Mytholmroyd, Sunday 5th April - hilly 36/52 mile forum ride

ColinJ

Hi Folks.

I organised an impromptu ride at the weekend and because it was at such short notice, I didn't post details of it over here on BikeRadar. It turned out to be a very tough 52 miler with a total of 6,500 feet of Yorkshire hills crammed in (83 km, 2,000m).

I was joined by a couple of lads off the CycleChat forum but several other CC members said that they would like a shot at it if I repeated it. I'm therefore doing the route again on Sunday, 5th April.

I'll copy and paste the details here (nips over to CycleChat with his trusty Ctrl-C)...

*********** Here you go **************

Loop 1, 58 km (36 miles): Mytholmroyd, Cragg Vale, Blackstone Edge, Littleborough, Hollingworth Lake, Milnrow, Newhey, Denshaw, Buckstones, Ringstone Edge Reservoir, Boothwood Reservoir, Pike End, Baitings Reservoir, Hubberton Green, Scout Road, Mytholmroyd.

Loop 2, 26 km (16 miles): Mytholmroyd, Midgley Road, Midgley, Jerusalem Lane, Booth, Jowler, Wainstalls, Cold Edge, Oxenhope Moor, Oxenhope, Cock Hill, Hebden Bridge, Mytholmroyd.

Here's the combined profile for the two loops (I've marked Mytholmroyd at the 58 km point.)



As you can see, apart from kms 14-20 (Littleborough, Milnrow, Newhey), most of the ride is either going up or down!

There is a big car park at the community centre in Mytholmroyd so I propose meeting there. If you are parking, please make a contribution in the honesty box by the entrance. The centre is on Caldene avenue, just off the A646 and just round the corner from the railway station.

Here's a map - the red circle shows the site of the community centre.

Meet at about 09:50 with a view to setting off up 'the longest continuous gradient in England' at 10:00.



GPX file of route

There's usually a butty van at the top of Buckstones (the second big hill and the highest point on the ride). We stopped there on Sunday to refuel. It's on the edge of an escarpment so there are great views into the distance.

There's also a Sainsbury's Local in Mytholmroyd so you can get supplies there at the start, after loop 1 and after loop 2.

The two most vicious climbs are Midgley Road and Jowler in the first half of the second loop. I reckon they peak at close to 20%.

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

Be warned - this route is not suitable for anybody not confident of their stamina or climbing ability. I did a hilly 104 mile ride a few weeks ago and it felt easier than this one which is half that distance but has the same amount of climbing. Only about 5 or 6 miles of the 52 are not uphill or downhill!

I'm currently overweight so I can't climb quickly - be prepared to wait a while for me at the tops of the hills. If you are really fit and don't want to hang about, then climb at your own speed, descend back to me and do the remainder of the climbs again. You'll end up riding 60 plus miles in total but it would give you more of a challenge if that's what you need.

With stops, the ride took us about 6 hours on Sunday.

I've split the route into two loops so that there is an option for anybody who gets tired (or just doesn't fancy the full ride) to stop at Mytholmroyd after 36 miles.

So far there are 4 of us from CC signed up for the ride. Does anybody from BR fancy joining us...?

PS Damn stupid censorship!!! :evil: We will not be going over 'fool hill' on the ride but some actual fool thinks that the word C-o-c-k (minus hyphens) is too rude for you to read and has replaced it with 'fool' - pathetic!

singlespeedexplosif

Sounds nice. Might be up for this, will need to check the calendar. My usual haunts but be nice to meet up with a few folk. Espresso in Mooch to be involved, naturally?

6,500 feet of Yorkshire hills
NB 'and Lancashire'

ColinJ

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

Sounds nice. Might be up for this, will need to check the calendar. My usual haunts but be nice to meet up with a few folk. Espresso in Mooch to be involved, naturally?

I must walk around staring at the pavement because I didn't even realise that 'Mooch' was called Mooch - I had to look it up! To be honest - I was so knackered when I got back last time that I didn't have the energy to sit in a cafe! Obviously, the option is there if we feel like it. I'm not sure that Mooch would be the best place though since it is on the main road and has a narrow pavement in front of it. We'd be better going round to one of the cafes in the new Hebden Bridge pedestrianised zone - plenty of space to put our bikes.

