potsy
Rambler
- Location
- My Armchair
Good luck for tomorrow, hope there are plenty of cameras being taken?
England : West Yorkshire Spring Into The Dales (SITD) April 13th, 2014
- Thread starter ColinJ
- Start date
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OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I will have my phone with me. Its camera is ok for taking CC mugshots!
I have bought a proper cycling cap. I gave up on them in the past because I have a large head and they don't fit but this one was going supercheap so I thought I would buy it and try taking the elastic out. It is now just big enough and fits really well under my MET helmet, from which I have removed the old and ineffective plastic peak.
Unfortunately, it matches the colour of Liquigas Cannondale bikes, not my old red Saeco Cannondale.
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Try to bring the correct bike this time and not have to nip home for a different one
Ha - I was bike fettling yesterday and never got round to doing a test ride! If the Cannondale is going to play up, I hope it is on the ride to Mytholmroyd or back to HB at the start so I could dive home and swap bikes again.
coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
Have fun today 
OP
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I don't like eating a big bowl of porridge at this time in the morning, but it had to be done. Maybe not getting to sleep until 04:15 wasn't ideal preparation for this ...
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
123 hilly km done, so what is that ... 77 miles?
That's the longest, hardest ride that I have done so far, post-DVT/PE. The swirling, gusting crosswind on the climb from Oxenhope to the summit of Cock Hill was simply horrendous!
My body stood up to the stresses very well, though my bad leg is sore now.
I am off to have a long soak and will try to gather my thoughts for another post later.
Skud took quite a few photos, from which I sure he will post a selection.
A good hard day out on the bike!
That's the longest, hardest ride that I have done so far, post-DVT/PE. The swirling, gusting crosswind on the climb from Oxenhope to the summit of Cock Hill was simply horrendous!
My body stood up to the stresses very well, though my bad leg is sore now.
I am off to have a long soak and will try to gather my thoughts for another post later.
Skud took quite a few photos, from which I sure he will post a selection.
A good hard day out on the bike!
tubbycyclist
Senior Member
- Location
- Hebden Bridge
Certainly the wind made it a harder ride, especially the last section. It did seem like there was a danger of being blown off the bike.
It seemed like a successful day - there were around 180 riders who started Spring into the Dales, and just over 40 who started Leap into the Aire. I had a lonely first section after being on the desk with a steady stream of entries on the line right up until gone 9am.
After that I played leap frog with @ColinJ and the CC group for much of the day. The visibility was good and conditions favourable. The big views, ascents and descents came and went until eventually we hit the Aire gap near Skipton which allows for respite from Earby through to Cracoe. My favourite part of the ride through the Cracoe Reef Knolls to Thorpe was delayed at one point by attempting to help a rider with a 6 inch tear in a sidewall, which all came good when another rider had a spare tyre.
Pushed on with the Calderdale CTC group to Cavendish Pavilion where we had a cheap cable lock failure - four bikes were locked together and a hacksaw blade was produced by one member (we had a similar problem once before a couple of years ago on a club ride). It turned out they had clearly spent all the money on the cable and not the lock as the blade made some impression but soon broke. A pair of pliers was produced from the cafe's back room, and an assorted crowd of local club riders gathered to either assist or poke fun at the victims but eventuallya mix of technique and brute force prevailed and the lock was broken.
We turned into the wind after this and the steep climbs through Draughton and Cringles were into an ever strengthening headwind. As we hit the puddings in Rossi's in Keighley the thought of the headwind on Cock Hill was looming large.
There's not much to say about that bit, other than ouch! With 60 miles and 2200 metres of ascent in the legs then the ascent was slow and painful, and the usual speedy descent was characterised by tough crosswinds that threatened to punish tired riders if concentration slipped.
It seemed like a successful day - there were around 180 riders who started Spring into the Dales, and just over 40 who started Leap into the Aire. I had a lonely first section after being on the desk with a steady stream of entries on the line right up until gone 9am.
