Hi from Todmorden!

[Izakbar]

Hi,

overweight (nearly) 40 year old guy - only started riding Jan 2011.

Lost 5.5stone so far this year, try to do >100 mile a week on my MTB. Commute to work, and extended commute rides home plus fun rides at weekend.

Bike is a Spesh P1 AM with Surly "Big Dummy" fork, upgraded brakes to Elixir R's, rear wheel is 36H Hope Pro Evo 2 hub with Mavic rim (clicky click click) , Big Apple Tyres on (looking for decent road/offroad winter!) FSA Afterburner crank/chainrings, 11-34 cassette (34t is really nice for some of the fun hills around here).

If you see me around, wave or nod even if you are on a roadie !

 

[ColinJ]

Hi from down the road in Hebden Bridge.

There are quite a few local CycleChat members. I bumped into another rider from Tod last week and there are others in Littleborough, Rochdale and so on.

5.5 stone - that's a pretty impressive weight loss in 9 months! I've only managed about 12 pounds and would like to lose another 3 stone or so.

I used to do quite a bit of mountain biking round here but these days I ride 95+% on road.

 

[Izakbar]

Most of my miles are on road... thus the Big Apples.

MTB is for strength - not for any fancy stuff Same with fork.
I do do a bit of off-road, but not as much as I would like.

This morning (about 0630) I did tod -> burnley (by the hospital) and back - my current favourite ride. I got it done before the rain kicked in.
I think there is a way to come back via Hebden when coming back through Cliviger - think the road was "The Long Causeway" - might give that a go soon.

I see a lot of cyclists b'tween Hebden and Tod - always try and nod, sometimes get one back.

If you see me, I am the fat guy on the spesh usually with yellow top on (most people I see on bikes are biker shaped - I am the most non-biker shaped object on road at present).

 

[HLaB]

Hiya

 

[smokeysmoo]

How do, I'm over in Bolton. I go to Rochdale over the Edenfield Road from time to time. Last did it about three weeks ago and then went out to Hollingworth Lake, down into Littleborough and back to Bolton through Heywood and Bury, made a loop of very nearly 40 miles out of it

It's all road bikes with me though. Anyway, huge congrats on the weight loss, you'll have to tell me your secret, (I know, I know, eat less and ride more!) If only it were so simple

 

[ColinJ]

I think there is a way to come back via Hebden when coming back through Cliviger - think the road was "The Long Causeway" - might give that a go soon.

There are lots of variations as you get fitter...

• Walk Mill, Mereclough, Long Causeway, Eastwood Rd, Broad Ln, Hey Head Ln, Cross Stone Rd, Todmorden
• Walk Mill, Mereclough, Long Causeway, Eastwood Rd, Crossley New Rd, Great House Rd, Cross Stone Rd, Todmorden

If you want to go down to Hebden Bridge, then you could do these 3 variations

• Walk Mill, Mereclough, Long Causeway, Blackshaw Head, Badger Ln, Mytholm Steeps, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden
• Walk Mill, Mereclough, Long Causeway, Blackshaw Head, Jack Bridge, Colden, Slack, Heptonstall, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden
• Walk Mill, Mereclough, Long Causeway, Blackshaw Head, Jack Bridge, Colden, Slack, Lee Wood, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden

When you get even fitter, there are longer, tougher variations ...

• Walk Mill, Mereclough, Worsthorne, Haggate, Thursden, Widdop, Slack, Lee Wood or Heptonstall, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden
• Walk Mill, Mereclough, Worsthorne, Haggate, Thursden, Coldwell (nice cafe at the activity centre there), Clarion House, Trawden, Laneshaw Bridge, Scar Top (Moor Lodge tearooms are nice at the furniture company there), Stanbury, Penistone Hill, Oxenhope, Cock Hill, Hebden Bridge, Todmorden

There are many other interesting (and challenging) local routes. When you feel fit enough to do about 50 miles or so over the local hills, join me and some other CycleChat members for some of my hilly CycleChat forum rides!

(At some point you'll probably want to stick knobblies back on your MTB and have a dedicated road bike for longer rides. It makes them much easier, quicker and more fun.)

 

[Izakbar]

Will look into those routes , I might be fit enough for some already (done bacup road nr Burnley, done white house -> crag vale, and they seemed pretty steep - but do-able - plus I cycle up park road and stile most days (sometimes walk last 30 metres!) )

(At some point you'll probably want to stick knobblies back on your MTB and have a dedicated road bike for longer rides. It makes them much easier, quicker and more fun.)

Currently looking for some knobblies to put on for winter - as always plenty of choice and much browsing to do

I really do fancy a road bike sometime (been thinking about a cyclocross as next bike though). I don't think I am light enough for a proper roadie yet - and certainly no point in carbon fancyness for a couple of years I recon.