London Fixed-gear and Single-speed

pay your respects to north england..
http://www.evanscycles.com/ride-it/k...nines-sept-4th

that looks good. more elevation than that Dartmoor one I just did.
bet it rains though.

Top route.

Definitely worth heading up from London for, unless it rains. In fact I must sort a trip to Yorkshire for before the year's out. Unfortunately I'm away for the first week in September.

i haven't squared this with the home office (wifey).. who is already complaining i spent this years holiday money on a new road bike, pointing to the planet x nanolight chorus 11 with mavic ksyrium elite wheels stating this is my holiday and i'm still in that honeymoon period of riding big hills :)

you, are a very naughty man and should be ashamed of yourself
*buys new track bike*

proceed to checkout, and press confirm (iheartpaypal)
#mustgetbikedeliveredwhenshevisitstheoutlawsnextwe ekend ;)

yeah, I'm in the Lakes that weekend, walking and camping.

I shouldn't worry too much about rain in the Pennines in September. Its generally July/August you've got to watch - September and October are often amazing months for riding.

If you've never seen Malham Cove, prepare to be amazed. One of the most stunning natural features in the world.

entry done, train booked, lodgings (YHA Earby) sorted.. so looking forward to re-visiting
God's Own County, brass bands, whippets, pidgeon fanciers, cracking toast grommit..

Good hostel, is Earby, and the ride out to Skipton is smashing. Sod the A56, head over the hill! Good way to start.

you've got us in one there.

Don't forget the poverty and racism though.

Enjoy!

my brother-in-law used to live nearby in gisburn, lancs, now in canada. he used to teach in nearby towns and cities, you are right about the poverty and social tension, i think he had enough.. i miss places like clitheroe, settle, keighley, ingleton though. i haven't been up since 2006, but i suppose as a visitor very different to living there. often went fell running up to pendle or ingleboro'.. the cyclo cross scene is good there, but those 1:4 road climbs out of the dales are something else.

just done the lakeland one on a whim, enjoyed it, 'only' did the medium route, 55miles, but plenty of hills round here to make it hard. Seemed like a well organised event and certainly got my monies worth in food/drink/energy bars, though an interaction with the great north air ambulance was a surprise (single rider came off on rhynose descent, luckily only shoulder/collar bone damage).

3weeks time is the Pennines one, never done 100miles before, let alone with 4-6 passes/climbs in it! Thinking about doing it, but likely need to do a car-share down from Cumbria/Lake District if anyone is interested?
Met 3 blokes on the lake district one that had driven up from London for the weekend, think they were struggling with the hilly nature of the north too :p

ahh the lake district, newlands hause, whinlatter, hardknott, honister, wynose and kirkstone passes are all epic, maybe next year as prep for our 540km trondheim to oslo trip in the summer

one more long ride planned before KOTP.. leamington spa to london 120 miles across cotwolds and chilterns, loads of rolling hills and two spikes nr banbury (edgehill) and princes risboro (whiteleaf)

#must buy new tyres this week and fit new rear mech

anyone got a better/larger map than the tiny 20kb screenshot map (not on evans website but somewhere else)? Interested to see exactly where the route goes.

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/47129876

this is the closest i've got to deciphering the route.. there are some killer hills that feature in the 100 greatest cycling climbs (simon warren) including:-

park rash 9/10.. oxnop scar 7/10.. malham cove 7/10 (down hill i think).. buttertubs pass 8/10.. fleet moss 9/10..

see you there

^That can only be good.

The combination of Buttertubs Pass and fleet moss is spot on, I reckon. Long climbs, and some great views. A top return on invested energy. Coming down from Fleet Moss also superb, almost effortless peddaling all the way to Skipton.

ducking out due to lack of £££ to actually get there :/

heading up norf tomorrow can't wait..
espec those 1:4 climbs out of places like Askrigg :))

#gulps

i am ruined.. fooping mental.

evans also altered the route omitting buttertubs pass and oxnop pass.. and the route was reverse to what i was expecting.. so up past malham cove, on to fleet moss, amazing decent to Hawes (must check garmin max speed) back roads to Askrigg on to Redmire, where a few of us managed to catch the local pro race whizz past.. hard ride back to kettlewell via evil drop at rash park (25%) then on to coverdale long drag up and steep at end down to grassington, one final climb then drop down'ta skipton..

162km in all 2715m climbing 7hr 40m (excluded stops).. some serious creaking around the bottom bracket towards the end..

the turnout was not that big, but weather was kind, big shout out to tim of dulwich paragon, kristian of london phoenix, lads from selby, rochdale, ikley, nial from harrogate, great atmosphere among the groups in all..

reports that a rider collision with a tractor and broke his pinarello frame and 20 riders in the broom wagon.. a fair few broken spokes and shredded tyres no doubt.. garmin details posted soon..

didnt check here to see if there was a thread for this ride before now!

today was staggering.

3 of us came over from leeds. loading one guys bike onto the car i spot he has fitted his rear brake pads on wrong and the back tired side wall has split and the inner tube is poking through. idiot. leave for skipton get 10 miles down the road and the other associate remembers he has left his helmet on the wall outside the first idiots house. double idiot. Arrive with 15 mins to last start and somehow get our shit together. The route was beautiful but when i cramped up on the malham climb i realised that doing this for a first ride back from injury in april was probably a bad idea! rode 60 miles with the most brutal cramp i have ever experienced. that and the bonk coming through the rhythm destroying undulations into kettlewell nearly finished me off, but consuming my own body weight in power gels set me up for a suprisingly strong finish! 7hours 30 i think. couldnt beat the feeling of being back in the saddle in gorgeous country side and beautiful weather. redefined my pain threshold completely.
might try and find a flatter ride it event to go to seen as i can enter one free now

cernan did you catch any of the richmond grand prix (premier calendar) riders ?
we past their feed station between askrigg and redmire,

rapha condor sharp, sigma sports et al..

