West Yorks Cycle Route

[ColinJ]

Hi Colin,

I did 100 miles last weekend and was surprise I managed as well as I did seeing as how I havn't been out all that much since xmas. It was flat though, on the other hand it was damn cold at the start.

Well done! It's the cold and the fear of ice that have kept me off my bike.

I would be up for the North West Ride depending on which weekend it is. Any idea?

It's Saturday (NB SATURDAY - very unusual for an organised event) 21st February.

Last year I rode to Rochdale, did the event, then rode back to Hebden Bridge afterwards. The only thing is - that meant that I did the stretch of road between Rochdale and Todmorden three times that day. I'm keeping my options open - I might just take my bike to Rochdale on the train.

Details of the event on Audax UK website.

I have done a couple of sections of the WYCR from North Leeds down to Pontefract. The section from Garforth to Pontefract is kind of dull to be honest and riding through Castleford and Pontefract it was difficult to work out where the route actually went. I managed ok because I sort of knew the area from years ago. I hope some of the other sections are better marked.
Having said that, with a map and a bit of nous it's not so bad.

Maybe later this month I'll do the section from Ponte. across to Holmfirth or thereabouts.

Yeah, I went astray in Castleford and Pontefract too when I did the southern half of the route. Quite a few signs had been turned round or removed when I did it. I'll be taking my GPS when we do the ride, but we'll still need maps just-in-case. The GPS has only let me down once (a couple of weeks ago) and that was because I forgot to recharge the batteries since our forum ride.

 

[ColinJ]

About the proposed summer WYCR ride...

We'd pencilled in either the 27th or the 28th June for the ride, but I'd like to bring it forward a week to the 20th or 21st of June if that's okay?

Two reasons:

(1) I'm looking forward to the ride, but I don't want to do anything that tough in bad weather so I was thinking to arrange it for the earlier weekend, with an option to put it back to a week later if the first weekend's weather lets us down.

(2) PaulB and longers expressed their interest in doing the ride with us but can't manage the 27th or 28th. Apart from those two weekends, I'm booked up the two weekends before, and the two weekends after.

Any thoughts?

 

[colly]

So far either weekend would be good for me.

Edited to: The weekend of 20th/ 21st would be ok for me.

I realised I am hoping to do http://www.whiterosechallenge.co.uk/ on the 28th.

I take it the idea is to do the whole route on the one day rather than over two days
I know it would be much easier done in two bites but then we would have to arrange over night stays etc.

Doing it in one day would be more of an achievement I suppose.

I am up for it whatever the consensus.

Maybe we can sort it out on Saturday.

 

[ColinJ]

Edited to: The weekend of 20th/ 21st would be ok for me.

I realised I am hoping to do http://www.whiterosechallenge.co.uk/ on the 28th.

I take it the idea is to do the whole route on the one day rather than over two days? I know it would be much easier done in two bites but then we would have to arrange over night stays etc.

Doing it in one day would be more of an achievement I suppose.

I am up for it whatever the consensus.

Maybe we can sort it out on Saturday.

Yes, the idea is still to do the WYCR in one day - I just meant that we can choose either a Saturday or a Sunday, whichever suits the most people.

I didn't realise that the White Rose Challenge was on our original date. That's another reason for changing it.

I suppose that we ought to start making a list of who wants to do it, and express our preferences (if any) for the date.

[List moved to end of thread]


PS I just had another thought... How about us saying it will be the Saturday, but keep the option of changing it to the Sunday at the last minute if the weather was more favourable then? I know that a lot of you have to negotiate 'days off' in advance so that might be tricky for you. I just think it would be a pity to build up to doing the ride on the Saturday and then call it off because of heavy thunderstorms, only for the Sunday to be blue skies and sunshine...

 

[Bokonon]

I'm currently free for either set of dates. Hopefully I'll have done some decent length rides by that time - my longest so far this year has been 40 miles and I've only done about 250 miles total

 

[ColinJ]

I'm currently free for either set of dates. Hopefully I'll have done some decent length rides by that time - my longest so far this year has been 40 miles and I've only done about 250 miles total

Okay - I'll add you to the 'either day' list. Plenty of time to get the miles in before then. Take a look at the Spring into the Dales thread to see if you fancy joining us for that event.

How was your holiday in Romania?

