# Spring into the Dales



## longers (15 Feb 2009)

I know there's a couple of folk definitely interested in this on the nineteenth of April.


Anyone else?

Edit: date changed!


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## PaulB (15 Feb 2009)

I am but the 20th April is a Monday! Is this now on 19th April this year?


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## ColinJ (15 Feb 2009)

I am one of those folk!

If you have half an hour to kill and want to know a bit more about the SITD route, you could read this lengthy write-up of my SITD 2006 ride.

Paul - the audax site is still showing last year's information, so the event should be on Sunday April 19th. I'll email the organiser to get confirmation.


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## ColinJ (15 Feb 2009)

Hmm, I just sent that email, but then I remembered the West Yorkshire Super Randonneur website which also has details - yes, it's Sunday the 19th this year. There are links to photos from previous years on there. 

I'm also going to do the _Red Rose Ride_ and SITD's sister event _Season of Mists_ later in the year.


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## bonj2 (15 Feb 2009)

i might do


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## asterix (15 Feb 2009)

Yes, I hope to be around to do that. 

Is it one of those rides with AAA points? Not that I am a collector, I just like to know what I am letting myself in for!

Have just checked AUK and see that it has 2.25 AAA points. I think a little practice will be needed.


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## bonj2 (15 Feb 2009)

AAA points? are they like airmiles in reverse?

edit: 'tis quite a bit of climbing.


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## bonj2 (15 Feb 2009)

PaulB said:


> I am but the 20th April is a Monday! Is this now on 19th April this year?



this is the correct link for this year: http://www.aukweb.net/cal/calsolo.php?Ride=09-162


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## ColinJ (15 Feb 2009)

_Ben_ said:


> AAA points? are they like airmiles in reverse?
> 
> edit: 'tis quite a bit of climbing.


Here's the route profile...


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## Noodley (16 Feb 2009)

I am considering it.


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## Alun (17 Feb 2009)

I fancy that, hopefully fit enough by then !


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## trio25 (17 Feb 2009)

I'll think about this.

I think a whole new world is opening looking at Audaxes!


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## dan_bo (19 Feb 2009)

Might have a do at that myself!


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## ColinJ (19 Feb 2009)

It's a challenging and lovely 110 km route, apart from the 10 km or so from Silsden through Keighley (roughly from the 85 km point to 95 km). That's just busy northern town roads. Still, it's a small price to pay for the other 100 km!


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## colly (19 Feb 2009)

I will be on this as well.


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## colly (19 Feb 2009)

Why can't I print off the entry form? 

Whats an xps document? 

It keeps asking me to save it and every time I try to print it it does the same thing. 

Never mind I'll just e mail the organiser.


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## asterix (22 Feb 2009)

Can't back out now as I have submitted my entry.

All I have to do now is a bit of practice and break in my new Brooks saddle. Unfortunately my theory that being a Brooks user already would make this easy was wrong.


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## ColinJ (22 Feb 2009)

One thing folks - on the way back, the route takes us via a footbridge over the river Wharfe between Addingham and Ilkley. It is okay if you have flat-soled cycling shoes (SPD or similar). If you use Look pedals or any other system that requires whacking big cleats on the soles of your shoes, consider packing some cleat covers! You have to shoulder your bike and carry it up some steps to the road above.

If you were riding a recumbent, I think you'd have to do a 4 km detour round that part of the route via Bolton Bridge and the B6160.

Another obstacle not mentioned on the route sheet is the Col de Salem Mill. You will ascend/descend this monster twice. The first time won't feel too bad with fresh legs as you go to pick up your card from the top floor of the mill. Doing it again 5 or 6 hours later after winching your way over some choice Yorkshire hills is another thing altogether...


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## asterix (23 Feb 2009)

You get a bridge? Luxury.


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## trio25 (23 Feb 2009)

ColinJ said:


> One thing folks - on the way back, the route takes us via a footbridge over the river Wharfe between Addingham and Ilkley. It is okay if you have flat-soled cycling shoes (SPD or similar). If you use Look pedals or any other system that requires whacking big cleats on the soles of your shoes, consider packing some cleat covers! You have to shoulder your bike and carry it up some steps to the road above.



Surely some nice man will carry me and my bike over it so the type of pedals I use don't matter


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## ColinJ (23 Feb 2009)

trio25 said:


> Surely some nice man will carry me and my bike over it so the type of pedals I use don't matter


Ho ho - you remind me of another cyclist I know. She is even more petite than you (about 5' 1") and she too is always mountain biking, road riding, running, swimming... Most weekends she will be away at some campsite in the Dales or Cumbria with her bike and walking boots. Last year she was with an equally petite friend and their car got bogged down in the field where they'd pitched their tent. She had just uttered the immortal words "Oh dear, if only we had a big strong man to help push the car out of the mud!" when suddenly about half a dozen huge grinning guys popped their heads over the adjacent dry stone wall and shouted "Need some help love?".

5 minutes later the two women were driving off down the lane waving goodbye to their mud-encrusted rescuers...


As for the SITD footbridge - the bridge itself is okay. It is big enough to ride your bike over (though you shouldn't really). It's the steps up to it, and worse, the steps up from it to the road that are tricky when your feet are sliding about.







(found on flickr)

I think that's the one. The picture looks like it was taken from the steps up to the road.


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## RedBike (23 Feb 2009)

trio25 said:


> Surely some nice man will carry me and my bike over it so the type of pedals I use don't matter




I've just spat my coffee all over my keyboard reading that!


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## trio25 (23 Feb 2009)

Yes redbike you didn't do very well at carrying my bike that day!

So why are we going over a footbridge, where is the road?


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## ColinJ (23 Feb 2009)

trio25 said:


> So why are we going over a footbridge, where is the road?








The bridge is in the bottom RH corner, Grid ref: SE 08366 49949.

The official route is shown in red and takes us down a scenic road past Beamsley. It's nicer than the alternative route which I've shown in pink down the B6160. The reason for the footbridge? Answer - it's the only way across the Wharfe unless we went another 3.5 km down the road and then came back up the A65.


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## trio25 (5 Mar 2009)

Just put my entry in the post for this. Hopefully it'll be another great ride.


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## bonj2 (8 Mar 2009)

I would go in for this but i've already entered roses to wrags 200 on the 18th - I think a 200 and then a hilly 110 in one weekend may be a bit much!


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## asterix (8 Mar 2009)

Shame about that. ..but at least Ben will be taking part.


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## Cathryn (8 Mar 2009)

Good write up, ColinJ.

Just FYI...we stayed at the New Inn in Appletreewick in January. Not great. Cold, unfriendly and not cheap. To make it worse, the MTB livery place is a separate building and you have to pay a fiver for each bike for the night. 

Steer clear. The other pub (can't remember the name but has the amazing new barn) is wonderful but doesn't do accommodation.


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## ColinJ (10 Mar 2009)

Well, we can forget about the footbridge! I've heard from Chris Crossland the SITD organiser and he has changed that part of the route for this year's event. Here is the new route on Bikely. I don't think I've ridden the roads on the changed part of the route before so that will make a nice change.


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## trio25 (10 Mar 2009)

I thought it sounded fun, but then I am a crazy mountain biker! Now I need to replot my ride for the day!


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## ColinJ (10 Mar 2009)

Here's the new route profile...







And here is the SITD 2009 route as a .gpx file.


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## vernon (10 Mar 2009)

Cathryn said:


> Good write up, ColinJ.
> 
> Just FYI...we stayed at the New Inn in Appletreewick in January. Not great. Cold, unfriendly and not cheap. To make it worse, the MTB livery place is a separate building and you have to pay a fiver for each bike for the night.
> 
> Steer clear. The other pub (can't remember the name but has the amazing new barn) is wonderful but doesn't do accommodation.



Unfriendly is an understatement. Hostile is the word that springs to mind. I was left in no doubt about the zero likelihood of getting a beer when I walked in five minutes before closing time a couple of summers ago. What made things worse was the fact that they served draught cherry beer and I really like cherry beer


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## Noodley (11 Mar 2009)

Currently looking good for me to be doing this one


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## Noodley (17 Mar 2009)

Noodley said:


> Currently looking good for me to be doing this one



Entry ready to be posted tomorrow 

See y'all there.


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## Landslide (26 Mar 2009)

Oh dear. In a moment of foolishness, I've resolved to do this. The entry form's going in the post tomorrow. Any of you lot fancy towing me round?


