Forum ride - Hebden Bridge to Waddington, Sun 29th January

[Edge705]

Nobody mentioned my slight detour thanks to tom tom here my dad had a challenge to get his 4x4 up some of the hills with some nice 1in4 hairpins. In fact was dissapointed we didnt route the ride this way outward bound

 

[400bhp]

Good effort chaps.

Nice hat ILS

 

[I like Skol]

my dad had a challenge to get his 4x4 up some of the hills with some nice 1in4 hairpins. In fact was dissapointed we didnt route the ride this way outward bound

Colin keeps promising some hills on these rides of his but this one was downhill all the way, I don't get it

 

[ColinJ]

Right, can you do it again in Spring?

Well, yes, we intend to, only ... we usually take to the hills on the way out for better scenery and less traffic, which might make it a bit of a handful on fixed!

One of those hills would be the Nick o' Pendle, but you could always turn left at Sabden and avoid the Nick by going that way to Whalley instead. (We would be heading there via Pendleton and Wiswell.)

Still waiting..

Patience - I've nearly finished a blog post but several things have taken higher priority!

Nobody mentioned my slight detour thanks to tom tom here my dad had a challenge to get his 4x4 up some of the hills with some nice 1in4 hairpins. In fact was dissapointed we didnt route the ride this way outward bound

Oh, crikey, that is the way I used to come back from work! It is a much nicer route than the valley road, but it is not really quicker unless the A646 is snarled up with traffic which doesn't happen that often! (Or you greatly exceed the speed limit on the Long Causeway which is exactly why a lot of people go that way. I know someone who got from home in Hebden Bridge 14.5 miles to work in Burnley in under 14 minutes and it is slow at both ends, so he must have gone crazily fast where he could to average 65 mph! I told him he was an idiot when he boasted about it.)

Actually, I have mentioned it in my coming blog post, but I thought you'd gone up 'Mytholm Steeps', not come down that way.

One day, I will take a forum ride up there, but not until I stand a chance of doing it on my bike! I think I've tackled it about 6 times on the road bike now and ridden it 3 times, and walked the 25% section the other 3 times!)

Colin keeps promising some hills on these rides of his but this one was downhill all the way, I don't get it

Yeah, yeah, and don't think that I didn't notice the nonchalant whistling behind me as I was grovelling uphill in pain!

Now listen matey - I may not be called Maximus Decimus Meridius, I've never been commander of the Armies of the North (General of the Felix Legions), TBH - I never really rated emperor Marcus Aurelius. I've never had a son. I've never been married either, but ...

I will have my vengeance ... in this life, or the next!

 

[colly]

Yeah, yeah, and don't think that I didn't notice the nonchalant whistling behind me as I was grovelling uphill in pain!

I'm just sorry I couldn't make it.

 

[ColinJ]

I'm just sorry I couldn't make it.

The last thing I needed was a pair of you whistling a bleedin' duet!

 

[ColinJ]

Okay, here you go then - ride report on my blog.

PS If you fancy coming on my next couple of forum rides, pencil in these dates - Saturday, 25th February (destination undecided, distance probably about 50 miles) and Sunday, 25th March (An almost flat imperial century ride from Whalley taking advantage of the clocks having gone forward. Ideal for riders on fixed!)

 

[Edge705]

Okay, here you go then - ride report on my blog.

PS If you fancy coming on my next couple of forum rides, pencil in these dates - Saturday, 25th February (destination undecided, distance probably about 50 miles) and Sunday, 25th March (Waddington, hilly way out, usual way back, 100-odd kms, 62-odd miles).

Nice read Colin I think you hit the nail right on the head when you said if you had not had the guys to motivate you to do the ride you would have sat at home. Far too often (and I am guilty of this) one thinks that one ride in every blue moon wont make a difference but it cleraly did for you on Sunday. Incidentaly I would probaly not have gone out Sunday had it not been for the forum ride but Im glad I did, met some good people who hopefully over time will become cycling chums, and the ride clocked me 56 to take my january total to just under 400 for the month Unfortunately I cant commit too much in advance I would hope to do the MNW but it would be entry on the day However I dont see there being an issue with the next forum ride on 25 March - perhaps I can cajole Ajay to ride out to spring wood again and come to waddy for a slap up meal with the boys

Now then what about a Forum tour maybe 2/3/4 days or so over a bank holiday weekend tents/hostels and all - One consideration though Real Ale pubs must be top of the agenda

 

[potsy]

I give myself 100% for effort, given how much it hurt me, 50% for performance given how slow even potsy managed to make me look (

) and 0% for the effectiveness of my winter training programme. In a perverse way though, I enjoyed it!

