[Steve H]

Sorry the 24th and 31st aren't good for me. Doesn't sound like they are good for many others either.

Can I make one more suggestion - how about the last bank holiday Monday in May? Think this is Mon 26th?

 

[ColinJ]

That sounds a terrific schedule you have drawn up there, Colin. You have made great progress with your fitness and health since your illness.

Good luck with it and have a great ride and time with your family.

Thanks!

I'm not quite ready to do the full ride to Coventry in one go, which is a hilly 140-odd miles through the hills of West Yorkshire and the Peak District. (I did it both ways (a week apart) in 2007.) Still, the ride to Nottingham will be a hilly 75 miler and should be fun.

I tried to find a nice route into Nottingham but it was getting complicated and extending the distance too much so I am slightly cheating and am catching a train from Ambergate to Beeston. That is only £5.10 and I can do most of the Nottingham end on the Beeston canal towpath. I am going to use the same towpath and the path by the river Trent to get out of Nottingham the next day, and then it is a very easy 55 miler to Coventry which is largely flat, just a bit of climbing at Charnwood Forest, near Coalville.

Sorry the 24th and 31st aren't good for me. Doesn't sound like they are good for many others either.

Can I make one more suggestion - how about the last bank holiday Monday in May? Think this is Mon 26th?

Oh - good thinking ... The cafe would probably be busy, but we can join the queue!

So ... would Monday 26th suit more people?

 

[ColinJ]

I woke up at the time that we would have been setting off this morning, and the sun was shining so I felt a bit guilty for postponing the ride!

I went and stood outside and there was a strong, chilly, blustery wind blowing, and thick clouds were scudding overhead. It looked like the forecast rain might not arrive, but then ...

The sky suddenly went black and an intense downfall started! Raindrops were bouncing back about 18 inches into the air from the road surface. The storm lasted about 10 minutes, long enough to have got us and the roads absolutely sodden, and then conditions eased. Now it is alternating between bright spells, and showers. I'm sure that there will be more heavy rain later, and these are ideal conditions for a late afternoon thunderstorm to develop.

Let's do the ride on a nice day later this month, or if need be, the end of June!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I woke up this morning to a right noise and it turned out to be the rain

 

[Kestevan]

Monday 24th is a distinct possibility for me.......might have to grovel to SWMBO though

 

[ColinJ]

Monday 24th is a distinct possibility for me.......might have to grovel to SWMBO though

Is that Saturday the 24th or Monday the 26th?

 

[Steve H]

Monday 24th is a distinct possibility for me.......might have to grovel to SWMBO though

Get some grovelling done mate. We need the miles.

 

[Kestevan]

Is that Saturday the 24th or Monday the 26th?

Stop picking on me......I'm suffering from cabin fever due to scheduled rides being cancelled at the last minute......

Monday 26th is (probably) OK for me (groveling allowing) .

 

[ColinJ]

After a worryingly sunny start, the forecasters came through with a stinker of a day to be out on the bike! I was suitably glad to be home in the warm and dry.

I spent the afternoon changing the route of my coming ride down to Nottingham. There was a busy road through Bakewell which I didn't really fancy so I decided to find a better one. I am now going to be doing a lovely ride over the tops above Matlock. I used Street View to check it and it is quiet, almost flat (after the initial climb up from Froggatt) and scenic.

 

[Maverick Goose]

It's nice over that way....used to head over there often when I lived in Hartington. The views are well worth the initial sweat!

 

[nickyboy]

After a worryingly sunny start, the forecasters came through with a stinker of a day to be out on the bike! I was suitably glad to be home in the warm and dry.

I spent the afternoon changing the route of my coming ride down to Nottingham. There was a busy road through Bakewell which I didn't really fancy so I decided to find a better one. I am now going to be doing a lovely ride over the tops above Matlock. I used Street View to check it and it is quiet, almost flat (after the initial climb up from Froggatt) and scenic.

When are you riding over my way? If it doesn't clash with work or crap weather I could ride with you for a while. I guess you're going Snake - Hathersage - Grindleford - Froggat? If you want some company let me know when you're planning to hit Glossop and from what direction.