Forum ride: Hebden Bridge - Trawden loop, Sat 12th November 2022, 52 km (33 miles)

[ColinJ]

The pothole that near swallowed my entire bike has caused a snapped battery clamp.

Ah, I thought that the battery looked a bit wobbly... It's a good job that it didn't fall off halfway round!

I also spent the majority of the ride battling low glucose levels. That motor saved me from slipping into a diabetic coma!

Yikes!

I was with a group of riders on the Costa Blanca once when one suddenly did just that. He started to wobble about towards the top of a mountain climb and then just fell off. We were next to a Spanish military base and managed to persuade them to ferry the victim to hospital. He had a couple of days off his bike to recover and then started coming out with us again, but being a bit more careful to keep his glucose levels up!

I even did a bit more talking this time

I must have missed that!

I was saying that you are probably one of the quietest riders to have come on my rides, but that isn't a bad thing. I probably talk too much!

The photo below is for @ColinJ the disbeliever, ho ho.

I am too cynical. I STILL didn't believe it, thinking that you had photoshopped the sign in, but I just checked Streetview myself, and there the sign is!

I wondered how long it has been like that and Streetview shows that it has been for at least 13 years!

I had never noticed the exception below the NLT sign, despite using that road a lot. Probably missed because I am always busy watching for the lights to change and for traffic coming up the hill towards me.

 

[GuyBoden]

@colly new Sram force brakes made all the difference.

The low grovelling gears on the bikes ridden by me and @GuyBoden got used a few times, especially on the one really stiff climb, at Thursden pasture towards Widdop reservoir.

@colly demonstrated that he didn't need a motor, OR a grovelling gear!

Obviously, it must have been due to @colly 's new super light Sram Force fantastic brakes. Not my lack of climbing ability.

 

[Vantage]

Ah, I thought that the battery looked a bit wobbly... It's a good job that it didn't fall off halfway round!

Yikes!

I was with a group of riders on the Costa Blanca once when one suddenly did just that. He started to wobble about towards the top of a mountain climb and then just fell off. We were next to a Spanish military base and managed to persuade them to ferry the victim to hospital. He had a couple of days off his bike to recover and then started coming out with us again, but being a bit more careful to keep his glucose levels up!


I must have missed that!

I was saying that you are probably one of the quietest riders to have come on my rides, but that isn't a bad thing. I probably talk too much!

I have a plan for the battery mount strengthening which may possibly involve some frame tampering...
I checked my cameras last night and it seems the motor was making just as much of a racket before my ground inspection moment. Something others have said is that Bafang don't always put anywhere enough grease on the gears so I'll be doing that soon as the grease turns up. Ordinary grease can kill the motor it seems.
I must have gone through 5 cereal bars and a packet of jelly tots in my attempts at staying vertical. One of the reasons I went electric is coz of near constant diabetic hypos.
Was talking to Brian on the train about ebikes as you predicted and guy and discussed possible future touring plans. @colly was going to fast for me to talk to and as for you, well I just don't like you very much.

 

[Dadam]

I have a plan for the battery mount strengthening which may possibly involve some frame tampering...
I checked my cameras last night and it seems the motor was making just as much of a racket before my ground inspection moment. Something others have said is that Bafang don't always put anywhere enough grease on the gears so I'll be doing that soon as the grease turns up. Ordinary grease can kill the motor it seems.
I must have gone through 5 cereal bars and a packet of jelly tots in my attempts at staying vertical. One of the reasons I went electric is coz of near constant diabetic hypos.
Was talking to Brian on the train about ebikes as you predicted and guy and discussed possible future touring plans. @colly was going to fast for me to talk to and as for you, well I just don't like you very much.

Out of interest what kind of grease is it? Silicone? Lithium?
Most ebike motor gears seem to be nylon for lightness. I’m guessing that mineral oil or moly based greases might attack the plastic.

 

[ColinJ]

What a difference a day makes! @Littgull was talking to me yesterday as we rode along in sunny conditions. He commented on how great the weather was, and how we hadn't really seen any autumn mists yet. Well, we have now! I can't see the hills around me in Todmorden - there is a chilly mist hanging over the Calder Valley. I rang a friend in Hebden Bridge - it is the same over there. Higher ground may be above the murk, but the valleys are certainly not pleasant here today.

