London - Nelson

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I like Skol

A Minging Manc...
Oh - you are doing it in one day - gulp! :ohmy:...


Actually Colin, I am toying with a similar idea for the summer. A ride down to my dad’s house in Cwmbran, near Newport, south Wales. It's around 160 miles but a little climbing as I pass near Abergavenny (tries desperately to remember the name of the hill range in that area....). I too was planning on a one day big hit strategy with an escape overnight stop planned for around the 110-120 mile mark for if it didn't work out. There has to be an enormous sense of achievement from completing something on this scale?
 

Smurfy

Naturist Smurf
tries desperately to remember the name of the hill range in that area....

Black Mountains? Brecon Beacons? I used to walk in that area a lot years ago.
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
Actually Colin, I am toying with a similar idea for the summer. A ride down to my dad’s house in Cwmbran, near Newport, south Wales. It's around 160 miles but a little climbing as I pass near Abergavenny (tries desperately to remember the name of the hill range in that area....). I too was planning on a one day big hit strategy with an escape overnight stop planned for around the 110-120 mile mark for if it didn't work out. There has to be an enormous sense of achievement from completing something on this scale?
The Black Mountains? :whistle:

I thought about doing my trip for years but didn't feel fit enough until 2007. When I finally did the ride, I coped with it really well and I did feel pretty pleased with myself afterwards. I enjoyed it so much that I rode back a week later rather than coming back by train.

Bikely shows it as 126 miles but I haven't followed all the little twists and turns in the roads, and I also took a wrong turn when for some stupid reason I stopped following my GPS's instructions and tried to improvise a new end to the route! Somebody had turned a road sign round and I almost ended up in Nuneaton instead of Coventry. Including stops, it took me 12 hrs 45 minutes to do 141 miles.

On the way home, I discovered that Snake Pass was closed for resurfacing. Normally, I'd take a chance and try and sneak by, but it is an awfully long way to ride up there and then have to come back down again if it was impassable! I rode to Holmfirth via Strines Moor instead, a route I actually preferred to the way I'd ridden out. I was doubly chuffed that I managed to ride up the 25% section of Ewden Bank with panniers on my bike!

It sounds as though your 160-miler has less climbing than my 141 miler and you are at least as fit as I was in 2007, so I say - go for it! :thumbsup: Choose a day near the Summer Solstice to give yourself plenty of daylight hours and hope for pleasant warm conditions. (My ride took place on June 28th in the miserable 2007 summer. I wore arm and leg warmers plus a gilet and overshoes. When I was descending off Snake Pass towards Ladybower, I got so chilled that I had to stop and add a windtop!)
 

potsy

Rambler
Location
My Armchair
Will you be digging your old gloves out for the ride?
You need to blend in as you pass Burnley :whistle:
ronin-piste-off.jpg
 
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martint235

martint235

Dog on a bike
Location
Welling
1712727 said:
I'm not getting the idea? Well I suppose it is possible.
You're welcome to come along though. My mum might even feed you. She might not though, I don't think she's seen a man in a pink top before and it may confuse her food-wise.
 
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martint235

martint235

Dog on a bike
Location
Welling
1712970 said:
She has separate menus on gender lines?
Nope just easily confused
 
Going back on topic Martin, assuming you're leaving London at 5 am, I wouldn't recommend the road between Watford & Hemel Hempstead. The first bit on the A4146 is a really crap surface, and then after Kings Langley it's a fairly narrow road and not much fun to cycle on. In fact, bearing in mind you've also factored in the ring road around Watford town centre, you're not going for a fun ride at all.

I'd stick on the A5 all the way up to Milton Keynes. Yes, it'll have more traffic, but it's wider and you should have less concerns overall.
 
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martint235

martint235

Dog on a bike
Location
Welling
Going back on topic Martin, assuming you're leaving London at 5 am, I wouldn't recommend the road between Watford & Hemel Hempstead. The first bit on the A4146 is a really crap surface, and then after Kings Langley it's a fairly narrow road and not much fun to cycle on. In fact, bearing in mind you've also factored in the ring road around Watford town centre, you're not going for a fun ride at all.

I'd stick on the A5 all the way up to Milton Keynes. Yes, it'll have more traffic, but it's wider and you should have less concerns overall.
Cheers Adam. I was in two minds about leaving the A5 cos it's not too bad on the way out of London.
 

iLB

Hello there
Location
LONDON
I'll come push you up them there hills between Buxton and Glossop :thumbsup:

Would be a very short detour to throw in Holme Moss at the end too.
 
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martint235

martint235

Dog on a bike
Location
Welling
I'll come push you up them there hills between Buxton and Glossop :thumbsup:

Would be a very short detour to throw in Holme Moss at the end too.
I refer the honourable cyclist to previous answers regarding the fact that I'm not going looking for hills!!! :rolleyes:
 
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martint235

martint235

Dog on a bike
Location
Welling
Provisional date is Weds 6th June. The plan is to be in Nelson late Weds, rest Thursday, Manchester to Morecambe FNRttC on the Friday, back from Morecambe to Nelson on Saturday, train back to London on Sunday.

It is obviously subject to change but I would have thought it's more likely that I don't do the ride than I change the date as the whole project is revolving around the FNRttC.

Anyone who wants to come along for a ride along part of the route is of course welcome!! If anyone wants to do the whole route, again you're more than welcome but I'm afraid I can't offer much in the way of accommodation at the end.
 
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