# Saturday, 11th May. Conder Green from Todmorden (100 miles) or Whalley (100 km)



## ColinJ (19 Mar 2019)

POSTPONED FROM EARLY APRIL!

My forum ride from Garforth on Saturday was a success so I am keen to get on with organising the next outing, This is my annual ride from Todmorden/Spring Wood to Conder Green near Glasson Dock, and back.

The ride will now take place on Saturday, 11th May.

This is a 161 km/100 mile ride, but riders preferring a shorter distance can start and finish at Spring Wood picnic site which is situated where Accrington Rd meets the A671 above Whalley. That option cuts the distance down to 107 km and avoids most of the busy roads. It is only £1 for all-day parking, but if you are really tight, you could park on Accrington Rd for nothing and cycle up to Spring Wood! 

I will be riding from Todmorden with @Littgull and any other imperial century riders. There is a free car park at Dalton Street, across the side street next to Todmorden Bus station. We will start from there at 08:30.

We will call in at Spring Wood by 10:00 to meet up with anyone doing the shorter route and drop them off there again 107 km later.

107 km route (ridden anticlockwise)







107 km route profile






This 107 km loop will be a slightly different route to other years. There is one long drag up to Cow Ark and then 2 fairly hard climbs (the Trough of Bowland and Abbeystead Fell) on the ride from Spring Wood, followed by a lovely long run down from Jubilee Tower on the Fell towards Conder Green. Conder Green is 50 km from Spring Wood, or 77 km from Todmorden. As usual, we will go to Cafe d'Lune there.

We will come back by our usual route to Longridge but for a change we will go over part of Longridge Fell, before descending to Ribchester Bridge, _after _Ribchester. After that, our usual route back via Old Langho and Billington to Whalley.

The ride back is much easier than the outward leg. We have to do a moderate climb through Longridge onto the Fell and then a short climb at Salesbury Hall towards Old Langho, with one final drag back up to Spring Wood from Whalley.

I hope that we can get back to Spring Wood by about 18:00. If we do leave Spring Wood at 10:00 and have an hour of stops altogether, that would be 7 hours of riding - requiring roughly 15 km/hr or 9.5 mph average speed while riding. That means that even the longer distance riders _should _get back in daylight. 

Route and profile from Tod to Spring Wood (reverse for evening ride back)






I would describe this route as 'moderately challenging'. It isn't suitable for beginners, but you wouldn't have to be superfit either. If you have previously ridden 80 km/50 miles with 2 or 3 significant hills and felt okay then the 107 km loop should be suitable for you. If you have ridden 120 km/75 miles and 3 or 4 significant hills then you should be able to do the longer route.

GPX files attached below.

Previous ride threads to whet your appetite - 2017, 2018.


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## Domus (19 Mar 2019)

I shall express an interest in the shorter distance. Mrs Domus will drop me off at Spring Wood then spend the day shopping in Clitheroe. 
Last training ride before my trip to Mallorca on Monday the 8th.


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## Blue Hills (19 Mar 2019)

Domus said:


> I shall express an interest in the shorter distance. Mrs Domus will drop me off at Spring Wood then spend the day shopping in Clitheroe.
> h.


News to me that it's possible to spend a day shopping in Clitheroe.
Are you sure she's not just going to hole up in the New Inn?


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## Domus (19 Mar 2019)

She will spend an obscene amount of time in charity shops looking for books and toys for our grand children. She picks up amazing bargains. Full sets of Roald Dahl books, Thomas the Tank Engine videos, board games, card games, jigsaws etc for just a few pounds. They watch, read and devour them then she re cycles them to other charity shops and starts again. Their house, our house and our caravan are constantly being re stocked. They get to use the stuff, charities get some income and then stuff is donated back.


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## Blue Hills (19 Mar 2019)

Didn't realise Clitheroe's charity shops were so good domus.

If she is a fan of such things (and why not?) I can recommend the ones in Lytham - particularly if female.

(apologies to Colin for brief divert  )

have a great ride all.

will join one in the future sometime.


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## ColinJ (26 Mar 2019)

I have added more details to the original post. I will add maps, elevation profiles and GPX files in the next couple of days.

Express your interest below if you'd like to join us ...


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## nickAKA (26 Mar 2019)

I'd be up for that but it's my daughter's 7th birthday (party) - balls...

Any other dates planned in that particular neck of the woods I'm definitely interested, supposed to be doing a big group ride over there late summer so would like to get a bit more familiar with the roads just so I know what to expect!


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## ColinJ (26 Mar 2019)

nickAKA said:


> I'd be up for that but it's my daughter's 7th birthday (party) - balls...
> 
> Any other dates planned in that particular neck of the woods I'm definitely interested, supposed to be doing a big group ride over there late summer so would like to get a bit more familiar with the roads just so I know what to expect!


I organise several rides a year over there. No dates set yet, but keep your eyes open - there should be at least 2 or 3 more over the spring, summer and autumn.

PS And if the weather is awful, there could be a postponement. I'll ride in disappointing conditions but I am not a _total _masochist!


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## nickAKA (26 Mar 2019)

ColinJ said:


> I organise several rides a year over there. No dates set yet, but keep your eyes open - there should be at least 2 or 3 more over the spring, summer and autumn.
> 
> PS And if the weather is awful, there could be a postponement. I'll ride in disappointing conditions but I am not a _total _masochist!



Amen to that... A bit of rain I can cope with but I draw the line at 30mph headwinds...


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## ColinJ (26 Mar 2019)

I have now added rough maps, elevation profiles, and GPX files to the original post in this thread.