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## ColinJ (26 Mar 2009)

Landslide said:


> Oh dear. In a moment of foolishness, I've resolved to do this. The entry form's going in the post tomorrow. Any of you lot fancy towing me round?


If 'towing' >= 6 hours, come along with us! 

If 'towing' < 5 hours, no! 

I'd forgotten to enter so I got my form in the post today.


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## Landslide (26 Mar 2009)

110km,
Over 2000m of climbing,
And stopping for cakes,

In under 6 hours??? No chance!


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## ColinJ (31 Mar 2009)

Landslide said:


> 110km,
> Over 2000m of climbing,
> And stopping for cakes,
> 
> In under 6 hours??? No chance!


Don't eat _too many_ cakes on the way round or you won't have room for much when you get back to Salem Mill in Hebden Bridge. There's always a really good spread laid on.

I got the event info today. Slightly longer, and slightly hillier this year - hmmm! 

For once, I want to see if I can climb from Keighley to the top of Cock Hill (Oxenhope Moor) without cracking! I've done the event 3 or 4 times and every time so far I've started to get the hunger knock on the final climb up from Oxenhope village. Mind you, from the top there is a glorious 7 km descent to Hebden Bridge - just the thing for tired legs!


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## Landslide (2 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> *Don't eat too many cakes *on the way round...



PING ARCH!!! Colin's losing the plot!!! We need a tin of flapjacks and some carrot cake, stat!


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## asterix (4 Apr 2009)

Sadly, I have to take some folks to Newcastle Airport early that morning..



..but I'll still be doing the ride - although I'll have to get up ridiculously early and can't guarantee my start time But, hey, maybe I'd have been lantern rouge anyway.


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## PaulB (4 Apr 2009)

I was in Ribble bikes yesterday and got talking to a guy who said his son was the Audax Champion of the UK. I didn't know they had champions as I assumed it was a social, non competitive thing. Am I hopelessly wrong?


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## asterix (4 Apr 2009)

Apparently, it could well be the case: see here (No idea why it stops in 2004)

So whilst the events don't have 'winners' in the sense of going faster than everyone else (officially), members amass points as described on the link.

I ceased to be a member of Auk a few years ago because although I enjoyed the rides, I wasn't interested in collecting points and so it seemed 'pointless' to remain.


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## vernon (4 Apr 2009)

PaulB said:


> I was in Ribble bikes yesterday and got talking to a guy who said his son was the Audax Champion of the UK. I didn't know they had champions as I assumed it was a social, non competitive thing. Am I hopelessly wrong?



There are different categories under which one could claim to be a champion:

Altitude point
Fixed gear points
Junior
Overall points (not more than half to be from permanents)
and so on..with parallel categories for the opposite sex - it's not unknown for a category champion to be female..

There's also a degree of politics involved in some of the awards with one particularl member doing astronomical distances to get the most points yet not qualify to be champion because more than 1/2 of them came from permanents.

I indulge in a perverse competition with a fellow rider when we find ourselves on the same rides - we aim to be the joint lanternes rouge much more achievable than doing a 400km or 600km ride every weekend with midweek 200km rides thrown in for good measure....


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## ColinJ (7 Apr 2009)

I've added this event to the CycleChat calendar to see if we can persuade a few more people to join us.

More info: 

There is a control at Earby after 33 km. There's usually a car there with its boot full of chocolate biscuits, bananas, water etc. (Public toilets nearby)

Another control at the cyclists' cafe at Gargrave at 46 km.

Final control at Rossi's cafe in Keighley at 93 km.


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## bonj2 (7 Apr 2009)

PaulB said:


> I was in Ribble bikes yesterday and got talking to a guy who said his son was the Audax Champion of the UK. I didn't know they had champions as I assumed it was a social, non competitive thing. Am I hopelessly wrong?



presumably that guy has won more audaxes than anybody else?


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## ColinJ (7 Apr 2009)

bonj said:


> presumably that guy has won more audaxes than anybody else?


They get 2 points for each 200 km audax (the minimum qualifying distance), 3 for a 300 and so on. You'd be amazed at how many points some of them accumulate in a year. Hang on, I'll consult the records...

Yikes, the record up to 2006 was 287 points, being equivalent to 28,700 km of audax rides in one year! That's averaging 552 km a week or 79 km a day (17,850 miles, 343 miles a week, 49 miles a day). 

I love cycling, but I don't love it _that_ much!


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## bonj2 (7 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> They get 2 points for each 200 km audax (the minimum qualifying distance), 3 for a 300 and so on. You'd be amazed at how many points some of them accumulate in a year. Hang on, I'll consult the records...
> 
> Yikes, the record up to 2006 was 287 points, being equivalent to 28,700 km of audax rides in one year! That's averaging 552 km a week or 79 km a day (17,850 miles, 343 miles a week, 49 miles a day).
> 
> I love cycling, but I don't love it _that_ much!



 please say 28,700 _horizontal_ km


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## PaulB (7 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> Yikes, the record up to 2006 was 287 points, being equivalent to 28,700 km of audax rides in one year! That's averaging 552 km a week or 79 km a day (17,850 miles, 343 miles a week, 49 miles a day).



I can say without fear of contradiction that that is dangerous. People with vascular disease usually develop it due to unhealthy lifestyles but cyclists who ride too much also get a vascular condition in the legs similar to these diseases. It's known that anyone cylcing more than 15,000 kilometres a year risks having one of the major arteries suppliying the mid and lower leg becoming occluded leading to claudication and eventually, possibly gangrene and amputation. It's not pleasant, that's for sure.


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## Noodley (7 Apr 2009)

PaulB said:


> I can say without fear of contradiction that that is dangerous....




Wrong, I contradict you.


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## PaulB (7 Apr 2009)

Noodley said:


> Wrong, I contradict you.



Back atcha. It is.


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## ColinJ (7 Apr 2009)

PaulB said:


> I can say without fear of contradiction that that is dangerous. People with vascular disease usually develop it due to unhealthy lifestyles but cyclists who ride too much also get a vascular condition in the legs similar to these diseases. It's known that anyone cylcing more than 15,000 kilometres a year risks having one of the major arteries suppliying the mid and lower leg becoming occluded leading to claudication and eventually, possibly gangrene and amputation. It's not pleasant, that's for sure.


There's not much chance of me doing those kinds of distances, but that sounds pretty grim! 

Is this the problem that some long distance riders get where the bloodflow in the Iliac artery (?) gets cut off leading to a loss of strength in the leg? I've heard of that before, but it is supposed to be quite rare. Pro racer Stuart O'Grady had surgery for that.


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## Noodley (7 Apr 2009)

PaulB said:


> Back atcha. It is.



I think you will find that it *can* be...not that it *is*.


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## PaulB (7 Apr 2009)

Noodley said:


> I think you will find that it *can* be...not that it *is*.



The fact that it CAN be must mean there is a danger. Therefore, it IS dangerous. You MIGHT get away with it, on the other hand, you may not.


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## asterix (8 Apr 2009)

There's no danger of _me_ cycling over 15,000km a year..


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## Noodley (8 Apr 2009)

That's me booked into Haworth YH for Friday and Saturday nights. I shall be going for a ride on the Saturday as well, probably from Hebden Bridge if anyone wants to meet for a pie and a pint...


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## Blonde (15 Apr 2009)

In 2006 I cycled 10,000 miles, which is over 15,000km. You'd never do owt if you worried that much about all the "risks". 
I should be there on Sunday unless the weather is completely pants, so if you see me, do say hello! I'll be on a Serotta (with go-faster flames) if weather is good, or if rain is likely, on a Sunday September - and I'll be wearing a Nike cap if that helps!


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## ColinJ (15 Apr 2009)

Noodley said:


> That's me booked into Haworth YH for Friday and Saturday nights. I shall be going for a ride on the Saturday as well, probably from Hebden Bridge if anyone wants to meet for a pie and a pint...


If you aren't planning on going crazy on Saturday, I'd be happy to show you around some of the local hills but I don't think that I'm currently fit enough to do a hard ride on Saturday and then be in a state to enjoy SITD on Sunday. You'd be doing 27 km and 550 m of climbing riding to Hebden Bridge and back.

Do you have any particular route/distance/speed in mind?

BTW - I dreamed up a really contrived photo-opportunity for you t'other night! Don't what is going on with my mind... 



