FNRttC Friday Night Ride to the Coast Manchester to Blackpool 15th April 2011

[dellzeqq]

I received a message suggesting that the route could be improved on, and, feeling nervous, whizzed through the thing on Google Maps Streetview - not every 200 metres of the way, but here and there, and checking the junctions.

I'm bound to say that, setting aside Harwich, this could be the best route yet. The recce may reveal some ghastly obstacle, but looking at the roads, looking at the near absence of discretionary turns, looking at the views and the places we pass through, I reckon this is going to be a classic. Definitely on a par with Whitstable and York to Cleethorpes.

 

[montage]

After hearing that I'm a bit gutted as I've just found out I'm back in pompy for all of april
I'll see what I can do about the recce rides

 

[Arch]

Hmmm. Subject to consultation with my Manchester correspondent, I might be up for the ride itself, but I don't think I'd be much use on a recce.

 

[Globalti]

Dell, you're riding right through my patch there; I work between Bury and Manchester and live a stone's throw off the A666 as it heads towards Clitheroe from the Blackburn ring road. In fact my house would be a convenient stopping point for repairs, coffee, comfort stops or anything else, being in Knowsley Road, which cuts the corner between the A666 and the Ribchester road, avoiding the junction at the Wilpshire Hotel where the roads split.

I will certainly join you for the ride and will take a day off work to join you for one of the recces if you like.

Edit: just realised that your Watling Street route is the so-called Roman Road from Edgworth heading NW to Darwen. I strongly advise against this, if you study your map you'll see that it has two MONSTER gullies to cross, it drops a couple of hundred feet then climbs steeply and painfully out again, it really isn't a pleasant road and you expend an awful lot of valuable energy, twice, for absolutely no overall gain.

The A56 heading north out of Manchester is a good route then from Bury you can climb more easily through Holcombe, Holcombe Brook, Helmshore (great textile museum with cafe, hidden from the road for bike security) thence over the Haslingden Grane Road, a much better turnpike with fantastic scenery and so lonely that illicit hooch was once distilled there, and down into Blackburn. Straight on up the A666, past my place, Ribchester, Longridge, etc. In daylight at least you'll enjoy the Bury northwards section; there's some good mill scenery. You could divert through Summerseat and have a look at the beautiful Brooksbottoms Mill and the so-called "brick houses" built to house the workers, all now gentrified and rather bijou.

From the top of the Grane road you will be able to see a vast panoramic sweep from the Ribble estuary right up to Blackpool tower, Morecambe Bay and the south Lakes, it's spectacular. At night you can see the lights of three radio masts at Inskip on the Blackpool route, which will look frighteningly far away!

I'm actually not sure there is a cafe in Ribchester though there must be one or two in Longridge.

 

[dellzeqq]

Dell, you're riding right through my patch there; I work between Bury and Manchester and live a stone's throw off the A666 as it heads towards Clitheroe from the Blackburn ring road. In fact my house would be a convenient stopping point for repairs, coffee, comfort stops or anything else, being in Knowsley Road, which cuts the corner between the A666 and the Ribchester road, avoiding the junction at the Wilpshire Hotel where the roads split.

I will certainly join you for the ride and will take a day off work to join you for one of the recces if you like.

Edit: just realised that your Watling Street route is the so-called Roman Road from Edgworth heading NW to Darwen. I strongly advise against this, if you study your map you'll see that it has two MONSTER gullies to cross, it drops a couple of hundred feet then climbs steeply and painfully out again, it really isn't a pleasant road and you expend an awful lot of valuable energy, twice, for absolutely no overall gain.

The A56 heading north out of Manchester is a good route then from Bury you can climb more easily through Holcombe, Holcombe Brook, Helmshore (great textile museum with cafe, hidden from the road for bike security) thence over the Haslingden Grane Road, a much better turnpike with fantastic scenery and so lonely that illicit hooch was once distilled there, and down into Blackburn. Straight on up the A666, past my place, Ribchester, Longridge, etc. In daylight at least you'll enjoy the Bury northwards section; there's some good mill scenery. You could divert through Summerseat and have a look at the beautiful Brooksbottoms Mill and the so-called "brick houses" built to house the workers, all now gentrified and rather bijou.

From the top of the Grane road you will be able to see a vast panoramic sweep from the Ribble estuary right up to Blackpool tower, Morecambe Bay and the south Lakes, it's spectacular. At night you can see the lights of three radio masts at Inskip on the Blackpool route, which will look frighteningly far away!

I'm actually not sure there is a cafe in Ribchester though there must be one or two in Longridge.

We've got a cafe in Ribchester to open at 3 am - hence the rather dogleggy shape of the ride. It's even got public toilets next door, which, we hope, will remain open for the night.

My first instinct was to go for the Grane Road, and I will hold it in reserve if the recce proves the Roman Road is too tough, but at the moment I'm not too afeared of the gullies. It puts something in to the ride that makes it particular. We do have one rider that takes uphills as some kind of personal affront, but I can manage her.

We have done the Back Lane/Ardingly Reservoir diversion and that involves a descent that is best done at a little above walking pace, so, as long as Catseyes Affleck can keep off the shiny bits I think we'll be alright. And this route does give us an option of heading down to the A666 at Turton Bottoms if it's a horrible night.

My worry, strangely, is the A56. I imagine that it's lit up by young men driving souped up cars on a Friday night.

I'd love to meet you on either of the recce rides - just let me know.

 

[dellzeqq]

I've been to Blackpool, it rained.

it's noticeable that it's raining on a lot of the Google Maps pics.

 

[User482]

If you take GlobalTi's route to Holcombe, you'll be going right past my parents' back door. I agree with him - the Roman road isn't a great route IIRC. The Grane road is normally spoilt by heavy traffic but that won't be a problem in the middle of the night.

 

[Globalti]

The A56 is a good wide road and after midnight ought to be no worse than any of your London streets.

By all means try the Roman road but it's a dreary, dispiriting ride with those two awful ravines to cross with horrendously steep climbs out, which really drain the legs. It is of course the original Roman road, which wasn't planned with vehicles in mind and typically of Roman roads just heads straight towards some distant objective without compromise. The Grane road on the other hand is a well engineered turnpike road built originally for carts, so taking the line of least resistance up a delightful valley and affording superb views, day or night. It really isn't a bad climb at all and as User482 writes it will be quiet by the time you get there.

 

[StuAff]

as long as Catseyes Affleck can keep off the shiny bits I think we'll be alright.

 

[theclaud]

We do have one rider that takes uphills as some kind of personal affront, but I can manage her.

Permission to quote this wherever I like?

 

[StuAff]

Permission to quote this wherever I like?

+1.

 

[dellzeqq]

+1.

permission to move in to your garden shed?

 

[theclaud]

Both halves?

It was the second bit that really tickled me...

 

[Ajay]

I've just realised what fnrttc actually means, how completely bonkers.
Count me in, I'd love to join you!

 

[dellzeqq]

I've just realised what fnrttc actually means, how completely bonkers.
Count me in, I'd love to join you!

for one or other of the recce rides?