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

6,500 feet of Yorkshire hills
NB 'and Lancashire'

Well, technically we do dip into Lancashire but most of the hills are in Yorkshire. Places like Saddleworth used to be in Yorkshire but boundary changes have supposedly shifted them into Lancashire though many people don't agree!

singlespeedexplosif

many people don't agree!
As a Saddleworth boy...don't I know it. They probably still say 'Ceylon' and 'Opal Fruits' too

and Mooch is THE best riding caff ever, but agreed it does need more bike space

ColinJ

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

many people don't agree!
As a Saddleworth boy...don't I know it. They probably still say 'Ceylon' and 'Opal Fruits' too

Blimey, I must be getting old - I had to really think hard to work out what was wrong with saying 'Ceylon' and 'Opal Fruits'!

'Norwich Union'! Sorry, Evita, Erica, Attica, something like that...

andy_wrx

ColinJ wrote:

Well, technically we do dip into Lancashire but most of the hills are in Yorkshire. Places like Saddleworth used to be in Yorkshire but boundary changes have supposedly shifted them into Lancashire though many people don't agree!

I think you mean Greater Manchester, surely !

Pencil me in Col, although I was maybe thinking of doing the Ironbridge 200 audax that day.

ColinJ

andy_wrx wrote:

ColinJ wrote:

Well, technically we do dip into Lancashire but most of the hills are in Yorkshire. Places like Saddleworth used to be in Yorkshire but boundary changes have supposedly shifted them into Lancashire though many people don't agree!

I think you mean Greater Manchester, surely !

Pencil me in Col, although I was maybe thinking of doing the Ironbridge 200 audax that day.

Hmm, yes, probably Greater Manchester!

Consider yourself pencilled in Andy. If you decide not to do the 200, it would be nice to see you again.

I came back from the original ride pretty dehydrated (about 4 pounds lighter). After rehydrating and eating plenty for a couple of days, I found that I'd lost at least a pound of flab that day. It would much easier to just not put it on in the first place...

volvine

think i will spread this over several weeks thanks lol

johnbirkby46213

Colin - is that more-or-less the social ride we did 2-3 years back organised by MSeries? Blonde came with us as did Warburton and I think Banjocat. If it is, that's a real mean start from cold to go up "the longest continuous hill" with only about 200m of warm-up.
However, must look at my commitments (I'll need "committing" if I do that ride again!) and see if I can wangle it... glutton and punishment spring to mind.
Just re-read the report I wrote after that ride...its funny now!

ColinJ

johnbirkby46213 wrote:

Colin - is that more-or-less the social ride we did 2-3 years back organised by MSeries? Blonde came with us as did Warburton and I think Banjocat. If it is, that's a real mean start from cold to go up "the longest continuous hill" with only about 200m of warm-up.
However, must look at my commitments (I'll need "committing" if I do that ride again!) and see if I can wangle it... glutton and punishment spring to mind.
Just re-read the report I wrote after that ride...its funny now!

Hi John.

Some of it is the same and some of it is different! We do the Keighley Road in the opposite direction and we don't do the loop through Trawden, source of your "Two minute grovels" signature line! Mind you, the route we take from Mytholmroyd to Oxenhope includes a couple of very stiff climbs which certainly involve the currently fatter me grovelling, and for more than 2 minutes!

The problem that day was that superfit Blonde and MSeries shot off up the Cragg Vale climb at 24 kph from a cold start and put the rest of us into difficulty immediately. The climb only averages about 3% so as long as we take it easy (which I definitely will do) it isn't a big problem.

I know from doing the Kirklees Sportive with you last year that you wouldn't have a problem with this route. It's strenuous but you are fitter than me and I survived it last week so you should be okay. I hope that you can join us.

volvine

are you in a club Col or is this just a group of pals????
p.s the Buckstones hill is putting me off at the moment i think i might struggle with that one just at the moment but working my way up the local hills now slowly scrapped up Owd Betts last night so getting there lol

ColinJ

volvine wrote:

are you in a club Col or is this just a group of pals????
p.s the Buckstones hill is putting me off at the moment i think i might struggle with that one just at the moment but working my way up the local hills now slowly scrapped up Owd Betts last night so getting there lol

The only club that I'm in is Audax UK which isn't really like a conventional cycling club in that the members come from all parts of the country and get together in differing combinations to ride events all over the place.

