West Yorks Cycle Route

[ColinJ]

I have done the Western side of the route and there are a lot of signs missing and,or turned the wrong way but I know the way so it shouldn't be a problem.

That would be the Eastern side wouldn't it?

If the Sculpture Park part is as bad as you say Colin, I reckon a detour on roads would be best. The cycle paths from Bramham down to Castleford are ok for road bikes.

It was a nice place, but it wasn't the kind of thing I like riding on my road bike. I've had a look on the map and there is an obvious detour on quiet roads through Darton and Kexbrough to High Hoyland. That only knocks about 3 km off the total distance. I think we'd be crossing 'the border' into South Yorkshire for a couple of km but that doesn't bother me.

As for the length of the ride... I've done equally hilly 140 mile rides and felt that I could have easily done another 15 to 20 flat miles at the end if I'd had to. The hardest part for me was that I did them solo. Having company should be a real boost.

The 50 miles or so from near your house round to Darton are pretty straightforward so we shouldn't have a problem with that section.

The 25 miles from Darton to Scammonden will be the real killer. Once we've survived that, the run back shouldn't bother us too much. The last 10 miles to Mytholmroyd are okay, and end in a nice downhill.

Most of the time, we won't be riding fast so that will conserve our energy. As long as we eat and drink enough we should be okay.

Hopefully, it will be a warm day like yesterday, but not too hot. High temperatures would be a real problem for me. I'd prefer 17-20 degrees with a gentle breeze.

The only other thing to watch out for is comfort on the bike. I wouldn't fancy having any kind of saddle sore for that kind of distance!

 

[colly]

That would be the Eastern side wouldn't it?

YES. Damn, why would I put Western ??

 

[ColinJ]

Time to bump this one up again since the ride is rapidly approaching...

Updated list of those who might be riding:

• ColinJ
• Colly
• Bokonon
• Goodspeed
• Svendo (I think?)
• Longers

You can pick up the WYCR guide from many Tourist Information Centres in West Yorkshire.

If anybody else fancies joining us for a long, slow ride over some of the best hills in the West of West Yorkshire and some of the nice flatter parts in the East of West Yorkshire, add your names below.

 

[ColinJ]

Er. I hate to admit to this but...

... I had a rough time yesterday on the 125 mile Red Rose Ride. It was bad enough to give me a reality check - Guys, I'm really not fit enough to tackle the WYCR next week. Well, not to get any kind of pleasure from the second half anyway!

I only averaged just over 16 kph (including stops) on the RRR so we'd be talking nearly 16 hours on the WYCR and that is IF I could maintain even that speed. That would mean getting back in darkness, unless we set off even earlier than planned.

I think it is better if the fitter among you do the ride at your own speed. It's one thing for you to hang about for me on one of my 5 hour rides, but 15+ hours of it would really be a drag.

If I'd lost the 45 pounds I'd been trying to lose, I'd have been ready to tackle the route but I have to be realistic - I've only lost 16 pounds and I feel the extra on every hill.

I know that I was supposed to be navigator so I'm feeling a bit guilty about this but it's better to be honest about the situation rather than leaving you to deal with me lying exhausted at the side of the road on some 25% Yorkshire hill just as the sun is setting...

PS Ooh, I've had an idea... If you could stand going at my pace for the outward leg, I could ride round to Garforth with you. There is a quick train back to Hebden Bridge from there. I could lend one of you my Etrex GPS so that you could navigate the second half of the route. You could ring me when you were almost back and I'd come out to meet you in Mytholmroyd to congratulate you on your achievement and pick up the Etrex. How about that?

 

[RedBike]

Sorry you don't feel up to it ColinJ. - You're not on your own though. I had a reality check a few weeks ago after riding a hilly 100 in the peaks.

 

[ColinJ]

Sorry you don't feel up to it ColinJ. - You're not on your own though. I had a reality check a few weeks ago after riding a hilly 100 in the peaks.

Thanks. I'm a bit annoyed with myself because I got off to such a good start to the year, but then I let things slide. Still, my underlying fitness must be quite good because my legs don't feel too bad today, just a bit stiff, though the rest of my body feels a bit battered.

I was feeling particularly tired on one little drag yesterdayand I couldn't believe that it felt as hard as it did. I checked my front brake to see if it was rubbing. Nope. Goodspeed was behind me so I asked him if my back brake was rubbing. Nope. Shucks, I was just knackered then. When we went to put the bikes in the back of his car after the ride, I discovered that the back brake WAS rubbing against the rim after all! Apparently, Goodspeed could only see one side of the wheel when I asked him... The friction was so bad that it stopped the wheel rotating instantly when I gave it a spin with the back of bike lifted off the ground. That must sap the strength somewhat.

I reckon we knocked the brake getting the bike into or out of the car in the morning so it had probably been rubbing for the whole 125 miles. That's my excuse, anyway!

 

[longers]

We could put it back a month or two? July looks pretty busy for me but August isn't booked up yet.

I have absolutely no idea of the route at all so was/would be relying on someone elses navigation on the day.

What does anyone else think?

 

[ColinJ]

We could put it back a month or two? July looks pretty busy for me but August isn't booked up yet.

I have absolutely no idea of the route at all so was/would be relying on someone elses navigation on the day.

What does anyone else think?

I was hoping to do the Pendle Pedal the first weekend in August and I'm booked up the second & third weekends on family business (niece/nephew sitting!) so for me, it would have to be the 4th weekend i.e August 22nd or 23rd.