Would-be forum riders - come on down! And up... and down ... and...


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## ColinJ (1 Apr 2019)

I have booked acceptable weather conditions for the ride, so those of you who have been hesitating to sign up for the ride need wait no longer!

Nobody has ever said that they wished they hadn't done this ride, but many have regretted missing it ...


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## Littgull (1 Apr 2019)

I'm raring to go for this one!


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## ColinJ (1 Apr 2019)

@Domus has posted elsewhere that he is still hoping to join us but is recovering from surgery and a bad cold so he may only manage part of the route from Spring Wood.

Hopefully, a few more people will sign up before the ride. My pals Carrie and Kevin usually come along but they are both probably busy on Saturday.


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## Pale Rider (1 Apr 2019)

As readers of this board will know I am otherwise engaged on Saturday.

Which is a pity, because this is a very agreeable ride.

Hilly enough for me to moan a bit, but not so ridiculously up and down to make me want to sling the bike over a hedge.


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## ColinJ (1 Apr 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> As readers of this board will know I am otherwise engaged on Saturday.
> 
> Which is a pity, because this is a very agreeable ride.
> 
> Hilly enough for me to moan a bit, but not so ridiculously up and down to make me want to sling the bike over a hedge.


Yes, and if you can't make it to NWish-England then try to make it up to NEish-England for PR's ride instead!


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## ColinJ (3 Apr 2019)

The forecast is still looking okay for Saturday, but the list of riders certainly _isn't_! 

It is beginning to look like it will just be me and Littgull on this lovely route, but perhaps with a guest appearance from Domus?

1967: _Tune in, Turn on, Drop out_
2019: _Come on - Drop in/Turn out! _


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## Domus (3 Apr 2019)

Been out today in the cold on the winter bike, 64 Kms done, legs a bit leaden at the end but lighter summer bike on Saturday should help matters.
Can't promise the full distance but I will be at Spring Wood at 10.00 

I shall be carrying a copy of the Times and wearing a pink carnation


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## MontyVeda (3 Apr 2019)

What's your ETA at Condor Green? I might* have a leisurely pootle down from Lancaster and meet some fellow CCers for a butty and a brew.

*depending on my levels of commitment/apathy towards my current decorating job


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## ColinJ (3 Apr 2019)

Domus said:


> Been out today in the cold on the winter bike, 64 Kms done, legs a bit leaden at the end but lighter summer bike on Saturday should help matters.
> Can't promise the full distance but I will be at Spring Wood at 10.00
> 
> I shall be carrying a copy of the Times and wearing a pink carnation


Excellent. If you want my ride phone number I could PM it to you, otherwise we will just look out for a suspicious-looking character hanging around in the car park. I will be on my red Cannondale, as featured in my current avatar... (<---------- over there)



MontyVeda said:


> What's your ETA at Condor Green? I might* have a leisurely pootle down from Lancaster and meet some fellow CCers for a butty and a brew.
> 
> *depending on my levels of commitment/apathy towards my current decorating job


Obviously a bit of a guess, but it is unlikely that it would be before 13:00 and I certainly would prefer it to be well before 14:00, so 13:15-13:30-ish? We would probably stop for 30-45 minutes.


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## Pale Rider (3 Apr 2019)

ColinJ said:


> Excellent. If you want my ride phone number I could PM it to you, otherwise we will just look out for a suspicious-looking character hanging around in the car park. I will be on my red Cannondale, as featured in my current avatar... (<---------- over there)
> 
> 
> Obviously a bit of a guess, but it is unlikely that it would be before 13:00 and I certainly would prefer it to be well before 14:00, so 13:15-13:30-ish? We would probably stop for 30-45 minutes.



In my experience they will stop for as long as it takes Colin to eat two slices of cake and for @Littgull to neck beans on toast.


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## ColinJ (3 Apr 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> In my experience they will stop for as long as it takes Colin to eat two slices of cake and for @Littgull to neck beans on toast.


And how long it takes to get served... Service was a bit slow for our large group on the Garforth ride. That won't be a problem this time unless there is a sudden surge of interest, or there happens to be a huge crowd of people ahead of us in the queue.


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## MontyVeda (3 Apr 2019)

ColinJ said:


> ...
> 
> Obviously a bit of a guess, but it is unlikely that it would be before 13:00 and I certainly would prefer it to be well before 14:00, so 13:15-13:30-ish? We would probably stop for 30-45 minutes.


cool. If I set off at 1300 (its about a 15 min ride), presuming I'm not up to my elbows in paint... we should coincide quite nicely.


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## ColinJ (5 Apr 2019)

@Littgull, @ Domus, @MontyVeda - *Sorry folks, I'm going to have to postpone the ride. *The cold bug I had a month or so back has decided to come out of hibernation and make me ill again! It started to develop on Wednesday night but I thought I'd wait until now to see if I got over it in time for the ride. I haven't ... I feel worse today and can barely even drag myself down to my local shops. It would not be sensible to attempt this ride.

I will reschedule it to a date in May, as yet to be decided. That means that @nickAKA and @Pale Rider might get the chance to join us, but Domus will possibly be away in Mallorca at the time.


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## Littgull (5 Apr 2019)

ColinJ said:


> @Littgull, @ Domus, @MontyVeda - *Sorry folks, I'm going to have to postpone the ride. *The cold bug I had a month or so back has decided to come out of hibernation and make me ill again! It started to develop on Wednesday night but I thought I'd wait until now to see if I got over it in time for the ride. I haven't ... I feel worse today and can barely even drag myself down to my local shops. It would not be sensible to attempt this ride.
> 
> I will reschedule it to a date in May, as yet to be decided. That means that @nickAKA and @Pale Rider might get the chance to join us, but Domus will possibly be away in Mallorca at the time.