I just organise get-togethers a few times a year and post details on BikeRadar and CycleChat. Some people turn up and do one ride and I never see them again. Other riders have come along to several rides so I get to know them better (e.g. John and Andy above).

The rides are sociable so a lot of chatting goes on and no-one gets left behind (I'm the one who knows where we are going and for the past couple of years I've been one of the slowest riders so the fitter riders just wait at the tops of the hills for me, or take it easy and ride up with me). Anybody looking for a 'full-on' ride wouldn't be satisfied because they'd have to hold themselves back. Nothing to stop them attacking every climb hard, mind. They'd just have a lot of hanging about if they did that.

If you'd struggle with Buckstones then you'd really suffer on the coming ride. You'd definitely not be up for the second loop because the climbs on that are much steeper. It sounds like you are just getting into hilly cycling so I'd suggest building yourself up nice and gradually this year with a view to tackling some more challenging rides next year.

You perhaps ought to consider having a go at the mini-North-West-Passage audax event next February. It starts in Rochdale and goes round in a big loop returning over Owd Betts. Mind you, you might find it psychologically difficult to ride down through Norden and then have to turn round at the finish and ride back up again afterwards! I did it this year with a group of riders off the CycleChat forum and we had a good day out together. My lonnnnnnnnnnnnnng write-up of the event.

volvine

wouldn't need to go back up it mate as i live in Norden
sound great though and exatley what i am looking for but like you say i need a few miles under my belt first my normal training ride last year for the manchester 100 was through Newhey to denshaw(i think left at the juntion pub) up past the mast drop down under the motorway to the pub facing the resevoir turn left there heading to Blackstone edge back to Norden through littleborough a few challenging hills the climb out of Newhay to denshaw is tough.

singlespeedexplosif

the climb out of Newhay to denshaw is tough.
indeed it is. Probably the toughest on this route!

sportbilly1976

Colin,

that looks a nice ride...just a shame on that date I have a college course....still - will keep it as a potential summer ride out from Manchester

ColinJ

volvine wrote:

wouldn't need to go back up it mate as i live in Norden

I chose my words carefully...

To complete the event, you'd descend from Owd Betts through Norden and end up in southeast Rochdale. You'd then have to turn round and go right back the way you'd just come which is the bit that would do your head in.

volvine wrote:

the climb out of Newhay to denshaw is tough.

Yeah, I always find that a real grind. Sometimes I carry on towards Shaw and climb the B6197 past the Black Ladd to Grains Bar (Dog Hill) - that's tougher.

singlespeedexplosif

Sometimes I carry on towards Shaw and climb the B6197 past the Black Ladd to Grains Bar (Dog Hill) - that's tougher.

wierdly, although I agree it should be tougher, I'd rather that one any day! Maybe it's just cumulative psychological damage from Newhey to Denshaw being the last climb of the day far too many times after long hilly ones..

mrushton

Colin,you don't have to keep tormenting yourself with climbing. You can head out to eg Southport/Blackpool/Preston etc and work on the flatter roads (altho' there are some good hills on those routes eg Parbold Hill nr. Wigan. Calderdale is lovely but does lose it's charms sometimes.

suze

singlespeedexplosif wrote:

the climb out of Newhay to denshaw is tough.
indeed it is. Probably the toughest on this route!

Yes Don't I know it. We live about half way up, :roll: so we get it either way. If we start uphill I'm never warmed up so tend to ride it very gently, thats ny excuse for my slow progress uphill.


Love to join you on your ride, but I'm on a coaching course at BC.

mrushton

One of my favourite hills. The steepest bit is at the bottom before the left-hand bend. After that you can get a good rythym going to the top and a mad descent to the crossroads. I actually think it's harder the other way.

ColinJ

mrushton wrote:

Colin,you don't have to keep tormenting yourself with climbing. You can head out to eg Southport/Blackpool/Preston etc and work on the flatter roads (altho' there are some good hills on those routes eg Parbold Hill nr. Wigan. Calderdale is lovely but does lose it's charms sometimes.

Climbing is a bit of a love/hate thing with me. I hate not currently being any good at it, but I love the hills themselves.

I agree that it would be nice to do more flattish rides though. I rode out to the cafe at Waddington with 3 guys from the CycleChat forum about a month ago. That's a flatter ride than I normally do. The trouble is, I don't like the busy A-roads to Whalley much and the only way to avoid them is to get back on the hills again.

