November forum ride from Hebden Bridge

[Sysagent]

Thank's for the GPX file Colin, you can pencil me in but don't do it in biro yet...

;-)

 

[livestrong10_02]

looks an interesting route. only section ive not ridden this year is leaving Todmorden.
add another 15km and it would be a perfect Audax AAA perm.
would love to come but i wont have been on the bike since the 4th Oct and it comes the day after the Audax awards night thingy, which im not sure if Im attending or not.

when does Coldwell close for the winter?

 

[ColinJ]

looks an interesting route. only section ive not ridden this year is leaving Todmorden.
add another 15km and it would be a perfect Audax AAA perm.

My first stab at the route wasn't far off 100 km but I shortened it because it was probably a bit too long and hilly for a forum ride at the end of November.

would love to come but i wont have been on the bike since the 4th Oct and it comes the day after the Audax awards night thingy, which im not sure if Im attending or not.

Surely you could get a few rides in over the next 4 weeks to get the legs working again? Obviously, if you are away for the weekend that might make things a bit tricky though!

when does Coldwell close for the winter?

That's a very good question, and not something I'd considered so I've emailed them to ask them to confirm that they will be open. If they are not, we could do a little detour to the cafe at Wycoller, but that tends to be very busy at weekend lunch times.

 

[livestrong10_02]

My first stab at the route wasn't far off 100 km but I shortened it because it was probably a bit too long and hilly for a forum ride at the end of November.


Surely you could get a few rides in over the next 4 weeks to get the legs working again? Obviously, if you are away for the weekend that might make things a bit tricky though!


That's a very good question, and not something I'd considered so I've emailed them to ask them to confirm that they will be open. If they are not, we could do a little detour to the cafe at Wycoller, but that tends to be very busy at weekend lunch times.

Im struggling with a torn neck muscle at the moment so riding is a bit difficult but I rode my bike just 3 times (3 audax last nov) in 8 months prior to kick starting my season in march (Bamford Audax) so wont be too much of a problem if i dont get out before the end of november( i hope)

I know i had a few probs with coldwell controls during various audax events outside their summer opening times and also know that wycoller is or was for sale and had the same trouble with the cafe there being closed more often than not. The cafe at scar top should be open but thats maybe a little too close to the end of the ride

 

[ColinJ]

Im struggling with a torn neck muscle at the moment so riding is a bit difficult

Ouch - good luck with your recovery!

I know i had a few probs with coldwell controls during various audax events outside their summer opening times

Except for one occasion when the water had been unexpectedly cut off, I've always found them open when they said they would be. They always reply to my emails, so I expect to hear from them in the next couple of days.

wycoller is or was for sale and had the same trouble with the cafe there being closed more often than not.

It's always been open when I've been there. Very busy on Sundays, not so bad the other times I've been there.

The cafe at scar top should be open but thats maybe a little too close to the end of the ride

I've never been in there so I didn't think of that. Yes, it doesn't come at quite such a good point in the ride, but it would be a good backup cafe.

Incidentally, there is a nice Italian cafe (Cafe Belview) right next to the Market Place car park where we will be starting and finishing the ride. I think it is open until 17:00 on Sundays so it will be very handy for anybody who fancies a coffee, sandwich etc. when we get back.

 

[ColinJ]

Reply from Coldwell:

Thank you for your enquiry. The cafe is open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10.30 am until 4 pm, with hot meals served until 2.30.

We will be open throughout November, just closing for Christmas for two weeks between 20th December and reopening Wednesday 6th January.

As we can have busy periods it may help if you book a few days before, or give us a ring to let us know if you will be stopping off.

 

[aJohnson]

Reply from Coldwell:

Good news then

I'm just working out how to get to Hebden Bridge but should be there.

 

[Garz]

Thank you for your enquiry. The cafe is open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10.30 am until 4 pm, with hot meals served until 2.30.

We will be open throughout November, just closing for Christmas for two weeks between 20th December and reopening Wednesday 6th January.

