looking for a flattish 50 miler

[RedBike]

I've just taken a look at the route that you linked to - are you riding a mountain bike?

I went up Rooley Moor Road on Saturday - it is part of the Mary Towneley Loop. It's definitely not something that you'd want to do on a road bike! It is a tough climb over broken rock and cobbles and leads round to a rugged post-industrial landscape of disused quarries and pits.

Rooley Moor Road is also known as the Cotton Famine Road.

We briefly discussed riding up Rooley Moor road on a road bike during the Cyclechat ride. Yesterday I made good use of "working from home" and rode up there on a single speed road bike with 25mm slick tyres.

It was surprisingly easy to ride up and due to the low speeds involved it wasn't too uncomfortable either. However, coming back down was a nightmare!

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

i have seen cyclecross bikes on the mtl and rossy way at my end and they managed fine, to my shame. lets face it, i bet people have been riding on bridleways a lot longer than mtb's have been around. just look at the south lakes groups photo's, there's always someone on a tourer out with them. i just suppose they might be more maintenance issues.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

We briefly discussed riding up Rooley Moor road on a road bike during the Cyclechat ride. Yesterday I made good use of "working from home" and rode up there on a single speed road bike with 25mm slick tyres.

It was surprisingly easy to ride up and due to the low speeds involved it wasn't too uncomfortable either. However, coming back down was a nightmare!

it's not much fun on a full susser either. still shakes yer teeth out

 

[ColinJ]

We briefly discussed riding up Rooley Moor road on a road bike during the Cyclechat ride. Yesterday I made good use of "working from home" and rode up there on a single speed road bike with 25mm slick tyres.

It was surprisingly easy to ride up and due to the low speeds involved it wasn't too uncomfortable either.

Hmm...!

I thought it best to warn aJohnson what he was letting himself in for if he thought that it was an ordinary road.

However, coming back down was a nightmare!

The last time I rode down Rooley Moor Road was with two pals. One got a snakebite puncture and just we were slowing down for him, my other mate snapped his seatpost off - that nearly brought tears to his eyes!

lets face it, i bet people have been riding on bridleways a lot longer than mtb's have been around. just look at the south lakes groups photo's, there's always someone on a tourer out with them. i just suppose they might be more maintenance issues.

I bet most of them weren't/aren't riding lightweight 23C slicks though.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

Hmm...!

I thought it best to warn aJohnson what he was letting himself in for if he thought that it was an ordinary road.


The last time I rode down Rooley Moor Road was with two pals. One got a snakebite puncture and just we were slowing down for him, my other mate snapped his seatpost off - that nearly brought tears to his eyes!


I bet most of them weren't/aren't riding lightweight 23C slicks though.

true very true, wonder if they were any stronger tho?

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

sorry ignore last post was a loads of bollocks!!

 

[Garz]

oohhh grane road on a bike, not for me thanks

Because of the traffic? I did it about 2weeks ago but it was on a weekday and in the middle of the day so traffic wasn't too bad.

I ride that regularly now as it makes a nice 50 mile+ loop. Mind you that usually on a weekend, but i guess it is dangerous as its a 50 zone. Agree with colin though AJ, bury has access to loads of great routes, I have to ride about 8-9 mile to get to bury first!

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

I ride that regularly now as it makes a nice 50 mile+ loop. Mind you that usually on a weekend, but i guess it is dangerous as its a 50 zone. Agree with colin though AJ, bury has access to loads of great routes, I have to ride about 8-9 mile to get to bury first!

unfortunately it's dangerous because dickhead drivers keep getting hurt by driving, well, like dickheads. the 50 zone was installed to reduce deaths.

 

[bigtoe]

Or over round Pilling and Cockerham is nice and flat. Very good bakery in Knott End on Sea, it's on the right as you go into the village - Quinns, two cakes and a double espresso for about two fifty.

Round by Fleetwood and down to Thornton Cleveleys is a good way of extending it, the prom leading into Blackpool is very nicely done up.

Or go up to Lancaster via the cycle path at Conder Green.

All flat - pancake flat.

What about this, park up free anchorsholm on the sea front ride along the prom to fleetwood ferry hop on the ferry (£2) to knott end then what longers said carry on to say lancaster back down the A6 a bit shite that bit on to the priory for tea and biscuits back to A6 for a mile turn right round the back lanes over shard bridge through poulton to garstang road make your way to south pier and back to anchorsholm along sea front through the lights. 50 milesish this was my route for stage 4 TOB i enjoyed it...

 

[longers]

I tried to catch the ferry once but the tide was out!

 

[Globalti]

The Grane road is well graded and a surprisingly easy climb but yes, the traffic can be bad and it's an accident black spot, which is why there's sometimes a "safety" (aka revenue raising) camera van parked by the Packhorse down at the Elton end of the road. In the 5 years I've been using it twice a day I've seen easily a dozen accidents. If you come up through Holcombe then Helmshore then turn left at the Grey Mare and go round to Hawkshaw and back to Bury it makes a nice summer evening training run. Going north the view from the top is superb, you can see Blackpool tower, the Ribble estuary, the Fylde and the South Lakes fells and even gas rigs out in Morcambe Bay.

Before that road was built (a turnpike) they used to distil illicit whisky down in that valley as it was so isolated; Grane whisky was well known. I know a place on the Pennine Way where hooch is still being distilled today. Not telling you where though.