Littleborough / Watergrove

deadsetgav

Hi folks

First time poster and as of yesterday... first time bike owner.

I live in Littleborough and have been after getting a bike for ages to take up and around the bridleways near Watergrove. Finally bought one yesterday!

As I am completely new to this (bikes and the local area in general) I wondered if anyone had any advice of a decent beginners route? (I saw a few people seemed familiar with the place in a couple of other threads)

Also - are there any off limits areas around here or is it all pretty much fair game as long as you stick to the pathways / roads?

Sorry for being a total noob - but I guess its better to get grief on a forum than have some crazed farmer chasing after me in a tractor waiving his shotgun about for being on his laaaarnd!...

dave_hill

Oh lordy, here we go again...

You're lucky living where you do! We've got some of the best riding in the country. Not many people know it except the locals, so let's keep it that way, eh?

Basically, the rules of thumb are -

Know your Public Rights of Way - you need to be able to distinguish between public footpaths; public bridleways; Roads Used as Public Paths (RUPPs) and Byways Open to All Traffic (BOATs). Best way to do this is to get a copy of Ordnance Survey Explorer Map number OL21 (from all good bookshops, outdoor shops and some newsagents). Learn to read it.

STAY OFF PUBLIC FOOTPATHS!!! I cannot stress this enough. Because of various archaic laws and court cases which I can't be arsed going into here, a bicycle is classed in law as a carriage. Carriages are not allowed on public footpaths. Simple as. There are whys and wherefores which I'll explain one day when you're old enough if you have a couple of weeks to spare, but for now, that's all you need to know.

None of the above applies in Scotland.

Don't ride like you own the trails. We have to share them with others - notably walkers and horseriders. We are the newcomers here, so be courteous to them even if it isn't appreciated.

If they are approaching you, slow down, get over to one side of the trail and if necessary STOP (I find it's best to stop anyway with horses, plus it gives you a chance to meet horsey girls. Sometimes.). Lots of smiles, thankyou's, lovely days, etc.

If approaching from behind, warning in plenty of time - again, slow down and be prepared to stop if necessary. Again with horses, give the rider chance to get control of the beast and stop if they want to. Let them tell you when to come past and then do it slow and wide.

I'm always up for a run out and I'm only just up the road from you in Burnley and within easy reach of Todmorden, Hebden Bridge, etc.

deadsetgav

Hiya

I managed a short circuit from my house upto Watergrove, up onto the bridalway and back down to my house - was only out for about half an hour but it felt longer!!

Riding on the stoney path is pretty hard - I thought i was reasonably fit - think again!!

Loved it though. I've walked the route I took today and all the gates are marked as bridalway so it wasn't too bad. I'm probably gonna go a bit further tomorrow.

I'll pick myself up an ordinance map like you said! As for passers by - I think they got a decent laugh out of me pedaling up hill over cobbles in completely the wrong gear and wheezing like a 50 a day smoker.

dave_hill

Don't live on Shore Road by any chance do you?

deadsetgav

Just off Shore Road, yeah.

Which I think is gonna be handy!

deadsetgav

Dave, just a quick one - on a scale of 1 to 5 - how difficult would you rate the tracks that lead off Watergrove?

I've been out again tonight on a slightly more adventurous explore, and found both the paths that lead up from the waterside pretty damn hard... I don't know whether its just because I've jumped in at the deep end, whether I am not nearly as fit as I thought or I've not got the hang of the bike / setup yet...

dave_hill

Well at risk of sounding like a tit, I don't think they're anything major. But then I've been riding for a while and I'm used to the area!! Yeah, they can be steep in places, but, well....

If you're a complete noob at this, the trick is a little and often until you get the hang of it. Three or four miles every other day (and let's face it, nice weather, long evenings...no excuses really!!)

Check your pedalling and what gear you're using. A common mistake amongst beginners is to try to push way too high a gear - you need to spin pretty fast (try to maintain 80 - 90 rpm) in whatever gear on whatever surface. The thing to remember is there is no such thing as the "correct" gear - the right gear for the situation is one that allows you to pedal at a decent rhythm for that situation.

Have you got your saddle set at the right height? If it's too low, you'll never get the best efficiency out of your pedalling, you'll get cramp in no time and you'll have wrecked knees before you can say keyhole surgery.

Does your bike have suspension? Is it set up correctly? If your suspension is too soft you're expending half your energy battling that!!

It may well be that as you say, you aren't as fit as you thought. But a little patience, plenty of practice, and it will soon come!!

deadsetgav

Its got front suspension. I had a look at the seat once I had got to the top of the hill - I did adjust it higher - but didnt get chance to do any more uphill than that.

I try to keep pretty fit (I kickbox twice a week and I have an excercise bike that I hammer quite often) but I guess its not transferring as well as I thought it might.

I guess a bit of practice and technique and I'll get there - I did less pushing up the hill today, but still had to stop every 30 meters or so on the incline...

I've been dropping to pretty much the lowest gear on the uphills - I've also had to stand on the pedals to get any decent momentum

Time will tell