Your ride today.... (part 1)

[PeteXXX]

I really like the look of Shropshire, Phil - that's the kind of countryside I like to cycle in!

As for me ... I couldn't waste a mid-December day with such fine blue skies so I headed out on my Basso to see if I could knock some time off my current record in my ongoing 20 Minute Cragg Vale Hill Climb Challenge. A headwind was picking up as I rode up onto the moor, which slowed me down, and my disease-damaged lungs were hurting in the cold air so I didn't want to push myself too hard, but I still managed to nibble another 8 seconds off my time.

I had intended to turn left at the top, but when I got there I decided to go the other way down to Littleborough for a change. It's a nice quick descent but it was really chilly today, despite the sunshine. There are nasty potholes on some fast (40+ mph) stretches of the road so keep your wits about you if you ride down there in the near future! (The road down to Ripponden from the junction is being used on next year's Tour de France stage so I am sure that any holes in that will soon be fixed, whereas the road down to Littleborough isn't and so will probably not be repaired. It would be nice to think that they would do the whole road, but judging from what I have seen locally so far, it is only the actual Tour route which is getting special attention.)

I could have turned right on the A6033 in Littleborough, but I prefer to take the scenic route away from traffic, via Caldermoor and Calderbrook. That's straight through the lights, past the mini-roundabout, then right and up a gentle climb to a crossroads at Caldermoor, where I take a right on Calderbrook road which climbs up 100 feet or so for some fine views across the valley.

That road eventually starts to climb and and narrow. I was pleased to find that the new slimline me can climb it quite easily in a 39/25 gear. The old fat me a couple of years ago was forced to use the granny ring and I would be huffing and puffing all the way up.

I was enjoying my ride in the sunshine, but then a stupid private hire driver did his best to spoil my day. I was just coming up to where the grey car is in this StreetView shot and spotted 2 vans coming down the hill towards me. No problem. I looked over my shoulder and saw a car coming up the hill about 200 metres behind me. There were cars parked on my side of the road again today so I pulled out to pass them. The oncoming vans were getting close, and then I heard the driver behind gun his throttle and go for the rapidly vanishing gap between me and the vans. I swerved left as he shot past and cut back in across my front wheel, missing me by inches and the front of the first van by a couple of feet. The van driver's eyes were bulging in shock and I screamed at the cab driver and made a hand gesture which left him in no doubt what i thought of what he had just done! The car slowed and I saw him look in his mirror. I thought "Hey up, here we go ... He is going to stop and pick a fight with me now"! Then I reckon he realised that I am quite a big guy and thought better of it, and shot off up the road. PILLOCK!!!

It took a minute or two for me to calm down and I was watching out in case the driver tried to ambush me from a side road. No sign of him. He must have gone back down to the A6033 by one of the roads on my right.

Anyway, back to the ride! Calderbrook road experienced landslips a number of years ago. The road underwent extensive repair work but somebody must have cut a few corners because the road soon started to slip again. It is now closed permanently. Well, never say never, but it has been shut for years and nobody wants to spend the millions that would probably be required to stabilise the hillside properly!

Road closed, but not for bikes ...

View attachment 34140

This road is on the move ...

View attachment 34141
The railway line between Littleborough and Todmorden passes through Summit Tunnel, under that hillside. When I was a student in the 80s, I used to catch the train from Manchester to Hebden Bridge once a month, so I travelled through the tunnel a lot. One evening, I was watching the local news on TV when I saw shots of flames shooting out of ventilation shafts on a hillside. A goods train was on fire in Summit Tunnel! It took months for the tunnel to be brought back into service.

A Summit Tunnel air shaft, next to Calderbrook Road. (The Mary Towneley Loop bridleway is crossing in front of it.)

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I took a picture looking back over the A6033 to Chelburn Quarry. It is disused now, but the site of it was where that huge bite has been taken out of the opposite hillside. I don't know if that was all due to quarrying. It always looks to me like there was a big landslide at some time in the past.

Chelburn Quarry, Littleborough

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Now then ... do you pay attention when out riding? Or even when reading about other people's rides? Take a look at this picture ...

Did you spot it?

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Let me tell you - it is not obvious! The sign on the left is a clue ...

Let's make it easier for you ...

Now, did you spot it?

View attachment 34146

Yeah, yeah, the road is a bit broken up. You need to be careful?

Okay, let me tell you ... You just cannot see how bad this is until you hit it, and then it could be too late. The angle of the road is such that the enormity of the problem is disguised. This is what it looks like from the other direction!

OMFG!

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The first time I encountered that landslip-damaged bit of road, I was doing 20 mph down the hill! My bike just shot into the void and I could see broken tarmac below me waiting for me to land. It was a 'real brown shorts moment'! I have absolutely no idea how I managed to control the bike, not buckle a wheel, and not get a puncture.

So ... by all means follow my route, but - WATCH OUT!

Soon after that, the road emerges onto the A6033. I bombed along that to Walsden and (me being me) then took the first chance I had to get off the busy road and back up a hill into scenery. Right up Hollins Lane in Walsden, then right up Lumbutts Road.