I checked my cameras last night and it seems the motor was making just as much of a racket before my ground inspection moment.

I didn't notice excessive noise from your bike or Brian's, but I am hard of hearing so I tend to miss such things until they really scream at me. I could hear the motors on your bikes as you passed me, but not from a distance.

 

[ColinJ]

I must have gone through 5 cereal bars and a packet of jelly tots in my attempts at staying vertical. One of the reasons I went electric is coz of near constant diabetic hypos.

In my story about the diabetic rider on my Costa Blanca ride, I forgot to mention that HE had forgotten to mention his health condition to anybody before riding with us. Fortunately, one of the riders had medical training and recognised what the problem was.

If you ever conk out on a future ride, I assume that you need to be stuffed with more sweet stuff ASAP?

Given what @colly was saying yesterday about the amount of sugar in Coca Cola, maybe it would be worth carrying a can or two in your saddlebag for emergency refuelling?

 

[ColinJ]

@Littgull - I just checked about The Pack Horse Inn on Widdop Road, which were talking about yesterday... Yes, it was scuppered by lockdown closures over the past couple of years, but it was reopened in the Spring by a new landlord, who used to run a pub in Heptonstall.

 

[Vantage]

Out of interest what kind of grease is it? Silicone? Lithium?
Most ebike motor gears seem to be nylon for lightness. I’m guessing that mineral oil or moly based greases might attack the plastic.

To be honest I'm not sure what makes it different to the normal stuff. They say ("they" say alot) that whatever is in normal stuff can make the nylon gears harden and brittle...not something to be desired.
Others say it's a load of cafooey but given the cost of my setup, not something I want to risk.
2 named greases seem to be recommended.
Mobil Mobility SHC 100 and Mobil 28 although the 28 seems impossible to find in the UK.

 

[Vantage]

I didn't notice excessive noise from your bike or Brian's, but I am hard of hearing so I tend to miss such things until they really scream at me. I could hear the motors on your bikes as you passed me, but not from a distance.

I spose it's louder to me as I have sensitive hearing and more so as I'm right above it. The weird thing though is that I took the bike out earlier (with an improvised battery clamping thingybob) and it seemed quiet as normal. Maybe it doesn't like you Yorkshire folk? Anyhoo, I'll stuff some extra grease in just to be on the safe side.
Bolton was nice and sunny today 😊

 

[Vantage]

In my story about the diabetic rider on my Costa Blanca ride, I forgot to mention that HE had forgotten to mention his health condition to anybody before riding with us. Fortunately, one of the riders had medical training and recognised what the problem was.

If you ever conk out on a future ride, I assume that you need to be stuffed with more sweet stuff ASAP?

Given what @colly was saying yesterday about the amount of sugar in Coca Cola, maybe it would be worth carrying a can or two in your saddlebag for emergency refuelling?

Didn't think about that. Oops. Given the amount I've waffled on about my diabetes woes on this forum over the years I assumed (stupidly) that it was common knowledge. Ask me if I know about any other cc members health and more than likely I'll draw a blank. Why would I expect things to be different for me? Doh. I need a good kick up the arse sometimes.
Anyhoo, yep, muggins here is a diabetic of 42 long years and I (unlike most diabetics) find it almost impossible to keep it running smooth and trouble free.
What to do if I'm found in a less than fully functioning state? If I'm awake, you'll find lots of jelly babies/jelly tots in the saddlebag side pocket. One has tools, one has sweets. Those should get me up and running in about 10 mins. In the main pocket you'll find (amongst a ton of other crap) some cereal bars. Those will keep me running. My bottles are also usually filled with water with a mixture of glucose powder if I can't swallow the sweets.
If I'm out cold, the usual applies as any unconscious person, phone an ambulance and nothing by mouth. Alternatively, if there are no witnesses and the rest of the group agrees, you could just push me over edge of a ravine and pretend you knew nothing about it. I may not be too happy about that though.