That's a real shame, Colin. But you couldn't entertain riding a day long 100 miler without feeling fighting fit. GWS.

Looking forward to riding with @Domus, @MontyVeda and others on the rescheduled ride.


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## Pale Rider (5 Apr 2019)

@Littgull is right, apart from anything else it's not the easiest 100 miles you could do on a bicycle.

I shall keep an eye out for the rescheduled ride.


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## Blue Hills (5 Apr 2019)

me too - never know I might be able to do it as well - would be good to meet pale rider as well - to see if he is as cool as his avatar.


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## nickAKA (5 Apr 2019)

ColinJ said:


> @Littgull, @ Domus, @MontyVeda - *Sorry folks, I'm going to have to postpone the ride. *The cold bug I had a month or so back has decided to come out of hibernation and make me ill again! It started to develop on Wednesday night but I thought I'd wait until now to see if I got over it in time for the ride. I haven't ... I feel worse today and can barely even drag myself down to my local shops. It would not be sensible to attempt this ride.
> 
> I will reschedule it to a date in May, as yet to be decided. That means that @nickAKA and @Pale Rider might get the chance to join us, but Domus will possibly be away in Mallorca at the time.



Not really your problem Colin but I've got stuff booked in on the 5th & the 19th May (Dad duty) but Saturdays are open 

Hope you're feeling better soon BTW!


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## ColinJ (5 Apr 2019)

Thanks - it is just a cold but that's enough to do the damage on a long ride with hills. I don't make the macho mistake of thinking that colds are trivial after THIS EPISODE! 

I've just remembered that my cousin will be here for the Tour de Yorkshire the first weekend in May so the rescheduled ride will not be _that_ weekend,


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## MontyVeda (5 Apr 2019)

ColinJ said:


> @Littgull, @ Domus, @MontyVeda - *Sorry folks, I'm going to have to postpone the ride. *The cold bug I had a month or so back has decided to come out of hibernation and make me ill again! It started to develop on Wednesday night but I thought I'd wait until now to see if I got over it in time for the ride. I haven't ... I feel worse today and can barely even drag myself down to my local shops. It would not be sensible to attempt this ride.
> 
> I will reschedule it to a date in May, as yet to be decided. That means that @nickAKA and @Pale Rider might get the chance to join us, but Domus will possibly be away in Mallorca at the time.


Shame... get well soon Colin 



Littgull said:


> That's a real shame, Colin. But you couldn't entertain riding a day long 100 miler without feeling fighting fit. GWS.
> 
> Looking forward to riding with @Domus, @MontyVeda and others on the rescheduled ride.



I wasn't actually planning doing any riding.. just meeting up for the brew and cake bit.


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## Domus (5 Apr 2019)

Not to worry, the cold/man flu I had after my op knocked me for 6.

I am hoping to do the Friday night to Barry and the 100 miler to Llandudno in May so two weekends full for me.

Get well soon.


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## Julia9054 (5 Apr 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> As readers of this board will know I am otherwise engaged on Saturday.
> 
> Which is a pity, because this is a very agreeable ride.
> 
> Hilly enough for me to moan a bit, but not so ridiculously up and down to make me want to sling the bike over a hedge.


Yeah - I'd like to see you sling your bike over a hedge! 
Sorry you are unwell @ColinJ - I would be interested in this one in May


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## ColinJ (6 Apr 2019)

ColinJ said:


> I've just remembered that my cousin will be here for the Tour de Yorkshire the first weekend in May so the rescheduled ride will not be _that_ weekend


Oh, and nickyboy's Llandudno ride is on the 18th so it looks like Sat 11th May or Sat 25th.


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## ColinJ (6 Apr 2019)

The weather has turned out really nice so it is a pity that I didn't feel up to it today. I woke at the time I would have been getting up for the ride but I was 'pleased' to find that I did feel pretty rough - not rough enough to feel really miserable, but rough enough to confirm that I couldn't have ridden to Conder Green and back without half (or fully!) killing myself.

Let's hope for another nice sunny day in May when the postponed ride takes place.


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## MontyVeda (6 Apr 2019)

Weather's really nice at this end of the ride too... glad you're feeling a bit better


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## Starchivore (6 Apr 2019)

Hello people- I've been off these forums for ages, not sure why other than going out of the habit, a few life changes and a period of not very much cycling.... nice to be back and my beady eye spotted this. A Colin ride provided me with my first (and still only) 100 miler. I will keep tabs on this....


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## Littgull (6 Apr 2019)

Starchivore said:


> Hello people- I've been off these forums for ages, not sure why other than going out of the habit, a few life changes and a period of not very much cycling.... nice to be back and my beady eye spotted this. A Colin ride provided me with my first (and still only) 100 miler. I will keep tabs on this....



Be great to see you on another ride, Thomas (@Starchivore). Hope you are keeping well.


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## Littgull (7 Apr 2019)

When @ColinJ postponed his Conder Green Forum Ride due to illness I made an alternative plan for Saturday which involved my son coming over for the afternoon to chat and listen to the football on the radio. It was a nice lazy afternoon and our team won. It wasn’t until early evening on Saturday that I realised Mrs Littgull had arranged to visit a friend on Sunday (today) so I made a snap decision to ride Colin’s revised Conder Green route today.