As we can have busy periods it may help if you book a few days before, or give us a ring to let us know if you will be stopping off.

P.S. Colin if you plan to bring another of your cycling peleton we shall offer you 20% discount for the riders and your meal shall personally be free!

Ammended for accuracy.

 

[trio25]

It's on my calendar so I should be there!

Not decided if I will drive to HB, or ride over and meet you as you descent Cragg Vale! yes Colin I will then ride home via Cragg Vale later so I don't miss the climb. Will depend if Ali joins us, she has a new road bike and this would be an ideal long ride for her!

 

[ColinJ]

...
P.S. Colin if you plan to bring another of your cycling peleton we shall offer you 20% discount for the riders and your meal shall personally be free!

Ammended for accuracy.

Cheeky, but it might be worth a try... Nah, I wouldn't have the nerve!

The company I used to use for my trips to the Costa Blanca offered 11-for-the-price-of-10 so I always fancied trying to persuade 10 other cyclists to come along and conveniently forget to mention the discount!

It's on my calendar so I should be there!

Not decided if I will drive to HB, or ride over and meet you as you descent Cragg Vale! yes Colin I will then ride home via Cragg Vale later so I don't miss the climb. Will depend if Ali joins us, she has a new road bike and this would be an ideal long ride for her!

Excellent! All being well, we should be going up the climb between about 10:00 and 10:30.

 

[aJohnson]

Excellent! All being well, we should be going up the climb between about 10:00 and 10:30.

I'll be descending Cragg Vale between 10:30 and 12:00. Shouldn't be hard to spot, I'll be in full red, geared up for chilling weather now.

Looking forward to the painful hills and the scary descents. I'm hoping it wont be icy.

 

[Garz]

Excellent! All being well, we should be going up the climb between about 10:00 and 10:30.

Big C is being modest again! This will not take him 30 mins to ascend.

 

[aJohnson]

Big C is being modest again! This will not take him 30 mins to ascend.

Probably take 20 - 30mins to ascend it I'm assuming. So will you be coming Garz?

Cragg Vale is an easy hill to do so should be a gentle warm-up, some of the others look... not so easy .

 

[Garz]

Is brummie man still coming?

 

[ColinJ]

I'll be descending Cragg Vale between 10:30 and 12:00.

I'm a bit confused by that one! Are you saying that you will start coming down the hill upto an hour and a half after we have finished with it?

What I meant is that you need to be somewhere between the traffic lights at Littleborough and Blackstone Edge, or on the descent through Cragg Vale between 10:00 and 10:30 because we will be in Mytholmroyd somewhere around 10:00, at the top of the climb somewhere around 10:30 (hopefully) and in Littleborough a few minutes after that.

Looking forward to the painful hills and the scary descents. I'm hoping it wont be icy.

Ice could be a real problem if we have a cold snap. I did a ride with colly, Bokonon and Calum round here exactly a year ago and there was snow and ice on some of the roads even then.

Some of the roads would be very dangerous in icy conditions so we will have to check the forecast carefully nearer to the time. That's why I suggested the backup plan of a ride to Waddington on the valley roads if ice keeps us from doing the planned route.

Big C is being modest again! This will not take him 30 mins to ascend.

I have a long-term ambition of doing the climb in 20 minutes. I forgot to time myself the year when I was probably fit enough to do it that quickly. In 2006, I got reasonably fit and did the climb in 23.5 minutes. I reckon it will take me closer to 30 minutes at the moment.

The wind makes all the difference. I've been up that climb in the winter when I had a vicious freezing headwind and it took me 65 minutes - I kid you not! It was horrible, and if I hadn't been stubborn, I'd have given it up as a bad job!

Probably take 20 - 30mins to ascend it I'm assuming.

Assuming we don't get one of the headwinds-from-hell that are possible on the open moor, I'd say that you are right - 20 minutes for you. 30 for me!