Blonde said:


> I should be there on Sunday unless the weather is completely pants, so if you see me, do say hello! I'll be on a Serotta (with go-faster flames) if weather is good, or if rain is likely, on a Sunday September - and I'll be wearing a Nike cap if that helps!


Don't look for the bike, look for the Blonde! There will be 100-odd bikes but probably only a handful of women.

I'll certainly be saying hello at the start because that is the only time I'll be seeing you, unless you and Mark take a particularly long cafe stop at Gargrave! Actually, you'd probably have time for the cafe stop and still be away before I get there...

The local forecast is currently looking good for Saturday and Sunday. I checked 3 different sites and they all agree.


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## amrushton (15 Apr 2009)

You could go for a flat ride ride on the Saturday round to Hollingworth Lake perhaps? and/or do the shorter ride on the Sunday


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## Svendo (15 Apr 2009)

Howdy,

I'm signed up here at CC too now, same user name obnov. I'll be there on Sunday for the Spring in the Dales. Weather should be nice too, so no wimping out allowed! 

I'm off on bike to Chester to see my Mum today, back tomorrow. Might get train part of way back if it's a strong NE wind like today tho.

On Sunday I'll be on my silver Focus Izalco again, but I think I'll wear my New Mexico top (yellow with red native american sun symbol on it.) Look forward to seeing y'all there.


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## ColinJ (15 Apr 2009)

amrushton said:


> You could go for a flat ride ride on the Saturday round to Hollingworth Lake perhaps? and/or do the shorter ride on the Sunday


I'll see what Noodley has in mind. If he wants to make the most of his visit and do a long hard ride on Saturday, I might just ride 25 km or so with him and then turn and head for home.

I'll definitely be doing Spring Into The Dales rather than Leap Into The Aire. _Slowly_, but I will do it!




Svendo said:


> Howdy,
> 
> I'm signed up here at CC too now, same user name obnov. I'll be there on Sunday for the Spring in the Dales. Weather should be nice too, so no wimping out allowed!
> 
> ...


Ah, nice to see you here as well as on BikeRadar.

I will be riding round at an easy pace so anybody who fancies that can come along with me. You pretty much know what to expect after that ride we did a couple of weeks ago...  

I know the route except for the changed section between Bolton Abbey and Silsden and I will have my GPS programmed for the event so navigation won't be a problem in the slow group!

I wouldn't be at all offended if you, longers and any other faster CC riders just say hello at the start and prefer to go off at your own speed.


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## Alun (15 Apr 2009)

You'll have me for company Colin, what time are you planning to set off?


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## ColinJ (15 Apr 2009)

Alun said:


> You'll have me for company Colin, what time are you planning to set off?


It's a bunch start at 09:00 so you want to aim to get there about 08:30 - 08:40. You have to go to the top floor of Salem Mill to 'sign in' and get your card. I'll turn up about 08:45 after the rush has died down.

Anyone using Look cleats - beware! I nearly broke my neck slipping coming down the stairs at the mill once. I have recessed SPD cleats now.

Salem Mill is opposite where the 'K' in Market Street is on the map below (near the Co-op, on the same side of the road). Just look out for 100 cyclists and you won't go far wrong!

The best place to park is probably Market Place car park. It's cheap (30p/hour) and long-stay, unlike some of the other car parks in HB. (You could also use Garden Street, Garden Square or New Road). 







Approach it from Old Gate - it's a one-way street from the A646 (Market Street) besides the river.

I'd suggest paying until at least 17:00. The ride plus stops will probably take 6 h 30 m or more for we slower riders and you'll want time to eat cake and socialise afterwards.


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## yenrod (15 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> Here's the route profile...



Sure this aint a stage in the TDF


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## ColinJ (15 Apr 2009)

yenrod said:


> Sure this aint a stage in the TDF


That's what it is like round here unless you stick to the valley roads (which I usually don't)!

I nipped over to Haworth a few days ago. It's only 8 miles each way, so I added on a few extra bits and pieces to make my total 24 miles (39 km). I checked the stats when I got home and was pretty shocked to see that in that short distance there were 3,300 ft of hills crammed in (1,000 m).

Obviously the hills are not mountains but they are often steeper than anything you'd find on the Tour de France. If you do enough of them back-to-back you certainly feel it afterwards! 

I actually prefer the short steep hills. I can cope much better with 500 m at 20% than I can (say) 3 km at 10%. The longer moderately steep hills really go for me. There's no way that I could do even one TdF mountain climb without repeated stops to stretch my poor aching back.


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## trio25 (15 Apr 2009)

I'm looking forward to it and I'm planning on riding with you Colin - just make sure you wait at the bottom of the hills for me! If its windy I'll be the one hiding behind you!!!!! I'm cycling home and maybe there as well so I should get route planning.

Oh I'll be on the summer bike so its bound to rain, had to leave the winter frame down south at easter! Sorry folks.


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## Noodley (15 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> I'll see what Noodley has in mind.



I have arranged to meet someone on Saturday and ride Season of Mists 100km route. He's getting the train and due to arrive at 10.08, so we'll be heading off soon after that. I'll have to have a look at the maps to see where I have to go etc...


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## colly (15 Apr 2009)

trio25 said:


> I'm looking forward to it and I'm planning on riding with you Colin - just make sure you wait at the bottom of the hills for me! If its windy I'll be the one hiding behind you!!!!! *I'm cycling home and maybe there as well* so I should get route planning.
> 
> Oh I'll be on the summer bike so its bound to rain, had to leave the winter frame down south at easter! Sorry folks.



I haven't sent my forms in so I guess I will just have to turn up and tag along if I can't sign up on the day.

I am toying with the idea of riding to and from the start as well. The trouble is the roads from Leeds to Hebden Bridge are not the nicest to ride.
I will see what the weather looks like on Saturday.


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## trio25 (15 Apr 2009)

You can usually enter on the line. My route there and back isn't amazing but if I do it it'll be my longest ride everywhere.


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## ColinJ (15 Apr 2009)

trio25 said:


> I'm looking forward to it and I'm planning on riding with you Colin - just make sure you wait at the bottom of the hills for me! If its windy I'll be the one hiding behind you!!!!! I'm cycling home and maybe there as well so I should get route planning.
> 
> Oh I'll be on the summer bike so its bound to rain, had to leave the winter frame down south at easter! Sorry folks.


It'll be a long hard day if you ride here and back as well! It wouldn't be far short of 200 km and 3,000 m of climbing.

I'll wait at the foot of the descents if you wait at the top of the climbs!  Actually there are one or two places where a descent goes straight into a climb so I'd probably use my momentum to get halfway up them, rather than waiting at the bottom.

The forecast is still looking good for Sunday. Last year, the weather was so bad that I wimped out and stayed in bed. The 2 years before that the weather was great and I was overdressed and cooked. I'll be wearing layers this time so I can cope with anything.



Noodley said:


> I have arranged to meet someone on Saturday and ride Season of Mists 100km route. He's getting the train and due to arrive at 10.08, so we'll be heading off soon after that. I'll have to have a look at the maps to see where I have to go etc...


Yikes - that's even hillier than SITD! I'll definitely be giving that a miss... Great route though apart from a few kms through Burnley and Nelson.

Is it longers you are doing it with? I remember that you two were going to do it last year but it got called off.

The first bit is very easy to navigate - you just head through Hebden Bridge, up the rise to the traffic lights and take the sharp right up Heptonstall Road. You are supposed to go on and use a turning circle 150 metres further on, but if there is no traffic you can just do a quick u-turn up the hill. You then follow that road all the way to Mereclough on the outskirts of Burnley.

Watch out for the mad sheep and the tight RH bend on the descent off Waddington Fell. Oh, and the really steep, narrow, rutted descent with streams running across it on the way down into Roughlee!



colly said:


> I haven't sent my forms in so I guess I will just have to turn up and tag along if I can't sign up on the day.
> 
> I am toying with the idea of riding to and from the start as well. The trouble is the roads from Leeds to Hebden Bridge are not the nicest to ride.
> I will see what the weather looks like on Saturday.


*SUNDAY* colly - don't turn up on the wrong day!  Why not ring the organiser Chris Crossland on 01422 832853 and let him know to expect you.


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## Noodley (15 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> I
> Is it longers you are doing it with?



If he wants to come along.....