My plan was to complete the 100 miles by the time I reached Rose Grove train station (near Burnley) thereby avoiding the grinding climb up from Rose Grove (after a long ride) and the fast traffic on the road back to Todmorden. More of that later!
So to achieve my plan I started out at 7.10 am and put in 11 additional miles by riding to the Bury side of Rochdale and back to Littleborough.

The forecast was good so I wore shorts and wondered if that was wise as I set off. It was a bit fresh but it turned out a good move as it warmed up a lot after 10 am. I made steady progress and had the benefit of an easterly tail/ tail cross wind for virtually all of the outward leg. The very long descent en route to Abbeystead Fell after climbing the Trough of Bowland was absolutely exhilarating. A great revision to the original route, Colin. Made all the better by the tailwind.

I have ridden up the much steeper side to Jubilee Tower twice previously coming from Quernmore but whilst the Abbeystead Fell climb is nowhere near as steep it is very long. I reached the Café D’ Lune, Conder Green at 1.10 pm. The approaching narrow lanes were the only time in the whole ride I encountered anything like busy traffic and that was just for 10 minutes or so. The rest of the day it was very light traffic as is the norm for a Colin Forum Ride. @Pale Rider will not be surprised to hear that I chose beans on toast at the cafe. Though it has to be said, the café does not offer many non-meat options – let alone plant based snacks! However, the service was friendly, quick and efficient. It’s a nice spot beside the creek and it’s very popular.

The return leg seemed to pass very quickly even though I had a head/ cross head wind for most of it. The traffic was much lighter than when I rode that same way a week or so ago (on a Thursday) on my return from Cleveleys. When I reached Longridge I stopped briefly for a jam butty I took with me and then rode up the main street. My Garmin with Colin’s gpx route file on it correctly routed me left at the crossroads. But, here is the ‘sting in the tail’ – I turned down the long descent towards Ribchester without noticing my Garmin was signalling ‘Off Course’. I had forgotten Colin had revised this bit with a climb up Longridge Fell, so I rode back up the hill and realised that whether I chose to follow Colin’s revised loop to Whalley or rode back down towards Ribchester and carried on to Spring Wood and then a further 7 miles to Rose Grove it totalled 14 miles to reach my century. So I decided to ride the revised loop. It was both scenic and very quiet. I reached Whalley at 5.30 pm and as I had exactly completed 100 miles by then I opted to get the train back from Whalley to Littleborough (with a change at . Blackburn). I got lucky with the train timings and only had to wait a short time for both.

Some pictures attached. Pleased I have notched my 3rd century of the calendar year and another great route. Thanks Colin.





















I will look forward to riding it again with others when Colin reschedules it.


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## ColinJ (8 Apr 2019)

Excellent - well done, Brian!

I was toying with the idea of doing that myself once I am over the cold, but I think I will try to tempt you into doing my ride to Crosby instead.


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## Blue Hills (8 Apr 2019)

Thanks for the report and nice pics @Littgull looks like a great route, look forward to doing it sometime - happy to know that it doesn't face that climb from quernmore which I did once on an inappropriately geared bike.

What's that bike of yours by the way?


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## Littgull (8 Apr 2019)

ColinJ said:


> Excellent - well done, Brian!
> 
> I was toying with the idea of doing that myself once I am over the cold, but I think I will try to tempt you into doing my ride to Crosby instead.


Yes, definitely the Crosby ride soon, Colin.


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## Littgull (8 Apr 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> Thanks for the report and nice pics @Littgull looks like a great route, look forward to doing it sometime - happy to know that it doesn't face that climb from Quernmore which I did once on an inappropriately geared bike.
> 
> What's that bike of yours by the way?


Thanks @Blue Hills. Yes that would be a very tough climb with an 'under-geared' bike. A short while back I rode a route advertised in one of the cycling magazines. I adapted it slightly to start at Lancaster train station and finish at Clitheroe. It took in 4 of the iconic Lancashire climbs - Jubilee Tower, Trough of Bowland, Cross O' Greet and Bowland Knotts. It was one of those velvet blue sky bright sunny days. A terrific ride with truly world class scenery!

My bike in the photos is a Thorn Mercury with Rohloff hub gears. A couple of years ago my car was written off by a speeding motorist whilst parked outside my house. The insurance payout was derisory as the car was 11 years old. Shortly after that I took early retirement and I decided to do without a car permanently and purchase a top quality bike. I've always been a slow cyclist but with good endurance so the Thorn suited my needs perfectly. Because it's made of steel it is very heavy (at nearly 13 kg) compared to a non steel bike. But that doesn't bother me as I have it very low geared and it gets me up the many 20-25% hills up here in the Pennines. @ColinJ will attest to my lack of bike maintenance skills. I can fix punctures, clean and lubricate my bikes and could probably just about mend a broken chain. But that's about it! Sadly, I don't have the motivation or interest in viewing the many helpful youtube videos to teach myself. So that's where the other advantages of my rohloff geared Thorn come in - very low maintenance and reliability. Also I have an arthritic right knee and left hip so comfort is a big priority and the Thorn delivers superbly on those fronts too. It's my bike for long days out in the saddle. In fact I was so impressed with it when I spotted a second hand Thorn for sale (a rare event) just over a year ago I bought that too. It's a Thorn Raven Catalyst (pictured) with Rohloff hub gears. It has mountain bike geometry and is 2 kg heavier than my Mercury but I have it very low geared so it gets me up any hill and is very comfortable. It's my 'go to' bike for local tracks and trails as well as a heavy load carrier for shopping etc.

