41 miles and a few hills, Saturday, from Hebden Bridge - anybody fancy it?

[ColinJ]

Hi all.

Calum just PM'd me and asked if I fancy a ride from Hebden Bridge on Saturday morning. The forecast is that it will be bitterly cold but with nice clear skies so that doesn't sound too bad compared with what we've had recently.

Those who know me, know that I prefer quiet hilly lanes but I'm afraid that they are pretty dodgy round here at the moment...

... so I won't want to risk anything other than A- and B-roads!

I'm thinking of Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd, Cragg Vale climb ('longest continuous gradient in England' - 968 feet in 5.5 miles), Blackstone Edge, descent to Littleborough, drag up to Summit, blast down Burnley Road, climb to Sharneyford, descent to Bacup, Waterfoot, drag up through Water to Deerplay Moor, descent to junction with A646, cafe stop there just before Walk Mill, drag up through Holme Chapel, nice quick blast down through Portsmouth and Cornholme to Todmorden, and back to Hebden Bridge.

I make that 41 miles with about 15 miles of it uphill. Nice steady climbing (read slow - I'm not fit!), and some good fast descents (assuming that there isn't any ice about).

Calum suggested meeting up about 11:00 which gives us plenty of time to get round in daylight and have a good cafe stop (at the 29 mile point).

Anybody fancy coming along?

 

[Bokonon]

Much as I would like to join you, I am leaving Leeds Bradford Airport in the small hours of Saturday morning to search for some proper snow in the mountains of Romania. That said, it looks like the weather is actually better in Romania than it is here and I'm doubtful I'll actually get to the airport...

 

[ColinJ]

Much as I would like to join you, I am leaving Leeds Bradford Airport in the small hours of Saturday morning to search for some proper snow in the mountains of Romania. That said, it looks like the weather is actually better in Romania than it is here and I'm doubtful I'll actually get to the airport...

That sounds good - I hope you manage to catch your plane!

It's been cold here today, but we haven't really had much snow yet. We're supposed to have a few wintry showers overnight, but nothing too bad.

I just bought the local paper and I read that the Mytholmroyd - Blackstone Edge road was closed by snow earlier in the week, but I imagine that it will be okay at the weekend.

 

[Calum]

I like the idea of avoiding country lanes, they look like a nightmare at the moment!

 

[Calum]

Colin, do you think it's a good idea to meet at the train station this time? My train gets in at 10:56, so if we met in the same place as last time, i'd be a few minutes late.

 

[ColinJ]

Colin, do you think it's a good idea to meet at the train station this time? My train gets in at 10:56, so if we met in the same place as last time, i'd be a few minutes late.

If anybody else decides to come over by car we could arrange to meet at that car park in town at 11:00ish, but if it is going to be just the two of us, I'll meet you in the station car park at 11:00 (or as soon after that as your train gets in).

Does anybody else fancy coming along tomorrow... Colly?

 

[colly]

Hi Colin,

Sorry mate I can't make tomorrow, I am on 'family' duty.

I saw you suggested this a few days ago and was seeing if I could mange it but I am afraid I can't this time.

Hope you have a good ride anyway.

 

[ColinJ]

Hi Colin,

Sorry mate I can't make tomorrow, I am on 'family' duty.

I saw you suggested this a few days ago and was seeing if I could mange it but I am afraid I can't this time.

Hope you have a good ride anyway.

Fair enough.

I'm still hoping to do the mini-North-West-Passage on Saturday 21st Feb but the way the weather is this winter, anything could happen! Perhaps I'll see you there?

Oops - I've just noticed that entries are supposed to be in by tomorrow - I'll get mine in the post this afternoon! There is a phone number for the organiser. I'm sure that it would be possible to get in if you rang him up.

 

[Calum]

'Just the two of us' as the song goes. See you in the morning Colin, shame you couldn't make it Colly, have fun at work!

 

[vernon]

Fair enough.

I'm still hoping to do the mini-North-West-Passage on Saturday 21st Feb but the way the weather is this winter, anything could happen! Perhaps I'll see you there?

Oops - I've just noticed that entries are supposed to be in by tomorrow - I'll get mine in the post this afternoon! There is a phone number for the organiser. I'm sure that it would be possible to get in if you rang him up.

I think that the organiser is quite relaxed about entries on the line. It's a well attended event and there's lots of roadies out for their first serious ride of the year.

I'm hoping to get around a tad faster than is normal for me as I've a CTC DA awards dinner to go to in York afterwards.

The past three rides have been fine. Last year's was the coldest of the three that I've ridden - there was a lot of salt on the roads my chain rusted up overnight.

 

[ColinJ]

It's exactly as forecast here today - bright blue skies, but very cold. Apparently, we should have a decent tailwind going up to Blackstone Edge, which will make a nice change!

