Sat, 27th May, 2017. Scenic 100 mile ride Todmorden-Wray (100 km option from Whalley)

[ColinJ]

I will be doing a hilly imperial century ride from Todmorden to Wray and back with @Littgull on 27th May, 2017. THE RIDE MAY BE PUT BACK A DAY BECAUSE OF THE RISK OF THUNDERSTORMS ON SATURDAY - CHECK BELOW.

It will be the same scenic 100 km route as we did on THIS RIDE last year from Spring Wood picnic centre above Whalley but there is the option to start and finish with me and Littgull in Todmorden, in which case you would be getting an imperial century in. (Tod to Spring Wood is: A646 to Rose Grove, the Padiham Greenway to Padiham, the Old Roman Road from Padiham through Read. Back the opposite way at the end of the day.)

The terrain is quite challenging but the speed we ride at won't be. If you can cope with the hills then you will be ok.

You would be welcome to join us. If you are interested, post below.

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[Littgull]

As well as this being a very scenic ride on quiet lanes, once in the Forest of Bowland, there is an added attraction that @ColinJ and I encountered a couple of years ago. This is a stretch of road in the middle of nowhere that has 'billiard table smooth' tarmac. We found that very odd amongst the normal potholed and rutted lanes and roads that proliferate everywhere else in the north west.

 

[ColinJ]

Brian and I are keeping a close eye on the weather forecast for Saturday. Currently, there is a risk of heavy thunderstorms, hail, and strong, gusting winds. The route goes over some very exposed hills at elevation exceeding 425 metres (about 1,400 ft). You wouldn't want to be up there with lightning bolts striking the ground all around you ...!

We will decide tomorrow evening whether to go ahead on Saturday or put it back until Sunday when cooler, more settled conditions are likely. If you are interested - check below after 8 pm on Friday.

 

[Sea of vapours]

You wouldn't want to be up there with lightning bolts striking the ground all around you ...!

From personal experience of going over the Cross of Greet (which I think that is?) in a thunderstorm, no, I wouldn't. Once was quite enough thanks. It was dramatic, but a bit wet and a bit loud.

Of course, there're all the trees to attract the actual lightning strikes. Oh, hang on ....

 

[ColinJ]

From personal experience of going over the Cross of Greet (which I think that is?) in a thunderstorm, no, I wouldn't. Once was quite enough thanks. It was dramatic, but a bit wet and a bit loud.

Of course, there's all the trees to attract the actual lightning strikes. Oh, hang on ....

I nearly got caught out once on the climb from Oxenhope back over to Hebden Bridge but I saw the storm blowing in and took shelter in the railway station in Oxenhope. I saw scores of lightning bolts zapping the hillside either side of the road that I would have been riding up!

Once the storm blew over, I did the climb and found that the deluge had made an underground stream swell to the extent that it had burst through the road surface and created a fountain in the middle of the road!

It gave me a healthy respect for lightning, as did ...

• A young man being hit by lightning in front of my sister's local shops. He survived but suffered serious burns.
• A group of teenagers being hit by wood shrapnel from a tree which exploded when hit by lightning as they sheltered beneath it in a storm in my dad's home town.
• My dad telling me that he had seen a herd of cows killed by a bolt of lightning which struck the ground between them.

 

[ColinJ]

From personal experience of going over the Cross of Greet (which I think that is?).

The first picture is looking north towards the Cross of Greet. The second one is looking back from CoG south towards Pendle Hill. The third is looking towards Pendle Hill from the south of Bowland Knotts.

 

[ColinJ]

TOO RISKY SATURDAY! We will ride on Sunday instead.

We will be setting off from Todmorden's Centre Vale park (gates near the zebra crossing) at 09:00 on SUNDAY (28th May, 2017).

 

[Starchivore]

I wouldn't have been able to do tomorrow, but Sunday would suit me very well I really loved the trough when I was at uni at Lancaster, so I'd be very pleased to join you.

 

[ColinJ]

I wouldn't have been able to do tomorrow, but Sunday would suit me very well I really loved the trough when I was at uni at Lancaster, so I'd be very pleased to join you.

Excellent!

We won't be doing the Trough of Bowland on this ride but the Cross of Greet and Bowland Knotts climbs are still very scenic, as are other parts of the route.

I was saying to Brian on a ride on Thursday that I am a bit too heavy at the moment so my climbing speed is pretty sedate. You two can go on ahead and wait at the summits if you like, or just relax and meander up with me.

See you at Tod park gates at 09:00 on Sunday morning then!

Is anybody else interested in joining us?

 

[ColinJ]

I was thinking that they might have got the forecast wrong but I just spotted big banks of black cloud blowing in - the storms are on their way!

 

[Littgull]

I wouldn't have been able to do tomorrow, but Sunday would suit me very well I really loved the trough when I was at uni at Lancaster, so I'd be very pleased to join you.

That's Brill, @Starchivore. Will be great to ride with you again. I'm in Hebden Bridge at the moment seeing those same foreboding dark clouds @ColinJ mentioned.
See you both tomorrow.

 

[ColinJ]

TBH - it will be a lot more comfortable tomorrow anyway! It feels really hot and muggy today which would have been quite draining over such a hilly 100 mile ride.

 

[ColinJ]

Oh wow - look at the lightning strike map for the Forest of Bowland now ...

No regrets for putting the ride back!

 

[ColinJ]

Live lightning updates!

 

[Starchivore]

Good call on changing the day then Colin!!

That's Brill, @Starchivore. Will be great to ride with you again. I'm in Hebden Bridge at the moment seeing those same foreboding dark clouds @ColinJ mentioned.
See you both tomorrow.

It'll be smashing to ride with you too- no lunatics hopefully this time! I'm going to follow your example and bring along a roll to have too

I believe it'll be my first century but I think I should be okay if I take it steady. Looking forward to it- see you both tomorrow, and anyone else who fancies it.