That weekend, there are only 14 hours of daylight so that implies an average speed of 17.8 kph to just get round in time. It would be better to allow an hour for any possible mechanical problems, so that would mean averaging 19.2 kph. I've done hilly 200 km audax rides in 10 hours before now (20 kph) so I should be capable of doing that provided I pull my finger out and get back to a decent weight and fitness level by then.

We'd be starting at sunrise and attempting to get back by sunset so we'd really need to take lights just-in-case.

If you guys are willing to wait until August, I'll do my best to be ready to ride with you. If you'd rather stick to the original date - go for it - I can do it another time. Sorry for messing you about.

 

[longers]

No need to apologise at all.

 

[longers]

Especially since the little sniffle I've had has turned into a full on green production situation

 

[ColinJ]

Especially since the little sniffle I've had has turned into a full on green production situation

Oh dear, sorry to hear that longers - get well soon! The WYCR wouldn't be something to undertake when ill, that's for sure.

I'm sort of hoping that the weather won't be good at the weekend so we wouldn't have done the ride anyway.

Funny thing the human mind isn't it though? I knew with 100% certainty on Sunday evening that I couldn't cope with doing the WYCR a week later, but as I recovered from the Red Rose Ride I starting wondering whether I'd been a wimp to back out or was I just being sensible? How much difference did that rubbing brake make? 25 miles and a few extra hills worth maybe, or not that much?


******************

If it turns out to be glorious on Sunday, I will go out and do a decent ride, just not 150 miles worth...

Colly, Bokonon, longers (if you feel better) and anyone else - if you don't go ahead with the WYCR ride on Sunday, would you be interested in a very hilly ride of about 90 miles into the western Dales and eastern Forest of Bowland?

I'm playing about with a promising looking route. It looks ultra-scenic and includes a couple of places I haven't ridden to yet (e.g. Malham) and a few places that I've only been to once but would like to see again. If there is any interest I'll quickly post a new thread with details.

 

[colly]

Hope you feel better by the weekend Longers.

August would be ok for me if that is the preferred date now. Any date I think apart from the first weekend, I will be away then. The 22nd/23rd would be best because that would give me a chance to get some miles in after a couple of weeks break.
Not sure what to do about this weekend. I have an idea I will set off on the WYCR from near where I live and just see how it goes. Maybe a very early am set off.
I rode out to Ilkley last weekend and rode part of the route back. If I was going clockwise the climb up out of Ilkley after 140 miles would be murderous as would the next climb up the back of Otley Chevin, so if I do set off it will be anti-clockwise. That also means the last stages back to near where I live will be flatish.
The weather looks like it might be ok but it is more down to whether I feel 'up for it' or not.
If I have any doubts I will just do the usual. (lay in bed with tea and toast and read the papers)
I will have to prime my mrs just in case I haven't the heart or legs to finish and I need a lift from somewhere.

But that is negative thinking isn't it? If I know I have a bail out option I won't be making 100 never mind 150 odd.

I'll make me mind up tomorrow.

 

[ColinJ]

It was the idea of having you chaps having to wait for me and relying on me for navigation that worried me. I didn't want to keep you hanging about for me all day but then have to bail out anyway after 12 hours or so leaving you with navigational problems.

If I was doing it by myself, I'd just start at sunrise to give myself the maximum amount of daylight and see how I got on. If I got really knackered, I'd think about dropping down into Huddersfield from Holmfirth, getting a taxi up to Outlane and then ambling back via Greetland and Copley to Sowerby Bridge, and using the Calder Valley Cycleway to get back to Hebden Bridge.

I rode up that climb from Otley to the eastern side of the Chevin with goodspeed a couple of weeks ago - 10% for a mile - yes, that would feel pretty tough after 140 miles or so!

 

[ColinJ]

Longers is out of action with a dodgy finger, but if any of the other 'Usual Suspects' (or anyone else who is prepared to go at my 16-18 kph average speed on the hills (including stops)) fancies a tough scenic ride, this is what I propose:

Hebden Bridge, Oxenhope, Haworth, Scar Top, Oakworth, Slippery Ford, Sutton Moor, Lane Ends, Glusburn Moor, Carleton Moor, Elslack, Broughton, Gargrave (cafe?), Eshton, Airton, Malham, Stainforth, Settle (cafe?), Giggleswick, Armistead, Keasden, Bowland Knotts, Stephen Moor, Bolton-by-Bowland, Sawley, Grindleton (optional extra 7 km loop to Waddington for cafe stop?), Chatburn, Downham, Roughlee, Barrowford, Nelson, Coldwell, Thursden, Widdop, Slack, Hebden Bridge (cafe?).

I haven't plotted the route accurately yet, but it looks like about 145 km with well over 3,000 m of tough climbing. I reckon it will take me about 9 hours.

Is anyone interested in coming along?

PS If the legs are hurting by Grindleton/Waddington, we could always opt out of the hilly last section and come back via Whalley, Padiham, Burnley, Todmorden which would be much easier.

 

[Bokonon]

As the WYCR was cancelled, I decided to take it easy this weekend and do some bike maintenance (like fixing a puncture from 3 months ago) rather than go out riding. I have been pushing it a bit recently so could do with some rest. That said, if the weather is still nice tomorrow, I might pop over to the York show.