The weight of the Thorns does mean that I am a pretty slow rider especially when in a group of riders with similar fitness but much lighter bikes but that doesn't bother me as the advantages outweigh (pardon the pun) that disadvantage. Before I decided on getting a Thorn I did consider the Van Nicholas range of titanium rohloff geared bikes. That would provide lightweight and hub gear benefits. But I was a bit put off by learning that (despite common belief to the contrary) if a titanium bike frame is badly damaged in a collision it will probably be unrepairable - unlike a quality steel frame. Mind you, if the crash was that severe the rider might be 'unrepairable' too!


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## Blue Hills (8 Apr 2019)

Thanks for the reply @Littgull not sure if we have met (wonky memory) on a colin ride. If not, look forward to seeing you and one of those bikes soon. They sound great, a bit of weight not a problem in my opinion compared to confidence that the bike will just keep rolling. That ride you created sounds great. If by chance you have a gpx, could you pm me?


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## Littgull (8 Apr 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> Thanks for the reply @Littgull not sure if we have met (wonky memory) on a colin ride. If not, look forward to seeing you and one of those bikes soon. They sound great, a bit of weight not a problem in my opinion compared to confidence that the bike will just keep rolling. That ride you created sounds great. If by chance you have a gpx, could you pm me?



I don't think we have yet met @Blue Hills but I'm looking forward to riding with you on one of @ColinJ rides in the near future.

I've had a look for the gpx file of that scenic ride but I can only find the original (from the cycling magazine). It started and finished near Caton and included 3 of the climbs but not the Bowland Knotts. Still a really good ride and the gpx is attached.

Come to think of it I modified it quite a bit to include Bowland Knotts plus starting at Caton and finishing at Clitheroe. But unfortunately didn't keep the gpx file of it. It was on my old Garmin that is now defunct.

Hope this helps.


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## ColinJ (8 Apr 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> ... looks like a great route, look forward to doing it sometime - happy to know that it doesn't face that climb from quernmore which I did once on an inappropriately geared bike.


Hmm ... 



ColinJ said:


> I had some young guys overtake me on the mega-hilly Pendle Pedal sportive a few years back. One of them noticed that I had a triple on my bike and made a joke about it. I think the word _'granddad'_ was involved ...
> 
> 100 yards further on, we turned left at the crossroads at Quernmore and began a very tough climb. Halfway up I caught up with them as they walked their bikes up the steepest part of the ascent. I took my bottle from its cage and enjoyed a long drink as I cycled past them. I couldn't resist it - _"Get yourselves triples, lads, it will save you wearing your cleats out walking up the steep stuff!"_


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## Blue Hills (8 Apr 2019)

It was a triple colin, but without big enough cogs on the back. A nice bike, my old dale, but i very rarely got it into top gear.


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## Starchivore (8 Apr 2019)

Littgull said:


> Be great to see you on another ride, Thomas (@Starchivore). Hope you are keeping well.



I'm doing good thanks, hope you are too! Well done to you for tackling the hundred on your own. Jubilee tower and the roads around Quernmore, Dunsop Bridge and Glasson Dock are familiar to me from being at uni in Lancaster, it's good riding but "testing" to say the least with some of those climbs.... Looks like the weather was nice for it.


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## ColinJ (8 Apr 2019)

Blue Hills said:


> It was a triple colin, but without big enough cogs on the back. A nice bike, my old dale, but i very rarely got it into top gear.


Ah, yes - a triple PLUS big/biggish sprockets. I had 26 front/28 back on that bike. I put a triple on my Cannondale road bike and ALSO a bigger cassette - I have a 28/30 gear on that bike now. I sometimes wish that I'd gone for 26/30 for 25% ramps, but 26/30 is low enough for most climbs and I have got up 25% on it so I don't actually _need _a lower gear. 

I have a 48/12 top gear, which is lower than it used to be (53/12) but it isn't often that I miss being able to pedal at > 35 mph. If I am going that fast then it is down a steep(ish) hill and I can just freewheel.


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## Blue Hills (8 Apr 2019)

Forgot to say, it didn't have a small enough small ring on the front either  smallest was 32 I think. Biggest on back maybe 25. Took me a few years to figure out why i struggled so much compared to some others to get up some of the pig climbs in the north downs. Physics never my strong subject.


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## ColinJ (1 May 2019)

Okay, let's try again! 

The ride is now due to take place on Saturday, 11th May. I have updated the first post to reflect the new date. All other details as before.

Littgull will join me from Todmorden. I'll trawl back through the thread and tag anyone who expressed interest. Paging @Domus, @Blue Hills, @nickAKA, @Pale Rider, @MontyVeda, @Julia9054, @Starchivore.

Anyone who likes the sound of the ride - post below!


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## Julia9054 (1 May 2019)

Damn! I have a gig and it's the other side of York so i wouldn't get back in time.
I knew when i agreed to play that the date rang a bell . . .


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## Domus (1 May 2019)

Sorry Colin, will be snoozing on the train back from South Wales after the Friday night ride to Barry.

It seems we are destined never to ride together.


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## ColinJ (2 May 2019)

Julia9054 said:


> Damn! I have a gig and it's the other side of York so i wouldn't get back in time.
> I knew when i agreed to play that the date rang a bell . . .


Aargh!



Domus said:


> Sorry Colin, will be snoozing on the train back from South Wales after the Friday night ride to Barry.
> 
> It seems we are destined never to ride together.


Hopefully, this one will not be postponed _again_, but you never know ...  (Obviously, I won't ride when ill/injured, and I would not ride 161 km/100 miles in thunderstorms or strong winds either!)