I have arranged to meet MSeries (yacf). We have been trying to arrange a ride for ages and this is the first time it has been possible....at a time when I am my unfittest for about 5 years 

I should be well knackered on Sunday.


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## colly (15 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> *SUNDAY* colly - don't turn up on the wrong day!  Why not ring the organiser Chris Crossland on 01422 832853 and let him know to expect you.




Ha ha. Yes. What I _meant_ is I will look at the weather forecast on Saturday.........for the Sunday.

Looks promising anyway.


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## Noodley (15 Apr 2009)

colly said:


> Looks promising anyway.



It does, I may even have to bear my legs


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## colly (15 Apr 2009)

Noodley said:


> It does, I may even have to bear my legs



Steady !


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## Noodley (15 Apr 2009)

colly said:


> Steady !



Aye okay, but I have had a winter of minus stupid and wind and rain. Anything above 4 degrees would be good 

So, if your looking for me: I'll be the one in Angus CC clubkit with matching blue legs


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## ColinJ (15 Apr 2009)

Noodley said:


> If he wants to come along.....
> 
> I have arranged to meet MSeries (yacf). We have been trying to arrange a ride for ages and this is the first time it has been possible....at a time when I am my unfittest for about 5 years
> 
> I should be well knackered on Sunday.


Ah... I've met MSeries a few times but not recently. Tell him I'm glad to hear that he's got over the injuries he sustained in his bad cycling crash in autumn 2007. I hope you have a good ride.

If you fancy getting aboard the 'slow train' with the rest of us on Sunday, you can recognise me by the bike (blue steel Basso with non-matching Mercatone Uno style carbon fibre forks off my old Bianchi). 






I'll be wearing mainly black with red panels in my shorts. Like this...






Most if not all of the people in the picture will be there on Sunday. L-R: Alun, goodspeed, PaulB, ColinJ, longers, Svendo.


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## Noodley (16 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> Ah... I've met MSeries a few times but not recently. Tell him I'm glad to hear that he's got over the injuries he sustained in his bad cycling crash in autumn 2007. I hope you have a good ride.



Sounds like he's been doing well this year after his recovery; he has promised to take it easy  

As for Sunday, I hope to meet up with as many CCers as possible, so say hello  I have not met many CCers so it will be great to out names to faces.

Look out for Angus CC club kit. White with sky blue and yellow and a bit hard to miss "Angus CC"


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## Landslide (16 Apr 2009)

As long as it's not too chilly, I'll be wearing my Foska Welsh Dragon top. Hopefully it'll be on view at all the cake stops.


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## PaulB (16 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> I'll wait at the foot of the descents



I can attest to the fact that Colin seems quite fearless on descents and seems to zoom down as though he had an engine on the back of his bike! He's the Jean-Claude Killy of the downhill!


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## longers (16 Apr 2009)

I won't be out to play on Saturday, got an annoying little cough that I hope to have got rid of by sunday or at least by the time I get to Hebden Bridge.


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## ColinJ (16 Apr 2009)

PaulB said:


> I can attest to the fact that Colin seems quite fearless on descents and seems to zoom down as though he had an engine on the back of his bike! He's the Jean-Claude Killy of the downhill!


Lard power old chap - the same lard that gives me my current snail-like climbing prowess! 

Svendo is faster than me - he used his two sprocket advantage to get away from me and overtake a car on the descent to Hebden Bridge at the end of that recent forum ride.


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## Svendo (16 Apr 2009)

> Svendo is faster than me - he used his two sprocket advantage to get away from me and overtake a car on the descent to Hebden Bridge at the end of that recent forum ride.



Ah, you're too kind. I seem to remember you came past me down Blackstone edge with a two cog disadvantage! I learned reckless fearless descending from skiing, where the surface is a little more forgiving! And that car was asking for it, slowing me down with all that unnecessary braking. 

Sundays a deffo for me, unless I'm still drunk from the wedding I'm going to on Friday, or I even pull a bridesmaid! 

My plan is to go a fair way with ColinJ et al. and see how I feel about speeding up later on.


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## longers (16 Apr 2009)

My plan is to try and get all the best cake before you lot get a chance


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## Landslide (16 Apr 2009)

*Packs bungee cord to go round longers' seatpost*


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## ColinJ (16 Apr 2009)

longers said:


> My plan is to try and get all the best cake before you lot get a chance


This is becoming a habit...


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## colly (16 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> This is becoming a habit...



Becoming this habit is.......................as a nun once said to me.


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## ColinJ (16 Apr 2009)

I'm off to get the best beer before you lot drink it all... good night!


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## Noodley (17 Apr 2009)

Right that's me away to head off to Englandshire....see y'all on Sunday 

I'll bring some decent weather with me


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## ColinJ (17 Apr 2009)

Noodley said:


> Right that's me away to head off to Englandshire....see y'all on Sunday
> 
> *I'll bring some decent weather with me*


He has, you know!

The sun is shining here though it is a bit breezy. The forecast is good for tomorrow, and even better for SITD on Sunday!


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## PaulB (17 Apr 2009)

I've just been out that way and I need to say one thing to you, Colin, since you live over that way. Can you find the switch to turn that bloody wind machine off before we start?


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## ColinJ (17 Apr 2009)

PaulB said:


> I've just been out that way and I need to say one thing to you, Colin, since you live over that way. Can you find the switch to turn that bloody wind machine off before we start?


That wind was pretty cold on the tops, but it was a lovely day. I nipped out and did about 25 miles this afternoon.







Only 6 mph wind forecast for Sunday


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## ColinJ (18 Apr 2009)

Ho ho - I just walked into town to buy some food and who did I bump into, but Noodley! He'd just got back from his ride of the _Season of Mists_ route with MSeries off _yacf_. I recognised MSeries and went over to say hello and realised that the other rider was Noodley.

I was going to say 'small world' but Noodley is down here to do these local rides so I suppose it isn't that odd that I happened to be walking past the car park as the bikes were being packed away.



The forecast is still looking good for tomorrow. I'm just programming my GPS since I don't know part of this year's route (I could do the old route from memory).

See you in the morning folks!


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## Dayvo (18 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> Noodley is down here to do these local rides



How did he sneak in? 

Aren't the soldiers patrolling the border passes anymore? 

Hope you enjoyed yourself down there, Noodley; and all you others, too!


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## ColinJ (19 Apr 2009)

The forecast was right... It's still early, but the sky is clear and it looks like being a really nice day. 

Let's see if - just for a change - I can get round without cracking on the last climb! 








(So, will ColinJ now crack _two_ climbs from the finish! )


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## trio25 (19 Apr 2009)

I'm getting a lift to the start now as I'm tired  The weather looks great - I'm trying to work out what to wear now not used to weather like this!

See you all soon.


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## Noodley (19 Apr 2009)

Dayvo said:


> Hope you enjoyed yourself *down there*, Noodley



Sorry chaps, I was a DNS after yesterday's efforts. 

My legs were fine this morning but my bits 'down there' suffered yet again (as did arms and back with the steep climbs) and I decided it would not be fun struggling round and having a 6 hour drive home afterwards. I am just about sick of my saddle sore problems TBH and think it's time to take up TT or something else that does not involve hour after hour in the saddle.

Anyway, hope everyone had fun and sorry again for not making more of an effort.

...and good to meet ColinJ for the brief period I could speak.


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## bonj2 (19 Apr 2009)

Noodley said:


> Sorry chaps, I was a DNS after yesterday's efforts.
> 
> My legs were fine this morning but my bits 'down there' suffered yet again (as did arms and back with the steep climbs) and I decided it would not be fun struggling round and having a 6 hour drive home afterwards. I am just about sick of my saddle sore problems TBH and think it's time to take up TT or something else that does not involve hour after hour in the saddle.
> 
> ...



oh noodley! never mind mate.
take up downhill mtbing, you don't be spending much time in the saddle there


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## PaulB (19 Apr 2009)

What a cracking day and superb ride that was! 

A cold, cold start up a big, big hill but once over the beast, the weather and the riding improved immesurably. This route certainly exploits some of the best of the Dales countryside and apart from a nasty and busy section through Keighley, it was all good stuff. Very good in fact. 

