Hebden Bridge / Marsden / Holmfirth / Emley Moor - Sunday, May 23rd

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ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
The original ride was some time ago - I'm doing a 75 mile abridged version with Calum on Sunday 23rd May. Go to the end of the thread for information and work backwards.


Hi folks.

I received a PM from marinyork a couple of days ago asking if I fancied doing a ride out Holmfirth way. I do, actually, since it is an area that I don't get to that often (though I happen to be riding there on Sunday as part of the Brian Robinson Challenge). It would also be nice to meet some more CC members, marinyork included.

I've come up with a route from Hebden Bridge to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park at West Bretton and back. It's a figure of 8 route taking in Marsden and Holmfirth so anybody who would like to do a shorter ride could meet us at one of those towns and drop off on the way back.

We probably wouldn't have a lot of time for looking at the sculptures but you can at least take a look at the park and decide if you would like to return at some future date for a more leisurely visit. There is a restaurant at the Visitor Centre and apparently you can look out from there over a collection of Henry Moore sculptures.

My route takes in about 20% of the West Yorkshire Cycle Route (about half of the hardest 40%!) and is pretty 'lumpy'. I guesstimate the full route as having about 2,500 m (8,200 ft) of climbing, some of which is very steep. I haven't worked out how much climbing there would be on the sub-routes - assume it is pro rata.

Hebden Bridge - YSP - Hebden Bridge will be about 133 km (83 miles).
Marsden - YSP - Marsden will be about 75 km (47 miles).
Holmfirth - YSP - Holmfirth will be about 50 km (31 miles).

I'm not superfit so I'd aim to average about 14 kph (8.8 mph) including a 45 minute stop at the Sculpture Park but I'd ask that you would be fairly confident of being able to manage at least that over those hills or we'd be finishing the ride pretty late.

The ride is going to be on Sunday, 9th May. [PS It might actually be done on consecutive weekends since some people can do one, and some the other]

I think that it would be wise to allow plenty of time for the ride and any mechanical problems that might arise so let's say that we'd set off from HB at 08:00 which would rule out coming here by train (sorry!). As Bokonon has suggested below - it should be possible to catch a train to Huddersfield and intercept us at Marsden.

Estimated times (based on 14 kph/8.8 mph average speed):
Hebden Bridge 08:00
Marsden 10:40
Holmfirth 11:40
YSP 13:00
(Depart) YSP 13:45
Holmfirth 15:45
Marsden 16:45
Hebden Bridge 18:45

(hopefully those times are pessimistic but don't count on getting back quicker than that - it depends on how well my old legs are working on the day! :evil: )


(I've decided on a more optimistic 16 kph average speed and a later start - see later posts)

I'll post more details later, but I'd just like to see if anybody is interested in coming along and where from - Hebden Bridge, Marsden or Holmfirth?
 

dan_bo

How much does it cost to Oldham?
I'll try and hook up with yers on a sunday jaunt- Probably the 1st meet at marsden.
 

marinyork

Resting in suspended Animation
Location
Logopolis
Hmmm this one is difficult as I have to go to the FNRttc on 30th April so 1st of May is out (and the 2nd is iffier). Similarly there's a ride (which I don't have to go on the following Friday). Holmfirth for 11:40am is positively reasonable for time though!

H 1st N, 2nd P, 8th N, 9th P.
 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
dan_bo said:
errr something like that.
I want to update a table to keep track of who wants to do what so I don't have to keep going backwards and forwards through the thread. I normally end up forgetting somebody.

marinyork said:
Hmmm this one is difficult as I have to go to the FNRttc on 30th April so 1st of May is out (and the 2nd is iffier). Similarly there's a ride (which I don't have to go on the following Friday). Holmfirth for 11:40am is positively reasonable for time though!

H 1st N, 2nd P, 8th N, 9th P.
Er, wouldn't an iffy 2nd be a Y or an N? Perhaps this shorthand isn't such a good idea after all! :evil:

The times look really slack but I've only been averaging 14 kph on hilly forum rides recently so I might as well be realistic!

Updated Rider list:
  • ColinJ - From HB; 1st Y, 2nd P, 8th Y, 9th Y
  • dan_bo - From M; 1st N, 2nd P, 8th N, 9th Y
  • marinyork - From H; 1st N, 2nd P, 8th N, 9th P

Well, it's already beginning to look like a Sunday then...
 

dan_bo

How much does it cost to Oldham?
ColinJ said:
I want to update a table to keep track of who wants to do what so I don't have to keep going backwards and forwards through the thread. I normally end up forgetting somebody.


Er, wouldn't an iffy 2nd be a Y or an N? Perhaps this shorthand isn't such a good idea after all! :evil:

The times look really slack but I've only been averaging 14 kph on hilly forum rides recently so I might as well be realistic!

