How steep is Blakey Road out of Hutton-le-Hole

nun

I'm going to be touring in the UK this summer and plan to ride over the N.Yorks Moors from Hutton-le Hole to Stokesley. As the road from Hutton-le-Hole to Blakey Rihgg is on the Ryedale Rumble route I thought I'd ask her if anyone can describe it's toughness/gradient. I'll be on a 2 speed bike 68" and 38". I'm ok for extended climbs up to 7% anything steeper for more than 1km I tend to get off and push.

Thanks

Anonymous

nun wrote:

I'm going to be touring in the UK this summer and plan to ride over the N.Yorks Moors from Hutton-le Hole to Stokesley. As the road from Hutton-le-Hole to Blakey Rihgg is on the Ryedale Rumble route I thought I'd ask her if anyone can describe it's toughness/gradient. I'll be on a 2 speed bike 68" and 38". I'm ok for extended climbs up to 7% anything steeper for more than 1km I tend to get off and push.

Thanks

Your thinking of Blakey Bank from Church Houses when you speak of the Ryedale Rumble..and your not gonna do that......the road from Hutton Le Hole over the moor is basically one big drag...not too steep....just last forever!.....I take it you head to Westerdale?....then off to Kildale to Stokesley?....if so then you have to negotiate a few steep climbs between Westerdale and Stokesley,,,,

hugo15

You should be fine going up from Hutton le Hole and up to the Lion Inn on Blakey Ridge. As Richy says it is one long drag (about 6 or 7 miles from Hutton le Hole to the Lion Inn).

Once you get to Ralph's Cross on the top (a miles or so after the Lion Inn) you can then either;

- turn left and head down through Westerdale, through Hob Hole and to Kildale and on to Stokesley. The climb out of Hob Hole is a real brute though, 25% to start and then goes on for a while.

- go straight on and drop down to Castleton (great descent) then turn second left (I think it is second left!), just before the village, and drop down to Dibble Bridge. Climb up and over to Commondale and then head to Kildale. The climb out of Commondale isn't very steep but is quite long at a couple of miles

Option 2 is a bit longer but the climbing is less severe.

nun

I'm just thinking of the long drag from Hutton-le-Hole and on to Westerdale, not the side roads that go off down into the dales. I mapped it out on bikehike and it looks like there are a few bits that go over 5% but it's mostly less than that. By the time I get to Westerdale I think I'll be pushing up the hills, but I'm not proud. The thing is maps and gradient info is sometimes misleading as the character of a road builds up and 10% first thing in the day is easier than 4% at the end and a few steep bits in quick succession can be a killer.

I have a hill close to my home that is 5% average over 2km with a couple of 10% bits. I do it unloaded in 68" as a training ride. Time to load up and shift down to 38" and see how it feels as it looks as if it's a good approximation to Blakey Road, I just need to do it 3 times in a row.