England : West Yorkshire Spring Into the Dales 21st April 2013

[ColinJ]

There seem to be an awful lot of pre-emptive excuses about performance in SITD this year!

BTW - I have a very good excuse!

 

[phil_hg_uk]

If anyone is interested I have some Specialized Presta Valve inner tubes 700 x 20/28C 32mm valve, as I now have wheels that need a 48mm valve they are surplus to requirements so far I have found 9 brand new in boxes and there are another 2 I took off the bike one of them ony 2 days old.

I was looking for £3 each but if someone wanted them all I will chuck in the 2 unboxed for free.

If anyone wants these let me know and I can bring them along with me as if I had to post them it would push up the price a lot.

 

[tubbycyclist]

Long range forecast looking like regular April weather - a chance of some wind/rain. It is a great ride and a good early season tester especially if the winter has got in the way of riding.
Hope to see some CC'ers on the start line?

 

[oldfatfool]

Signed up for it but my knee is completely shot after the Rutland ride. Currently packing with ice and deep heat rub, so hoping for the best. At this rate my LEL is in serious jeopardy :-(

 

[zacklaws]

Looks like a bit of everything, sun, cloudy and then rain, but still on the cool side for SS shirts and shorts, looks like its back into wind proofs, tights and overshoes.

Having now consulted my clothing log created over four winters from late autumn to spring, more useful than my training log, a temperature of 6C - 8C is definitley as mentioned above along with long fingered gloves, and a thin base layer, just to stay warm and not overheat.

 

[tubbycyclist]

Spring had arrived in the Dales today - daffodils on the verges, lambs gambolling in the field and car drivers failing to venture more than a few yards from their car at Bolton Abbey, because of the weight of their picnics!

A small but select group of CCers met up on the start line,@Littgull and me. I think there was another CC'er as I spotted a Beverley Velo Club jacket was fixing a puncture near Earby. Unfortunately I had failed to charge my camera so there are no pictures of custard

The route set off over Cock Hill and for quite some time there was a large peloton, which fractured as the climb continued. A small group formed on the way to Earby and there were plenty of riders at the control. We 'bounced' this control and pushed on to Gargrave, where the Dalesman Cafe looked overwhelmed by cyclists. Pushing onto Cracoe where a cafe stop helped to replenish empty legs. The fine narrow road over to Thorpe was excellent, with far reaching views to upper Wharfedale. A descent through Burnsall, and then rolling terrain to Bolton Abbey. A bus was edging gingerly through the arch that crosses the road by the Abbey, which threw up a question about the challenge for the TdF's support vehicles next year.

Rolling terrain over towards an info control at Halton East and then a tough steep climb through Draughton and onto Cringles Lane. This is one of those climbs that has a couple of sections where you can feel the burn whilst hoping you have a lower gear (you don't!). A fast descent and run in into Keighley is the dubious reward. People in high-viz were marshalling a Scout's parade and so some judicious selection of back roads got us to Rossi's. We chatted to a rider from Lothersdale who told us about a loop from Trawden he had ridden after reading an excellent blog by some feller called @ColinJ. His fame has spread far and wide all the way to Skipton

Another stop for a pudding and we were ready (well, not ready but no point in putting it off) to tackle the drag out of Keighley and the final challenge of the day - Cock Hill into a strengthening headwind.

The long climb got more challenging as we gained height and the wind cut across the tops of the moors. A descent to the fantastic catering at the finish and we were done at just after 4pm. Another great ride - the weather stayed kind despite the forecast and the route has something of everything - short, steep hills; long, gentle hills and there are even a few miles where it is, to borrow a phrase, "flattish".

 

[ColinJ]

Super!

I went out for a stroll to Mytholmroyd and back this afternoon and thought how lucky you SITD riders had been with the weather but the wind felt quite strong and chilly even down in the valley so I knew you would feel it on the last climb.

We chatted to a rider from Lothersdale who told us about a loop from Trawden he had ridden after reading an excellent blog by some feller called @ColinJ. His fame has spread far and wide all the way to Skipton

Ha ha!

I'm going to freeze that old blog because it ended up with lots of waffle about boring stuff. I'll keep the domain alive so I don't break the links to it or the email addresses attached to it, but I am going to start a new site to catalogue our local routes properly.

 

[PaulB]

I didn't do it. I have two excuses; 1. I thought it was next Sunday, as did my son who asked me what time we'd be going over there next week and 2. Footy changed on us. Again.

 

[ColinJ]

I didn't do it. I have two excuses; 1. I thought it was next Sunday, as did my son who asked me what time we'd be going over there next week and 2. Footy changed on us. Again.

Well you will be obliged to join the forum crew for 'Summer into the Dales' then! It looks like the ride will take place in mid-to-late June, which gives me a slim chance of being fit enough to join you all, but I will try!

If I had my way, I would miss out Earby, take the old SITD route between Appletreewick and Silsden for a change, and add the scenic/hilly variations I suggested in and out of Keighley.