Yeah, i saw them blitzing whilst munching mini eggs. made me feel even more tired! and very jealous about their closed roads!

It's nice to know that I'm not the only one to suffer when I'm riding this terrain! As cernan says, it's all easily accessed from Leeds, and where I am is eight miles nearer again.

Glad you all hurt, but also glad you enjoyed it!

i texted wifey from leeds station late last night saying would should sell up when our girls finish school, move to north yorkshire.. i have found a nice place in kettlewell, we could open a cyclist's cafe with running repairs, screen televised races.. for roadies and mountain bikers, organise a few rollapaluza style hill climbs.. (all on the door step) give some of the LMNH mechanics working holidays up here with lodgings and enjoy a better fricking life away from this god forsaken city full of melts

well there was that pretty good looking converted barn after the reservoir climb.....

^^You could do worse...
North Yorkshire is ace, but the winters can be fucking cruel. Zero income for many, many months.
Still, it's possible. The lads round here love a cafe stop, and a good option would be to offer cheap accommodation specifically for cyclists, such as a bunk barn with bike lock up facilities. Imagine a big barn, soft hay on the planks and hammocks strung between the beams... Riders would flock to it!

nr semer water? could be abit isolated but a decent spot..i really need to review the demographic, make some enquiries discuss with local clubs, and the likes of ribble cycles and other businesses... not saying it'll be a hub for the dales but away from the built up areas could be something.. this is a few year's away though, my girls are in a decent school in London right now, i don't want to panic the family

there are a ton of other activities in north yorks too.. but as Luci said it is very seasonal.. suspect the winter's are wet snow not that dry powdery stuff good for xc-skiing and snow shoeing about.. maybe spend christmas up there to get a feel for it at it's worse..

anyway i love the LMNH concept and reckon i could put together a northern version.. toasties, cakes, mugs of tea keep it local in flavour but with an alpine twist.. loving the barn idea this is popular in switzerland

we'll call sleep-ont-straw

North Yorkshire is perfect!

i reckon haworth high street time trial to rival swains lane..

Yorkshire and Lancashire are massively into hill climbs. Through Autumn you can't move for them on Sundays. Haworth would be a very tricky town to close, even for a couple of hours. The revenue from the Japanese and Americans is immense, due to the Bronte connection. There are plenty of very close cobbled lanes locally, and there's always a pub nice and near to warm the cockles after screaming at wheezing riders!

our ride was altered due to timetrial nr Muker yesterday..
Haworth is pretty special alright, but early evening when the coaches have gone, shops closed
no chance of a little event you reckon?

Also is the half ironman (oldest and toughest) triathlon still going in the Yorkshire Dales..
swim start was semer water, epic bike ride of 60 miles, finished with a fell run up Pen-y-ghent and back to/from either Hornton-in-Ribblesdale or Hebden Bridge memory is fading :)

Kind of glad I didn't go, would have definitely ended up in the sweeping van.
if you didn't complete you get a free entry next time?

if i set up something like this in kettlewell.. i'd be very happy
http://www.dalesmountainbiking.co.uk....php/about-us/
also
http://www.thebikelivery.com/

it'll have to accommodate MTB, cyclocross and road cycling methinks

@almac68, thanks for the Garmin route

thanks route is great

the search for premises begins... also need to get some bike maintenance qualifications in 2012.. there's gold in them hills..

you acually thinking of doing this Al?
i'd be a customer.....

i'm back in yorkshire saturday 17th march, staying in bishop thornton.. the moors and dales is in my blood now..

You made me miss.

I never miss.

Looking forward to the ride!

luci, you have the ride details.. looking forward to meeting you in march with the lads from harrogate.

Al

Now you've made it sound sinister, like you're all gonna do me over or something!

aye the lads from harrogate, an evil bunch.. we'll lead you up to coverdale then steal your flapjacks and energy bars when you are not looking.. hahahaha #evillaugh

seriously though, niall has said that if the weather is foul, Plan B mountain bikes and go offroad, could you do that? Plan A is still road bikes with gears for a 100km hilly ride across the dales with plenty of cafe stops and supper/beers saturday night if you can join us. should have a small squad for company all good fellas i promise.. check your email sent last night and let me know it'll be a good day out.

Al

i've just put in an enquiry with local brewery for the White Lion Pub, Barnoldswick (Earby), for 5 year (short term) lease.. despite county line changes these folk are yorkshire, not lancs.. but good striking distance from the Dales and not competing with established cyclist Pub in Gargrave.

if i ever get my cyclocross team established.. we'll be known as the 'barlick toasters' and fly a huge flag with white lion on navy background.. like we were in flanders ;-)

wish me luck.

A

OMFG I really need to get some gears :(

Dan, you'd make the first team methinks.. the cyclocross is hardcore, and the MTB is excellent too.

in fact i may name my second bottled beer YAL, TGH being the first.

http://www.cyclesportpendle.org.uk/c...ober-2011.html

having HOPE and Rolls Royce on the doorstep..
http://www.hopetech.com/
http://www.rolls-royce.com/careers/w...rnoldswick.jsp

will be interesting too.

Just spent the 45 mins looking at cross bikes. Dying for one now, Anyone out there have a nice 'cross bike in 'mens petite' they'd like to sell me?

if/when i sign the lease..
i'll be buying a cross bike and mtb..
for year 'round cycling

Back when I were a lad, someone changed the wording of the road signs.
The butchered versions read;

Good luck with the venture.
(Make sure you have a decent cider on draft)