"Hawkshead Brewery Tour" an 80ish mile meander along the quiet lanes of N Lancs/S Cumbria 28 April

[Ajay]

At the cafe stop on ColinJs last forum ride I suggested that I'd "host" a ride starting a little further north - so here I go!

Here is an open invitation for you to join me on a "forum" ride. It is intended to be in the style of one of ColinJ's rides ie. slowish and social - to enjoy the views and the company.

Proposed details:
Date Sat 28 April
Start: Crook o' Lune picnic site, Caton nr Lancaster LA2 9NB (£1 parking / toilets / cafe)
Time: 9:00am

Route is detailed here on Bikeroutetoaster http://bikeroutetoaster.com/Course.aspx?course=357779, its 132km with a total of 1180m climbing. It's mainly along quiet lanes with a huge variety of coast, valley and hill terrain, no major "climbs", but plenty of up n down action. The road surfaces are reasonable although I'd suggest leaving your best carbon race wheels at home. There are loads of opportunities for sustainance en route eg in Arnside, Grange o Sands, Staveley, Kendal, Kirkby Lonsdale.
The far point of the route is Staveley - home to the Hawkshead Brewery, the legendary Wilf's Cafe and of course Wheelbase (the UKs largest bike shop, so they say) so you've the choice of beer, coffee or energy splooge to choose from!

Its a very rewarding route, perhaps on roads you've not been on before.
I hope you can join me

(ps we dont actually ride on the busy A590, but on the adjacent cycle path)

Mod Edit: PLEASE NOTE the postcode has been amended from the original post

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

it's on the b/h weekend, so maybe a mini tour for me? ride up, stay over, ride the ride and stay over then ride home. or get a train or lift. dunno yet, but it's possible.

 

[Ajay]

It's the weekend before the "May Day" bank holiday.
The start is a few flat-cycle-path miles from Lancaster station
Train bailout options at Staveley (if you choose to spend the afternoon in the brewery - ohh theres an idea) and Oxenholme

 

[ColinJ]

It's the weekend before the "May Day" bank holiday.
The start is a few flat-cycle-path miles from Lancaster station
Train bailout options at Staveley (if you choose to spend the afternoon in the brewery - ohh theres an idea) and Oxenholme

The trouble is, the Sunday rail service from local stations such as Hebden Bridge is awful. The first train to Lancaster from here would get in at 11:18 and then it would be another (what?) 20 minutes to ride to Caton.

 

[Ajay]

Saturday or Sunday is fine by me, whichevers easiest for people.

 

[ColinJ]

Saturday or Sunday is fine by me, whichevers easiest for people.

I've asked Steve H and tubbycyclist if either of them would be able to give me a lift up. I like the look of your route - apart from the bit round Caton, it is all new to me.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

It's the weekend before the "May Day" bank holiday.
The start is a few flat-cycle-path miles from Lancaster station
Train bailout options at Staveley (if you choose to spend the afternoon in the brewery - ohh theres an idea) and Oxenholme

oops....feels like b/h due to days off

 

[italiafirenze]

I might be able to handle the Saturday if it's an early-ish start.

 

[ColinJ]

Kevin (tc) can't make it and I'm waiting to hear back from Steve H. If no lift is forthcoming, I could only make it on the Saturday when there are trains getting in to Lancaster at 08:08 and 09:08. I reckon I could probably just about get from the station to the start by 09:30 if the train arriving at 09:08 were on time and I got a move on. Alternatively, an 09:00 start would allow me more time if I caught the train an hour earlier, arriving 08:08.

It's £20.50 return from HB (£16 from Burnley Manchester Road, Shaun) which is a bit pricey, but worth it I reckon for an interesting forum ride like this one.

 

[Ajay]

Cool, so at the moment it's looking like a Saturday ride with a pre 9am start.

 

[italiafirenze]

How long do you reckon to get around? I'm toying with the idea of driving there or getting dropped off and riding back, would add about 25 miles. I think 9 would be the earliest start I could manage.

 

[Ajay]

I did it today!
In the rain, sleet, hail and a little bit of sunshine.
It's a tasty little route, (I've ridden all the roads before, but not as this complete route) I did it on my tank/tourer - full mudguards a bonus on those wet, slurry coated lanes!
I'm really out of shape at the moment so it was slow going, I left at 9am and was back just after 5pm. (incl extra miles to my house). So I think we'd need to allow at least 8 hours including stops.
Dryer warmer weather and another 8 weeks cycling in the legs should speed things up.
You could always go off the front on the way back from Kendal if you're pushed for time, the route is very straightforward from there.

 

[italiafirenze]

There should be good daylight, so I'll probably try and get a lift and ride back. It's 25 miles from Lancaster so it might make the century I'll miss at the start of the month and it's my birthday the day after. I'll pop the route in the Garmin so I won't get lost.

So how unfit are you at the moment? I reckon I'm 65% of where I was when we last rode together.

 

[ColinJ]

Cool, so at the moment it's looking like a Saturday ride with a pre 9am start.

Okay - I've heard back from Steve H. He would really like to do the ride, but can't commit to it at the moment so the Saturday suits me either way. If it turns out that Steve is free, he will drive us up. If not, I'll get up early and catch the train which (supposedly!) gets into Lancaster at 08:18 and will ride to the start which I think should take less than 30 minutes.

 

[Ajay]

So how unfit are you at the moment? I reckon I'm 65% of where I was when we last rode together.

I'm maybe 85% of where I was last April fitness wise, but I'm a stone heavier, which is the killer on a route like this with most of the hills being short but steep, very attritional for a fat boy, so my "performance" is maybe 65% of what it was!

Okay - I've heard back from Steve H. He would really like to do the ride, but can't commit to it at the moment so the Saturday suits me either way. If it turns out that Steve is free, he will drive us up. If not, I'll get up early and catch the train which (supposedly!) gets into Lancaster at 08:18 and will ride to the start which I think should take less than 30 minutes.

Let's hope Steve (and others) can make it, if not I'll meet you at the station (how romantic) ;-)

Oh and following on from the Puddleducks debacle, I can promise great coffee and scrumptious scones (yes, really) at the brew stop in Grange!