Rochdale to Blackpool ride

[Fiona N]

Do we have a date yet? I haven't noticed one.

If you're starting late enough on Saturday I could get to Rochdale by train (by just after 8.30am) and then ride home from Blackpool which would make a really good day out.
Sunday's not an option for this as the trains don't stop here until nearly midday so I'd get to Rochdale at about 2.30pm but I reckon I could do the opposite - meet you in Blackpool and ride back to Hebden Bridge/Rochdale to catch the train home.

 

[Globalti]

[/b][/u]


hi colin,

edenfield road is lumpy, narrow and a major route for commuting motons at very fast speeds. the alternative whilst busy, but not too busy, has limited speeds so no kamikaze cornering by motons.

re going up past the ski slope, sure it's fine for me and anyone else used to hilly roads but it's hilly even by your standards.

trust me i live there and the edenfield road is so bad i will be adding 5 miles per day to avoid it when my next placement starts in a few weeks.

word of warning though, the old haslingden road is hilly and has some strong headwinds towards blackburn, a very tedious road in the wrong conditions. when it's nice and sunny with no wind it's a nice road with nice views.

however after that said it's pretty much downhill to the seaside.

the a56 roundabout is easy peasy as we are turning left at the first one and the second roundabout is relatively quiet.

cheers

shaun

I agree with you on Haslingden Old Road, it's twisty and hilly and brings you into Blackburn at Audley, quite far east. I much prefer the Grane-Elton turnpike road; it climbs higher but the climbing is steady and easy, the Grane valley (once a centre for illicit whisky distilling) is pretty with reservoirs, woods and walls and the views from the summit are staggering. On a clear day you can see the Ribble estuary and the Fylde peninsula, Blackpool Tower, right up to the South Lakes fells, massive gas rigs in Morecambe Bay, Longridge Fell, the Bowland fells including Parlick Pike, Waddington Fell, the Yorkshire Dales (I never know which ones) and Pendle Hill. From there it's a long steady downhill right into Blackburn, past the hospital and ending up at the westerly end of town.

 

[Kestevan]

I'm sorely tempted to join you in a "there and back" depending on the dates.... sods law says it will be on a day when I'm working or have other commitments though

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

I agree with you on Haslingden Old Road, it's twisty and hilly and brings you into Blackburn at Audley, quite far east. I much prefer the Grane-Elton turnpike road; it climbs higher but the climbing is steady and easy, the Grane valley (once a centre for illicit whisky distilling) is pretty with reservoirs, woods and walls and the views from the summit are staggering. On a clear day you can see the Ribble estuary and the Fylde peninsula, Blackpool Tower, right up to the South Lakes fells, massive gas rigs in Morecambe Bay, Longridge Fell, the Bowland fells including Parlick Pike, Waddington Fell, the Yorkshire Dales (I never know which ones) and Pendle Hill. From there it's a long steady downhill right into Blackburn, past the hospital and ending up at the westerly end of town.

i agree about the grane road, whilst it has a bad reputation for car crashes and deaths, that's only really at peak rush hour times during the week, so we should pretty much have it to ourselves at weekend (i'm assuming we're doing it at weekend).

come on someone SET A DATE!!!!!

edit: big bank holiday weekend coming....

 

[ColinJ]

My head is spinning with the number of choices!

How about Shaun's suggestion of going via Whitworth, then the A681 to Rawtenstall? It probably doesn't make sense to go by the ski slope just to avoid a short stretch of A-road downhill. 

You'd have to tell me the best way to get to the Grane Road - I don't know the roads from Waterfoot onwards (I usually turn right up the B6238) so one of you guys tell me the best way and I'll plot it. On my map it just looks like one horrible A-road mess!

I haven't ridden the Grane Road before, having been put off by the fact that it ends up in Blackburn and I've heard about fatal accidents on it. If you reckon it will be okay on a Saturday or Sunday, fair enough.

Do we really have to go through the centre of Blackburn? I've never been there but I automatically assume that it won't be much fun riding through places like that. Can't we skirt round to the east via Whitebirk?

Is my route from Wilpshire to Blackpool okay?

As for dates - I'd prefer it not to be the bank holiday weekend at the end of the month because I might be going away. How about Sat 21st or Sun 22nd? If it's a Sunday I'd have to ride over if it was an early start and that would be pushing my distance up to more than I've done for 3 years. I could probably do it, but I'd prefer not to until I'm fitter. So my vote would be Sat 21st, 08:00-09:30 start or Sun 22nd 09:30-10:00 start.

 

[Globalti]

Surely it's for Fluffy, the OP, to nominate the day?