I don't drive so getting to and from the flatter roads that you are talking about involves a 45-50 mile round trip on my bike. I used to ride those roads quite often with a mate who would drive us to Spring Wood picnic centre at Whalley so we could skip the local A-roads and do an extra 50 miles out Blackpool way. Unfortunately, he now lives on Tenerife so it is asking a bit much to expects lifts from him these days!

Hmm, I suppose I could catch the Blackpool train and get off at Poulton-le-Fylde. Yeah, that might be a plan... (consults National Rail Enquiries online) YIKES - £16.80 for a day return - that's a bit steep! Once a month perhaps, but I can't afford to make a regular thing of it. I could also go the other way out towards York. It's £5 cheaper for a day return to Church Fenton. I might give that a go some time.

mrushton

That's prob. the W.Yorks Rover. But why not just go H-Bridge>Tod>Burnley Rd>Padiham>Whalley or Langho>Ribchester or thro to Blackburn/Preston and back. No trains/cars needed and you'll get a good variety of terrain. If you want steep, you could come back on Long Causeway or do the climb up from Cornholme to L-Causeway.

ColinJ

mrushton wrote:

But why not just go H-Bridge>Tod>Burnley Rd>Padiham>Whalley or Langho>Ribchester or thro to Blackburn/Preston and back.

I'm just not a great fan of the A646, Burnley and Padiham. I was saying that on the ride out to Waddington last month. It's just a pity that there isn't a quiet road to get over to Whalley that doesn't involve a lot of climbing.

The real answer is to get fitter and then I'll enjoy the hills more and won't keep people waiting at the tops of the climbs! I'm getting there (slowly).

ColinJ

Here's the list of riders so far, including a bunch from CycleChat:

Definitely
ColinJ
longers
PaulB + Liam
Alun
marinyork

Possibly
trio25 (meeting us at Hollingworth Lake)
singlespeedexplosif (those hills on a singlespeed? :shock: )
Nickwill
Blonde
mrushton
sm1thch1ld + 2 mates
Svendo

nickwill

I'm a possibility Colin, it would be good to catch up with you again!
I'm just not sure of my plans at the moment!

ColinJ

Nickwill wrote:

I'm a possibility Colin, it would be good to catch up with you again!
I'm just not sure of my plans at the moment!

I was just thinking that the other day when you posted pictures of your new bike!

I'll put you down as a maybe.

Blonde

Put us down as possible too Colin. We'll see what the weather is like, but if it's OK, we'll try to make it. It'd be good to meet the others and great to see andy_wrx, johnbirkby46213 and Nickwill again!

ColinJ

Blonde wrote:

Put us down as possible too Colin. We'll see what the weather is like, but if it's OK, we'll try to make it. It'd be good to meet the others and great to see andy_wrx, johnbirkby46213 and Nickwill again!

Done!

MatthewBulmer

Really would have liked to come along but I'm doing a MTB race that day. Weather permitting, I'm going to have a stab at your route on Saturday. In preparation for the Kirklees Sportive, I've been working my way through some of the hills you suggested to me on this thread:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... 7#15194487

There are some toughies on there . I try and come along on the next ride you organise.

ColinJ

MatthewBulmer wrote:

Really would have liked to come along but I'm doing a MTB race that day. Weather permitting, I'm going to have a stab at your route on Saturday. In preparation for the Kirklees Sportive, I've been working my way through some of the hills you suggested to me on this thread:

http://www.bikeradar.com/forum/viewtopi ... 7#15194487

There are some toughies on there . I try and come along on the next ride you organise.

The forecast actually isn't looking too good for Saturday. I'm going to try and get out on Sunday if it clears up.

There will be other get-togethers Matthew. In fact, why not come along on Spring into the Dales the weekend before the Brian Robinson Challenge (ex 'Kirklees Sportive')?

andy_wrx

Sorry Colin, rub-out my pencil-in, I've decided to do the Ironbridge 200 instead.

As I'm doing Fred Whitton, I want it for distance/endurance training, and whilst there'd be considerably more climbing on yours, it might be a bit more start/stop (and so it should be, it's supposed to be social !) whereas I can treat the audax as a training ride and set my own pace all the way round.

Next time...