Season of Mists, Oct 3rd, 2010

[OvertheHill]

Looking forward to this after SITD which Mr Beaker and I did got us into Audaxing. Quite a few of us from North Cheshire Clarion doing this - the post-ride catering has swung it I think!

 

[ColinJ]

Looking forward to this after SITD which Mr Beaker and I did got us into Audaxing. Quite a few of us from North Cheshire Clarion doing this - the post-ride catering has swung it I think!

I think I might have bumped into you with andy_wrx at The Dalesman cafe in Gargrave on SITD?

 

[dan_bo]

Don't let the title fool you dan_bo, it's a pretty hard ride! I'm not sure that it is a good one for the old fixie - take a look at the profile...

Do you actually own a multi-geared bike?

Yeah the crossers been back for a couple of months now thankfully- I learnt my lesson last time bud!

 

[OvertheHill]

I think I might have bumped into you with andy_wrx at The Dalesman cafe in Gargrave on SITD?

Yes that's right Colin

 

[andy_wrx]

Yes, we came over the hill into the wrong-rose county...

 

[Alun]

Colin,

I'll have a go at this with you and and any others that are up for it.
I've been working away for a while and on holiday so I'm a bit off the pace at the moment, but I'll get a few miles in beforehand.
Will we need lights?

 

[ColinJ]

Colin,

I'll have a go at this with you and and any others that are up for it.
I've been working away for a while and on holiday so I'm a bit off the pace at the moment, but I'll get a few miles in beforehand.

Excellent!

One thing I haven't mentioned yet is that the route goes straight up the Heptonstall Road from the start. That's 1.9 km at 10% gradient, so I always nip up and down the valley for about 15 minutes first to warm up. It's usually very cold in the valley at that time and it just kills me to ride up steep hills like that with stiff, cold legs. 

I'll aim to get to HQ at about 08:20 to sign up, and will then ride off towards Todmorden and come back at about 08:50 ready for the start of the event.

Will we need lights?

If we do, then we must have been having a very bad day! 

The route is 100 km long and the minimum event speed is 12 kph so we should be back in 8 hrs 20 mins or less i.e. by 17:20 at the latest. I'd actually hope to be back some time between 16:00 and 17:00. The local sunset time on October 3rd is 18:39 so we'll have plenty of daylight hours. 

 

[andy_wrx]

One thing I haven't mentioned yet is that the route goes straight up the Heptonstall Road from the start. That's 1.9 km at 10% gradient, so I always nip up and down the valley for about 15 minutes first to warm up. It's usually very cold in the valley at that time and it just kills me to ride up steep hills like that with stiff, cold legs.

That's part of the fun of it !

Together with everyone else, do the illegal right turn at the lights, then go stonking up that hill, with the chatter around you being replaced by panting.

Almost as good is coming back down across the cobbles (my bike says Roubaix on it...)

 

[ColinJ]

That's part of the fun of it !

Not for an unfit 15 stone-plus rider it ain't! 

Together with everyone else, do the illegal right turn at the lights, then go stonking up that hill, with the chatter around you being replaced by panting.

Or in my case, a strangled wheezing from deep down in my lungs, sufficient to alarm fellow cyclists at a range of 100 metres.

Almost as good is coming back down across the cobbles (my bike says Roubaix on it...)

My bike doesn't, so I bear left at Slack Bottom (titter, titter) and bomb down through Lee Wood instead. It's a more exciting finish to the ride than the rapid plummet and heavy braking down from Heptonstall.   

 

[Sysagent]

Mmm...

 

[ColinJ]

Mmm...

Go on - you know you want to...

 

[andy_wrx]

Do it anyway, whether you want to or not !

 

[Rammylad]

Would love to be with you chaps but i've opted for the Helwith Bridge duathlon. It's just so unfair to have three tempting local events (3rd = Accrington 10k) on the same day. Like a big box of chocolates and you're only allowed one. Enjoy and have a great day.

 

[ColinJ]

Would love to be with you chaps but i've opted for the Helwith Bridge duathlon. It's just so unfair to have three tempting local events (3rd = Accrington 10k) on the same day. Like a big box of chocolates and you're only allowed one. Enjoy and have a great day.

Thanks, and the same to you (and PaulB) on the duathlon.

Perhaps we could do the SoM route as a CycleChat forum ride some time in the future, maybe a few weeks after SITD next year? 

 

[Rammylad]

Thanks, and the same to you (and PaulB) on the duathlon.

Perhaps we could do the SoM route as a CycleChat forum ride some time in the future, maybe a few weeks after SITD next year?

That sounds good to me Colin ~ whenever you fancy.