Special rides to conquer climbs.

[Venod]

My club is hosting a ride on Saturday entitled My First Holme Moss encouraging people who have not ridden up there to have a go, this is good to get people out in the hills, but I was thinking I can't remember such encouragement and organisation when I first started riding, you turned up at the club run start and went with the flow sometimes up big climbs sometimes not, OK you didn't get left behind if you were struggling but there were no special rides, just club runs.
I guess we have social media to thank so we don't have to wait still the start of the ride to find out were we are riding this week.
I won't be there I have a 3 hour MTBO event in Kildale to attend, still plenty of climbing no doubt.

 

[Slick]

Surly a good thing if the club's are a bit more encouraging and inclusive.

 

[PaulSB]

I’d agree that I can’t recall getting similar encouragement though I’m looking back too many years. We try to have similar events in our club though not quite as dramatic climbs.

Can I ask why Holme Moss was chosen? It’s obviously an iconic climb so is this to let people know they can do it? Or is there an element of teaching people how to climb?

No criticism but it seems a very big climb to kick off with for those who need encouragement

 

[Venod]

Can I ask why Holme Moss was chosen?

I think because its a right of passage if you are a Yorkshire rider, everybody I know that cycles has been or aims to go over it, and your right its a big climb and will probably come as a shock to some of the first timers.

 

[PaulSB]

@Afnug I thought this might be the case. We’ve done a couple of drive ‘n’ ride days to do some Yorkshire climbs including Holme Moss and of course Sid’s cafe! Both iconic.

We have a local climb, Sheephouse, which is always used as a benchmark to encourage the less experienced. It’s not a huge climb by any means but people are sent to practice on it with the words “if you can ride Sheephouse......”

It’s a good confidence booster before moving on to some of our local more serious stuff like Nick o’ Pendle, Birdy Brow, The Trough etc.

 

[Siclo]

@Afnug I thought this might be the case. We’ve done a couple of drive ‘n’ ride days to do some Yorkshire climbs including Holme Moss and of course Sid’s cafe! Both iconic.

We have a local climb, Sheephouse, which is always used as a benchmark to encourage the less experienced. It’s not a huge climb by any means but people are sent to practice on it with the words “if you can ride Sheephouse......”

It’s a good confidence booster before moving on to some of our local more serious stuff like Nick o’ Pendle, Birdy Brow, The Trough etc.

The one I like near you is Anglezarke, you can always tell who hasn't ridden it before when they take the corner in the big ring

 

[PaulSB]

The one I like near you is Anglezarke, you can always tell who hasn't ridden it before when they take the corner in the big ring

Sometimes we tell people........ others we don’t. Wicked, I know.

 

[groundy74]

Got hit by Anglezarke last week!!! Done Rivington a good few times but never approached it from that direction before, will be better prepared next time. Making it up the trough is my big challenge this year. Only tried twice, first time on a hybrid after only riding for a few months and ending up walking more than half of it. Last year did ride it all the way up but with two stop/starts, aim this year is all the way up in one go when riding Preston Pedalfest next month

 

[Globalti]

I went over Jeffrey Hill then up Whalley Nab yesterday evening; three lads set off up The Nab ahead of me and immediately one came back down to shift into his small ring and start again. They were in their 30s so they disappeared up the hill leaving poor old me plodding up. And a couple of years ago I took a South African triathlete for a ride around the Ribble valley; we came to the foot of Jeffrey Hill and I warned him to get into his small ring. "Ah, no, I'll be OK" he said and set off at warp speed in the big ring. A minute later I also met him coming back down with a sheepish look.

 

[PaulSB]

Ah Jeffrey Hill! I quite like the steep side and of course from Ribchester it’s just a very long climb. I haven’t been up The Nab for many, many years though I have several friends who ride over as a warm up, ride the Nab and then go home!

@groundy74 personally I find the best approach, from the Scorton side, is to take a nice steady pace and after turnin right on to the road and when I hit the climb I feel quite fresh and ready for it.

From a climbing perspective I prefer going up from the Dunsop Bridge side.

 

[groundy74]

Ah Jeffrey Hill! I quite like the steep side and of course from Ribchester it’s just a very long climb. I haven’t been up The Nab for many, many years though I have several friends who ride over as a warm up, ride the Nab and then go home!

@groundy74 personally I find the best approach, from the Scorton side, is to take a nice steady pace and after turnin right on to the road and when I hit the climb I feel quite fresh and ready for it.

From a climbing perspective I prefer going up from the Dunsop Bridge side.

The Preston Pedalfest route approaches from Dunsop Bridge about 30-40 miles into the ride. It's a good ride but the climb was certainly a shock first time, hoping I'm better prepared this year, will find out in a few weeks.

 

[Siclo]

Got hit by Anglezarke last week!!! Done Rivington a good few times but never approached it from that direction before, will be better prepared next time. Making it up the trough is my big challenge this year. Only tried twice, first time on a hybrid after only riding for a few months and ending up walking more than half of it. Last year did ride it all the way up but with two stop/starts, aim this year is all the way up in one go when riding Preston Pedalfest next month

I reckon the trick with the Trough from the Dunsop side is to take it easy initially, then when it ramps up as it crosses the stream don't look at the hills looming either side, it's one of those climbs that's tougher psychologically than physically. Jeffreys on the other hand is a swine, I found it really tough from Ribchester on my way to the Trough from Manchester, totally spent by the time I got to Puddleducks, had my proverbial handed to me by a guy on a TT bike up the Trough that day, he couldn't descend for toffee mind.

Never done Birdy Brow but I fancy the Green Jersey Gravel Rush routes, so that'll be a special journey by car to tick that box and do the gravel climb over Salter Fell.

Have fun @groundy74 <wanders off to google Preston Pedalfest>

EDIT: Make sure you don't leave it all on the road up the trough, the section from Dolphinholme to Bleasdale has some short nasty climbs in it, might be the toughest part of the ride.

 

[Globalti]

Yes the Trough is a lovely climb and not too long, plus there's the reward of a long fast run down through the Scots pine forests on the other side.

I haven't been up Salter Fell for years but last time I did it was on my Tricross and I ended up walking the steep section that climbs from the bridge up to the quarry on the skyline, because the track is so rocky.

 

[Siclo]

I ended up walking the steep section that climbs from the bridge up to the quarry on the skyline, because the track is so rocky.

That could be as issue, road cleats on the Sabbath, at least I've had some practice recently



Piccy shamelessly stolen from @Skuhravy

 

[Soltydog]

I think because its a right of passage if you are a Yorkshire rider, everybody I know that cycles has been or aims to go over it, and your right its a big climb and will probably come as a shock to some of the first timers.

I recently did it for the first time & it was quite tough. For anyone who's not done a 'big' hill it could be a bit of a test, but the same did that I climbed HM I also did Jackson Bridge & that was brutal, I'd recommend it for anyone that finds HM too easy