skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
Cracking start to the day weather wise, see you all in a bit
A Half Century Challenge hilly forum ride (Todmorden/Hebden Bridge), Sat 28th Apr 2018
- Thread starter ColinJ
- Start date
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I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Lovely day for it. Have fun everybody 
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
I got to Littleborough early !
OP
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I like Skol
A Minging Manc...
- Location
- Sunny Ashton-under-Lyne
Slow down you maniac! It isn't a race......
OP
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
It all went really well, so I will organise more shortish forum rides in the future.
Littgull and skudupnorth met me by Lidl in Todmorden as planned and we rode down the A646 to Hebden Bridge to meet the others. Pale Rider, Julia9054, Almartino and my pal Carrie were at a cafe there supping coffee when we arrived. I took them on a guided tour of some of my favourite local hilly lanes before finally climbing up to our cafe stop at Craggies.
We had a long relaxed break in the warm there. The weather had been kind to us - no rain at all and some sunshine, but it did feel chilly except when climbing.
It is a very easy run back to Hebden Bridge from the cafe so I think it was a good route for a 50 km forum ride.
Littgull, skudupnorth and I said goodbye to the others in Hebden Bridge and then set off to do our extended ride back to Todmorden. I was planning a total of 50+ miles, Littgull was going to do 100+ km and skud was aiming for 100+ miles.
We had decided to do some offroad for a change. I showed the other two the bridleway/farm track up the back of Hardcastle Crags to Shackleton, through Walshaw and onwards to Widdop Rd. We agreed that it was a worthwhile experiment so it will be repeated in the future. We all had chunky semislick tyres on our bikes and they were fine on the minor roughstuff on that route. I have done that section on a road bike with 23C tyres in the past. You just have to be slightly more careful than on the road.
Some scenic lanes followed and then we plunged down Cross Stone Rd into Todmorden where I left my companions. They were continuing to Littleborough, but I was heading home. I got there with 82 km (51 miles) on my Garmin and about 1,650 m (5,400 ft) of ascent clocked up.
Thanks for company, y'all!
Littgull and skudupnorth met me by Lidl in Todmorden as planned and we rode down the A646 to Hebden Bridge to meet the others. Pale Rider, Julia9054, Almartino and my pal Carrie were at a cafe there supping coffee when we arrived. I took them on a guided tour of some of my favourite local hilly lanes before finally climbing up to our cafe stop at Craggies.
We had a long relaxed break in the warm there. The weather had been kind to us - no rain at all and some sunshine, but it did feel chilly except when climbing.
It is a very easy run back to Hebden Bridge from the cafe so I think it was a good route for a 50 km forum ride.
Littgull, skudupnorth and I said goodbye to the others in Hebden Bridge and then set off to do our extended ride back to Todmorden. I was planning a total of 50+ miles, Littgull was going to do 100+ km and skud was aiming for 100+ miles.
We had decided to do some offroad for a change. I showed the other two the bridleway/farm track up the back of Hardcastle Crags to Shackleton, through Walshaw and onwards to Widdop Rd. We agreed that it was a worthwhile experiment so it will be repeated in the future. We all had chunky semislick tyres on our bikes and they were fine on the minor roughstuff on that route. I have done that section on a road bike with 23C tyres in the past. You just have to be slightly more careful than on the road.
Some scenic lanes followed and then we plunged down Cross Stone Rd into Todmorden where I left my companions. They were continuing to Littleborough, but I was heading home. I got there with 82 km (51 miles) on my Garmin and about 1,650 m (5,400 ft) of ascent clocked up.
Thanks for company, y'all!
Julia9054
Guru
- Location
- Knaresborough
Thank you so much for organising such an enjoyable ride with great company. The weather was perfect, the scenery stunning and a great start to my determination to get better at hills this year.
We went back via a terrifyingly dodgy estate in Bradford to pick up some speaker stands Al had bought on eBay and then on to Al's dad's in Roundhay to drop off the goose egg we bought him at Craggys.
Following Colin's trapped in the lift at Bradford Interchange story, Al's poor dad (also called Colin!) had just spent an hour trapped in the lift at his new retirement flat and had had to be rescued!
Note to self - avoid lifts especially in the company of blokes called Colin!!
