Rochdale to Blackpool ride

[ColinJ]

Might be worth bringing a thin waterproof or windcheater as it's usually windy at Blackpool.

I'll be wearing a gilet, it's just a question of whether to wear my lightweight or heavier one. I'd prefer the heavier one because it is better at paunch concealment but it might be too warm...   

 

[Globalti]

Don't worry Colin, everybody will be staring in wide-eyed wonder at the tower, the trams, the bracing sea, the sleazy hotels, the drunks lying in the gutters, the SS dossers shooting up in the back streets.....

 

[400bhp]

Hope everyone has enjoyed themselves.

Was good to meet you all and was a pleasant 20 miles for the time we stayed with you.

Colin-thank you for organising.

 

[fossyant]

Hope you all had a good ride. Weather has been good

 

[Svendo]

Good ride today, got back to mine about 1pm, went back via whalley then down to Haslingden. Braved the dual carriageway A56 for a section to avoid going through Burnley, that was a bit hairy! Currently BBQ'ing nicely. Always nice to meet new people and others. Hope you got there and back OK.

 

[trio25]

Thanks for a great ride everyone. I'm home and a little tired. I got my century and had chips and ice-cream what could be better?

Next time we need a better destination than Blackpool, took us ages to find a chippy and we couldn't really get to the seafront.

 

[ColinJ]

I enjoyed the ride out to Blackpool, despite breaking a spoke in my rear wheel after about 43 miles. Thanks to Bromptonfb and potsy for staying back with me. There didn't seem much point in everybody having to wait for me so when trio rang to ask where we were, I suggested that the rest of the group carry on without us.

We had to release my rear brake and take out one brake block to stop my wobbly wheel from jamming. I then rode very carefully into Blackpool, desperate not to break another spoke. 

Fancy wheels with low spoke counts are okay when they are not broken, but when you only have 20 spokes to start with and one breaks, it makes the wheel go way out of true. I didn't want to start messing about with other spoke tensions to try and straighten the wheel because I reckoned that I'd end up with more broken spokes instead!

Fortunately, there is a train from Blackpool North station which passes through Hebden Bridge on the way to Leeds so I was able to get back okay, but it meant that I only did 55 miles rather than my planned 110. What I was peeved about was that we had a strong cross/headwind for hours on the way to Blackpool and I'd been looking forward to bombing back with the wind behind me! 

 

[dan_bo]

Bit of a bummer there Col. There's so much to be said for 32 spokers!

 

[ColinJ]

Bit of a bummer there Col. There's so much to be said for 32 spokers!

Yes, indeed! The previous wheels were 32-spokers and lasted me more than 10 years without a broken spoke and I only had to get them trued once in all that time. They were hand-built wheels, Open Pro rims, Campag hubs and double-butted spokes (DT?). When I've got a bit more cash I might get those serviced but for now I'll buy some spare spokes for the Aksiums (at £2 a spoke!). Now all I need to do is work out which version I've got - 2007 or 2008?

 

[trio25]

Colin, the reason I rang is we had gone the wrong way and then thinking we were behind chased. We began to think maybe we were ahead but were unsure.

We were hoping to see you arrive at Blackpool, but as I have no idea where the train station is you may have gone another way in.

 

[ColinJ]

Colin, the reason I rang is we had gone the wrong way and then thinking we were behind chased. We began to think maybe we were ahead but were unsure.

We were hoping to see you arrive at Blackpool, but as I have no idea where the train station is you may have gone another way in.

We just went straight down that B-road from Inskip where you phoned from but I think there were one or two twists and turns in Blackpool before we turned off for the station. I thought you'd programmed the route into your GPS? There is one train an hour from Blackpool to here so I thought I'd check at the station and if I'd just missed one I was going to come down to the promenade and find y'all (assuming that you weren't already on your way back by then). As it turned out, my train was at the platform and due to go out less than 10 minutes later so I just got straight on it. 

I was feeling a bit miffed about having to abandon the ride and just wanted to get home as quick as possible really.

The train stopped suddenly just outside Todmorden and the guard ran through the train. A couple of minutes later I saw a man wearing a fluoro jacket walking along the track looking under the train so they obviously thought they'd hit something (or somebody!). The train was stuck there for about 10 minutes but then we carried on so it must have been a false alarm. Either that, or there is a body stuck up in a nook under the train somewhere and they didn't spot it! I'll be monitoring the local papers for news.

I put my fish and chip money towards the £13.90 rail fare! I can't really afford to be spending money like that, but I wasn't going to risk trying to ride home on that wheel.

 

[trio25]

I had programmed the route but the last bit I struggled with. We ended up at a chippy near the start of tonights nocture after asking some locals.

Think the train was a sensible idea!

 

[potsy]

Well that was an experience,good to meet all the cc'ers and put faces to the names.
Col that was really bad luck and there was no way you could have rode home,you did the sensible thing there.
Big thanks to Bromptonfb who got me back from Blackpool,really wouldn't have made it without you,absolutely shattered at the end,but I've now done my first 100+ mile ride,here's to the next one

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

cheers potsy, no problem. i 'm pretty sure we did about 120 miles, but i'll work it out tomorrow, my mate just left and i'm knackered. you did really well to say you bonked and had a.. hehumm...incident.

colin, how many miles did you have on your garmin from rochdale to the train station, please?


glad you got home safely colin, you were lucky that the wheel held.

nice to meet you all.

i am well chuffed with myself, my second +100 miles this week (without embarrassing myself, as well), on a brompton!! and my first successful fixie ride.

a big thanks to fluffy, thanks for getting it started.

a good day all round, well maybe not for colin.

fiona, svendo...nice bikes...droooool.

globalti, you lucky sod, nice bike.

 

[Globalti]

Yes, it was good wasn't it? As Trio writes, Blackpool was a nightmare of pissed-up stag parties, we couldn't get to the sea so no swimming and we couldn't even find a chippy that wasn't Harry Ramsdens. In the end a cyclist told us about one in a back street and we found a nice little square to sit and eat our chips. The ride back was good with a mostly tail breeze helping us along. It was good to meet other forum members and put faces to names.