Forum Ride from Hebden Bridge to Slaidburn, Sun 10th July

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ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Whoops - I forgot to start this thread sooner; sorry for the lack of notice!

Potsy and bromptonfb said that they fancied another ride to Waddington this weekend, but I thought we might ride to Slaidburn instead for a change!

I've come up with a scenic 113 km (70 mile) route with about 2,000 m of climbs (6,500 ft).

There is a good cafe by the river in Slaidburn - Riverbank Tearooms. (The cafe stop comes early in this ride, at 48 km, but the hardest climbing takes place before that so it will be close to halfway in terms of time and effort.)

The first and last sections of the route will be familiar to those who have done the earlier Waddington rides, but the middle section will be new to many of you and is well worth tackling.

The biggest hills come in the first half. I've chosen to avoid the climb of Waddington Fell and bring us back via the easier route of Dunsop Bridge and Walker Fold to Whalley, and then on the route that we used on the Waddington rides.

Route: Hebden Bridge, Slack, Widdop, Haggate, Brierfield, Fence, Newchurch-in-Pendle, Barley, Twiston Moor, Downham, Chatburn, Grindleton, Lane Ends, Slaidburn, Newton, Dunsop Bridge, Whitewell, Walker Fold, Mitton, Whalley, Read, Padiham, Padiham Greenway, Rose Grove, then (after a nasty little climb up to the Manchester Road traffic lights!) an easy run back on the A646 via Todmorden to Hebden Bridge.

*** Route Map will be added here soon

hb-slaidburn-whitewell-padiham-hb-profile.gif


Nobody will be left behind, but you should be confident that you can tackle a hilly ride of this distance. It will be slow, slow, slow. Don't come along and complain about it being slow. IT WILL BE SLOW! (We won't be riding quickly ... ;))

We'll be aiming to set off at 10:00 so let's meet at Market Place car park, Hebden Bridge, at 09:45 on Sunday, 10th July. (Map showing car park) map

The centre of Hebden Bridge is now pedestrianised and there is a one-way system. To get to the car park turn right up Commercial Street as you come into HB from the Halifax direction, second left after about 100 yards by the White Lion. Follow that road round over the river. The car park is then on your right.

If you are coming from the Todmorden direction, turn left down Old Gate (one way street) at the end of Market Street, just after the Inn on the Bridge on your left. Follow the road round past the Hole in t'Wall. The car park is straight ahead on the right.

If anybody decides to turn up announced (it has happened before) make sure that you get to Market Place car park by 09:45 because we won't be hanging about once all those officially riding have gathered!

I reckon we will get back at about 1800. (Told you it would be slow!)

Is anyone interested in joining me?
 

PaulB

Legendary Member
Location
Colne
That sounds nice but I think where I'm going for a bike ride is slightly nicer.

On closed (to cars) roads, I'll be riding from La Villa, through Corvara (where we're staying) and up the Campalongo pass and down into Arraba and then there's the 33 hairpin climb of the Passo Pordoi (greeted at the top by the statue of Fausto Coppi) and around the Sella to Val Gardena before down to Corvara and up over the Campalongo again and dropping for the second time to Arraba but then turning left and going through (getting a tad 'jealous' yet guys?) Pieve di Cadore and Livinalongo on the only flattish few kilometres of the entire route. Then it is left to us to make the decision; do we go left and up the brutally steep Falzarego or right for many lumpy kilometres before the steep, unrelenting 8 mile climb of the Giau before descending and attacking Falzarego from the other side? Decisions decisions! Once we've reached Valpairolo, there's a fair few kilometres left to go but all are totally effortless as it's all sweeping downhills and an outbreak of loveliness occurs!
 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
That sounds nice but I think where I'm going for a bike ride is slightly nicer.

On closed (to cars) roads, I'll be riding from La Villa, through Corvara (where we're staying) and up the Campalongo pass and down into Arraba and then there's the 33 hairpin climb of the Passo Pordoi (greeted at the top by the statue of Fausto Coppi) and around the Sella to Val Gardena before down to Corvara and up over the Campalongo again and dropping for the second time to Arraba but then turning left and going through (getting a tad 'jealous' yet guys?) Pieve di Cadore and Livinalongo on the only flattish few kilometres of the entire route. Then it is left to us to make the decision; do we go left and up the brutally steep Falzarego or right for many lumpy kilometres before the steep, unrelenting 8 mile climb of the Giau before descending and attacking Falzarego from the other side? Decisions decisions! Once we've reached Valpairolo, there's a fair few kilometres left to go but all are totally effortless as it's all sweeping downhills and an outbreak of loveliness occurs!
Okay people, for relatively fat and unfit CycleChat riders who would love to be able to join PaulB on such outbreaks of loveliness in the future, get yourself and your wheels over here on Sunday and join me in starting to do some serious training!

Maratona dles Dolomites, here I come - eventually! :thumbsup:

PS I hope you and Liam have a great ride Paul!
 

potsy

Rambler
Location
My Armchair
I thought this was a gentle Sunday pootle not a 70 mile hillfest!
Only thinking of Shaun and his lack of miles you know :whistle:
 

tubbycyclist

Senior Member
Location
Hebden Bridge
I thought this was a gentle Sunday pootle not a 70 mile hillfest!
Only thinking of Shaun and his lack of miles you know

A non hilly Colin ride..isn't that an oxymoron?

I am doing a flat 200 in Cheshire :smile: so can't make it. Have fun though, that route will be very scenic

Sent from my GT-I9000 using Tapatalk
 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
I thought this was a gentle Sunday pootle not a 70 mile hillfest!
Only thinking of Shaun and his lack of miles you know :whistle:
He said that he wanted to get a century in. As for a hillfest - I am avoiding Waddington Fell, which would have been from the harder side, and also the tempting nastiness of Cow Ark!

Shaun's recent lack of miles probably still corresponds to six times mine - I am pretty much only doing forum rides these days so I need to make the most of them. If my forum rides become mere gentle Sunday pootles then I'll be doing just 2 or 3 gentle pootles a month!

So, anyway ... was that a 'yes please'? ;)
 

Rohloff_Brompton_Rider

Formerly just_fixed
Seconded!




Well, that's 2 of us so far!

Riders
  • ColinJ
  • Potsy
Shaun - are you joining us? Anybody else?

already told you i was....
rolleyes.gif



 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
The problem is ... I'm running out of riders slower than me! I always used to have at least one rider behind me so I could grovel along and pretend that I was keeping them company. :blush:




I need to go on a recruitment drive!

Wanted - Sacrificial Lamb Keen Cyclist for hilly West Yorkshire & Lancashire forum rides!




Oi - Steve - you must have bought new cleats by now? ;)
 

potsy

Rambler
Location
My Armchair
The problem is ... I'm running out of riders slower than me! I always used to have at least one rider behind me so I could grovel along and pretend that I was keeping them company. :blush:

I'll get my excuses in now, 25 rides in the last 30 days and 434 miles has left my legs a bit sore and achey, might not be my usual speedy self up those hills :thumbsup:
Out again tomorrow but it will be a pootle only.

Oi Steve- Stop hiding :hello:
 
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