 

[Bokonon]

Spring into the Dales looks good, so I'll aim to do it! I've got plenty of time between now and then to get out on the bike and get some fitness up. Might even start this weekend as the weather looks like it should be OK...

Romania was good. Having been promised cold and lots of snow, it was 14 deg C and sunny on arrival in Bucharest, though it snowed heavily at the end of the week. I've been over several times in the past few years and things look to be getting better in the country all the time. Beer's cheap as well

 

[longers]

I can do either day of the weekend of 20th/21st.
Thanks for potentially rearranging this.

Whereabouts are you planning on starting from?

 

[ColinJ]

I can do either day of the weekend of 20th/21st.
Thanks for potentially rearranging this.

Whereabouts are you planning on starting from?

As a non-driver, I'm kinda hoping that it would be Hebden Bridge! On a Saturday, I could get to Castleford by train by about 07:30, but I think it might be wise to set off earlier than that to allow maximum use of daylight. In terms of fitness, I'm likely to be one of the slowest riders and I don't think that I'd be able to do it in much less than 12 hours, and probably a couple more than that allowing for stops. I'd rather not risk being stuck facing some steep hills when tired in the dark.

It's not just that I live here, it also makes sense to me in terms of the terrain. (Let's assume that we do it clockwise, which is the way I'd prefer to do it.) In quadrants we'd then have hard, easy, easy, hard so we'd have plenty of recovery time between the two hard western quadrants. If we started somewhere round Holmfirth, we'd have hard, hard, easy, easy which would be a bit of an anticlimax (the western half is much more challenging and interesting IMHO). If we started at the northern end, we'd have all the hard stuff at the end which might be a bit much.

Another reason is that I know the last bit from Marsden really well and that would be reassuring when I'm getting tired.

Obviously this is all open to discussion, but if everybody was okay with it I'd say Saturday, June 20th, clockwise from Hebden Bridge, starting about 06:00.

Can only make Saturday 20th June
(nobody yet)

Can only make Sunday 21st June
(nobody yet)

Either day would be okay
ColinJ
colly
Bokonon
longers

 

[colly]

Whereabouts are you planning on starting from?

Ah HA. There's the rub.

For me it would be Shadwell just north of Leeds, seeing as how I live a couple of miles from there. I suspect for Colinj it would be Hebden Bridge, seeing as how the route goes through there too.

To be honest I don't really mind. I know Colin doesn't drive so getting to HB for me wouldn't be a problem.

I guess HB to north Leeds is kind of half way so we could always take a break at my house ( maybe the lovely Sue could lay on refreshments!!!)

I must, over the next few weeks, try out more of the route. I have done from Shadwell down to Pontefract and I am glad I have because the signage is pretty poor/had attention from local neds etc. Colin has it mapped on his GPS thingy so naturally we will get lost we will find our way with no problems.

 

[colly]

You beat me to it Colin.

If we started somewhere round Holmfirth, we'd have hard, hard, easy, easy which would be a bit of an anticlimax

bring on the anti climax I say!!

Seriously though I am OK for whatever is best for the majority.

 

[ColinJ]

I'm just loading up my GPS with tomorrow's route and I'm trying to decide which Whalley variation to put on it. I think I'll probably put mine on, with the option of going up the steep way and rejoining my route higher up if we feel frisky. If you all decide to go round on the official A-road... I'll be disappointed!

I've also been looking at another long ride (or two) which we can tackle some time. The Lancashire Cycleway consists of two loops, each about 130 miles. I've done quite a lot of the northern loop at various times and there is some lovely countryside up there. The southern loop also includes some familiar roads, but I'm not sure about how close it gets to the towns that it circumnavigates. It might feel a bit 'built-up' in places. I'll have to take a closer look at the maps.

 

[colly]

It's about time I went and gave my bike a once over and got my stuff ready for the early start tomorrow.

(why didn't I do it earlier before that bottle of red???)

 

[ColinJ]

It's about time I went and gave my bike a once over and got my stuff ready for the early start tomorrow.

(why didn't I do it earlier before that bottle of red???)

I had too much to drink last weekend so I've had about 5 nights off (including tonight). If tomorrow's ride goes well I might treat myself to 3 or 4 beers tomorrow evening though. I've already got the recovery drink chilling in the fridge (chocolate milk shake).

Checking the bike sounds like a good idea, I'll do that now. See y'all in the morning!

 

[Calum]

MORNING! (Proof that Calum got up on time)