We went back via a terrifyingly dodgy estate in Bradford to pick up some speaker stands Al had bought on eBay and then on to Al's dad's in Roundhay to drop off the goose egg we bought him at Craggys.
Following Colin's trapped in the lift at Bradford Interchange story, Al's poor dad (also called Colin!) had just spent an hour trapped in the lift at his new retirement flat and had had to be rescued!
Note to self - avoid lifts especially in the company of blokes called Colin!!
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
Seven of us gathered in Hebden Bridge for a minimum of 30 hilly miles and much further for some.
My day got off to a pleasant start with a chat to a roadie at a cafe in the centre of town who insisted on giving me half of his muffin.
I was soon joined by @Julia9054, partner Al, @skudupnorth, @Littgull, our leader, and his friend Carrie.
We started the climbing early with a long pull out of Hebden Bridge towards Keighley.
Colin led us off at a modest but consistent pace which meant we all spun up to the top of the climb in good order.
Not my best effort at a pic, perhaps I was more tired than I realised.
Skud is on the left on his Spa tourer, then Brian (Littgul). Al, Colin, Julia, and Carrie the pocket rocket in the blue top.
Not too much in the way of motor traffic up there, although our treatment at the hands of other drivers was variable.
We dropped back down towards Hebden Bridge and climbed back up the other side on what I thought was the nastiest climb of the day - I just about kept pace with Carrie who has lost none of her excellent cycling fitness despite a long injury lay off.
Our next long climb was the five miles plus of Cragg Vale.
I deployed some extra electrons and about as much grunt as I could manage to lead the way, pacing a strongish roadie for a while until he started to run out of steam.
Almost needless to say, Carrie wiped him up as well, not sure what the poor fellow made of being beaten by a middle-aged bloke on an ebike and a slip of a lass.
Some more downs - and ups - as we looped back to Craggies cafe/farm shop which did us well for food despite being full.
Nearly all down hill back to Hebden Bridge, and Colin threw in some cycle path for the last mile or two to keep us out of the traffic on the main valley road.
The antics of an apparently drunk cyclist made for a bizarre end to the ride as we said goodbye to Julia and Al at their car.
He swore at us as he rode past, stopped a few metres down the road, then over-cooked a wheelie, landing flat on his back, before getting up and swearing at us, or more likely the world in general.
All day opening has clearly been a mixed blessing in Hebden Bridge.
About 30 miles for me, Julia, Al, and Carrie, more for Brian and Colin, but a particularly good effort from Skud - what we did was challenging enough, to slap another 70 miles on top is going some.
Thanks to Colin for his usual seamless routing, and thanks to everyone for their good company.
My day got off to a pleasant start with a chat to a roadie at a cafe in the centre of town who insisted on giving me half of his muffin.
I was soon joined by @Julia9054, partner Al, @skudupnorth, @Littgull, our leader, and his friend Carrie.
We started the climbing early with a long pull out of Hebden Bridge towards Keighley.
Colin led us off at a modest but consistent pace which meant we all spun up to the top of the climb in good order.
Not my best effort at a pic, perhaps I was more tired than I realised.
Skud is on the left on his Spa tourer, then Brian (Littgul). Al, Colin, Julia, and Carrie the pocket rocket in the blue top.
Not too much in the way of motor traffic up there, although our treatment at the hands of other drivers was variable.
We dropped back down towards Hebden Bridge and climbed back up the other side on what I thought was the nastiest climb of the day - I just about kept pace with Carrie who has lost none of her excellent cycling fitness despite a long injury lay off.
Our next long climb was the five miles plus of Cragg Vale.
I deployed some extra electrons and about as much grunt as I could manage to lead the way, pacing a strongish roadie for a while until he started to run out of steam.
Almost needless to say, Carrie wiped him up as well, not sure what the poor fellow made of being beaten by a middle-aged bloke on an ebike and a slip of a lass.
Some more downs - and ups - as we looped back to Craggies cafe/farm shop which did us well for food despite being full.
Nearly all down hill back to Hebden Bridge, and Colin threw in some cycle path for the last mile or two to keep us out of the traffic on the main valley road.
The antics of an apparently drunk cyclist made for a bizarre end to the ride as we said goodbye to Julia and Al at their car.
He swore at us as he rode past, stopped a few metres down the road, then over-cooked a wheelie, landing flat on his back, before getting up and swearing at us, or more likely the world in general.
