England : West Yorkshire Spring Into the Dales 110km audax April 12th

[tubbycyclist]

This popular event will be running on April 12th, from Mytholmroyd, setting off at 9am. The route covers around 110km, taking you from the heart of West Yorkshire into the foothills of the Yorkshire Dales, and back again, with a generous time allowance for completion. There is a minimum average speed required of 12 kph and a maximum of 24 kph, giving an upper time limit of 9 hours 10 minutes for completion.

Brief route details of Spring into the Dales are : Hebden Bridge – Oxenhope – Stanbury – Laneshaw Bridge – Earby – Gargrave – Burnsall – Bolton Abbey – Draughton – Silsden – Keighley – Hebden Bridge.

Last year around two hundred cyclists completed this event or the 54km Leap into the Aire, and it's a great introduction to an audax if you have not ridden one before. Here is a link to more information, the route, pictures of previous events and you can enter online through the link through to the audax uk website.

It is OK to enter on the day but it would be very helpful if you could print and complete the entry form, and bring the correct entry payment. Hope to see some of you there.

 

[ColinJ]

Ah, thanks TC - I meant to start a SITD thread but got distracted.

A group (or two) of CycleChatters often get together at the start and ride round together. I will be riding SITD again this year and probably aiming to do it in about 7 hours. If any of you would like to join me, you'd be welcome.

I'll go and do an online entry now ...

 

[ColinJ]

I'm in!

 

[ColinJ]

Yikes! I am riding the Tour de Yorkshire sportive in early May and I have just discovered that the cut-off speed is 19 kph. That would correspond to finishing SITD in 5 hrs 47 mins. Given that the quickest I have ever done it is 6 hours and I am not as fit now as I was then, I need to make an effort to get a lot fitter over the next 5.5 weeks!

I think I had better try to do SITD quicker this year that I have done recently, perhaps in 6 hours again?

 

[totallyfixed]

Are you sure that is an audax? The last time I did one everyone wore caps, in the pictures I just looked at nearly all were wearing helmets and not many had mudguards, most are on carbon bikes with quite a few in pro team colours, surely that is a sportive . [it was this century Iast did one]

 

[zacklaws]

I'm in again so hopefully I'll see you at the start at some point Colin. Only twigged last night, the start venue has changed else I would have been stood at Salem Street on my own. My records show my fastest was 5hrs 21 mins in 2012, but that was the year I had a reason to hurtle round, the car parking machine robbed me and only gave me 6 hours parking despite paying for the whole day so I was not going to buy another ticket to cover me for longer so I had to get back quick or maybe get ticketed. I'm only planning on pootling along this year.

 

[ColinJ]

There is a limit to how much fitter I can get in 5.5 weeks so most of my average speed increase will have to come from doing less stopping. (And talking out on the road!)

I wouldn't normally care about my average speed but having spent £47.50 to do the TdY sportive, I do not want to be forcibly removed from the route by the fleet of broom wagons sweeping the road clear before the arrival of the pro peloton!

A quicker SITD will be a good test for me.

 

[Kestevan]

Me and Mrs Kes will be doing the shorter Leap into the Aire route.
I suspect that will be enough for me at the moment whilst the knee recovers - especially given that nice little hill at the start.....

 

[sackville d]

Are you sure that is an audax? The last time I did one everyone wore caps, in the pictures I just looked at nearly all were wearing helmets and not many had mudguards, most are on carbon bikes with quite a few in pro team colours, surely that is a sportive . [it was this century Iast did one]

I think the fact that the food at the end is laid on by the local WI pretty much proves it`s an audax
Are you sure you weren`t hanging out with fixie hipsters there TF?

 

[totallyfixed]

I think the fact that the food is laid on by the local WI pretty much proves it`s an audax
Are you sure you weren`t hanging out with fixie hipsters there TF?

Dare I ask what a hipster is?

 

[ColinJ]

Dare I ask what a hipster is?

A fakenger without the bag?

 

[sackville d]

Dare I ask what a hipster is?

Lets be clear TF,no way would I apply that label to you. Anyway,fixie hipster alert.

 

[ColinJ]

Where is everyone? We normally manage to get a couple of small CC groups to ride this event.

 

[tubbycyclist]

Where is everyone? We normally manage to get a couple of small CC groups to ride this event.

I have to confess that even I am not doing it this year, because it is the Elenydd 300 on Saturday. That one is very hilly and I will not be in a fit state. Hopefully there will be a good turnout as it is usually the largest event that the local CTC organise. I may be helping out at the start/finish though.

 

[ColinJ]

Remember the killer wind on the return from Keighley last year? The forecast is currently saying that we will get it again - 40+ mph cross/headwinds on the long climb to Cock Hill ... groveltastic!