Updated Rider list:
  • ColinJ - From HB; 1st Y, 2nd P, 8th Y, 9th Y
  • dan_bo - From M; 1st N, 2nd P, 8th N, 9th Y
  • marinyork - From H; 1st N, 2nd P, 8th N, 9th P

Well, it's already beginning to look like a Sunday then...


:biggrin:Fair enough Col it's just that i've been staring at banks of numbers all morning- I think i've fused something.
 

marinyork

Resting in suspended Animation
Location
Logopolis
ColinJ said:
Er, wouldn't an iffy 2nd be a Y or an N? Perhaps this shorthand isn't such a good idea after all! :evil:

It's just a precaution, wrt 1st/2nd May the last three times I went to London I was seriously knackered and that's from a basket of distances cycled 30-70 miles, mike e's told me you get used to FNRttc, it's yet to happen with travelling + cycle in general.

Holmfirth/Wood Bretton is a bit more in the comfort zone as I've done them a few times or that sort of area. It's not on the clunker bike which helps a lot too.
 

Bokonon

Über Member
There is a very remote possibility (VRP) that I could do the second weekend, though my training for the week previous would be consuming large quantities of chocolate, fondue and beer. If transport to Hebden Bridge is not a problem then I'd go from there, otherwise for the Sunday I'd probably get the train to Huddersfield and ride to Marsden:

  • Bokonon - from H/M; 1st N, 2nd N, 8th VRP, 9th VRP
 

Kestevan

Last of the Summer Winos
Location
Holmfirth.
I'm up for it (possibly bring the wife too - dependent on baby sitters) - But I'm working on the 9th, and that makes that whole weekend a bit difficult.

Probably start in Hebden, but bail out at HF on the loop back.

Hb/H 1st Y, 2nd P, 8th VRP, 9th N.
 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Bokonon - you beered up, chocolated down and not having slept for a week would probably still be able to give me a 2 hour head start and get back before me so lack of preparation won't be a valid get out. You need to look for more imaginative excuses such as zacklaws and his fishing match! :smile:

Okay, I've come to the conclusion that I should do what I did last time and just name a date! Everybody seems to find Sundays easier and the 9th May already seems more popular so the ride will be then - Sunday, 9th May!

Riders:
  • Hebden Bridge - Hebden Bridge
    • ColinJ
    • Bokonon (Remote chance, maybe Marsden)
  • Marsden - Marsden
    • dan_bo
    • Bokonon (remote chance, maybe Hebden Bridge)
  • Holmfirth - Holmfirth
    • marinyork
 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Kestevan said:
I'm up for it (possibly bring the wife too - dependent on baby sitters) - But I'm working on the 9th, and that makes that whole weekend a bit difficult.

Probably start in Hebden, but bail out at HF on the loop back.

Hb/H 1st Y, 2nd P, 8th VRP, 9th N.
Aargh - I just set it for the 9th! I suppose that I could do the ride on consecutive weekends?

How would you start in Hebden Bridge and end up in Holmfirth - would you ride over for the start? You wouldn't be able to catch a train.
 

colly

Re member eR
Location
Leeds
Bung me down as an almost definite for any of the weekends. ;)
I'd most likely ride out and meet you on route and take it from there. Maybe Holmfirth, will depend on the route and so on.
 
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ColinJ

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
If I ride out from HB with Kestevan (+ his wife?) and anybody else who fancies it on Sunday, 2nd May then I'd have a better idea how long it would take me on the 9th! :laugh: I'm looking at the times I mentioned above and am finding it hard to believe that I'm that slow but recent rides have suggested that I am.

This is the proposed route:

Hebden Bridge, A646 to Mytholmroyd, Scout Road, Hubberton Green, Baitings Reservoir, Pike End, Booth Wood Reservoir, Ringstone Edge Reservoir, Dean Head, Scammonden Water, Pole Moor, Bradshaw, Booth Bank, Marsden [CC Rendezvous]...

B6107 to Holt Head, Meltham, Upperthong, Holmfirth [CC Rendezvous]...

New Mill, Fulstone, Thunder Bridge, Kirkburton, Emley Moor, Emley, A636/7 to West Bretton, Yorkshire Sculpture Park [Visitor Centre restaurant]...

WYCR bridleway through park (unless you'd prefer to go out on roads), High Hoyland, Lower Denby, Upper Denby, High Flatts, Low Common, Victoria, Snittlegate, Arrunden, Hinchliffe Mill, Holmbridge [CCers for Holmfirth leave us there]...

Digley Reservoir, cross A635 to Thick Hollins Moor, B6107 through Meltham, Helme Hall, Blackmoorfoot, Slaithwaite [CCers for Marsden leave us there]...

Scapegoat Hill (yikes!), Outlane, Stainland, (head for Barkisland), R for upper Greetland, Norland Moor, Clough Head, Sowerby Bridge, Calder Valley Cycleway back to Hebden Bridge (unless you really want to do the A646!).

cc-ride-apr-9th-2010.jpg
 
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