If either of you fancy a ride from Clitheroe to Burnsall and back, check out this year's Dales (and Ribble Valley) ride - HERE. I will organise a long ride in Cheshire in the summer (100+ kms from Dunham, 161+ kms/100+ miles from Walkden) and another imperial century ride from York to the Humber Bridge and back. There will be others too.


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## nickAKA (2 May 2019)

I'll check with SWMBO tonight that I'm free, provisionally I'm in mate.


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## MontyVeda (2 May 2019)

No bookings for the 11th so I'm up for it. 

I'll be taking a slightly different route and aim to set off around 12.50pm...







...so flat Google didn't bother plotting the gradient graph


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## MontyVeda (3 May 2019)

not sure if I will make it now... got a big bay window frame to gloss, first coat is going on now and 2nd coat is due 24 hours later ...we'll see.


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## ColinJ (3 May 2019)

MontyVeda said:


> not sure if I will make it now... got a big bay window frame to gloss, first coat is going on now and 2nd coat is due 24 hours later ...we'll see.


Have you lost a week somewhere?


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## doughnut (3 May 2019)

Just noticed this Colin - did this one with you a couple of years ago. Its a great ride. I'm back cycling again now but unfortunately cant make it on 11th May - I'm riding down the Danube for a week with my wife. Back home again on 16th I think and on the Picaddily-Llandudno ride - might see you then if you are on that one.


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## doughnut (3 May 2019)

Riding down the side of the Danube I meant


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## MontyVeda (3 May 2019)

ColinJ said:


> Have you lost a week somewhere?


Yes! 

Found it again though, thanks to you


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## ColinJ (3 May 2019)

doughnut said:


> Just noticed this Colin - did this one with you a couple of years ago. Its a great ride. I'm back cycling again now but unfortunately cant make it on 11th May - I'm riding down the Danube for a week with my wife. Back home again on 16th I think and on the Picaddily-Llandudno ride - might see you then if you are on that one.





doughnut said:


> Riding down the side of the Danube I meant


Danube ride - nice!

Good to hear that you are back on the bike after your failed attempt to demolish the ground with yourself and your hang glider ... 

I am going to be doing the first half of the Llandudno ride this time (and probably in future years too). I will ride to Eureka with y'all and after that turn round and ride back to Walkden for a quick, cheap and direct train home. It saves me quite a lot of money and will mean I can get home about 4 hours earlier than from Llandudno so I will only be out for 12 hours rather than a rather long 16. It also means that I can avoid playing 'dodge the Saturday night drunks' in Manchester!


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## Pale Rider (3 May 2019)

I have one of the more creative excuses for not being able to make this ride.

The hatchback on my car is jammed in the locked position, meaning I am unable to open it to load (or unload) a bike.

The annual service and MoT is due next month, so I will get it fixed then, thereby keeping garage trips to a minimum.


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## Domus (3 May 2019)

I too was going to Eureka and then turn for home, but as my two mates are only joining at Eureka I changed my mind. All being well we should finally get to meet.


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## ColinJ (3 May 2019)

Pale Rider said:


> *I have one of the more creative excuses for not being able to make this ride.*
> 
> The hatchback on my car is jammed in the locked position, meaning I am unable to open it to load (or unload) a bike.
> 
> The annual service and MoT is due next month, so I will get it fixed then, thereby keeping garage trips to a minimum.


Ha ha - that's an 'A' for effort! 



Domus said:


> I too was going to Eureka and then turn for home, but as my two mates are only joining at Eureka I changed my mind. All being well we should finally get to meet.


Aye!


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## MontyVeda (4 May 2019)

No big deal since I'm not doing the proper ride... but something just came up and I won't be able to pootle down and meet you guys at Cafe d'Lune next Saturday.


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## Starchivore (6 May 2019)

I need to get some long rides in I think, have done a lot of running in the past year but only short commuting cycling. I'm going to skip this one (also got a family thing I should probably go to), and I'll get myself on some long rides this summer. Hope everyone has a great time.


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## ColinJ (6 May 2019)

nickAKA said:


> I'll check with SWMBO tonight that I'm free, provisionally I'm in mate.


What was the verdict?

If you are joining us, would it be for the 100-odd miles from Todmorden or the shorter 100-odd km from Whalley?



MontyVeda said:


> No big deal since I'm not doing the proper ride... but something just came up and I won't be able to pootle down and meet you guys at Cafe d'Lune next Saturday.


Another time then!



Starchivore said:


> I need to get some long rides in I think, have done a lot of running in the past year but only short commuting cycling. I'm going to skip this one (also got a family thing I should probably go to), and I'll get myself on some long rides this summer. Hope everyone has a great time.


Okay, thanks. Watch out for the Humber Bridge ride from York, which might be the second Saturday in June; the Ribble Valley/Dales ride from Tod/Clitheroe on the 4th Sat. A 100+ miler in Cheshire in July, starting and finishing in Walkden so we can use the direct train from the Calder Valley. There will be others too...


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## MontyVeda (6 May 2019)

ColinJ said:


> ...
> Another time then!
> ...



Yes definitely. 

I was yacking to an old friend who lives in Todd last week... and there's a lot of interesting gigs on at the Golden Lion... so I may well be over there for a night this summer. Could meet for a pint maybe?


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## ColinJ (6 May 2019)

MontyVeda said:


> Yes definitely.
> 
> I was yacking to an old friend who lives in Todd last week... and there's a lot of interesting gigs on at the Golden Lion... so I may well be over there for a night this summer. Could meet for a pint maybe?


