Todmorden to Waddington, Sat 5th Nov

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I was starting to feel like I was coming down with something yesterday, but feel much better now. I think that I will stay off the bike today though, just in case.

It is looking like a very cold start in the morning ~4 C and riding into a stiff northerly wind!

Definitely a day for wearing the winter leggings. Last year I was wearing shorts to cycle in well into mid December. We didn't really get any cold weather until February and March. Most forecasters (including the Met Office - who I tend to think are the most credible) are saying that this winter will have much more frequent cold snaps from early on throughout the winter. I much prefer that though to long periods of mild weather with relentless rain!

I like the cafe stop at Country Kitchen, Waddington. Colin will recall that when we did the Seasons of Mists audax in early October I accidentally left my best drinks bottle outside where we parked our bikes. It was too far to go back and retrieve it by the time I realised it. But I Phoned them up the following week (they don't open on Mondays and Tuesdays) and they had kindly kept it safe for me. So a couple of weeks later when we were within a few miles of Waddington, I was happily reunited with my bottle.

See you tomorrow, chaps.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
I'm chilling in the caravan, but not in the way I would like.

Even I might not want to stop every five minutes for a cigar tomorrow.

Eeek, I'm turning into an (e)roadie.

Let's hope that cafe's got the heating on.
 

Svendo

Guru
Location
Walsden
I'm afraid I'm unlikely to make it in the morning. Child is ill and fractious so I should stay home and relieve Mrs. Svendo, after selfishly buggering off to work all week!
 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
I'm afraid I'm unlikely to make it in the morning. Child is ill and fractious so I should stay home and relieve Mrs. Svendo, after selfishly buggering off to work all week!
Oh dear ... Never mind, another time, eh? And you @NorthernDave, @colly!

I've just caught up with the track cycling from Glasgow. One episode of 'Narcos' and then I'll turn in.

PS The sniffles seem to be coming back, but I should be ok for the ride. If I am coming down with something, let it be after I get home tomorrow! :okay:
 

NorthernDave

Never used Über Member
Take it steady out there today - it's a bit breezy!
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
Nice to see you this morning, albeit briefly while we rode with you from Spring Wood to Cow Ark. We went on over Marl Hill towards Slaidburn then turned right on the Grindleton road and then branched left for coffee and scones in Holden Clough. Colin, the lane running over Marl Hill NNW from Cow Ark to the Newton-Waddington Fell road has been top-dressed, which is a big improvement as it was in really ropey condition. One of the few times I've felt top-dressing was the right solution. However there was a lot of traffic using the lane and when we reached the Waddington Fell road we saw diversion signs so there must be a road closed somewhere else - perhaps the Bridge replacement mentioned on Dunsop Road on the LCC website. Come to think of it, this would be the reason why LCC top-dressed the lane.

Edit: I forgot to mention that a great destination for a winter ride would be Greendale View Country Kitchen just on the Chatburn side of Downham. It's run by Trevor and Louise and their family who used to run Puddleducks in Dunsop Bridge and the food is as good as ever, and still reasonably priced. They have a roaring log stove and plenty of space and even a sheltered bike rack. The atmosphere inside is always warm, dry and well ventilated thanks to the stove.
 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
I met Littgull and Pale Rider in Todmorden as arranged and we set off on time. The forecast cold northerly wind was there trying to blow us back whence we came. It was nagging rather than horrendous; I wouldn't have liked it any stronger!

We met Oldfentiger on the Padiham Greenway at about 10:00, and then headed for Spring Wood.

Globalti, his son, Sam, and their pal Ian were waiting for us there. They said their hellos and joined us as far as our right turn after Bashall Eaves and Before Cow Ark. They went off to do their own thing, and we headed for our cafe stop at Waddington.

Nice to see you this morning, albeit briefly while we rode with you from Spring Wood to Cow Ark. We went on over Marl Hill towards Slaidburn then turned right on the Grindleton road and then branched left for coffee and scones in Holden Clough. Colin, the lane running over Marl Hill NNW from Cow Ark to the Newton-Waddington Fell road has been top-dressed, which is a big improvement as it was in really ropey condition. One of the few times I've felt top-dressing was the right solution. However there was a lot of traffic using the lane and when we reached the Waddington Fell road we saw diversion signs so there must be a road closed somewhere else - perhaps the Bridge replacement mentioned on Dunsop Road on the LCC website. Come to think of it, this would be the reason why LCC top-dressed the lane.

Edit: I forgot to mention that a great destination for a winter ride would be Greendale View Country Kitchen just on the Chatburn side of Downham. It's run by Trevor and Louise and their family who used to run Puddleducks in Dunsop Bridge and the food is as good as ever, and still reasonably priced. They have a roaring log stove and plenty of space and even a sheltered bike rack. The atmosphere inside is always warm, dry and well ventilated thanks to the stove.
Yes, nice to see you, Sam, and Ian!

I hadn't thought of the Dunsop Bridge roadworks as being the reason for resurfacing the Cow Ark-Newton road, but you are probably right, and as you point out - that road desperately needed it.

