My forum ride yesterday ...
Details of the route are included in that thread so I won't repeat them here.
The ride was based on the forum ride I organised from Settle in 2011, but I made a few changes with help from local rider
@Sea of vapours (Mike) who also did the ride. We were joined by
@doughnut (Doug),
@busdennis (Robert) and my pal Bill. 5 riders was a nice number - enough to make it fell like a group ride, but easy to keep an eye on everyone.
Bill and I were lucky because Robert kindly drove 20 miles out of his way to pick us up from Bramley station, near Leeds. (We bought return tickets but while we were on the train to the pick-up, we worked out that it would be quicker to be dropped off at Keighley on the way back and ride home over the big hill to the Calder Valley. More about that later.)
We got picked up at the station as planned. The bike transport was ideal - Robert was driving his van and had fixed his bike on his turbo trainer in the middle, with cardboard bike boxes lashed to either side of the inside of the van with bungee cords. So Bill's bike was attached to one bike box, and mine to the other.
We got slightly confused by the roads between Bramley and Keighley and ended up doing a detour through Cullingworth and Haworth Brow, but we were not too late getting to Settle, where Mike and Doug were waiting for us.
We finally set off at about 10:25.
The weather was kind to us - Mike said that it has been pretty damp around the Dales for the past couple of weeks but the sun came out for us yesterday. We all felt that it was a lot warmer than the forecast 15-17 degrees.
We set off into limestone country
When we did the Settle ride in 2011 we had to do a few hundred metres on the A65. The problem is, that involves a double crossing of a road which has a poor safety record. It is very narrow, twisty, and turny, and often very busy; not ideal for cyclists ... That problem has been fixed! A short strip of the fields at the side of the A65 has been turned into a cycle path and the dry stone wall moved back a couple of metres to the other side of it. No need now to fight the traffic.
We got deeper and deeper into the beautiful Dales countryside. It is fabulous cycling territory on a sunny day. We commented a couple of times though that you would not want to be out there in bad weather!
We winched our way up a big hill to get this view, and wanted to share it with you ...
View down Deepdale to Dentdale
There is a scary descent from that point - the photo doesn't quite show how steep the road is. Here's a warning to be taken very seriously - There are gates across that road and it is steep, narrow, with tight bends, sheep wandering about etc. Take it very easy if you ever ride down there.
On the previous Settle ride we climbed up past Dent station and over the 'Coal Road' to Garsdale Head. This time we took an alternative route via Newby Head Moss and the B6255. That involves a steep climb up under the viaduct over which passes the Settle-Carlisle railway. [If you ever get the chance to travel on that line -
DO! It is a wonderfully scenic line which cost the lives of scores of men to build and had been threatened by closure in the 1980s until a
protest campaign and the support of Michael Portillo persuaded the tory government to save it But be warned ... if you decide to have a weekend break in the charming Dales village of Dent, make sure that you arrange transport from Dent station - it is 7 km from the village and up a very steep hill 200 metres higher up!]
Where was I ...? Oh yes, up on the B6255! If anybody had wanted a shortcut back, they could have turned right and descended to Ribblehead then turned left onto the B6249 for an easy ride back down to Settle, but the Gang of Five were up for the challenges which were to come. We turned left instead ...
We descended for 8 km (with a couple of small uphill blips on the way down) and then left the B6255 for one of my typical quiet road detours, down a little lane to Appersett. There were a few potholes and patches of gravel to catch out the unwary, but we all got down ok. After that, it was a right turn onto the A684 for a quick 2 km blast to our cafe stop at Hawes.
I say 'cafe stop' ... Actually, Hawes was heaving with tourists in the sunshine. We didn't really fancy sitting indoors and queuing to be served, so we found a Spar instead and bought refreshments there which we ate out in the street. (We did actually buy takeout coffees from a cafe in the end though.)
Eventually, it was time to get back on the bikes and head off for the biggest challenge of the day - the tough climb of Fleet Moss, as featured on a recent edition of the Cycle Show on ITV4. You may be able to still catch that on ITVPlayer if you are quick.
