New Year's day 50 miler. Manchester to Holmfirth and back via Holme Moss

[middleagecyclist]

I'll be out for a NYD ride by myself around the Northumbrian countryside but will be you all in spirit. Have a good one.

 

[I like Skol]

Weather forecast doesn't look disasterous, will probably see a few showers during the day.

See you 'all' in a little while.

 

[DCLane]

Have a good ride - I'm not going to make it, so will be out locally this am.

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

How did it go? I had a flat this morning and by the time I had fixed it I wasnt going to make the ride in time.
I did a ride I had planned a while back and did that instead. I punctured on that as well, both times bits of glass in the nicks in the tyre, I spent new years eve cleaning them out, so I think it is time for a new tyre.
This is the route I did:
http://ridewithgps.com/routes/2010571

 

[I like Skol]

Flats! Theme for the day then.

I got to the start and while I was replying to a text and waiting for others the front tyre went flat and the back tyre was hissing. Small cuts from glass with a fragment still in the front tyre. I didn't see or hear it but I must have ridden across a patch of broken glass from last nights partying just as I pulled off the road at the start point. While I fixed the front tyre YahudaMoon arrived and by 10:15 we decided nobody else was going to show so set off. I decided to risk the back tyre as it was going down so slowly I didn't want to delay the start any longer. A top-up pump at the start then again at Greenfield was all it needed to get me around the entire ride and it was still firm when I got home after 4pm.

We met up with Nickyboy at Greenfield and headed over the tops to Holmfirth in dry, and often bright, weather. Could really have done with my sunglasses at times. As we dropped off the moors towards Holmfirth my cycle computer clocked a max speed of 47.2mph . Compo was a complete barsteward and welshed on the arranged opening so we had to ride down into the centre of Holmfirth and popped into a cafe there for a lovely brocolli and cheddar soup with a pannini. The climb up and over Holme Moss was actually a bit of an anti-climax after all the hype. Yes it was bl**dy hard but in comparison to some of the climbing I have done recently it was relatively short and sweet and soon dealt with. Dropping down the other side was enormous fun despite a slight headwind. max speed shown for the descent was only 48.6mph! I reckon I could have done over 50 if the wind hadn't held me back .

We hit Glossop town centre at about 2.30ish and as this was Nick's home town we decided not to bother with a coffee at Costa so carried straight on for the final leg back into Manchester. More climbing from Wooley Bridge to Mottram before a pretty much continuous steady drop to the start/end point.

Stats for the day inc travel to and from the meeting point -
Total distance = 68.44 miles
av speed = 12.8mph
max speed = 48.6mph
travelling time = 5:18

 

[Pumpkin the robot]

Sounds like a good ride. I will save the GPX file and try it in the summer, maybe after work on a Saturday afternoon as I work over that way.

 

[fossyant]

You did 48.6 down the bumpy side to Glossop....nutter !

 

[ColinJ]

There was no signal from Orange in our New Year holiday cottage in Holme so we took the dog for a walk round Digley Reservoir and I texted dan_bo when I finally picked up a signal. I asked how the ride was going ...

dan_bo: "Only been out of bed for half an hour, Col - guilty!"

Oh, well. Who else's number did I have? Ah yes - oldfatfool. Texted him next ...

oldfatfool: "Happy New Year Col. I over-indulged and bunked off!"

After walking the dog, We decided to buy chip butties from the Fleece Pantry at Holme. Ooh look, I like Skol and two other cyclists have just ridden past!

ColinJ: "Skol, Skol, it's ColinJ - Happy New Year, Skol - We luuuuurve you Skol! Skol?" (I don't think he heard me! )

Ha ha! Anyway, for those of you who did turn out - congratulations for making such a good start to the New Year, and jammy you for missing the deluge of the day before!

 

[nickyboy]

Thanks to I Like Skol for a nice New Year's Day outing. Made it to the agreed meet spot in Greenfield (having been worried about being late and thus setting a couple of Strava PBs on the way) and had a cycle about keeping warm. Saw a big group coming up the road and got back on the bike and started waving at them. Turned out it was Polocini out on a group ride so felt a bit daft. Skol and Yahuda Moon arrived....bearing flapjack, we were off to a good start.Nice steady climb up Isle of Skye with a tailwind then a pretty fast decent into Holmfirth.

I can further confirm that the Cheese and Broccoli soup was great but passed on the pannini as there would be roast beef later at home. Tough old grind up Holme Moss into a 20-25pmh headwind then an exhilarating descent. Bottled out on the really fast bit as Skol kept powering on, looked a bit dicey for 23mm slicks.

Nice trundle past Torside into Glossop. I had had an idea of a quick Snake ascent to finish off, but the pull of the roast beef was too great so that was it for me. Hot shower, fleecy pyjamas, job done

 

[I like Skol]

After walking the dog, We decided to buy chip butties from the Fleece Pantry at Holme. Ooh look, I like Skol and two other cyclists have just ridden past!

ColinJ: "Skol, Skol, it's ColinJ - Happy New Year, Skol - We luuuuurve you Skol! Skol?" (I don't think he heard me! )

Ha ha! Anyway, for those of you who did turn out - congratulations for making such a good start to the New Year, and jammy you for missing the deluge of the day before!

Were you one of the wierdos stood around the shack outside the pub wearing silly hats?

 

[Hacienda71]

There was no signal from Orange in our New Year holiday cottage in Holme so we took the dog for a walk round Digley Reservoir and I texted dan_bo when I finally picked up a signal. I asked how the ride was going ...

dan_bo: "Only been out of bed for half an hour, Col - guilty!"

Oh, well. Who else's number did I have? Ah yes - oldfatfool. Texted him next ...

oldfatfool: "Happy New Year Col. I over-indulged and bunked off!"

After walking the dog, We decided to buy chip butties from the Fleece Pantry at Holme. Ooh look, I like Skol and two other cyclists have just ridden past!

ColinJ: "Skol, Skol, it's ColinJ - Happy New Year, Skol - We luuuuurve you Skol! Skol?" (I don't think he heard me! )

Ha ha! Anyway, for those of you who did turn out - congratulations for making such a good start to the New Year, and jammy you for missing the deluge of the day before!

 

[ColinJ]

Were you one of the wierdos stood around the shack outside the pub wearing silly hats?

No - I was on the narrow pavement opposite. As for the hat - I thought I'd make it obvious who I was by wearing my CycleChat buff as a skull cap but since you didn't even glance in my direction, you wouldn't have noticed that!

I was wearing a red jacket and black baggy trousers tucked into my socks. (They had been getting very muddy as we walked the Kirklees Way back over the hillside from Digley Reservoir.)

 

[I like Skol]

I reckon this will be a great way to kick off the 2013 mileage if you can avoid over indulging the night before. It’s a 50 miler (plus whatever you do to get to/from the start/finish) and takes in one of the (in)famous climbs of cycling legend so come on, who fancies it? Form an orderly queue please……

Hah! Just looked back at this and realised I penned the above comment before we knew the 2014 TdF was coming and we all know where I was that night/day