 

[Simba]

I am happy with saturday 21st at 8am

Meeting point can be Rochdale Town Hall. After that I am just along for the ride, I am not the best climber but on flats and descents I am pretty fast.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

okey dokey we are getting nearer to a fixed date and a route.

as a suggestion colinj, why don't you plot what we have so far (including the already suggested routes from others) in collaboration with globalti? and ask the OP if he is happy with the proposed route.

looking forward to this. i have been thinking of doing blackpool for ages and ages.

i'm probably going to ride to the start then to blackpool. if i feel up to it, (depends on the wind and rain i suppose) i'm going to have a good hour long stop in blackpool to get some good calorific food. then ride home. i will be slow, so if any other slow riders want to join me great, if faster fitter riders (fiona & globalti for example) feel i'm way too slow, i really don't mind (read prefer) being left to fend for myself (i hate holding people up for too long on 50 milers never 100 milers, makes me feel guilty).

for information only, my average mph is 11 mph in hilly areas and the fastest i've done solo is 16 mph (over 41 miles). i suspect i will nearer the 11 mph on the way home, maybe even slower, i am on a folder after all.

 

[Simba]

My pace is anywhere from 12-16mph all depends on the wind and stuff. I usually average in the 14 bracket.

I need everyone to PM me their intent to come and I will do a list. Along with the date, we can decide on the route once we are all at the start?

 

[Globalti]

Just got home from a recce of the section from Edenfield past the golf course over the top to Helmshore; it's definitely an MTB only section, horribly steep for 200 yards of greasy narrow lane with broken tarmac. If we do go over the Grane road it would definitely be better to take the easier but slightly longer climb north up Manchester Road to the A56 roundabout then turn south westish and cruise down Broadway.

 

[Simba]

OK the list

Fluffy
Globalti


I will edit this list as more people message me with their confirmation.

 

[Globalti]

Just been studying the Explorer map of Blackpool and Preston and I see that the B5269 then B5266 would take us from Longridge through a succession of quiet villages in the Fylde flatlands straight to the foot of Blackpool Tower, which would be a fitting finish because you'll be able to see the tower from the top of Oswaldtwistle Moor 30 miles away.

So Colin, my route suggestion:

Rochdale Town Hall to Norden, thence over Owd Bett's Road to Edenfield. A56 for a short distance north then cross the Irwell and take the Grane road to Blackburn. Through the town (it's not too bad) and up the A666 to Brownhills on the ring road. Down to the Ribble, along to Ribchester, Longridge and thence via the B5269/6 to Blackpool. Taking the A666 out of Blackburn avoids some nastily steep hills at the western end of the Darwen valley, in which the town lies.

If many people come, I've got a couple of walkie-talkies we could give to the leader and the lanterne rouge for use in case the group gets strung out or someone punctures; we use them on MTB rides.

Effectively you've got three hills to cross and three river valleys but after Longridge it's downhill then flat all the way to the sea, as Shaun wrote. The biggest hill is before Blackburn where you go over at 356 metres.

 

[ColinJ]

I've just remembered - Fiona N said that she couldn't get to Rochdale until just after 08:30, so we could we make the start at 08:45 at the Town Hall on Saturday 21st?

Also - Shaun has strong feelings against the Edenfield Road (Owd Betts) so how about his proposal to set off via the A671 to Whitworth instead of the Edenfield Road? It only adds a few km to the total distance.

What's that roundabout with the M65 just before Blackburn like?

I'll take Globalti's word for it that Blackburn centre is okay at about 10:30 on a Saturday morning. If we went that way, he could navigate us through the centre. 

I suggested Ribchester, Longridge etc. earlier so I'd be happy to go that way rather than tangle with Preston! 

I've plotted that route and it would be about 86 km (53.5 miles) to the seafront at Blackpool. I'll stick it on Bikely if you'd like to see it.

There will probably only be a handful of us so I can't see the need for walkie talkies - we probably all have phones anyway. Also, how do we know who'd be fastest and slowest? I've only lost one person on about 20 rides and that was because Calum decided to ride ahead through several junctions without waiting... Mobile phone technology was enough to reunite us then! As long as people wait at the tops of the hills and we stick together on the flatter roads, we'll be fine. 

 

[Globalti]

Dunno if I'd agree with Shaun on Owd Bett's Road; at that time it shouldn't be too busy and once you've passed the pub you've about 2-3 miles of joyful fast downhill with fab views straight to Edenfield, whereas through Whitworth, although flatter, is narrow and miserable especially through The Glen. Anyway I will probably not join the ride until it enters Rossendale so don't let me influence you!

The big roundabout on the M65 is okay; you'd join it pretty fast coming down from the Grane and it's open with good sight lines and only local traffic.

Blackburn Town centre isn't too bad; you'd be though it in a trice. BTW there's a Tesco Express and a decent bike shop, On Yer Bike, on the A666 about a mile out of town.

Going west out of Blackburn and via Preston would commit you to a nasty steep climb then really fast DC, the horrible M6/A59 junction at the Tickled Trout then a nightmare climb up from the Ribble into Preston on a really dangerous road, which is an accident black spot - I ride on the pavement when I go up there. Ribchester/Longridge is definitely better.

 

[Rohloff_Brompton_Rider]

tbh i hadn't considered we will going down owd betts. my judgement is based on both ways during the week. so i'm easy.