Season of Mists, Oct 3rd, 2010

[ColinJ]

I saw Svendo and andy_wrx at the start and they rode off, probably not to be seen again today.

I met up with Alun, battered and zacklaws and we (eventually!) set off together. Several things were immediately apparent:

• Zack's training has obviously paid off. He had no problem whizzing off ahead of us on the climb to Heptonstall.

• The rest of us were riding slowly even early on, and would only slow down more as the route got tougher.

• It was wet. Very wet. Even wetter than that! We were going to have hours and hours of that water torture!

Zack was having to wait for us all the time, and he was going to end up getting hypothermia if he didn't just get on with his ride. We set him free before we got to the top of the Long Causeway.

By the time we got to Mereclough, we had a decision to make:

1. Continue on our way and complete the ride as planned.
2. Switch to the shorter Mellow Fruitfulness route.
3. Accept that we weren't enjoying ourselves, couldn't even see where we were going, were soaked to the skin and getting colder by the minute so it would make sense to cut our losses and head back to Hebden Bridge.

We chose option 3!

I know it might sound wimpish, but conditions were really awful and we were riding very slowly. It was obvious that we'd really be struggling later. A puncture or other mechanical problem would have been seriously unpleasant.

We headed down to the A646 and followed it back to event HQ in Hebden Bridge.

The river was getting very high and riders coming in after us told us that it had by then flooded the road. The flood warning siren was sounding in Hebden Bridge itself. From the upper floor HQ, we watched the river water level rising. Whole trees had been washed into the river and smashed into several pieces - it was quite spectacular!

We hung around for a while, trying to warm up, chatting, and attacking the post-ride catering, for once before the fast riders got back.

Just before we left, Svendo arrived back, looking fresh and cheerful, total time including stops about 5 hrs 20 minutes. Oh, to be young and fit like that!

I think we did the right thing. We gave it a go, but it wasn't for us today. Big respect to those riders who went ahead and did the whole route!

Now then - Alun, battered and I still fancy tackling the route, only in better weather consitions so we are proposing to do it either Sunday 10th October, or if the weather is bad then, put it back to Sunday 17th. If you fancy joining us, take a look at the new thread - here

 

[zacklaws]

Well I got round, think it was my sense of humour that did it, the first half was easy but then it became more difficult, not so much the hills, but I lost the nerve for rapid descents down the hills, I think it was the fact that I had worn my brake pads out quiet badly in the first half so braking become very poor along with the roads which seemed to be in a very poor state. There was a lot of debris washed onto the roads in a good few places along the route in the later half. At one point it was just a great pile of shingle strewn across the road that had washed down from a farm track, another descent I was in agony holding back on the brakes, the road was a torrent of water and at one point plowed into a pile of very fine black pebbles that had me shimmying all over the road. When I got back to my car, I discovered that I had not clamped my brakes down after fitting my front wheel, which accounted for my poor braking, lesson learnt.

At 35k, I started to catch other riders up.

It did not also help as when I was slow, my glasses steamed up badly, so I was peeping over the top and on a few occasions overshot my turn as I could not see the Garmin. At one point I had to completly descend to the bottom of a steep hill after missing my turn and come back up it again as I would never have got going again halfway up and manage to clip in.

The route itself also went tits up at Coldwell and I had a big offset on it and missed a lot of turns and had to keep coming back to find the proper turn, the variation of the route and were I actually was, was quiet significant in places, this virtually continued to Hebden Bridge, whereupon I got totally lost as I could not fathom it out where the actual turn was. Fortunatley after going sight seeing for about 3 miles and realising Hebden Bridge was behind me, I changed Navigation mode, turned around and found the finishing point, looking at my Garmin download, I was almost halfway to Todmorden. Then I realised what that PCO was trying to tell me at the flooded road bit, "your off the wrong way".

Then just as I got to Hebden Bridge, the sun came out. Even my water proof jacket, just before Coldwell, started being waterproof as I could see water droplets beading on the sleeve , instead of a sieve, I cannot fathom that out actually.

According to my Sportstracks download, it was a maximum of 73.8mm/h precipitation and an average of 10.3mm/h.

I did suffer one injury, which I did not know about till I stripped off in the kitchen to throw it all in the washer, I must have had my "sack" trapped in my tights as one side is as sore and red as hell and untouchable, plus all my jelly babies melted in my back pocket, they were just a load of slush

Anyway got to go my tea's ready, I've just had the call.