Once again, I could feel the improvement in my climbing. That stretch of road is fairly steep, but it presented no problems, and neither did the rise out of the big dip in the road at Lumbutts, as the road climbs back up to Mankinholes.

I stopped to take one last picture before descending from Mankinholes ...
Stoodley Pike towering over Harvelin Park

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There were Road Closed signs for the descent through Shaw Wood but I ignored them. 99% of the time it is possible to walk or cycle past road works. Sure enough, the road was dug up but there was room to squeeze by. One of the workmen actually apologised for putting a sign in the narrow stretch of tarmac that had not been dug up!

That was the end of the scenic stuff. I emerged onto the A646 and headed for home.

22 miles in the sunshine on December 11th - can't be bad!



PS In case anybody spotted the elastic bands round the GPS and wondered what they are for ... I have pumped my tyres up to slightly higher pressures than before to see if I prefer the feel of the bike. (So far, the answer on our poorly maintained local roads is ... 'NO!') I found that the increase in vibrations through the bars is causing the GPS to rattle. The elastic bands are there to quieten the racket down! I think a more permanent solution with duct tape or Blu-tack might be required. Either that, or lower the tyre pressures again!

You really need to get an MTB with full suspension for your road rides

 

[derrick]

A nice 58 miles with the club this morning, no stops apart from one puncture, the wind started to get up towards the end of the ride, but a really enjoyable morning was good to be out with the guys again.

 

[ColinJ]

You really need to get an MTB with full suspension for your road rides

Yes, that section of damaged road was pretty bad even by our awful local standards!

 

[Biker Joe]

I must be developing a thing about ditches. I thought I would take a ride over to Hoddesdon and take a look at the new Morrisons recently opened. I took the towpath along the river (or canal) between Roydon and Hoddesdon. A chap walking in front didn't hear my cheery greeting then I saw he had earphones in. Coming up to a bit of a grass verge I decided to overtake him there. What I didn't see was the wooden edgeing piece that spun my back wheel when I tried to rejoin the path, spat me across the path, down a ditch and smack into a tree. My front wheel is written off and I had to carry the bike back to Roydon. Thankfully my step-daughter was home and able to come out and pick me and bike up in her people carrier. If she wasn't available @Biker Joe of this parish may have had a visitor! My neck is aching a bit and my hip is bad again but I am basically OK. I am just thankful I fell into the ditch and not the river. The wheel doesn't look too bad in the photo but it wont rotate and is actually cracked so kaput.

Very unfortunate incident. Those edging pieces can be deadly for bikes and often just out of sight under the grass.
I wish you a speedy recovery and hope the bike repairs are not too costly.

 

[PeteXXX]

Yesterdays ride, but after a nice bottle of white with my pie, I thought better of posting too much...

A mate and I set out for a bimble up the Brampton Valley Way, part of the Macmillan Way and of National bike Route 6.
It can be a bit of a boring ride as it's an old railway line the Beeching got his hands on last century.
If you go of piste a bit though, there are loads of bridleways and side tracks to explore.

This is from the top of the railway tunnel arch.

As we were having a really easy ride northbound, we knew that we'd suffer with the wind on the way back. A lot of the ride is quite open so we got the full force of yesterdays wind blowing us sideways and backwards. It was a real struggle in places! Never mind, all part of the fun and at least the wind wasn't cold.

We stopped in Market Harborough for a bite to eat and headed back into the wind. We should really have gone across the town and picked up the canal bank back to Northampton as it's more sheltered, but.. hey ho.
I took some video of the ride though the tunnels. It's not the best as I'm riding single handed holding the camera.
Here's a youtube linkie if you want to watch it. This is the two tunnels Northbound (Kelmarsh and Oxenden) the third is heading southbound, and you can hear the wind blasting through the bore!


View: http://youtu.be/nAOAxjTdDPE


Eventually, after a fettle with summat..

we decided to turn left at Merry Tom Crossing and go to Pitsford Reservoir for a coffee and chat before we headed our different ways home.

It was really blowing a hooley across the water, but it cooled the coffee a bit.
All in all, I did 50 miles which can be tiring on the legs on an MTB, but good fun nevertheless

http://www.strava.com/activities/100147185

 

[colly]

My ride today..............is about to start.

Edit: And has now finished.

Windy ? Oh yes. But that's OK.
It was the Sunday/Christmas/ Car Boot traffic especially in Otley that was a real bummer. Other than that it was a jolly jaunt which was cut short on orders from the 'little woman'. (I can say that here because she doesn't read Cyclechat)................... or maybe she does..... I'll risk it.