I rode virtually all the route with Longers, Goodspeed and Trio and found them to be very good company indeed. It was especially nice to have them as back up during the pathetic abuse we got at the start of the last (heartbreaking) climb out of Oxenhope from a moron in a car that almost certainly cost considerably less than any of the bikes we were riding. The guy expressed his fervent wish that we should all pay road tax!!! But we won't let trolls get us down on what was a thoroughly spectacular day. I don't want to ruin anything Longers might want to write later (he's cycling home to Oldham probably as we speak!) but he said during one particularly memorable section towards Appletreewick, "I'm not going to ride again for the rest of the year. Anything else would be an anti-climax after this." And it would take something special to beat this spectacular, sunny, bright day in the Yorkshire Dales. All in all, a HUGE thumbs up! 

We did the 111 K and 2265 metres (according to my Garmin anyway) in 4 hours and 48 minutes of actual cyling time which equates to an average speed of 21.9 kph or 2.44 per kilometre. Which was nice!


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## Landslide (19 Apr 2009)

Blooming marvellous! I lost touch with the Paul, Longers _et al_ after a p*nct*re, but still managed to speed round at a (surprising to me) similar average. I reckon I must be solar powered! Good to meet you (those that I met) and sorry not to have caught you (those that I didn't)!


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## asterix (19 Apr 2009)

Very pleased to have finished done this ride for which the weather was really perfect. Only met 1 CC member, Mark, who politely reduced his astonishing speed to chat for a while. Generally met some very pleasant and friendly riders, mostly quicker than me.

Having started the day at 3 a.m. (airport taxi duties) much of the ride is a bit blurred but notably not the meeting with a tractor climbing a steep narrow lane when I was going down. Fortunately my new bike has handlebars 2cm narrower than was suggested so there was enough room.

I don't think I was last but there were a heck of lot of bikes finished already at 16:55.

Thanks to Longers for suggesting it.


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## goodspeed (19 Apr 2009)

Yeah, fantastic day! my first audax and certainly not my last. Weather and company superb. Thanks to Longers, PaulB, and Trio25(bonkers!) for a great ride. Sory we did'nt meet up with Colinj, Svendo etc on route, hope you all had a good day; by the way colin that was me honking the horn on my way home not some cyclist hater like we encountered earlier.


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## PaulB (19 Apr 2009)

goodspeed said:


> by the way colin that was me honking the horn on my way home not some cyclist hater like we encountered earlier.



What an absolute shaaar!  As the subject of your avatar might have memorably said!


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## colly (19 Apr 2009)

After riding to the start and managing the first long climb ok I lost a bit of distance on the decent ('cos I am a wuss when it comes to decending) I never quite managed to get back in touch with Trio/Goodspeed/PaulB et al. Not for the want of trying mind you. I could see them and at times got to within 50 yds or so but that was as good as it got.
I went off course following someone who looked like they knew where they were going (always a mistake) so after that I knew I wouldn't see them again. I had an idea I might catch up at Gargrave in the tea rooms there but saw no one I knew and after polishing off my beans on toast I wondered if ColinJ might turn up but no luck. Maybe he was up in front of me, I really don't know.

I have to say I found today very hard. Every climb seemed to go on forever. Especially the one after crossing the Keighley Road at Laneshawbridge. I very nearly went right on up instead of turning for Earby. I am SO glad some kind bod called to me. The rest of the climb looked murderous.

Anyway at Gargrave I decided to turn off and make for home and after using the Skipton bypass had a good run through the back lanes into Ilkley and Otley.
By the time I got back to Leeds I had done just short of the magic 100 so I did a couple of small loops to take me over. My God those little 2 miles loops seemed to go on forever

Nice to meet some of you from here even if it was briefly at the start.

I am aching all over now


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## longers (19 Apr 2009)

Oh, what a bugger Noodley  I did nearly ask Mseries if he'd broken you on Saturday but was too shy to go and speak to him 

I haven't got much to add to the good things others have said, it was a chuffing marvellous day out  

Profuse apologies to Landslide as I didn't know he'd had a puncture and was expecting him to appear any minute after picking up his bottle. We then managed to ride straight past him as we left the cafe in Keighley and he was arriving! 

Nice to meet you Asterix, I recognised his bike! Bit of a long day for you that was.

Sorry we didn't see more of the other forummers but hope you all had fun.


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## longers (19 Apr 2009)

goodspeed said:


> <snip> . . *and Trio25(bonkers!)* <snip>



Nail. Head. Hit.


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## ColinJ (19 Apr 2009)

Hi Guys!

You did the right thing going off and doing the ride at your own pace because Alun and I were going slowly and it would have been a shame for you to have spent (literally) hours waiting for us. Svendo kindly rode with us round to Keighley and then shot off, which was fair enough.

A nippy start, but I was ready for that. I've been too cold on SITD in the past, and I've also been stuck in conditions like today's wearing a long-sleeved jersey and baked. Layered clothing which I could don and remove as desired kept me comfortable.

Yes - once the sun came out, it was an absolutely stunning day and location to be cycling. The Dales looked beautiful, lots of spring lambs - perfect!

We encountered a cyclist walking his bike along a lane and stopped to see if he needed help and saw something really shocking - see this thread!

I managed to get round comfortably for once simply by not riding faster than I'm fit enough to sustain. It was a lovely day, there was nothing I'd rather be doing, and I wasn't in a hurry. A superb day out.

PS

I wondered which tw*t was honking their horn at us _goodspeed_, and then I saw you in the car with a big grin on your face!

PPS 

Er, I don't mean that I thought you were a tw*t! When I saw it was you, I realised that you were being friendly!


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## trio25 (19 Apr 2009)

goodspeed said:


> Trio25(bonkers!)



Why does everyone think that?


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## trio25 (19 Apr 2009)

Great day everyone. What a fab route, apart from the one busy bit! The weather made it all the better. I took a long route home, got back with 160km on the clock and fortunately Ali pointed out that was only 99.2miles so another loop and I had my century! fab to meet everyone!

ColinJ you can't have been far behind us if Goodspeed saw you on the way home!


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## longers (19 Apr 2009)

trio25 said:


> Why does everyone think that?



I meant it as a compliment and I reckon Goodspeed did too.


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## trio25 (19 Apr 2009)

I had assumed that!

I also know I'm crazy!


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## longers (19 Apr 2009)

Granted, it is an odd compliment, but no offence intended at all.


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## trio25 (19 Apr 2009)

But then you are crazier! To and from oldham, what was the final distance?


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## longers (19 Apr 2009)

I got my 200k by going for a play round Saddleworth in the sunshine.

This beer tastes great


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## goodspeed (19 Apr 2009)

Poor colly, i feel really awfull now,didn't realize you were so close behind; i mean't to hang back a little to join the group after the first ascent, but longers caught up so i spent the rest of the ride trying to keep up. i'm sure we'll meet up again soon. at least you got your 100!


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## trio25 (19 Apr 2009)

I've had one glass on wine and feel drunk!

I went out to Ramsbottom, home and still had to do an extra loop but got my century - and over 3000m of climbing!


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## Svendo (19 Apr 2009)

Lovely long ride, Thanks to ColinJ and Alun for company. I think I dropped them just outside Keighley, when ColinJ said lets push on here. By the time I looked round I couldn't see them, soz. I charged on and missed the control. By the time I realised I must have missed it I was half way to Oxenhope so decided to just press on. The organiser was generous enough to check my GPS track and use that as evidence. I did hang round a bit eating sandwiches, but then went to see a girl in Todmorden ;-).


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## Noodley (19 Apr 2009)

Excellent effort everyone! Sounds like a great day out


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## Aperitif (19 Apr 2009)

Well done the boys! I bet the body feels good...not intact, just 'good'!


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## bonj2 (19 Apr 2009)

Svendo said:


> L...I charged on and missed the control. By the time I realised I must have missed it I was half way to Oxenhope



i did that exact same thing on saturday's audax! (except it wasn't oxenhope)


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## Alun (19 Apr 2009)

Excellent day out, Thanks to Colin and Svendo for their company.

Good to see other folks at the start.


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## ColinJ (19 Apr 2009)

trio25 said:


> Great day everyone. What a fab route, apart from the one busy bit!


Yes indeed. The bit from Silsden through Keighley to Haworth Brow is a real shock to the system after all that lovely Dales scenery. The thing is, if you look at the map, there isn't really a way of avoiding it other than something like putting some extra really hard little climbs in and going via Oakworth and Haworth. 



trio25 said:


> got back with 160km on the clock and fortunately Ali pointed out that was only 99.2miles so another loop and I had my century!