If the December weather is kind to us, then perhaps we will do one more ride out to the Ribble Valley before Christmas, though once again we would probably be avoiding as many hills as possible, and keeping the distance down to about 80 km/50 miles.

Back to the ride ...

It felt warmer in the sunshine than the forecast 6 C, so we sat outside the cafe. Eventually,a big cloud blew in front of the sun and temperatures plummeted. Clearly the air temperature was not very high, and it was only direct sunshine and exertion which had been keeping us warm.

Oldfentiger came most of the way back towards Padiham with us before turning off and heading for home.

The ride back from Padiham to Todmorden felt very easy with what was now a good tailwind assisting us.

I clocked 85km/53 miles today. Brian had decided that he would ride the long way back to Littleborough via the Cragg Vale climb to Blackstone Edge. He wanted to get up there as darkness was arriving so he could look down over Rochdale and Greater Manchester and watch out for firework displays. I toyed with the idea of going with him some of the way to get a 100 km ride in but I was feeling a bit cold by the time that we got back to Todmorden so I decided to settle for what we had already done.

It was then about 3 pm and sunset was at about 4:30 so Brian had to kill some time or he would get to the Blackstone Edge summit before darkness fell. The 3 of opted for a second cafe stop, at a cafe on the main road opposite Tod park.

After we had consumed our goodies, I saw that there was a Senior Citizen's special offer of a free drink with certain food orders. That begged the question of who exactly qualified as a Senior Citizen! Funnily enough, the cafe owners had not really decided that. I whipped out my Senior Railcard and they decided that would be good enough to qualify me in future. (I wasn't going to be tight and ask for a refund on my order!)

Enjoyable ride in good company as usual. Thanks to @ColinJ for route planning and organising.
Nice to see you again too, Phil, plus Rob (Pale Rider) and Brian (Littgull) of course.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
It was good to meet old friends again and rather fun to have a mini-welcoming committee of new people at Spring Wood.

Mind, the @Globalti contingent looked a bit hard core, don't think I'd risk riding many miles with them.

Speaking of strong riders, I was struck by the number of long-legged, obviously fit roadies we saw

There was a lad on an Orbea who passed us when we were doing about 15mph.

I think @Globalti was tempted to take him on.

I saw the same Orbea rider again when I was sitting outside the cafe at Waddington, having taken a short cut to get there.

He stared at me quizzically for a second or two as if to say: "How did that ruddy ebike rider get here before me?"
 
It was good to meet old friends again and rather fun to have a mini-welcoming committee of new people at Spring Wood.

Mind, the @Globalti contingent looked a bit hard core, don't think I'd risk riding many miles with them.

Speaking of strong riders, I was struck by the number of long-legged, obviously fit roadies we saw

There was a lad on an Orbea who passed us when we were doing about 15mph.

I think @Globalti was tempted to take him on.

I saw the same Orbea rider again when I was sitting outside the cafe at Waddington, having taken a short cut to get there.

He stared at me quizzically for a second or two as if to say: "How did that ruddy ebike rider get here before me?"


Another fine ride in great company on a gloriously cold, crisp and sunny day.

Many thanks to @ColinJ for organising it. Good to see @Globalti, his friend Ian and son Sam too.

Rob's anecdote re the fast lad on the Orbea bike made me chuckle.

I clocked a total mileage of 76 miles in the end. Cycling the 6 miles from Littleborough to Todmorden this morning and then , as planned, after bidding farewell to Colin and Rob at Tod I rode up to Hebden Bridge, lingered for 20 minutes there for the darkness to ripen and then on to Mytholmroyd to climb the Cragg Vale Road. I've ridden that iconic climb loads of times but always in daylight. Equipped with my super duper bright bargain Cree clip on light I marvelled at the night sky and got totally absorbed in the atmosphere of it. This got me thinking about doing the occasional short night ride up on the moors to experience again the splendour of it. When I arrived at the top I pulled in briefly to the lay-by where the ice cream van usually occupies on a warmer day and phoned Mrs Littgull to let her know I would be home in 10 minutes. Turned out she was on the train coming back from Manchester and wouldn't arrive home before me. So as I didn't have a house key on me I decided to cycle on through Littleborough, turn down through Smithybridge, up to Hollingsworth Lake and on to home. A good decision as Mrs LG arrived a couple of minutes before me.

I never actually saw any fireworks as the 'festivities' seemed to start about half an hour after I got home but my longer route home was still very well worth it.
A great day out.
 

Pale Rider

Legendary Member
I clocked a total mileage of 76 miles in the end.

That's some effort for any cyclist in that terrain, let alone one who is planning for retirement.

Shame you missed the fireworks.

I saw some bonfire action as I crossed Saddleworth on the M62, including a large pall of black smoke that looked as if it came from something a bit bigger than a fireworks bonfire.

I like your idea of a short night ride up there.

The full 'finish at breakfast time' sketch wouldn't interest me, but we've plenty of darkness to go at this time of year so I wonder if something could be organised which gets the job done without trying to turn night into day.
 
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