'Season of Mists', 100km hilly audax, Hebden Bridge, Oct 7th 2012

[ColinJ]

Hi all.

A reminder that it is coming up to the time when you need to be getting your entries in for 'Season of Mists', 2012. Details -> here.

For those of you who don't know SoM - it is a 100 km audax ride starting and finishing in Hebden Bridge. Apart from a quick passage through Burnley on the way out and through Nelson on the way back, the route takes in some of the very best scenery that West Yorkshire and Lancashire have to offer. Be warned though - that means hills; lots of hills; steep hills and long hills! Don't enter if you don't like hills ...

Assuming that the route is unaltered from all the years I've ridden it then there is a cafe stop/audax control at 'Country Kitchen' in the village of Waddington. It is probably best not to go for a full English all-day breakfast there - immediately after the cafe, you will tackle the stiff climb of Waddington Fell!

On the way back there is another control at Coldwell Activity Centre with refuelling options either at the cafe or possibly from the back of a car in the car park.

There is always an ample spread laid on at the finish at event HQ in Salem Mill, Hebden Bridge (next to the Co-op).

I have done the event three times in glorious sunny conditions and twice in heavy rain. You could be lucky or you could be unlucky, but hey - wasn't the whole summer like that!

Due to ill health, I won't be able to join you this year, but I highly recommend the event if your fitness is up to it. (If you aren't quite fit enough, take a look at the sister event instead, the 50 km 'Mellow Fruitfulness' - details -> here.)

So ... are you up for it this year?

 

[oldfatfool]

Going to check the weather and enter on the day

 

[ColinJ]

Going to check the weather and enter on the day

That's cheating!

 

[potsy]

Think I'll be giving this a miss unfortunately, no show without Punch

In related news, what do you think your chances of making SITD 2013 are Colin?

 

[ColinJ]

Think I'll be giving this a miss unfortunately, no show without Punch

In related news, what do you think your chances of making SITD 2013 are Colin?

Unless something more horrid (than my recent health problems) happens to me before then (fingers crossed, it won't!) then I not only hope to be riding it, I also want to do it in a sub-6 hour time! (Compare with the 8+ hours of recent years ...)

I'd actually like to be fit for the annual 'flattish seaside century ride' a couple of weekends before SITD.

As soon as those damn blood clots have disappeared, I'll start doing more walking and will get on my gym bike a few times a week to build up my cycling muscles.

 

[DCLane]

Doing the Etape Pennines that day - but noted for the future.

 

[ColinJ]

Doing the Etape Pennines that day - but noted for the future.

SoM is always on the first Sunday in October.

Have fun on those closed roads, but keep your eyes open just in case - I was reading about someone on another closed road event who encountered a tractor coming the other way and crashed as a result!

 

[tubbycyclist]

I am trying to persuade my 10 year old that she wants to do the 50km version. Assuming I fail to win her over I will be on the 100km ride. It is a cracking route and even better than Spring into the Dales in my opinion - mainly because it does not climb out of Keighley

 

[phil_hg_uk]

I am trying to persuade my 10 year old that she wants to do the 50km version. Assuming I fail to win her over I will be on the 100km ride. It is a cracking route and even better than Spring into the Dales in my opinion - mainly because it does not climb out of Keighley

Will you be cycling or swimming

 

[tubbycyclist]

Will you be cycling or swimming

I think we need to invent some kind of folk lore saying that predicts the weather forecast in Hebden Bridge by the number of film crews gathered on the pack horse bridge.

"A cameraman in the morning, listen for the flood warning; TV presenters about - get the sandbags out"

 

[ColinJ]

Just a reminder that Season of Mists takes place tomorrow.

I am sorry to be missing it because the forecast for tomorrow is great - sunshine all day, and not much chance of windchill. Having said that, it will be very nippy down in the valley while you are hanging about at the start. The climb to Heptonstall will soon warm you up though!

If you are in the area and fancy a really tough, scenic, metric century, get yourself over to Hebden Bridge at 08:15, head round to Salem mill (beside the Co-op just off the A646) and get yourself signed up! I reckon there will be a bumper turnout tomorrow so you should be able to find some riders who go at your pace. If 50 hilly kms is more your thing, turn up an hour later for the sister event - Mellow Fruitfulness.

Have fun, and come back to this thread tomorrow evening and make me jealous with your photos and ride reports!

 

[oldfatfool]

Have fun, and come back to this thread tomorrow evening and make me jealous with your photos and ride reports!

Cracking ride Col, weather was fantastic if a little cold in the mist patches. Good turn out as usual.

Many punctures to be had (not by me though) what with a couple of flooded road sections and much debris across the roads from the field run-off the descents where a little tricky couple with the dappling from the sun in the trees, the odd heard of cows, sheep and ramblers quite an eventful but pleasurable ride.

Height gain 2244m,
Distance 100.76km
Time 5hrs 25m
Ride time 5hrs 12m
Max spd 73kph

Quite chuffed overall, Full stats here http://www.brytonsport.com/mapTrackView?id=1450007

 

[ColinJ]

Cracking ride Col, weather was fantastic if a little cold in the mist patches. Good turn out as usual.

Many punctures to be had (not by me though) what with a couple of flooded road sections and much debris across the roads from the field run-off the descents where a little tricky couple with the dappling from the sun in the trees, the odd heard of cows, sheep and ramblers quite an eventful but pleasurable ride.

Height gain 2244m,
Distance 100.76km
Time 5hrs 25m
Ride time 5hrs 12m
Max spd 73kph

Quite chuffed overall, Full stats here http://www.brytonsport.com/mapTrackView?id=1450007

Excellent effort!

A friend did it and came round later for a cup of tea and to clean his bike, after first munching his way through a mountain of cake and sandwiches at event HQ of course.

I was a bit jealous of the riders today. I got soaked on the last couple of editions of SoM. Still, even if I hadn't been ill, I wouldn't have been fit enough to really enjoy the ride. I've done it in 6 hours a couple of times, including about 30-40 minutes of stops, but last year Alun and I missed the cut-off and the cake!

 

[Crimmey]

I did this one! I expected more to turn up really, I think the mist put people off. One of the most challenging courses I have ever done, not just because of the amount and severity of climbing but the tricky, twisty descents as OFF had said. It made gaining or even holding any momentum to carry up the climbs impossible ( for me). How I didn't punture I will never know! The choclate biscuit cakey thing was lovely as was the rice pudding

 

[Svendo]

Ah, SOM was today; That'll explain the rider heading that way at 7.30am when I was riding into work this morning in the fog. They had an ENORMOUS head torch!