FLAT imperial century (metric century option) from Garforth, Saturday 10th July 2021

[Soltydog]

I'm gonna up my training too Did a hundred mile ride on Thursday & 80 today, so I'm well on my way to fitness
I can get 4 cheap train tickets for anyone using Northern trains to get there, Colin, Pale Rider & 2 others?

 

[ColinJ]

I'm gonna up my training too Did a hundred mile ride on Thursday & 80 today, so I'm well on my way to fitness

You are clearly already at the required level. Maybe you need to start a long slow training taper before the ride? You don't want to risk burn-out!

I can get 4 cheap train tickets for anyone using Northern trains to get there, Colin, Pale Rider & 2 others?

Very nice of you. If it saves me on the £5.25 it would cost with my railcard, then yes please. I'm sure that @Littgull would be grateful for one too. His fare would be slightly higher than mine because he will be coming further.

 

[si_c]

I'm tempted, but I'm overweight, underfit and haven't done a ride of that distance since 2019, that and I'd have to add 20 miles on as I'd have to get a train to Leeds and ride to Garforth.

Put me down as a maybe though - see how my fitness gets in the next month, gives me something to aim for which is not nothing

Edit to add: I can get into North Wales again now so doing some hillier rides should help.

 

[ColinJ]

I'm tempted, but I'm overweight, underfit and haven't done a ride of that distance since 2019

It is a very easy route and we will be riding at a pretty modest pace. I don't see you having any problems with it!

I'd have to add 20 miles on as I'd have to get a train to Leeds and ride to Garforth.

I can see that you might have to add distance at your end, but from Leeds just do what Littgull and I do, which is change at Leeds for the Garforth train. The ride from Leeds to Garforth isn't great and it only takes a few minutes on the train.

 

[si_c]

It is a very easy route and we will be riding at a pretty modest pace. I don't see you having any problems with it!

It's as much about time in the saddle, I've not spend more than a couple of hours at a time, so I need to build up again, distance shouldn't be too much of an issue.

I can see that you might have to add distance at your end, but from Leeds just do what Littgull and I do, which is change at Leeds for the Garforth train. The ride from Leeds to Garforth isn't great and it only takes a few minutes on the train.

Trains from Liverpool are a bit broken it seems, I can't get a good connection to Garforth that leaves at a reasonable time. Liverpool to Leeds I can get a train that arrives 8:49 in Leeds, and it's 7miles which I reckon would probably take under a half hour, the next connecting train wouldn't get me there until 9.30. I've only taken a cursory look at trains though so there's probably room for improvement.

I'm not too bothered by the route to/from Leeds city centre though, looks reasonably straightforward. As someone who has commuted up and down dual carriageways daily for years they don't bother me too much, they're very predictable and I find them generally safer than other roads for that reason.

 

[ColinJ]

It's as much about time in the saddle, I've not spend more than a couple of hours at a time, so I need to build up again, distance shouldn't be too much of an issue.

That's a very good point - one I hadn't considered, and one that very definitely applies to me too! I have only done 3 or 4 rides over 2 hours long in 15 months, and they were only about 3 hours.

 

[Soltydog]

Trains from Liverpool are a bit broken it seems, I can't get a good connection to Garforth that leaves at a reasonable time. Liverpool to Leeds I can get a train that arrives 8:49 in Leeds, and it's 7miles which I reckon would probably take under a half hour, the next connecting train wouldn't get me there until 9.30. I've only taken a cursory look at trains though so there's probably room for improvement.

There's a timetable change coming on 17th May, certainly affects Northern, not sure about TPE. I haven't checked to see if the new times are online yet, knowing the railways, probably not

 

[Soltydog]

You are clearly already at the required level. Maybe you need to start a long slow training taper before the ride? You don't want to risk burn-out!


Very nice of you. If it saves me on the £5.25 it would cost with my railcard, then yes please. I'm sure that @Littgull would be grateful for one too. His fare would be slightly higher than mine because he will be coming further.

The cheap tickets I can get are more than £5.25

My mileage went a bit silly during the first lockdown & hasn't really slowed up. An awful lot of time on the turbo, staying safe, there's not been much else to do during the lockdowns

 

[ColinJ]

The cheap tickets I can get are more than £5.25

I had a feeling that they might be! The other ones you gave me saved me quite a lot when I treated the family to a day trip to Liverpool but the fare from here to Garforth is pretty low to start with and I get 1/3 off with my Old Fogey Senior railcard.

 

[Littgull]

You are clearly already at the required level. Maybe you need to start a long slow training taper before the ride? You don't want to risk burn-out!


Very nice of you. If it saves me on the £5.25 it would cost with my railcard, then yes please. I'm sure that @Littgull would be grateful for one too. His fare would be slightly higher than mine because he will be coming further.

That's brill @Soltydog, many thanks for your kind offer.

 

[Pale Rider]

I can get 4 cheap train tickets for anyone using Northern trains to get there, Colin, Pale Rider & 2 others?

Thanks for the kind offer @Soltydog.

If I do the ride, I will be car assisted, although you did encourage me to investigate the train as a possibility.

Seems unlikely it would work anyway.

I'm not sure if there are sufficient trains at the right time for there and back in a day, and the return looks to be two hours plus with three changes.

Hard work with a lumpy ebike, not to mention having to convince three different guards to carry a bike.

Pity, because the handful of train assisted rides I have done have been great - much better than using the car.

 

[Buck]

@ColinJ i called into the cafe stop (rude not to!) at Mrs B’s kitchen in Cawood Caravan Park yesterday whilst on a ride. All open and they just suggested ringing during the week before to advise on numbers and approximate time of arrival.

 

[ColinJ]

@ColinJ i called into the cafe stop (rude not to!) at Mrs B’s kitchen in Cawood Caravan Park yesterday whilst on a ride. All open and they just suggested ringing during the week before to advise on numbers and approximate time of arrival.

Cheers. I was just thinking of bumping this thread back to life but you have done it for me!

I still haven't done any long rides but I can't use the weather for an excuse now...

 

[Buck]

As you say, no excuses now!

Do we have a list of potential riders?

 

[ColinJ]

Do we have a list of potential riders?

I'll go back through the thread in the next day or two to list everyone so far, and I'll also tag everybody who was on the previous Garforth ride to see if they want to come along again.