I'd be happy to organise it, as long as you all understand that I might not be able to join you, so somebody would have to volunteer to be navigator.

 

[Littgull]

Fantastic ride and very kind weather - much better than the forecast.

I can't really add to tubbycyclist's excellent account of SITD except to say I too, enjoyed it immensely - my first audax. Many thanks for his companionship and route knowledge. Not to mention the scrumptious apple pie and custard recommend at Rossi's cafe, Keighley! It kept me fuelled up for the haul up Cock Hill.

Colin - your proposals for a 'Summer into the Dales' ride sound good. Obviously you need to go careful with your return to forum rides but would be great if you could make it too.

 

[ColinJ]

Colin - your proposals for a 'Summer into the Dales' ride sound good. Obviously you need to go careful with your return to forum rides but would be great if you could make it too.

I plotted a route this afternoon. which misses out Earby on the way to Gargrave and goes through Elslack instead.

After a cafe stop at Gargrave, it would follow the SITD route round to where the new route turns off for Cavendish Pavilion, but carry on by the old route instead, up over Storiths. After that, it is a quick bomb down the A59 a left turn to Beamsley, and the nice lane past the 'spooky tree' to the footbridge over the Wharfe at Addingham.

Cross the A65, then climb up Nudge Hill. Instead of dropping down through Silsden, take a more scenic route down past Brunthwaite Crag, eventually emerging onto the A6034 on the far side of Silsden, just before the A629.

Cross to Steeton, but take a quiet, scenic route to Keighley rather than the busy B6265. That involves a steep initial climb but then a nice downhill past Cliffe Castle almost to Rossi's where there could be another cafe stop.

After that stop, avoid that horrible busy road up to Cross Roads by taking the scenic route over Harden Moor. That eventually drops down to rejoin the normal route at Cross Roads where the traffic levels drop off. Return to Hebden Bridge via Oxenhope and Cock Hill.

This route comes in with the same stats as both versions of SITD (110 km/ 2,2250 m) but with some interesting variations which bypass most of the busiest parts of the SITD routes.

If I am not ready to tackle the route by June, then I will certainly do it later when I am ready.

I did something very similar to that route about 20 years ago when I first got fit enough to tackle 60-70 hilly miles.

 

[zacklaws]

That was me in the "Beverley Velo Club" shirt fixing the "BLOWOUT". just as I took the last bend into Earby, there was an almighty bang and all hell let loose, all I could do was hold a straight line and slow down best I could. When I finally stopped, my innertube was wrapped round the front forks and brake and took some pulling free, my brand new tyre was shredded round one side and is unusable. It was only after I had fixed it that I discovered how serious the damage was to the tyre when the inner tube bulged out of a rip that I had not noticed on first inspection, putting my glasses on which I should have done in the first place, I found the tyre well perforated. Luckilly I had just made some tyre boots out of the previous tyre the week before so I could do a quick patch up. In a way I was lucky, because I mistook the hill for another one I have been down that has a cattle grid on a bend so I was holding back and descending slower than normal, but that was probably my downfall though as well, my front rim overheated. I had a bad feeling actually about the decent and switched my cam on and captured it all on video, "BANG" on 58 seconds you hear the tyre go, sounds quiet but at the time it was deafening, but it also confirms how accurate my Edge 800 is, as I had not noticed that wall I was heading for, untill I saw my "Edge"download which I took with a pinch of salt for its accuracy and I was no where near a wall, till I saw the video.



I pumped the tyre up to just hold enough air to cycle on (upon checking it at home it was only just over 20lbs) limped into the checkpoint and thought I'd try and get to the checkpoint at Gargrave and see how it goes, anyway things held up despite the fact I could feel every bump through the bars and every rung on the cattle grids and just rode slow all the way round and despite the forecast of rain, it stayed dry, untill I was into the last mile and then it started, but I did'nt care by then, I had made it and not had to "jack" and call my cycling recovery.

Evidently, I was not the only mishap on that decent, as someone had walked in just before me with a mangled wheel so I was told by the organiser manning the checkpoint.

I knew it was going to be a bad day again though, SITD, always seems jinxed to me, as I got lost again in Halifax, but this time not once but twice going and to rub salt in, lost again in Halifax on the way home. One day I'll find a route that misses it out.

Overall though it was a good day and hope you can get back out on the road Colin, it'll be good to see you again

Next ride will be the "600 Three Coasts"

 

[oldfatfool]

Had to skip this DNS due to my knee, been swimming all week and what with ice and stretching hoping to be good for the red rose on Sunday, 50/50 atm.

 

[ColinJ]

That was me in the "Beverley Velo Club" shirt fixing the "BLOWOUT"

Blimey - you were lucky to escape serious injury on that one!

Well done for managing to get round despite that.

 

[PaulB]

Blimey - you were lucky to escape serious injury on that one!

Well done for managing to get round despite that.

Seconded! Well done Zacklaws; I'm impressed given your mishap there.