ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Hi there hill-lovers!
I was down to ride our local 'Season of Mists' audax event today but wimped out due to foul weather. It is a great route so I still intend to ride it before the winter closes in on us. I thought that I'd offer it as a forum ride, so here it is. [NB There wouldn't be much point in missing one foul weather ride only to replace it with a near-identical foul weather ride, so if the forecast turns out awful for the 20th, I might postpone the ride to the 27th.]
The audax event traditionally started in Hebden Bridge, which was handy for me because I used to live there. Then the start/finish got moved a couple of miles down the Calder Valley to Mytholmroyd. Both versions involved the steep climb to Heptonstall village very early in the ride; always a wee bit challenging!
There isn't a lot of point in me riding down the valley to where the audax starts/finishes when I can come up with a similarly challenging climb to the Long Causeway from my new home town of Todmorden, so we will start and finish in Tod instead.
The local trains are currently not running on Saturdays due to the RMT dispute with Northern rail so you will have to either drive or ride here. Let's meet up at the Dalton Street car park (free parking!) at 08:50 with a view to setting off at 09:00. It is across the side street next to Todmorden Bus station.
Sunset will be at 18:01. We should be back by then, but it would be a good idea to bring lights just in case.
@Littgull intends to ride with me, and anybody else who is fit enough to tackle a very hilly metric century is welcome to join us. You'd have to be happy with some climbs (and descents!) at 15-25% and lots at 10+%. I haven't measured the ascent exactly but the 102 km (63 mile) route will involve around 2,500 m (8,200 ft) of climbing. NOT a route for hill-phobes!
You don't have to be fast, and would actually be irritated if you like to ride fast! Littgull and I prefer to ride along at a steady, chatty pace together, except on climbs where we (and anyone else) climb at whatever pace feels comfortable and regroup at the summits. We will probably average around 15 kph (9 mph) moving speed.
We will have one cafe stop, at the halfway point in Slaidburn.
Map of route (loop ridden clockwise):
Elevation Profile:
GPX file of route attached. NB I have uploaded a modified GPX file to tidy up the route and incorporate a diversion through Pendleton because of road works.
Express your interest below!
I was down to ride our local 'Season of Mists' audax event today but wimped out due to foul weather. It is a great route so I still intend to ride it before the winter closes in on us. I thought that I'd offer it as a forum ride, so here it is. [NB There wouldn't be much point in missing one foul weather ride only to replace it with a near-identical foul weather ride, so if the forecast turns out awful for the 20th, I might postpone the ride to the 27th.]
The audax event traditionally started in Hebden Bridge, which was handy for me because I used to live there. Then the start/finish got moved a couple of miles down the Calder Valley to Mytholmroyd. Both versions involved the steep climb to Heptonstall village very early in the ride; always a wee bit challenging!
There isn't a lot of point in me riding down the valley to where the audax starts/finishes when I can come up with a similarly challenging climb to the Long Causeway from my new home town of Todmorden, so we will start and finish in Tod instead.
The local trains are currently not running on Saturdays due to the RMT dispute with Northern rail so you will have to either drive or ride here. Let's meet up at the Dalton Street car park (free parking!) at 08:50 with a view to setting off at 09:00. It is across the side street next to Todmorden Bus station.
Sunset will be at 18:01. We should be back by then, but it would be a good idea to bring lights just in case.
@Littgull intends to ride with me, and anybody else who is fit enough to tackle a very hilly metric century is welcome to join us. You'd have to be happy with some climbs (and descents!) at 15-25% and lots at 10+%. I haven't measured the ascent exactly but the 102 km (63 mile) route will involve around 2,500 m (8,200 ft) of climbing. NOT a route for hill-phobes!
You don't have to be fast, and would actually be irritated if you like to ride fast! Littgull and I prefer to ride along at a steady, chatty pace together, except on climbs where we (and anyone else) climb at whatever pace feels comfortable and regroup at the summits. We will probably average around 15 kph (9 mph) moving speed.
We will have one cafe stop, at the halfway point in Slaidburn.
Map of route (loop ridden clockwise):
Elevation Profile:
GPX file of route attached. NB I have uploaded a modified GPX file to tidy up the route and incorporate a diversion through Pendleton because of road works.
Express your interest below!
Attachments
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