Mrs wants us to hire a camper for the TDF in Yorkshire - mad idea?

[Globalti]

Can't say I'm very enthusiastic about the idea and even if we could find somewhere to stop for the night, I bet a load of Italians or Dutch will be there partying. I'd rather take the train to Hebden Bridge and watch the riders suffering on one of the climbs.

Stoopid idea or not?

 

[Dayvo]

Sounds like a great idea, especially if you know/can find a good vantage point with good party potential.

Drink and food with your neighbours will enhance the atmosphere measurably, before, during AND after the stage.

Go for it!

 

[ufkacbln]

From experience, there are two elements to this

1. The Party that takes place before and after the brief moments when the Tour itself passes (see above)
2. Finding a place where the peloton will slow down to allow photos. Hills, curves, bends are all good for this, especially if you can manage a point where the peloton comes straight at you and then curves across in front of you.

My preferred technique is a camera with fast multiframe to capture the action.

Some of my best were at one of the Tour of Britain finishes where I managed to get a spot where they approached up Victoria Embankment and then turned to Bridge Street. as they were doing laps there were plenty of opportunities

 

[totallyfixed]

Can't say I'm very enthusiastic about the idea and even if we could find somewhere to stop for the night, I bet a load of Italians or Dutch will be there partying. I'd rather take the train to Hebden Bridge and watch the riders suffering on one of the climbs.

Stoopid idea or not?

Nope, great idea, some of us have been wondering who will be supplying the, er hospitality van. That is what you meant right?

 

[ColinJ]

If you are thinking of coming to Hebden Bridge that day by train then I suspect you are underestimating what is going to happen here!

The population of the town is about 4,500. When the annual bonfire used to take place in the park, we used to get about 10-12,000 people arrive and the town was gridlocked for hours. For the Tour, I reckon 30,000, 40,000, 50,000 (maybe more?) people will try to get here.

Roads will be shut most of the day so I wouldn't be surprised if traffic jams went back to Burnley, Rochdale, Halifax and Huddersfield. That would be to get you within a few miles of here, and then you would have to battle your way through the crowds to try and find a viewpoint. I am not confident of being able to do it and I only live 350 metres from the route!

You can't book seats on the local trains. They are running extra trains, but even so I think they will be bursting at the seams and people desperate to get on board - I wouldn't fancy it!

Here is my advice ... set off early in the morning and drive to junction 23 of the M62 at Outlane. Exit there and see how far you can get via Penny Hill towards Barkisland.You will probably have to stop fairly soon. Find a spot to park and walk down to the top of Ripponden Bank, set up some folding chairs at the roadside and prepare for a long wait. It will be a great viewpoint. It is a steep climb so the riders will be going fairly slowly, and you should be able to get some great photos. This is what it looks like in Street view ...

 

[ColinJ]

I just used Streetview to look at that road from Outlane to Barkisland via Penny Hill. That looks a cracker for a future forum ride (the Tour does not go that way)! The road gets narrower immediately as it climbs back up from the bottom of the steep-sided valley, and there are stretches of cobbles to grovel up.

Ooh, and coming the other way, I have discovered Ripponden Old Bank, which was clearly the original road. It looks like another beast from the Tour of Flanders - steep, and cobbled - link.

 

[Julia9054]

Just seen one of those Facebook advert thingies for hiring a VW camper van. Clicked on it out of interest - £660 a week in high season!

 

[ColinJ]

Surely the point of hiring one would be to arrive well in advance of road closures and have several days of the pleasure of clambering about in the thing getting short-tempered before the peleton arrives?

He only lives about an hour's drive away!

Gti - my other suggestion, if you really want to come here, would be to drive over via Colne and Widdop Road (or Burnley and the Long Causeway) to avoid the jams and park on the tops, say at Blackshaw Head or Slack, and walk down via Heptonstall or Colden Clough.

 

[Peteaud]

Hire said camper

Drive it to France.

Have holiday and watch TDF as well.

 

[Crackle]

Hire said camper

Drive it to France.

Have holiday and watch TDF as well.

Yep, that would be my advice too. Loads of vans follow the tour, you see them camped up in all the super market car parks, no one minds.

 

[Archie_tect]

Depends if you like crowds and being very close to 000s of people you don't know and don't want to know G.... my idea of hell if you ask me, but then I get grumpy surrounded by over-enthusiastic, clappy people.

 

[ColinJ]

Hardly an advantage if the roads are closed though .

But my cunning plan involves him taking the moorland roads which many people will not think of using. The obvious roads are in the valleys and they will be jammed. It is possible that the high-level roads will block up too, but they are the best bet. I walk up to this end of Widdop Road in 30 minutes so it is less than a 30 minute walk back down.

 

[Globalti]

Blimey! So much good advice. I've just spent the afternoon drinking beer and enjoying an Oirish jammin' session in the New Inn in Clitheroe and my brain is, er, a bit anaesthetised so I will need to give this some thought... later... hic....

Colin must be right though, we are talking about an event, of international significance coming through a congested little town so some lateral thought is needed here.

 

[Andrew Br]

Hiring a campervan is a great idea GTi and it's what we're doing and we've also booked places at the Rapha Tempest.
Reasons for doing it our (expensive) way ?
You know that Charlie don't surf ?
I don't camp.

Campervans, OTH, are magic spaces where the bed isn't on the floor, the toilet and shower are close by and there's cold wine and beer in the fridge.
For the Tour, there's also the TV although, at the Rapha event, there's a big screen area with, probably, expensive beer and, presumably, a great atmosphere.
As a further bonus, the Tour passes close-by on Saturday and Sunday so we're expecting to see the race on 2 days.
Looking at the prices for accommodation (including camping) that have been "quoted" on the net, the Rapha thing appears to be "reasonable" value.

Our hire van was chosen carefully to have a "garage" suitable for bikes and we're planning to ride to the stages.
Rapha say that they'll post routes when they know more.
Hope so.

Good look with finding a van though, especially for a short period.
I believe the British Grand Prix is on on the same w/e (can't be bothered to check, I'm rather tired).
We tried lots of places before we found one that was available.
Luckily it's only a few miles from me so I'm planning to ride there to pick it up, bring it home and then load our beer stuff into it and set off.

Our experience is going to be either marvellous or a waste of money but I suppose that could be said about many things.
I'm staying positive which, frankly, isn't like me.

Good luck .

.

 

[Andrew Br]

. I've just spent the afternoon drinking beer and enjoying an Oirish jammin' session in the New Inn in Clitheroe

Apropos of nothing really, I cycled through Clitheroe and over Waddington Fell today.
I didn't enjoy it.

.