Well done! I wouldn't have fancied doing any extra today. To be honest, those hills are really hard work at my size. Still, they are getting easier with each month that passes. Even my back didn't completely let me down today.



trio25 said:


> ColinJ you can't have been far behind us if Goodspeed saw you on the way home!


I've just checked my Etrex - Alun and I were actually riding for about 6 hrs 45 mins, but we had lots of stops and were out for about 8 hrs 20 mins. Our moving average was 16.4 kph, but actual average including the stops was only about 13.4 kph. Still, for Alun and me, today wasn't really about speed, it was about enjoying the ride. Speed can come later when we aren't carrying so much surplus weight.


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## trio25 (20 Apr 2009)

It was very hilly. It's a long time since I've done that much climbing. I enjoyed dropping back into HB. I was thinking to myself I climbed this on the way out!

How is everyone today? I did lots of stretching last night and it seemed to work legs feel better than when I finished.


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## PaulB (20 Apr 2009)

Has anyone else who did this yesterday noticed a profusion of insect bites on them today? I've got several raised red dots on my arms and in the shower this morning (well you've got to show willing once a year, haven't you?) I saw a few more on my thighs which have come up overnight. It was tough enough with the blood I had without some of it being nicked by Yorkshire's insect population!


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## Alun (20 Apr 2009)

My backs aching badly this morning, I'll have to go to a Pilates class !
Otherwise I'm OK apart from a bit of sunburn!!


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## trio25 (20 Apr 2009)

I didn't get bitten too much, I noticed loads of the things trying to fly into my mouth on the way home though!


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## Landslide (20 Apr 2009)

trio25 said:


> I had assumed that!
> 
> I also know I'm crazy!



You didn't strike me as crazy at all in the brief time we spent chatting.

Not sure what that says about me...


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## Landslide (20 Apr 2009)

And I'm feeling good! no insect bites, the legs are ok and I've got the first batch this year's of comedy tan-lines!


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## trio25 (20 Apr 2009)

Yes I have tanlines starting, which I'm excited about. In fact for me the bottom section of my legs are brown - I don't really tan!


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## ColinJ (20 Apr 2009)

I was feeling pretty tired last night so I didn't drink all the celebratory beers I bought (yes, I know I'm supposed to be cutting down!).

I was telling Svendo and Alun that I burn easily so I'd used a factor 30 suncream, but even with that, my face is a bit red today. I have a tanline across my forehead where my bandana was.

I usually get troubled by insects (if they are about) but didn't yesterday. The suncream bottle said that it was insect-repellent and it seemed to work.

Trio - If you think SITD was hilly, you must have a go at the sister event in October - _Season of Mists_. That has about 10% more climbing in about 10% less distance! *Ask Noodley about it!*


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## Warburton (20 Apr 2009)

Colin - good to see you again yesterday. What did you make of this year's route variation?


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## trio25 (20 Apr 2009)

I burn easily as well, I had factor 50 on my face, its still a little pink!

that was a hilly ride, always up for another challenge though!


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## ColinJ (20 Apr 2009)

Warburton said:


> Colin - good to see you again yesterday. What did you make of this year's route variation?


Oh, hi Andrew! Yes, it was nice to see you again, if only briefly.

I thought the new sections were fantastic and I told SITD organiser Chris Crossland that at the finish! The only thing I didn't like was the fact that we inevitably had to use a couple of short stretches of busy, fast A-road between them. Thinking about it though, we had to cross those same roads on the old route, just further east.

In a perfect world, the route would bypass Silsden and Keighley. I'd really got into riding in the idyllic, sunny, spring-lamb-fest that was the Dales yesterday and my senses felt assaulted as we emerged back into the noisy, smelly, aggressive real world of those towns. 

I might do the route again over the summer, but I will skip those towns. I like the look of: Draughton Moor, Kildwick, Sutton-in-Craven, Slippery Ford, Oakworth, Haworth, then rejoining the SITD route at Oxenhope. I think Chris would be lynched if he tried taking the SITD riders that way though! It will make a hard route even tougher, but I'd like to have a go at it. I will wait until I'm a bit fitter because the actual SITD route is about as much as I can currently cope with.

Are you doing the Brian Robinson Challenge at the weekend? I'll be doing it with John Birkby if you fancy saying hello at the start. If you aren't doing it, watch out for us as we ride through your village later on!


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## longers (20 Apr 2009)

trio25 said:


> How is everyone today?




A bad nights sleep and I felt horrible this am, a commute in and loads of food* and water have made me feel quite good.

* I weighed my butty box last night and it was 2kg - I've only got a banana and an apple left.


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## Warburton (20 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> Oh, hi Andrew! Yes, it was nice to see you again, if only briefly.
> 
> I thought the new sections were fantastic and I told SITD organiser Chris Crossland that at the finish! The only thing I didn't like was the fact that we inevitably had to use a couple of short stretches of busy, fast A-road between them. Thinking about it though, we had to cross those same roads on the old route, just further east.
> 
> ...



Yes - I thought it worked better especially missing out the unmade footpath and footbridge / steps, but the climb out of Storriths was a real feature of the old route.

I'm not riding on Sunday but if the weather's nice I'll nip down and watch for a bit. Have a good one!


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## Landslide (20 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> I might do the route again over the summer, but I will skip those towns. I like the look of: Draughton Moor, Kildwick, Sutton-in-Craven, Slippery Ford, Oakworth, Haworth, then rejoining the SITD route at Oxenhope. I think Chris would be lynched if he tried taking the SITD riders that way though! It will make a hard route even tougher, but I'd like to have a go at it.



Why not suggest it to Chris? These rides are meant to be a challenge!
I really was surprised at how well I went yesterday, but I reckon I'd easily have coped with a bit more climbing.


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## ColinJ (20 Apr 2009)

Landslide said:


> Why not suggest it to Chris? These rides are meant to be a challenge!
> I really was surprised at how well I went yesterday, but I reckon I'd easily have coped with a bit more climbing.


Well I know that Chris lurks about on here from time to time, so he might pop up and explain why such a devilish scheme isn't a good idea! 

I think a lot of people might be put off by any extra difficulty, and there would be the problem of finding a replacement for Rossi's cafe. That climb out of Keighley is nice and steady. I could put up with not being surrounded by greenery for a few kms, it's just the traffic that is a pain, especially when you get the odd idiot cutting you up or shouting at you.


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## asterix (20 Apr 2009)

trio25 said:


> How is everyone today? I did lots of stretching last night and it seemed to work legs feel better than when I finished.



Not too bad. I think what helped was the generous supply of lovely food just after it finished. Well worth the pain of climbing the stairs to get at it. Hope I didn't eat more than my fair share


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## bonj2 (20 Apr 2009)

ColinJ said:


> Are you doing the Brian Robinson Challenge at the weekend? I'll be doing it with John Birkby if you fancy saying hello at the start. If you aren't doing it, watch out for us as we ride through your village later on!



im doing that! see you there


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## goodspeed (20 Apr 2009)

Felt pretty good this morning, but after an 8hr shift at work my legs and knees are starting to sieze up abit. No insect bites but some nice tan lines on my legs and 2 white eye sockets. 
Mountain biking Wednesday at Lee Quarry, not sure if my legs are up for it but it'll be fun!


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## trio25 (21 Apr 2009)

I'm hoping to get to lee quarry again this week, only managed one loop last time I was there as I ran out of time. Gave my legs the day off biking yesterday - ran out of time so just went running which felt hard hard hard!


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## ColinJ (21 Apr 2009)

goodspeed said:


> Mountain biking Wednesday at Lee Quarry, not sure if my legs are up for it but it'll be fun!


I miss my mountain biking but I can't really afford to get my bike sorted out. It probably needs a new cassette, chainrings, bottom bracket and chain. It might even need new jockey wheels.

I'd never heard of Lee Quarry, but I've just done a search for it - looks interesting! I rode round those hills a few times on the Rossendale Moutain Bike challenge and thought that the old quarries looked worth developing.


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## Blonde (21 Apr 2009)

I didn't think the A road sections were busy, but then, I commute through Manchester city centre every day. Actually the worst bit of my commute is about 300m from home on a "B" road that's too narrow for the volume of traffic on it, with the "A" roads being mostly OK... but that's another story...