So it was 30 miles , 1700 ft and 16 mph -ish
http://ridewithgps.com/trips/2081440

 

[Rasmus]

My last chance of the year to get in a decent ride, so I wasn't going to let a bit of wind stop me from heading on a nice trip up into the Campsies. I got practically blown up Crow Rd, battled crosswinds along Carron Valley, and came to a near standstill on the Tak. The north side is nominally the "easy" side, but when the wind reduces you to 10 kph on the not incredibly steep bits of the climb, it's hard work!

http://www.strava.com/activities/100286890

 

[colly]

My last chance of the year to get in a decent ride, so I wasn't going to let a bit of wind stop me from heading on a nice trip up into the Campsies. I got practically blown up Crow Rd, battled crosswinds along Carron Valley, and came to a near standstill on the Tak. The north side is nominally the "easy" side, but when the wind reduces you to 10 kph on the not incredibly steep bits of the climb, it's hard work!

http://www.strava.com/activities/100286890

That looks like a real nice ride. Some storming climbs there.

 

[potsy]

37 miles this morning, decent day except the wind was a little on the strong side, but I'd rather it be dry and mild with wind than wet and cold without

Ahh, a nice downhill section

A rare experience of being first to the top of a hill

I then got left behind as a random stranger gave my hill partner a helping hand

 

[skudupnorth]

Yes, he was very helpful helping me out of the ditch and lifting the bike. I don't think he was being ignorant not moving, I think he genuinely wasn't aware I was behind him. I really must refit my nice loud bell!

Hope you and the bike recover soon but this just illustrates the problem of headphones with people not hearing anything around them. I have this same sort of issue on the shared Bridgewater Way along the canal where you could be as noisy as you want but they do not hear you.....imagine them walking where those car things live !

 

[Deleted member 1258]

This morning I'm in my cycle gear about to get my bike out and we get a visit from our youngest son and Granddaughter, lovely to see them, lovely to see how she's progressing, but the visit knackered my plans for a mornings cycling, so when they left at half ten I headed out to the Bosworth battlefield by the direct route and got a little forty miler in, grey windy day but not too cold, I had just got Battlefield side of Shenton when the rain started, it was raining steadily by the time I got to the Cafe, I was surprised to see people sat outside the Cafe eating and drinking in the rain. By the time I got out for the ride home it was only drizzling a bit, and it drizzled of and on all the way home, I was into wind most of the way home so my cycling was a bit slow mo, not my best ride, or my nicest, but enjoyed it.

 

[Rickshaw Phil]

Just a quick one today on a variation of my Acton Burnell route: Up and over Lyth Hill to start with where there was a good view of the heavy showers marching across the Long Mynd and Church Stretton. I carried on anyway and the next obstacle was Station Road on the way into Condover - not mud this time but cars parked up the sides of the road as there was an event on at the Greyhound Rescue Centre.

Condover to Longnor was a slow slog against the wind. I just had to go down a gear (well, three) and enjoy the ride. At Longnor I was seriously considering heading to Cardington like last time, but the wind was strengthening and more heavy showers were rolling across the hills so I carried on with the short version.

The wind now behind me I was able to keep up a much brisker pace and did extend the route slightly by heading past Cantlop Bridge and through Boreton instead of taking the direct route back to Condover. The strong tailwind allowed me to cruise the last section home at a quite respectable pace.

19.1 miles at 13 mph average this time.

Turn left or turn right? Those rain clouds helped with the decision and I went left.

A bit of sunshine emphasises the moody look of the Wrekin today.

Historic Cantlop Bridge. The cast iron lattice construction was a new innovation in its day.

 

[derrick]

36 wet and windy miles, stopped at the log cabin for poached eggs on toast, lovely, then rode home, feel better now i have had a shower and a nice cup of tea, did seem to struggle a bit today may have something to do with yesterdays ride. i need a nap.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

It's pretty amazing what you do considering the number of health problems that you have!

I am feeling the cold more since I lost weight, but it has been pretty mild here the past few weeks so it hasn't been a major problem. Just the windchill on long downhills that has been getting to me.

PS Oh, and what I forgot to say was that I am trying not to let my legs get too cold after reading that cold blood clots more easily. I have had my fill of clotty legs!

I dread to think how bad I would be if I could not stay fit! My asthma alone would kill me...But I do have the 'advantage' on not having to work even part-time at the moment, which given how bad I have been this year has been a blessing. Mind you I am not sure my health is up to me working full-time anymore which is saying something at 40! And I can still only walk around 4km a day from the dog bite issues, so my 'occupation' and I may have to have words...

I might have to consider getting the leg warmers out to put on on Sunday morning's ride... was a touch chilly this am but much warmer this pm...

I'm feeling the cold more since I had my arteries rodded a few years ago, made more noticeable after I lost a stone a couple of years ago, must jump on the scales and see if I've kept it off. Like SatNavSaysStraightOn my health would be a lot worse without the fitness I get from the cycling, because I was cycling and pushing myself a bit my encounter with Angina happened many years before it would have if I'd been sedentary and was far easier to deal with,.

 

[Linford]

Came across the mother of all Diesel slicks today as I rode through Cheltenham...caused by one of the local buses (why is it always the bus operators who are the worst for dropping this stuff ?)

The slick went all the way through the town like this and pooled in each of the bus stops...it was even sprayed on to the pavement next to one in the town centre (by leisure lakes cycles )...absolutely stank