 

[Jameshow]

What a difference a day makes! @Littgull was talking to me yesterday as we rode along in sunny conditions. He commented on how great the weather was, and how we hadn't really seen any autumn mists yet. Well, we have now! I can't see the hills around me in Todmorden - there is a chilly mist hanging over the Calder Valley. I rang a friend in Hebden Bridge - it is the same over there. Higher ground may be above the murk, but the valleys are certainly not pleasant here today.


I didn't notice excessive noise from your bike or Brian's, but I am hard of hearing so I tend to miss such things until they really scream at me. I could hear the motors on your bikes as you passed me, but not from a distance.

Hey don't rub it in!!!!

 

[Littgull]

Apologies for the delayed posting on this thread after our highly enjoyable moorland ride yesterday. Within an hour of getting home I was back on a train (without my bike) to Manchester as my other half had gone there in the afternoon and asked me to come over and enjoy a light meal out together which was very nice. Today has been full of family commitments.

Firstly, thanks to Colin for organising and leading an excellent route and ride. Great to see old cycling chums and enjoy their company again. Sorry to hear about the repair work needed on your bike due to your fall in the pothole, Bill. I feel a bit responsible as it was me who suddenly suggested taking the traffic free route through the park from the station to the meet up spot rather than ride the busy road. Had we not turned into the park Bill would probably have avoided the pothole! You have certainly done a great job on converting your Spa touring bike to electric assist, Bill. Astonishing range on your large capacity battery too.
This was the longest ride at that level of climbing I have ridden on my e mtb since I acquired it in June this year. My ride stats showed it to be 32.2 miles, 3952 ft and averaging 122ft of climbing per mile. This excludes the 5.5 miles I rode with Colin after our ride to Todmorden. So 37.7 miles in total. Perfect timing as it turned out as my bike battery had just 2% charge left from starting out at 100% charge. I'm quite pleased with that range though I did use the lowest assist setting (Eco) for a lot of the route.

Great pics and I had a good laugh at @ColinJ 's comments re the 'tongue inspection'.

When @colly and I pulled in off the road after the initial climb up the Keighley Road we had an interesting 10 minute chat with a very elderly lady who was walking on the remote high moors towards Hebden Bridge with the aid of 2 trekking walking poles. It turned out she was aged 88 and waiting for a shoulder joint replacement. Truly inspirational and full of dogged determination to pursue her favourite hobby.

Excellent spot re the 'except cyclists' sign Guy, I must admit I had never spotted it before and have ridden down that hill many times.

A great time out riding together and looking forward to similar meet ups and rides in the Spring next year.

Here are a couple of pics

@ColinJ having a chat with a decaying Pumpkin Halloween Lantern

Nearly up the first climb From right to left @ColinJ, @colly, @GuyBoden and @Vantage

 

[Vantage]

I feel a bit responsible as it was me who suddenly suggested taking the traffic free route through the park from the station to the meet up spot rather than ride the busy road. Had we not turned into the park Bill would probably have avoided the pothole! You have certainly done a great job on converting your Spa touring bike to electric assist, Bill. Astonishing range on your large capacity battery too.

Not even remotely responsible @Littgull
That kind of thing happens to me quite regularly as I'm accident prone I couldn't release my foot from the SPD quickly enough
I took the park route on my first hebby bridge ride too so I know where I was going. 😊

 

[classic33]

I am too cynical. I STILL didn't believe it, thinking that you had photoshopped the sign in, but I just checked Streetview myself, and there the sign is!

I wondered how long it has been like that and Streetview shows that it has been for at least 13 years!

View attachment 667819

I had never noticed the exception below the NLT sign, despite using that road a lot. Probably missed because I am always busy watching for the lights to change and for traffic coming up the hill towards me.

Been there nearly 30 years. Used to be closer to the actual lights, along with a right turn for cyclists only up the hill, from the Hebden Bridge side.

 

[Jameshow]

That hill is about 3/4 of the way through the Haworth hobble and is a stinker of a hill before dropping down to hardcastle crags before the long climb up to Haworth.