I couldn't find the chuffing control stamp anywhere at Rossi's cafe! Didn't stop there though, as it's too near the end to bother and I had already eaten at Dalesman. Wish it had been warmer though - I wore a short sleeve jersey thinking I'd need to roll down my arm warmers on the climbs but it didn't happen till right near the end and even then was as bit breezy. I didn't take me gilet off all day either, so it can't have been all that warm - even though some nutters were out in shorts!

I still love the first climb the best. It is really lovely. Managed to hang onto the back of the front group almost to the top this time! As usual a giant feed awaited our return which was lovely - full marks to Chris and the helpers again. The event felt much easier than the last time I did it and I didn't actually need the stop for soup at the Dalesman - must be getting fitter!


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## ColinJ (21 Apr 2009)

It didn't start getting warm until about 12:00 and Blonde was probably 3/4 of the way round by then! That might also account for the differing opinions about how busy the roads were. Keighley was pretty busy when Alun and I passed through at about 16:00.

I kept my light-weight leg-warmers on all day. They are really handy because they take the chill off the air without actually insulating that much that I overheat when the day warms up. 

My arm-warmers came off after about 3 hours but I had a long-sleeved base-layer on. Again, very handy for the conditions - rolled up for the climbs and some of the flat bits, rolled down for descents.

My gilet stayed on, but the zip was up and down all day. I reckon it was about 16-17 degrees mid-afternoon. I don't really like to bare my arms and legs until it gets to about 20 degrees.

If the people wearing shorts on Sunday were nutters, what should we call the lobster-red-legged riders I saw in January riding in shorts, when there was snow and ice everywhere?


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## trio25 (21 Apr 2009)

I take it Blonde is uber fast then? I took my arm warmers off by the last climb! Had knee warmers on the whole day though.


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## ColinJ (21 Apr 2009)

trio25 said:


> I take it Blonde is uber fast then?


Well, speed is relative isn't it! Relative to me - very definitely yes! Relative to a very fast man, no.

In 2006, when I was considerably lighter and fitter, I rode The Other Fleet Moss Randonee (202 km, about 2,500 m of climbing). Blonde did too. I didn't really stop long at any of the controls, pretty much just kept riding. As I remember it, Blonde stopped for a meal at one of the controls, eventually finished the ride, got changed, attacked the snacks table, had a hot drink, hung about socialising, and was finally just about to head out the door when I arrived back. I'd taken 10 hours so she must have only taken 9-and-a-bit!


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## MSeries (22 Apr 2009)

longers said:


> Oh, what a bugger Noodley  I did nearly ask Mseries if he'd broken you on Saturday but was too shy to go and speak to him


You shouldn't have been. I wish you had said hello. Noodley told me that some folks from here were doing the ride and I was looking forward to meeting those people but sadly Noodley wasn't there to introduce me. It was nice for me to meet a few people whom I'd not seen for a very long time due to my crash and subsequent lay off, ColinJ included.

I wasn't going well on Sunday, tired from Saturday. Too hot at times, whereas on the ride out from home I was too cold !!


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## Blonde (22 Apr 2009)

trio25 said:


> I take it Blonde is uber fast then? I took my arm warmers off by the last climb! Had knee warmers on the whole day though.


Not really! Not sure exactly what time we finished, but around 2:30-2:45. We were back at HB station just after 3:00, having eaten etc. at the community centre. If I hadn't eaten at the Dalesman I guess I may have finished around 2:00, but it's not a race!

I keep riding to work in knee warmers rather than my 3/4 knicks, hoping I will just be in shorts on the way home, but it hasn't happend so far... I'm even packing them for Mallorca next week, just in case.


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## trio25 (22 Apr 2009)

No not a race, but like to see how I compare. Really noticing I have got faster this year and don't seem to be dropped by everyone on the climbs. But its hard to know how I'm doing as speeds people talk about online sound so fast! Think we were back at start for 3pm.


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## Blonde (23 Apr 2009)

I used to try to compare my own overall times, or average speeds on these events, but you can't really. A lot depends on the weather, how often and for how long you stop or get held up, or whether you get lost/miss a turn etc. I also try to compare myself to how other people around me on the event seem to be doing. Not being passed at all on climbs perhaps means I am doing OK, but of course you don't know if the people around you are having a bad day or "saving" themselves or just enjoying a relaxing day out (since they're not racing), so it still doen't mean much. At the track last night (derny session) I was rather flatteringly told again that I should go in for some road racing in Cheshire this weekend and "would not get dropped". We are away anyway, but I still think I might not cope too well with the sudden changes of pace (I'm not a sprinter) despite being a decent "steady"/TT-type rider - racing is very different. I think that comparing yourself to others is little more than guess work, unless you actually race against them!

BTW - take the speeds some people talk about on-line, with a pinch of salt. Most of the people I met didn't go anything like as fast as they'd claimed they did! I think some people confuse average speed with maximum speed, or with the speed they happen to be doing when they look down at their computer! Many people also do not mention the average speed difference between a short ride and a longer one, or a flat ride and a hilly one.


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## trio25 (23 Apr 2009)

I decided that about averages speeds after meeting someone at an event who on paper was a lot faster than me and then I was loads faster - my average speed that day was about 11.5 mph so I was suprised that people were slower than me. I think its part of the geek in me that likes to compare a bit. I've not bee riding for that long really so I like to know where I am in the scheme of things. YOu are right that noone was racing, I took the bit between Earby and Gargrave very easy as I was on my own and was just looking around. But I was really happy with my average speed for such a hilly route, that was comparing it with what I might have expected the year before.

I think I would be rubbish at racing as I have no change in speed, I can go at trio speed all day long but ask me to speed up and it doesn't happen. I also think all those people around me would be scary!

My OH likes riding the track, I haven't been on it for ages, I think riding behind a derny would be scary!


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## ColinJ (23 Apr 2009)

I gave up taking much notice of speeds when I got fat because the numbers became depressingly low! 

When I was reasonably quick, I used to like trying to break my PBs on the local climbs. I'll do that again when I speed up. 

If the weather is nice, I'm not too fussed about hurrying about, but if it's cold and damp I'd rather just get on with a ride and get it done.


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## trio25 (23 Apr 2009)

I know I'm never going to be fast or have the smooth acceleration on longers, but I like to see where I am in comparison. I did two time trials last year so I'm thinking I should try a few more last year, they were fun as I was just trying to beat my own time!


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## ColinJ (23 Apr 2009)

trio25 said:


> I know I'm never going to be fast or have the smooth acceleration on longers, but I like to see where I am in comparison. I did two time trials last year so I'm thinking I should try a few more last year, they were fun as I was just trying to beat my own time!


Why not have a go at Yorkshire Velo's Cragg Vale hillclimb on October 18th? I reckon I might have a go at it one year, but only when I'm back to sub 13 stone. Actually, that could easily be this year if I got more serious about counting the calories.

Hey, perhaps all the members of our little CycleChat group should have a go? We could have some sort of handicapping system to give us a chance against the likes of longers and Svendo! For example - we could make longers ride his heavy bike and carry 10 kgs of weights in his pannier.


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## trio25 (23 Apr 2009)

That does look interesting doesn't it! Although I have no idea how you would pace up something like that. Be nice to have something on the calendar in october!


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## ColinJ (23 Apr 2009)

trio25 said:


> That does look interesting doesn't it! Although I have no idea how you would pace up something like that. Be nice to have something on the calendar in october!


I know that you've done the climb a few times, but I've done it hundreds of times and I'd say that the first thing you should do is to check out the wind conditions on the moor. Perhaps ride over from Bolton via Blackstone Edge. That would give you a good warm-up. If there is wind (and there often is up there) it is usually a cross-headwind from your front-right as you climb from Cragg Vale.

Break the climb into 3 sections.

Bottom section: Not steep, and fairly sheltered from the wind. You could make a good hard effort up that bit, no problem. Should take 8-10 minutes?

Middle bit: Steeper for only about 200-250 metres. That shouldn't be enough to make much difference as long as you don't go silly and overdo it. Should take no more than 2 minutes?

Top section on the open moorland: This is the bit that could catch you out if you haven't sussed what the wind is doing. If you are lucky enough to go up there when there isn't any wind, you should be able to do it in about 8-10 minutes? The gradient isn't anything to worry about, so just ride at a hard pace that you could just about sustain for that length of time.

If you went up on a bad day, however, it could be _really_ bad. I've taken nearly an hour for the climb on more than one occasion when the headwinds were so bad that I could barely make forward progress! 

