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I Love Yorkshire! Well, for great training rides

I was a bit late starting out on Saturday - so right in the heat of the day, but the Garmin 405 had discharged to 0% over the week, without me realising. So I headed out into the hottest part of the day.



A rather please 40m route, main roads for a good spin out on the new bike, but trying to take in some hills.



Left the Hughes' mansion gates, swift descent into Oxenhope, then a short sharp climb up the A6033 towards Hebden Bridge. This is the highest point on the route - Cock Hill. Fantastic views.

A great descent down to Hebden Bridge - got to overtake a few cars, which is nice [:)], then along the valley bottom to Mytholmroyd, and the start of the ascent up Cragg Vale. This bills itself as the longest climb in England. Not done it on the bike before (too far away for the old Mountain Bike), so I was expecting a nice steady climb. I made it about 6 miles of climbing. Most of it steady. The training objective for the ride was to aim for a cadence of 90 RPM - if I hit 90, then change up a gear, if I dropped below 80, then change down. All the time working hard to hit the target. The ascent felt pretty good. Out on top of the hills to join the A58. Great views across to Lancashire - I could see Conehead's secret volcano island from up there. Obviously, he was relaxing in Hawaii at the time, so I didn't both to wave. A great descent on the A58 into littleborough - hitting speeds of 60kph (40+mph) - didn't want to go crazy and and spread myself like agent_ti jam over the road. But 40mph is scary enough for me.



Following the canal, roughly, from Littleborough back to Hebden Bridge, via Todmorden. Kept to the training objective, but the backside had all gone Jesster by now: rather sore, and desperate for a cushy job as anything other than a backside. Then the start of the last climb back up from Hebden Bridge to Oxenhope. The weather was hot. And I died. HRM shows that I hit 195. Don't believe this as my previous max (for running is 183). But I had to stop and finish all the water I had - I don't normally do that. Then ate my emergency energy gel things - a freebie from one of the mags. Nice. That got me going again. The knee was a bit sore this time - but not in the same way as it has been from running. The training objective was now to get home. Rewarded at the summit by splendid views over the Dales - you can see Ingleborough from there, before the last descent into Oxenhope, and the final climb - a rather nasty single arrow ascent - back to Chez Hughes. Usually try to do this seated, but in too much distress by this point. Got so slow that almost met with SPD shame - just as a fit bugger overtook me. Grr. I always have the vanity objective of not being overtaken! A tad under 40 miles, with over 4,100 feet of climbing. Average a cadence of 75 rpm - not too bad seeing that the last 9 miles were done at a crawl, and freewheeling down the last climb.



Then lots of juicy performance data from the Garmin to mull over.



Can't wait to try it again, when I have a bit more strength in the legs!





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Comments

  • sfullersfuller Posts: 628
    Where abouts do you live? Family home isn't too far from Oxenhope. Im in London now though!
  • RockmonkeyRockmonkey Posts: 14
    WOW ! Seriously well done, I live over by Huddersfield and used to work Rochdale / Littleborough. I often thought of riding to work but those hills were beyond me. I now work in Leeds and it's 12.5 miles each way with 1000ft of climbing.



    I love Yorkshire for training rides too, it's no wonder we have so many great cyclists from the area. [:D]
  • hehe. cockhill.



    Looks tough!

  • lauraflauraf Posts: 31
    I think I need to move I seem to live in the only part of Yorkshire that has no hills
  • Jack HughesJack Hughes Posts: 1,262
    But there are some really good flat and very fast TT courses along by the Humber bridge! Great for PBs
  • jonEjonE Posts: 1,113
    Jack Hughes wrote:


    But there are some really good flat and very fast TT courses along by the Humber bridge! Great for PBs



    Great for PB's,and risking life and limb...Clive Sullivan Way into Hull,the A180 from Barnetby to Grimsby(ok not quite in Yorkshire),A15 from the Bridge.lovely straight roads,but full of drivers who don't give a s**t as they race for the ferries.
  • MrSquishyMrSquishy Posts: 277
    Got me worried now, I'm heading back up to God's Own Country for the Humber Duathlon in September.
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