All day opening has clearly been a mixed blessing in Hebden Bridge.
About 30 miles for me, Julia, Al, and Carrie, more for Brian and Colin, but a particularly good effort from Skud - what we did was challenging enough, to slap another 70 miles on top is going some.
Thanks to Colin for his usual seamless routing, and thanks to everyone for their good company.
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I was talking to someone about 'dodgy estates' the other day. Every time I have been to one I have sworn that I will avoid them in future.
As a fresher in Manchester I decided to go for a jog into Salford. I ended up somewhere with lots of very tatty tower blocks, burned out cars, broken glass lying around etc. The most bizarre thing was that there were multiple old smashed TV sets below the towers. I reckoned that people were just chucking them out of their windows when they developed faults, and from the look of them I'd say from 10 or 11 floors up!
I had already concluded that it wasn't the most scenic place that I had ever jogged to, but when a gang of malevolent young men sat on a wall spotted me and made it clear that they were about to attack me, I made sure that it was the least scenic place that I have ever sprinted away from!
I will avoid being a bloke called Colin in a lift wherever possible in future!
I'd forgotten about the drunk near Hebden Bridge station ... I hope he didn't hurt himself when he fell off, but I'm afraid that I was not going to go and ask him - by the sound of his ranting I think that any Good Samaritan would soon be sporting a tatty old bike necklace.
Things are quite busy in the next few months but perhaps I will organise a similar ride in the autumn.
As a fresher in Manchester I decided to go for a jog into Salford. I ended up somewhere with lots of very tatty tower blocks, burned out cars, broken glass lying around etc. The most bizarre thing was that there were multiple old smashed TV sets below the towers. I reckoned that people were just chucking them out of their windows when they developed faults, and from the look of them I'd say from 10 or 11 floors up!
I had already concluded that it wasn't the most scenic place that I had ever jogged to, but when a gang of malevolent young men sat on a wall spotted me and made it clear that they were about to attack me, I made sure that it was the least scenic place that I have ever sprinted away from!
I will avoid being a bloke called Colin in a lift wherever possible in future!
I'd forgotten about the drunk near Hebden Bridge station ... I hope he didn't hurt himself when he fell off, but I'm afraid that I was not going to go and ask him - by the sound of his ranting I think that any Good Samaritan would soon be sporting a tatty old bike necklace.
Things are quite busy in the next few months but perhaps I will organise a similar ride in the autumn.
OP
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Oh, a very curious thing happened ... @Almartino suffered a painful cramp on Steep Ln climbing up to Craggies. It was in exactly the same location that @rusty bearing suffered a similarly painful problem on one of my rides a couple of years ago!
skudupnorth
Cycling Skoda lover
- Location
- Astley,Manchester
Home !!!! 167 km completed Absolutely brilliant ride, big thankyou Colin, you pulled yet another super ride out of the hat
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ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Ooh, congratulations - a big ride considering that you hadn't even done half that so far this year!
A fantastic day out on the bike in great company and with stunning scenery. A superb route planned by Colin and the 20 mile extended loop was terrific also.
It was warm enough whilst climbing but nippy on the descents. Top marks for bravery to Steve (@skudupnorth) for wearing shorts. Which he has apparently worn all through the long cold winter! But the weather overall, was very kind to us.
Thanks for organising and leading the ride Colin and I've enjoyed reading the reports and seeing the photo.
Looking forward to riding with you all again in the near future.
It was warm enough whilst climbing but nippy on the descents. Top marks for bravery to Steve (@skudupnorth) for wearing shorts. Which he has apparently worn all through the long cold winter
! But the weather overall, was very kind to us.Thanks for organising and leading the ride Colin and I've enjoyed reading the reports and seeing the photo.
Looking forward to riding with you all again in the near future.
Good on yer, Steve. Glad you are back safe and sound.
Pale Rider
Legendary Member
The way the ride panned out left Skudders with quite a few miles to do late in the day.
Good effort taking it all in his stride.
He told me the main hazard would be the taxi drivers in Rochdale.
Hopefully they behaved themselves tonight.
Good effort taking it all in his stride.
He told me the main hazard would be the taxi drivers in Rochdale.
Hopefully they behaved themselves tonight.
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