A Day Ride 100 in Yorkshire Dales - Ideas?

corriebee1
corriebee1 Posts: 390
edited May 2016 in Commuting chat
So not exactly commuting, but i'm off on holiday with my extended family in August (5th to 12th) and my brother in law and I are keen to get a significant cycle done whilst up there. We're staying in Richmond and fancy trying a 100 mile ride without going too crazy or hauling our asses up every iconic climb in the area!

Ideally the earlier in the week the better (leaving some post ride booze and food options for the rest of the week) so if there were any organised rides on the weekend of the 6th or 7th Aug' we'd be keen to know. Otherwise, has anyone else done anything similar that they might be able/willing to share?

I've had a look on the cycle the Dales website but i can't find any organised sportives that weekend.

Comments

  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    It's not too hard to avoid overdoing the iconic climbs in the Dales - they undulate for miles before you get an often surprisingly short, steep haul at the end.

    You could do worse than dig up the route for the Richmond 5 Dales sportive. That has various bail out options but starts on pleasant lanes to the North and heads up to Tan Hill. Then down to Swaledale which allows an easyish ride back to Richmond or a shortcut to Hawes via Buttertubs. Main route turns right up Swaledale and a fairly straightforward climb and descent to Kirby Stephen. Then a low level grind up Ais Gill and left to Hawes. Then you can go back to Richmond or take a proper climb (Fleet Moss) to Wharfedale. You can then either head back to Richmond via the relatively easy climb of Kidstones or go further South for the brutish Park Rash.
    I think any of these combinations tick your boxes (aside perhaps for overall length) with the exception of Park Rash which makes the run into something proper beastly!
    Faster than a tent.......
  • imatfaal
    imatfaal Posts: 2,716
    Might be worth looking at the York 100 route - I think it is mostly in the Vale of York and avoids any of the savage climbs that you can find sligthly to the north or south. It is 14th August - so the signage might already be up by the time you are in gods own county. There is also a wiggle or evans sponsored vale of york sportive - but I seem to remember that took in some steeper climbs
  • rolf_f
    rolf_f Posts: 16,015
    imatfaal wrote:
    Might be worth looking at the York 100 route - I think it is mostly in the Vale of York and avoids any of the savage climbs that you can find sligthly to the north or south.

    That's not the Yorkshire Dales though! I doubt anything titled "Vale of York" will be either.
    Faster than a tent.......
  • imatfaal
    imatfaal Posts: 2,716
    Rolf F wrote:
    imatfaal wrote:
    Might be worth looking at the York 100 route - I think it is mostly in the Vale of York and avoids any of the savage climbs that you can find sligthly to the north or south.

    That's not the Yorkshire Dales though! I doubt anything titled "Vale of York" will be either.

    Yes I know that - but it is still a nice ride. Frankly a 120 mile route with over 10000 feet of climbing would be considered by some as a bit tough - and the Dales always seems to end up with a lot of climbing even with escape routes. But the Vale is - by its nature - much easier cycling.
  • bigmonka
    bigmonka Posts: 361
    imatfaal wrote:
    Might be worth looking at the York 100 route - I think it is mostly in the Vale of York and avoids any of the savage climbs that you can find sligthly to the north or south. It is 14th August - so the signage might already be up by the time you are in gods own county. There is also a wiggle or evans sponsored vale of york sportive - but I seem to remember that took in some steeper climbs
    I'm doing the York 100 :D and it's my first 100mile organised ride :D
  • ovi
    ovi Posts: 396