Oh well, it's time to stop messing about on t'Internet and get ready or young Calum will be kept waiting!




STOP PRESS Ooh, I just got a call - another couple of riders will be joining us - yippee!

RESTOP PRESS Aaaargh - text just in from Calum! His tyre has split and he can't make it! Calum - maybe tomorrow, mate! I'll go and meet the others now...

 

[Calum]

Heavy snow is predicted for west Yorkshire tomorrow, so I don't think another ride tomorrow is a good idea!

 

[colly]

I have sent off my form for the ''North West Passage'' so with a bit of luck it will get there on time and I will be ''in''.

I have a feeling the form will arrive late but I will just have to wait and see.
However if all goes well and I am coming on the 21st then anyone from the Leeds area who wants a lift let me know. I have 3 seats including me and a van that will take several bikes.

Colin have you done this event before? How taxing is it? I have some kind of vague idea that seeing as how it is 75 miles doing another 25 would be a convenient way to get it over the 100.
Of course it might be too damn cold or whatever but it's just an idea.

How did your trip out today go?

 

[ColinJ]

Calum - I think you are right about tomorrow. I have quite a lot to do and I don't fancy getting caught out in a blizzard. I'm free next weekend if you want to do something then? Saturday or Sunday are equally good for me, but let's take a rain-check (or should that be snow-check?) on that.

Colly, the ride went well today thank you (apart from Calum's unfortunate cut-tyre-induced DNS). I'm writing it up for my blog this evening, so I'll post a link to that blog entry later.

As for the mini-NWP - yes, I did that last year, including the extra bits between HB and Rochdale. If you do the extra via Todmorden (which is the sensible way when not super-fit, since it avoids climbing to Blackstone Edge twice!), you do the Rochdale to Todmorden road 3 times. That's Tod to the start, then the event route brings the riders the other way, and at the end of the day, you have to do it again. It's not the most fantastic stretch of road to do three times in a day, but it's not that bad that I wouldn't do it again!

From Tod, it's a long steady drag up through Cliviger Gorge towards Burnley, then through the urban sprawl of Burnley, Brierfield, Nelson, and Barrowford. Don't forget that this is a late-winter route so it is designed to take roads which are likely to be well-gritted, rather than the scenic hilly lanes which are taken by events later in the year.

From Barrowford, the route goes up the A682. That is a nice climb, but you have to watch the traffic on that road (It's narrow and twisty in places and drivers sometimes don't give you enough room).

************* this bit might be tricky in bad weather! *************
We'd leave the main NWP route at Gisburn. The main route continues on an A-road fest to Settle, Kirkby Lonsdale, Lancaster and back round to rejoin the mini-NWP route at Wilpshire just north of Blackburn.

From Gisburn, the mini-NWP goes round some nice bits of the Ribble Valley - Bolton-by-Bowland, Sawley, Waddington (a 'control' at the nice cyclist cafe there IIRC), Great Mitton, Whalley...

The official mini-NWP route then takes A-roads round to where it rejoins the main route. I found a more scenic route last year which involves a nice climb and descent on quiet roads.
********************************************************

We are supposed to follow the A6119 to the infamous Whitebirk roundabout which has 3 A-roads and the M65 converging on it! It is one of the biggest roundabouts in the world, and not one of those things that I enjoy doing on a bicycle...

Fortunately, a local rider showed me a diversion behind some industrial units which completely bypasses the roundabout...!

We pass through Oswaldtwistle and climb over Oswaldtwistle Moor to Haslingden. After passing through Haslingden, we come to another roundabout and it is very easy to take the wrong exit there! I almost ended up heading towards the M66...

The correct road takes us through Edenfield and then over another moorland climb past the famous 'Owd Betts' Inn.

Then it's a fast run down into Rochdale.

On the full NWP in 2007, I wasn't quick enough to get round in daylight and I really didn't enjoy the last bit in the dark when it was cold, and cars were going past far too fast and too close. That's why I did the mini-version last year. It was much nicer doing it in the sunshine.

The run back through Rochdale isn't very glamorous! I had GPS to guide me. It might seem a bit complicated to navigate without that.

There's pie and peas available at the end, but I didn't really have enough time to spare to take up the offer.

I got back to Hebden Bridge about 30 minutes before sunset. I had lights with me just-in-case.

I wasn't really fit enough to tackle it last year so I was pretty tired at the end! I reckon that I'll be slightly fitter this time, but I'm also heavier which won't help on the hills.

Oh heck, in-for-a-penny and all that! My entry form went in today.

The weather will be the decider. If it has warmed up, I'd definitely be up for the extended mini-NWP again. If not, I won't be!



Does that answer your question?

 

[longers]

I'll be sending off an entry for the miniNWP passage tomorrow so hope to see you there, barring a disaster. I haven't done a decent ride since the CC Holme Moss loop in November with one thing and another .