How rude
Good write up as ever Col, I think you and me both have plenty of work to do before we can enjoy the rides as much as we'd like.
I think I look a lot taller than usual on that photo

 

[oldfatfool]

Now then what about a Forum tour maybe 2/3/4 days or so over a bank holiday weekend tents/hostels and all - One consideration though Real Ale pubs must be top of the agenda

Well volunteered that man

 

[italiafirenze]

Okay, here you go then - ride report on my blog.

PS If you fancy coming on my next couple of forum rides, pencil in these dates - Saturday, 25th February (destination undecided, distance probably about 50 miles) and Sunday, 25th March (Waddington, hilly way out, usual way back, 100-odd kms, 62-odd miles).

Is there no chance of another clocks go forward 100 miler this year?

 

[italiafirenze]

Nobody mentioned my slight detour thanks to tom tom here my dad had a challenge to get his 4x4 up some of the hills with some nice 1in4 hairpins. In fact was dissapointed we didnt route the ride this way outward bound

Is that the road that's lined with signs saying "Don't listen to your Sat Nav, this is not the way"?

 

[DCLane]

PS If you fancy coming on my next couple of forum rides, pencil in these dates - Saturday, 25th February (destination undecided, distance probably about 50 miles) and Sunday, 25th March (Waddington, hilly way out, usual way back, 100-odd kms, 62-odd miles).

Looks like you all had a good day out. Unfortunately I won't make the next two (doing Evans Ride It! Leeds sportive Sun 26th Feb and Cheshire Cat sportive Sun 25th March), however I'll see whoever's doing the MNwP on the 18th Feb.

 

[Edge705]

Is that the road that's lined with signs saying "Don't listen to your Sat Nav, this is not the way"?

Yep and my dad fell hook line and sinker for that one

 

[ColinJ]

Now then what about a Forum tour maybe 2/3/4 days or so over a bank holiday weekend tents/hostels and all - One consideration though Real Ale pubs must be top of the agenda

I would do it if ...

• I had a touring bike

• I could afford to book my own rooms at the Real Ale pubs. (I'm not into tents, hostels or room-sharing!)

... but I don't/can't so I'll have to leave it this year, but maybe next?

Well volunteered that man

Go for it!

I've toyed with the idea of trying to persuade a bunch of CycleChatters to sign up for a road training camp on the Costa Blanca one March. If I could afford to do one again, I'd go for 2 weeks, but many people would probably just do either the first week or the second one. If we could get 20 or more interested, we could form a couple of decent-sized groups, plus there would be other riders on the camps anyway.

Is that the road that's lined with signs saying "Don't listen to your Sat Nav, this is not the way"?

No, but the road leading to Mytholm Steeps does have warnings at both ends about the severity of it. 20-odd years ago, a Calor gas tanker's brakes failed on the steepest part of the descent and almost resulted in tragedy and that led to the installation of the warning signs.

On another occasion, I spent 15 happy minutes watching a pair of idiot motorists trying to tow caravans up the 25% section! (It's not as if they were suddenly confronted by it - to get that far, they already had to tackle some 10%, some 15%, some 20%, and some very tight bends. They should have reconsidered right at the bottom of the climb.) The spectacle of cars being dragged backwards down the hill with tyres spinning and smoking amused me no end!

Is there no chance of another clocks go forward 100 miler this year?

Ah, I'd completely forgotten that! Yes, that sounds like a great idea, but I'll reroute it this time to avoid Blackpool and Fleetwood because that section was very busy and windy. The ferry trip was interesting, but I don't feel the need to do it again this year just for the sake of it.

Looks like you all had a good day out. Unfortunately I won't make the next two (doing Evans Ride It! Leeds sportive Sun 26th Feb and Cheshire Cat sportive Sun 25th March), however I'll see whoever's doing the MNwP on the 18th Feb.

And I chose a Saturday for the February ride, just for you! (Actually, you aren't the only one who said that Saturdays were better for them and I did promise to do more Saturday rides this year.) Have fun on those two events.