After that I played leap frog with @ColinJ and the CC group for much of the day. The visibility was good and conditions favourable. The big views, ascents and descents came and went until eventually we hit the Aire gap near Skipton which allows for respite from Earby through to Cracoe. My favourite part of the ride through the Cracoe Reef Knolls to Thorpe was delayed at one point by attempting to help a rider with a 6 inch tear in a sidewall, which all came good when another rider had a spare tyre.
Pushed on with the Calderdale CTC group to Cavendish Pavilion where we had a cheap cable lock failure - four bikes were locked together and a hacksaw blade was produced by one member (we had a similar problem once before a couple of years ago on a club ride). It turned out they had clearly spent all the money on the cable and not the lock as the blade made some impression but soon broke. A pair of pliers was produced from the cafe's back room, and an assorted crowd of local club riders gathered to either assist or poke fun at the victims but eventuallya mix of technique and brute force prevailed and the lock was broken.
We turned into the wind after this and the steep climbs through Draughton and Cringles were into an ever strengthening headwind. As we hit the puddings in Rossi's in Keighley the thought of the headwind on Cock Hill was looming large.
There's not much to say about that bit, other than ouch! With 60 miles and 2200 metres of ascent in the legs then the ascent was slow and painful, and the usual speedy descent was characterised by tough crosswinds that threatened to punish tired riders if concentration slipped.
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
I hurt ! So we did 77 miles which I added a further 32 to get to the start and a further 4 from my drop off thanks to Peter ( Tail end Charlie) and his van ( I could not face the full 32 mile return journey and accepted a lift from Hebden with open arms) Cheers again Peter,you were a life saver !!! As for the ride,even with the wind it was great to be out doing an Audax with fellow forum riders and great to see Colin in fine fettle after his woes over the past few years.......he left us good and proper on some nasty hills !
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
We did 73 miles together. Don't forget that my 2 extra miles from home to HQ were included in your 32, and I did an extra 2 back afterwards! Anyway, you got in way over your revised target of 100 miles for the day, say about 109 miles?
coffeejo
Ælfrēd
- Location
- West Somerset
Well done Colin, good to see you back out on the road despite I never did get to see you. I met so many riders from Audax's from last year and got chatting before the start that I never got to find your group......and next thing I knew we was away. Did'nt like that wind at all, not so much the gusts, but the back draft when it would hit the embankment or wall to the side and wallop you from the other side of the gust and before you recovered. Many a time I felt weightless and if I was falling, my heads still spinning from it now.
But at least I got down the hill at Earsby without a front wheel blow out like last year. I was so pleased to ride over that first speed bump with my tyre still on the rim, unlike last year, when I ploughed into it on just a rim trying to stop, but still I was very nervous and panicky all the way down.
But at least I got down the hill at Earsby without a front wheel blow out like last year. I was so pleased to ride over that first speed bump with my tyre still on the rim, unlike last year, when I ploughed into it on just a rim trying to stop, but still I was very nervous and panicky all the way down.
Amanda P
Legendary Member
- Location
- York. Well, York-ish...
By eck that was a bit drafty!
All the way up on the return leg from Oxenhope I was looking forward to the moment when gravity would overcome wind. It was a long time coming, and I was quite some way down again towards Hebden Bridge before I could stop pedalling.
I think I spotted Calum in the HQ at the end. I'd have waited for you, but Mrs Uncle Phil was on the phone and getting agitated. She had been going to come, but I really think she'd have been blown off the road on Cock Hill - she's only little.
All the way up on the return leg from Oxenhope I was looking forward to the moment when gravity would overcome wind. It was a long time coming, and I was quite some way down again towards Hebden Bridge before I could stop pedalling.
I think I spotted Calum in the HQ at the end. I'd have waited for you, but Mrs Uncle Phil was on the phone and getting agitated. She had been going to come, but I really think she'd have been blown off the road on Cock Hill - she's only little.
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
Very happy with that mileage even with all that pain,great to be out and see you fit and healthy Colin,great day
DiddlyDodds
Random Resident
- Location
- Littleborough
Well that will stay in the memory banks for some time , especially the climb out of Keighley and up from Oxenhope, its so hard when the wind is determined to blow you back down the hill your trying to get up.
It was great to ride with you all
It was great to ride with you all
DiddlyDodds
Random Resident
- Location
- Littleborough