Hope to see you on the next one, but not this month ride, and well done for attempting it. I could do with some common sense at times.

 

[Steve H]

Respect to you guys for giving it a go today. I've never seen rain as bad in Yorkshire as it was today. Flash floods all over the place, rivers definitely a few feet higher today. I got completely drenched walking my kids from the car park to the swimming pool entrance (20 yards of walking), so on a bike you must have been soaked to the skin.

 

[Svendo]

Hi all, Thanks for the name checks Colin!
I can assure you apperances are deceptive, I was knackered and was only cheerful because I'd been looking forward to the sandwiches and cakes for the whole second half! Did I mention my ride time was 4hrs42mins? Think I was in the second group back, behind a Condor CC guy, who'd 'passed us in the pits' at Coldwell by not stopping for a brew. To be fair, his group had be slowed by waiting for slower members and a broken chain on Nick O'Pendle.
It was very wet, to the extent that at Thursden I aked the chapI'd been cycling with, Mike in a VC jersey 'has it actually stopped raining?' and he said 'NO!' I'd just got numb to it! I was wet through but had just enough kit to remain mainly warm, which is OK once you've come to terms with wetness. Impressed at how good my lightweight showerproof Endura Rebound jacket is.
Zacklaws is right, it was treacherous in places, I think I found the same gravel patch he did and that thing where you see a hazard and think 'I wonder if I should avoid it?' as you ride right over it! Think I wore though about £10 worth of brake pads all round, was able to tighten them up by a good 5 turns of the nut and still have good clearance at the end of the ride.
I had to wait about a bit after I got back to GFs house as she was still out, there was plenty of deep flooding between Hebden Bridge and Todmorden, the river was pounding away at the walls and bridges it was flowing past and through. Closed to cars but passable by bike, Hehehe. Traffic going south was also being diverted up Bacup Road, because further on at Walsden, just south of Gordon Riggs Garden Centre, the road was blocked by a flood but also tons of hardcore. It was flowing down Allescholes Road, which is being repaired so I think it was the contractors big pile of it that hed been washed down. When I cycled past (again, passable by foot and bike only) there were big stones and quater bricks being washed down the main road, and ITV Calender there filming it. Walked past with the dog later at about 5.30pm and the water had stopped and there was a digger and sweeper clearin the road, but loads of mud where it'd been flooded. Still not passable by car.
I had a great ride all round, character building as they say, and a satisfying glow afterwards. There were some spectacular views, not far obviously, but dramatic with the low clouds and mists and beautiful countryside.

 

[zacklaws]

There were some spectacular views, not far obviously, but dramatic with the low clouds and mists and beautiful countryside.

I never really noticed many spectacular views as I was that steamed up most of the ride and too focused on the road looking for obstacles, it was only when I was back at the HQ, looking at the slide show when I had to keep asking where about's was that because I could not recall being there or seeing it.

I must have missed most off the flooding, Hebden Bridge area, as it was clear between there and half way toTodmorden about 1530, in fact my little off route excursion, I'm going to log as "cooling down" and not as a wrong turning.

Overall I did 68.29 miles, in 5hrs 59mins, climbing 7112 feet.

I was actually hoping the first checkpoint had some Contador brand Spanish meat pies to help me get to the finish a bit quicker, but sadlly I had to part with £1.55 on a raisin slice as a substitute and hope they might be Spanish raisins.

 

[Beaker39]

All I can say is that was blinkin hard work, gulp!



9 of us set out and 8 finished. We encountered 1 puncture and 1 mechanical and LOTS OF RAIN !!! Finished about 4ish and was a very satisfying ride but probably the hardest I have done to date.

Look forward to giving it another bash next year and with any luck it won't be so wet.

 

[ColinJ]

Update on the flooding...

Look North showed footage of the flooded A646 with police sending traffic back from the Hebden Bridge turning circle.

Upstream, the river washed away some retaining walls and several back gardens in Todmorden! The home owners had to be evacuated in case their foundations started to be undermined! 

It's a lovely day here today - isn't that just typical!

Anyway, must dash - my pitiful 22 miles yesterday need to be topped up...

 

[zaid]

Well done to all of you guys for doing so many miles in that.

I had to make a 30k round trip to Airdale Hospital during the worst of it in the morning and that was bad enough!

 

[ColinJ]

What a difference a day makes...

October 3rd

Oct 4th