It would be so..... nice. Unfortunately, I gave up booze 7 years ago!  (Pubs seem much less interesting when TT - as everybody else gets less inhibited, more jolly, and louder, I start to get more and more irritated by them! )

A friend of mine has been to open mic nights etc. there. He usually has a good time.

I love the sign that the owners used to have outside. (I think it is run by a Thai family, which would probably explain the wording and sentiments on it...)


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## nickAKA (7 May 2019)

ColinJ said:


> What was the verdict?
> 
> If you are joining us, would it be for the 100-odd miles from Todmorden or the shorter 100-odd km from Whalley?



I'll be setting off with you from Todmorden Colin, however I have a fundraiser to attend after lunch for the nominated charity (The Huntington's Disease Association) that I'm doing various cycling & running events for over summer, for which this is a warm up... so I'll see how far I get! Hoping to bring along a friend or two if that's OK?


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## ColinJ (8 May 2019)

Super! Friends are fine as long as they are happy with our modest speed. Most people take note of what I post about expected ride pace, but over the years there have been just a few here and there who seemed to think that 9.5 - 10 mph average was code for 15+ mph!


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## nickAKA (8 May 2019)

ColinJ said:


> Super! Friends are fine as long as they are happy with our modest speed. Most people take note of what I post about expected ride pace, but over the years there have been just a few here and there who seemed to think that 9.5 - 10 mph average was code for 15+ mph!



I'll TT it up tod road and get the need for speed out of my system


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## ColinJ (9 May 2019)

The forecast is currently looking borderline between '_quite _good' and 'not _too _bad'; I'm hoping to nudge it towards 'good'! 

Come on - dig up your garden, unearth your mojo, get your bike out, and head for Tod if you feel energetic, or Whalley if 100 miles is too much for you. This is a nice route and you will enjoy the ride. Allegedly ... 

Anyway, I'll nag you again tomorrow and we will post some reports on Sunday to tell you what you missed!


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## Littgull (10 May 2019)

The forecast is looking pretty good now for tomorrow. A light head wind on the outward leg and a moderate tailwind for a fair bit of the return leg with a possibility of some light rain showers mid to late morning. 

All systems go!


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## nickAKA (10 May 2019)

I'll be setting off from home at about 7.30 so should be there before 8.30 Colin


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## ColinJ (10 May 2019)

I'm just programming my GPS. I could probably just about navigate by memory but it would be embarrassing to get lost on my own route! (Littgull will no doubt have a copy of the route on _his _Garmin, but I like to have my own means of navigation.)

As Brian suggests, the wind is supposed to pick up and swing in our favour later. Hopefully, any showers will be occasional and light.

Although it probably won't be _that _sunny, it will be a long day out so I reckon I had better use my factor 30 (I burn easily). So, if I look ashen-faced at the start, don't worry, it will be due to sunblock - I am unlikely to be about to pop my clogs!


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## ColinJ (10 May 2019)

nickAKA said:


> I'll be setting off from home at about 7.30 so should be there before 8.30 Colin


I'll aim to get there between 08:25 and 08:30. If by some chance you aren't there by then we will wait (say) 10minutes but we would probably start to get cold if we waited too long, so I think we'd set off along the A646 at a modest pace and you could continue your TT to catch us up, but check the car park first!


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## Blue Hills (10 May 2019)

have a great ride folks - look forward to report and pics - hope to join you sometime.


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## ColinJ (11 May 2019)

Fortunately, I woke up before my alarm went off. (_Unfortunately_, that was after less than 4 hours sleep, but that's another story...)

My phone was about 6 inches from my ear when its alarm went off. It was supposed to be set to a gentle beeping sound but '_piezo beep_' had somehow got changed to '_raucous rooster_'!! I would have had a heart attack if that damn thing had woken me! 

Anyway, time to start getting ready. The sun is shining and the forecast for the whole route is looking good - yay!


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## ColinJ (12 May 2019)

Well, it was a good day out on the bikes. It's a pity that more of you couldn't have joined us!

I met @Littgull and @nickAKA in Dalton St car park in Todmorden at 08:30 and we set off along the A646, continuing on that until Rose Grove, between Burnley and Padiham. We showed Nick the Padiham Greenway from Rose Grove to Padiham and the Old Roman Rd route from Padiham to Spring Wood. Maybe he will use those in future to get him to the Ribble Valley?

We continued from Whalley to Great Mitton, where Nick had to turn for home - too many family commitments to spend the rest of the day meandering about with Littgull and me. We told him that he was leaving just as we were getting to the best parts of the route, but that's life, isn't it! 

Before he left Nick took a selfie of us gathered in front of the medieval church at Mitton. I'm sure he will be along to post that at some point.

@Blue Hills told me some time ago that the church has a 'twinned toilet', which was something I had never heard of. If you have £60 to spare for a good cause, visit the charity's website. And for those of you, like BH, who are interested in old churches - take a look at this article.

Brian and I continued on our way at a leisurely pace. We could ride a bit faster than we do but the weather was nice, the scenery was glorious, and we had long hours of daylight so we weren't in a hurry.

The Trough of Bowland was looking lovely. I took a quick snap when we stopped for Brain to have a snack at the roadside ....






As you can see, at that time we had scattered clouds and patches of blue sky. We were encountering a strengthening headwind which was a bit chilly as it was coming from a northerly direction, but when the sun was shining it was very pleasant.

We must be getting fitter - the climb of the Trough of Bowland is quite hard work from the south side (about 15% in places) but we were still nattering away for most of it!

