Hi from Brighouse in West Yorkshire

[Steve H]

Hi,

I'm Steve and I live in Brighouse in West Yorkshire. Just started my attempt at being a regular cyclist. I'm pretty slow as I'm currently weighing in at just shy of 18 stone. Done a couple of 18 milers over the Easter weekend and I love the achy, happy feeling you get afterwards when you've showered and laid down.

I'm hoping the weight will steadily melt away as I keep plodding around the ups and downs of Yorkshire. I'm not in a rush, but I'd love to be able to complete a 100km course before the summer is over. Is this realistic given my low starting point???

Looking forward to some interesting chats on the forums.

Steve

 

[Gerry Attrick]

Welcome Steve. Your target is admirable and do-able provided you train sensibly and regularly. I came back to cycling some six or seven years ago and weighing five stone more than now. The weight will move over a period, but your heart and lungs will benefit almost immediately. Keep us posted, and best of luck.

 

[vernon]

I'm hoping the weight will steadily melt away as I keep plodding around the ups and downs of Yorkshire. I'm not in a rush, but I'd love to be able to complete a 100km course before the summer is over. Is this realistic given my low starting point???

Looking forward to some interesting chats on the forums.

Steve

I fluctuate between 21.5 and 23 stones and regularly ride 100km AUdaxes with the odd 200km thrown in for good measure. I've ridden Land's End to John O'Groats and back albeit separated by the year that I cycled from the Channel to the Med.

 

[ColinJ]

Hi Steve.

It's a bit of a long shot, but were you wearing a blue top and riding a mountain bike along with another rider towards Hebden Bridge this afternoon?

I was out for a walk with a friend and two riders emerged from the back of the old Walkley's Clogs mill near Mytholmroyd as we were crossing the A646. We then encountered them coming back the other way about 45 minutes later on the Calder Valley Cycleway. The guy in blue kinda matched your description of yourself and Brighouse to Hebden Bridge and back is about 18 miles.

Keep up the good work and when you feel fit enough get yourself over here for one of my regular CycleChat forum rides!

Oh, and to answer your question... It was quite a few years before I did a 100 km ride but it shouldn't take anywhere near that long. I've seen it recommended to increase maximum ride distance by no more than about 10% per week but even if you did that it would only take you about 13 weeks or 3 months to get up to 100 km. (And you could possibly get a couple of stone off in the process which would definitely be a help when you ride up out of the valleys round here!)

 

[HJ]

Hallo and welcome

 

[JAC]

New to the site myself but thought I'd say welcome as I live just around the corner from you in Bradley . Came up the hill from Brighouse on Saturday and at one point was overtaken by a jogger! Best of luck with yout goals.

 

[Moodyman]

overtaken by a jogger!

Happens to me all the time on big climbs.

 

[ColinJ]

overtaken by a jogger!

Happens to me all the time on big climbs.

When I first started cycling round here I was out on the hills once and didn't eat and drink enough and ended up bonking really badly. I was actually overtaken on the flat by an elderly female pedestrian!

 

[JAC]

Love the honesty on here - restores my faith in cyclists.

 

[BearPear]

Welcome to the forum, as a fellow Yorkshire person, good luck finding the lowest hills! Unless you live out towards Wetherby you will have hills at every turn!

I too have been overtaken on a hill by an elderly gent out jogging, he passed with a cheery greeting, I could only manage a breathless grunt in his general direction!

 

[Steve H]

Hi all - and thanks for all the messages of welcome.

I was too embarrassed to mention it at first, but there are a couple of times when a jogger has passed me on the way up a hill. I'm firmly in the 'granny' wheel with legs spinning around, but only progressing at a few miles per hour and steadily the jogger passes me by. Last weekend there must have been some form of organised running event on because there were dozens of runners out. Fortunately I made more progress than them on the flats and the downhills than passed me on the ups.

Hi Colin - no I've not made it out as far as Hebden Bridge yet. There is a great flat route along the canal from Brighouse to Sowerby Bridge and back that I've done a couple of times and I've set myself a target of progressing this on to Hebden when I'm a bit fitter. Can you continue along the canal to Hebden Bridge or do you have to switch to the road? I was also thinking that I'd get the train out to Todmorden one day and then cycle back to Brighouse.

Steve

 

[ColinJ]

Hi Colin - no I've not made it out as far as Hebden Bridge yet. There is a great flat route along the canal from Brighouse to Sowerby Bridge and back that I've done a couple of times and I've set myself a target of progressing this on to Hebden when I'm a bit fitter. Can you continue along the canal to Hebden Bridge or do you have to switch to the road? I was also thinking that I'd get the train out to Todmorden one day and then cycle back to Brighouse.

Steve

Take Hollins Mill Lane from the centre of Sowerby Bridge until you get to here. Follow the sign down to the left to get back on the canal towpath. I think that you can follow that all the way to Hebden Bridge with one crossing of the A646 between Mytholmroyd and Hebden Bridge.

You can continue to Todmorden and even on to Littleborough with a couple more road crossings where the canal goes under the road

The Calder Valley Cycleway uses the canal towpath for some parts of the valley but other parts of it are on quiet roads and cycle paths. I use it a lot to get away from the traffic on the A646.

 

[bauldbairn]

Welcome to the CC forums Steve H.

Looks like you've already got several fellow Yorkshire people looking after you.

Good luck with the cycling.

 

[cubby]

Welcome Steve ... not too far from you in Elland, some very good little loops around our way, a lot which can involve the canal ....

 

[Chrisc]

Welcome Steve,
These hills will melt lard eventually!
Keep it up!