Mike went ahead on the steepest part of the climb, followed by Robert and Bill. Doug and I brought up the rear. Bill looked overgeared and I saw him stop at least 3 times ahead of me before setting off again. He still managed to get up the climb without walking, and he got up there quicker than me. I climbed like Chris Froome. No, not at warp speed leaving everybody except Quintana in my wake - I mean that I was staring down at my handlebar stem! Every time I looked up the hill it scared me so I thought it better
not to look!
I was
just able to get up there sitting down, unlike in 2011, when my grovelling ended before the summit, in a world of pain.
Now then - I have a complaint! How come when one is on a CC forum ride, 4.5 stone overweight, drenched in sweat, and walking up a steep hill with one's bike, there always seem to be 5 or 6 vindictive b*st*rds gathered at the top with cameras poised to document one's suffering, whereas when one has slimmed down and developed a modicum of fitness, the faster riders on the climb shoot on ahead to enjoy the scenery a km down the road rather than taking pictures of one's glorious triumph!
Anyway, Doug and I eventually found the others lurking at the summit beyond the killer part of the climb. I took a picture of them standing with the bikes. You can see Ingleborough, one of Yorkshire's '3 peaks' in the distance. (Apologies for the road apparently growing out of Bill's head - I didn't notice that at the time or I would have moved round a bit to take the picture!)
Lads atop Fleet Moss (L-R Sea of vapours, busdennis, Bill, Doughnut)
The next part of the route is absolutely cracking! Initially, there is a steep descent which almost caught me out. I did what several riders did on a recent Tour de France descent - I went into a bend too fast and almost overshot it. That distracted me so I failed to look ahead and see the huge pothole that I was about to hit at 50 kph, and that distracted me from noticing quite how quickly that black car was coming up towards me .. My swerve round the pothole had me unwisely close to the car! Definitely my mistake that time, rather than that of a stupid driver.
The sun was by now hidden behind cloud cover. It's a pity because Langstrothdale Chase is gorgeous on a sunny day. It was still very pretty, just not as vivid as it can be.
We continued to slowly descend as we entered Wharfedale, proceeding through Buckden, Starbotton and Wharfedale before our right turn into Littondale.
And then it started raining! Oh drat ... The forecast had suggested sun all day, but no such luck. Mike reckoned that it would all blow over, and I could see gaps in the clouds roughly where the wind was coming from, so I thought so too. And so it came to pass. A soggy start to Littondale, but by the time we got beyond Arncliffe, it had already stopped, the sun was shining again and the roads were beginning to dry.
We had our first (only) d*ckhead driver of the day as we headed towards Halton Gill at the end of the dale. Evidently we had not thrown ourselves off the road fast enough to suit his highness! So, the usual aggro from him. I pitied him really - it must be awful having one's 4 cm penis crushed by such a massive dangling beer belly!
Mike had told me that the climb up from Halton Gill was much easier than the monster from Arncliffe halfway down the dale. He was right, but it still felt tough at that stage of the ride. I could swear that we actually got a hint of a tailwind up there though, which was nice.
Last photos of the day ...
'Please drive carefull lambs ont road'!
Sea of vapours (left) and Doughnut
That is a wonderfully scenic undulating road, which finishes in a quick descent to Stainforth, just a few kms up the road from Settle. It wasn't long before we were back in the car park and saying our goodbyes.
There were no problems with fitness. It was a tough hilly 116 km (72 mile) loop but we all got round ok. I was probably the slowest rider but at least I did not have to walk up any of the climbs this time!
It was nice meeting and chatting with you, Robert, Mike and Doug. Bill can sometimes get a bit ratty if rides are too slow for him but he declared himself very happy with his day out.
Thanks very much for the lifts Robert, and especially for taking us up the congested climb out of Keighley - that left us with a fun 7 km descent to Hebden Bridge without having to do the hard bit first!
I remembered that I had to go and water plants for a friend who is away, so by the time I got home I had done 131 km (82 miles).
A great day out, only slightly marred by 30 minutes of showers, one plonker in a car, and nagging transmission problems on my bike which I really
must sort out.
I will do this ride again next summer, so start your training NOW if you like the look of it but think it looks too hard for you!
).
. Then it turned out there were two of us. Big Jim never misses a ride just because of the weather, and actually turned out in lycra shorts throughout the Winter, so I should have known he'd be there.