A quick descent followed and then a long steady climb to Jubilee Tower. As we ascended the skies started to darken. There are panoramic views from the tower and we could see that rain was falling to the east but the sun was shining over Lancaster. We were going to head towards the coast so if we had continued immediately we might have avoided the rain but we decided to stop for another snack and to take some photos at the tower. Here's one of me standing there with my bike ...





By the time got moving again light rain was falling. It wasn't sufficiently bad that I felt the need to stop and put my 'boil-in-the-bag' light rain jacket on, but it made the road surface look a bit slippery for our descent and the windchill and damp made for a cold 15 minutes or so, but then we rode back into sunshine again and it stayed like that from then on. We were lucky - a friend tells me that our starting point in the Calder Valley experienced a heavy rain/hail storm at about that time!

We had a relaxed break at the cafe in Conder Green before turning and heading for home. We were now getting the promised tailwind helping us along so it made the return ride easier than I can recall from previous such rides, but Littgull was starting to get worrying twinges from one hamstring. He played safe and rode slowly on any steep ramps we encountered, but he still got up them on the bike rather than having to walk.

We had another short break at Sainsburys in Longridge (toilets/snacks) and then continued along the Fell, before descending to Ribchester Bridge and returning to Whalley via Old Langho and Billington.

Then it was the reverse of the outward route - Old Roman Rd, Padiham, Greenway to Rose Grove. Brian had put extra distance in at the start of the ride so he could have the luxury of catching the train home from Rose Grove but still get his imperial century in for the day, so I said goodbye to him at the station and continued solo. I stopped on the way back and phoned an order through to my local takeaway. I was getting very tired by then and didn't want to think about preparing food myself!

I have lost 2 long blocks of riding this year so far due to heavy colds and I could feel the lack of fitness towards the end of the ride. It was a very slow one, but we did tackle a surprising amount of climbing - I clocked the stats at 161 km/2,250 m of ascent (100 miles/7,400 ft).

I slept well last night!


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## Littgull (12 May 2019)

Top report @ColinJ and good pics too. It was indeed, another highly enjoyable day out together. 
Nice to meet and ride with @nickAKA for the first part of the ride. We discovered that we only live about 6 miles from each other.

As Colin mentioned, my hamstring tightened up later in the ride. it was about 5 minutes after setting off from the cafe at Conder Green for the return leg. So I'm glad I had put the extra distance in early in the morning to enable completion of the 100 miles by the time we reached Rose Grove train station on the return route. Catching the train from there meant that I avoided the grinding urban climb from Rose Grove to Habergham Eaves. It turned out that I had missed the hourly train to Littleborough by just 7 minutes but it was a warm evening, I had a couple of snack items left and some family text messages to read and respond to, so the time waiting for the train went very quickly. 

Due to other commitments I will not be getting much cycling done over the coming week so a good opportunity to give that troublesome hamstring some rest and recovery.


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## nickAKA (13 May 2019)

selfie



__ nickAKA
__ 13 May 2019






Apologies fellers, been a bit full on this weekend! Standard selfie...













grp



__ nickAKA
__ 13 May 2019






"Action" shot...













aquaduct



__ nickAKA
__ 13 May 2019






Aquaduct over the M65 on the way back, don't know if I mentioned it but I have zero sense of direct hence a load of unnecessary detours on the return route, taking in some of Burnley's finest Council estates and a couple of 15% gradients...













monument



__ nickAKA
__ 13 May 2019






Monument in Milnrow park, nearly home but my legs were on the brink of going on strike...

Enjoyed the ride & the company, good to meet you both and get some miles in the legs. One of my mates (having seen the ride) is up for whatever comes up next so pencil us in!

<iframe height='405' width='590' frameborder='0' allowtransparency='true' scrolling='no' src='View: https://www.strava.com/activities/2358656215/embed/9716969cd1d61e94b1a149f8b6de558c1d648d7e
'></iframe>


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## ColinJ (13 May 2019)

Ha ha - that's what Garmins (Wahoos etc.) are for... 

That picture of me standing next to Brian makes me look 50% bigger than him, and also confirms that I am carrying a little bit too much flab round my waist at the moment!

If you happen to be free on 22nd June, @Sea of vapours and I will be running our annual summer Dales ride, but for a change we will start and finish it in Clitheroe so there will be less Dales and some Ribble Valley etc. It is a 127 km loop. I will be cycling there and catching a train back from Clitheroe. You (and mate(s)) could either drive to Clitheroe or go there and back by train from Rochdale/Littleborough. It would be a very long day if you rode from home and even further if you rode back again.

I aim to organise another 100 mile Humber Bridge ride, possibly to take place on 8th June but I will have to check other peoples' diaries before the date can be confirmed. That is a flat ride for a change, start and finish in York.

A 100 mile Cheshire ride from Walkden station some time in July?

There will be other rides but no decisions made about those yet.


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## MontyVeda (13 May 2019)

Glad you avoided most of the rain. I almost posted a weather report on saturday morning, stating that it was glorious sunshine at this end of your ride, but by lunchtime it was persisting it down.

I was off scattering ashes with a few friends and we mostly got rained/hailed on, but the sun did come out by the time we found a suitable spot on the top of a hill.


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## nickAKA (16 May 2019)

ColinJ said:


> Ha ha - that's what Garmins (Wahoos etc.) are for...
> 
> That picture of me standing next to Brian makes me look 50% bigger than him, and also confirms that I am carrying a little bit too much flab round my waist at the moment!
> 
> ...



All sounds good subject to dates, the only thing I know for sure at the moment is I'll be doing the Manchester - Blackpool with some 1st timers... I'll consult with SWMBO and ask the Crompton Clarion who fancies what, cheers Colin.


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