The event records for the climb are well under 20 minutes but last year conditions were really hard. The winning time was just under 20 minutes but many riders took well over 25 minutes.

My best ever time up that climb was 23 minutes, but I timed that from the 'longest gradient' sign in Mytholmroyd, and a little bit further at the top, so it would be equivalent to about 22 minutes on the actual course. I wasn't in peak condition and I didn't bust a gut so I'm making 20 minutes my long-term goal. I think that would be a reasonably respectable time for my age category, though it wouldn't be anywhere near a winning time.


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## Alun (23 Apr 2009)

Svendo can't use his bottom 3 gears either, same as Sunday!


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## ColinJ (23 Apr 2009)

Alun said:


> Svendo can't use his bottom 3 gears either, same as Sunday!


Oh no, I'd forgotten about that...!

About 3/4 of the way round the SITD route, Svendo casually remarked that he must be getting tired because he'd just had to use his 21 sprocket for the first time that day. Alun and I had just grovelled up a steep climb behind him in our lowest gears. Bastard!


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## MSeries (23 Apr 2009)

trio25 said:


> That does look interesting doesn't it! Although I have no idea how you would pace up something like that. Be nice to have something on the calendar in october!



Plenty of time to practice on the course. Ride it a few times to get to know it, then ride as hard as you can, see where you blow and start making changes, learn where to hold back where you can recover etc.

If you have something left at the top you have more to give and should have tried harder !!!

I shall be going up there on Saturday.


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## pizzicatooff (25 Apr 2009)

Hi,

I've followed the interesting suggestions made by quite a few of you and will consider them carefully. I rode the event yesterday and although there wasn't much sunshine, it was warm and the roads were fairly quiet.

I'm glad that on balance most of you liked the changes to the route. I like to alter it now and then to keep riders on their toes, as well as for other reasons.

Spring Into The Dales started out as a CTC Standard Ride of 60 miles in 2000. The route was a collaboration between Carl Kershaw and myself. We took the plunge to convert it to an Audax for 2001, picking the 3rd Sunday in April, and the field on the first time start was decimated by a fierce hailstorm on the ascent away from Hebden Bridge.

Further route changes to remove main road stretches took place over subsequent years, and in 2006, we introduced the climb through Storiths which I really like myself. A slight increase in climbing gave an extra quarter AAA point, making riders eligible for a Gold Grimpeur medal. I know of one rider who has bronze, silver, and gold grimpeur medals, all obtained through this event. in different years.

Unfortunately some social changes such as Sunday pub opening hours and Sunday shopping have transformed Sundays from a quiet traffic day in some parts. 

I have been concerned about the safety of the Storiths climb away from the ford as a significant number of drivers of 4x4s roar down this slope and do not yield pace or space to cyclists. In the 3 years we have used this climb, one rider has been hospitalised because of a collision and several others have reported near misses.

While this wasn't the reason for changing the route it was a contributory factor influencing a change to a road that I also particularly like: the gated road to Halton East.

Yes, I'm aware of the shock that the traffic in Keighley and its environs brings on and have wondered a lot about re-routing to avoid it, but I'm aware of how much climbing would be added if I put the route straight through to the Slippery Ford area. To give you an idea of how much extra climbing there would be, consider the major changes this year to the route of the companion event Leap Into The Aire. That was reduced from 60 kim to 53 km by sending it to the Slippery Ford area rather than the main road from Laneshawbridge via Cowling and Crosshills to Keighley. The impetus for that change related to increases in traffic through Crosshills and an incident last year when a rider was attacked by a motorist with the car being used as a weapon. Although the distance has been reduced by 7 km, the ascent has increased by 75 metres to 1325 metres.

The easy answer to people who want to go via Slippery Ford is to say that you are free to do so as the recommended route is not compulsory, but I recognise that the navigational difficulties demand a little help to do that.

Right from the start as an audax event, Rossi's Cafe in Keighley have been very helpful and accommodating as a control. They usually shut at 3 pm on a Sunday but are always prepared to stay open for us and I don't want to jeopardise that. If I were to re-route so that the event didn't go past there, that attitude might change and I could have difficulty finding a control for the Leap Into The Aire riders.

Blonde's point that this road into Keighley isn't all that busy really is well made; it's the contrast with what you've ridden before that is so stark. In any case, there are 2 shorter routes to Rossi's, one very busy, the other involving much ascent, neither of which would be welcome.The higher one wouldn't get scenery points because the busy one is shorter. 

Personally, if I could get rid of the Ingrow climb, I'd be a lot happier. However I think that at the moment I am testing a significant number of people's tolerance to ascents (Colin suggests that it is at his limits right now) which might affect the entry numbers.

I think that the solution is to offer a third event which controls at Rossi's and then uses an additional information control to force those riders wanting to take part to go over to the Slippery Ford or even Goose Eye area, then Haworth, emerging at Oxenhope, and I'll have a look at practical possibilities. It would need to have more altitude points to justify its existence. A posssible name would be Spring Higher Into The Dales, and the obvious acronym would amply illustrate where riders' thoughts would be by the time they get to Oxenhope.

I've finished keying in entry details etc., this morning, after spending most of this week at a conference. We mis-counted the number of entries on the day. The total number of riders taking part across both events on Sunday was 200 exactly.

Regards

Chris


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## longers (25 Apr 2009)

Hello Chris,

That was my first time for this event and found it a wonderful ride and very well run with an excellent and friendly start, controls and finish with a lovely and generous spread to finish.

I would like to think I will make it a regular event from here on in, I'm new to Audax and this one has made an excellent impression on me and I hope some of the others too.

Thankyou very much.

I thought the route was perfect, I could be tempted by a slightly longer and hillier route but would have no qualms about riding that same route again.

Well done with the weather too.


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## Noodley (25 Apr 2009)

And Season of Mists was a great route as well, the only down bit being my lack of fitness.


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## Svendo (26 Apr 2009)

I thought this was a great route. I'm fairly comfortable with A roads really. Regarding Cragg Vale, I've made it up in 34x16 with a bit of tail wind!


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## PaulB (30 Apr 2009)

Tragically, a guy who lives near me, Graham Shutt, who was also a member of our local CTC was killed at one of the roundabouts in Keighley when out for a ride last Saturday.

http://www.pendletoday.co.uk/colnenews/Trawden-cyclist-404541-dies-after.5211412.jp


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## Landslide (30 Apr 2009)

Agh, bad news. 
Best wishes to all he's left behind, and let's hope what he did for cycling is carried on into the future.


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## ColinJ (30 Apr 2009)

Landslide said:


> Agh, bad news.
> Best wishes to all he's left behind, and let's hope what he did for cycling is carried on into the future.


Seconded... 





Those busy A-roads really worry me. Every year on SITD I sprint round the roundabout between Silsden and Steeton to get off the damn thing ASAP and I stare straight into the eyes of the drivers further round on the left to make sure that they've realised that I'm coming and I watch like a hawk for any of them trying to pull out in front of me.


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## asterix (1 May 2009)

Sorry to hear the news. The Keighley stretch was not great and I was glad to get through as part of a bunch who obviously knew how best to proceed.

During the same ride I'm certain I prevented a nasty head-on between 2 cars. I was on a tight narrow bend I heard a car accelerating to overtake _on the bend_. Being on the apex I could see an oncoming white Micra about to enter the bend and stuck out my hand. The bronze Audi behind stopped his overtake very suddenly, no doubt much to the relief of his wife and children who were with him. 

Other than that nearly all other drivers I saw behaved with restraint and courtesy but it only takes one, doesn't it.


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## ColinJ (1 May 2009)

asterix said:


> During the same ride I'm certain I prevented a nasty head-on between 2 cars. I was on a tight narrow bend I heard a car accelerating to overtake _on the bend_. Being on the apex I could see an oncoming white Micra about to enter the bend and stuck out my hand. The bronze Audi behind stopped his overtake very suddenly, no doubt much to the relief of his wife and children who were with him.


Crazy, aren't they, drivers like that!

I was cycling along one of the narrow hilltop lanes round here once when a young woman breezed past me on the wrong side of the road round a blind bend. I thought how lucky she had been that there wasn't anything coming the other way. 10 minutes later, I came across her standing at the side of the road being shouted at by a van driver whose vehicle she had just hit on another blind bend!


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