NOTICE: User accounts and passwords
Due to a recent website update, you may experience issues logging into your user account. If you do, please try resetting your password.
Website improvements are on the way. Please stay calm and patient.
Tour of Britain 2015 stage 2
Sunday 9th August was pencilled in for a Tour de Yorkshire ride but as the Tour of Britain is coming to Lancashire later this year it seemed to good an opportunity to miss. I am suggesting we ride most of what will be stage 2, the pros will ride this on 7th September. The ToB route starts in Clitheroe and finishes in Colne but I have planned a route to start and finish in Whalley, as we don't have the benefit of team buses to transfer. We will still do most of the major climbs from the ToB.
I might tweak this route a bit yet but at the moment it is about 82m and 6,000ft of climbing. I will also plan a cafe stop.
We would drive to Whalley for about 8am, be ready to set off about 8.30am.
http://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_4130022.html
The profile shows it is up and down all day, so a hard day out.
Who is interested?
Ride stage 2 of the Tour of Britain before the pros...
The plan is to ride the majority of stage 2 of the Tour of Britain on Sunday 9th August, the pros will tackle this stage on 7th September.
The route for us is a loop starting and finishing in Chatburn, covering 82 miles with 6,000ft of climbing. Apart from the first 8 miles it is up or down the whole route, great fun
It will take about an hour to drive up to the meeting point. This is outside Shackletons Garden Centre, BB7 4JY, where there is on-road parking. They do have a car park but not sure how they will feel about us taking spaces. They do have a cafe which is open from 10am - 5.pm on a Sunday so there could be a cafe sprint at the very end of the ride.
I would suggest we aim to get there for 8.00am, usual faffing about and set off for 8.30am. Allowing about 6 hours for riding plus a cafe stop we might get back to Chatburn at 3.30pm.
The route allows for a cafe stop at either Slaidburn (46 miles) or Bolton by Bowland (51 miles).
This is the final route and it would help to have more than one garmin just in case of any issues.
http://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_4130022.html
Who is up for it and we can sort transport?
Howie is up for it, I have
Howie is up for it, I have room for one more rider & bike.
Steve I'm in!
Steve, book me in that empty seat please!!
I'm bad and that's good. I will never be good and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be, than me. (Wreck-It Ralph, 2012)
You're in the HMCC team bus
You're in the HMCC team bus
I'm in all being well and
I'm in all being well and good
Am up for this Ste if that's
Am up for this Ste if that's okay.
Vikki.
Six so far, maybe seven
I will have Howie and DNA in my team car. Dan, Vikki and James are also out for the day. James has posted on the home page that he can take two riders and bikes, let him know if you want a place.
Tom Hanlon has said on Strava that he is up for this, which would mean seven........and every KOM for the day taken!
I'm in.......
I will be going and taking our vikki in "Team Cog" car.....I am just waiting on a reply off Paul Bolton to see if he is coming too......
John Lynch.....
Count me in!I can take two
Count me in!
I can take two people, if you need a lift let me know. We will meet at the Bus Station car park near the shop in plenty of time to get to Whalley for 8am
One Place left in my car
Ste Francis is travelling with me. I have one place left if anyone needs it.
Oops, I'm out!
Sorry Steve, just read the post properly. I'm still away next Sunday. I thought it was in September!!
I'm bad and that's good. I will never be good and that's not bad. There's no one I'd rather be, than me. (Wreck-It Ralph, 2012)
I have a spare place in my
I have a spare place in my car if anyone wants it.
Car Arrangements
Ste F & Colin Clark are traveling in the HMCC Edge bus, .
I will PM these two to sort out timings so that we get to Shackletons Garden Centre, BB7 4JY for 08:00am
I will have Howie, Steve
I will have Howie, Steve Williams and possible Joe Hanlon with me. James has three in his car. John Lynch looks like he has three in his car. Ian Gallagher is making his own way, so is Mr Poll. Dan are you still able to make it, if so how are you fixed for transport? That would make 13, unless there is anyone else who fancies it.
Forecast looking better....
The forecast is starting to look better for Sunday, fingers crossed, make a final call on Saturday.
Team cars keep changing. I will have Ste F & Howie with me. James has Steve Williams, Colin has has to drop out due to a course for work, so he has a spare place. John Lynch has Vikki and possibly Paul. Ian G, Mr Poll and maybe Dan are all making their own way. If any of you want a lift contact James.
If there anyone else going let us know.
Meeting up in Chatburn (BB7 4JY) although I will make a quick coffee stop on the way there at McD's on the A59 just beofre Clitheroe (BB7 9WF) for some caffeine! Still be there for about 8:00, ready to set off for 8:30.
My Spare Car Space Taken
Chris Garman is jumping in my car.
I'm up for this, will sort
I'm up for this, will sort out own transport as all HMCC buses seem to be full! See ye in the morning...
Kev Bellion has sent me a
Kev Bellion has sent me a text, he is making his way up there too.
What a ride!
What a ride!
After a number of aborted attempts to continue our rides further from the shop, in the last few weeks our luck changed and we managed the Peak District ride and then on Sunday Ste D’s ride around the best part of stage 2 of the Tour of Britain.
14 of us met under grey skies in Chatburn and headed out at a nice relaxed pace, pretty much on time towards Whalley. Ste D took the front for the first part of the ride, rather astutely given this was pretty much the only flat part of the whole ride. However he spent the first 20 minutes fighting with his Garmin to get the route up, which failed him. Luckily Steve Williams and I had it on our much cheaper (and more reliable) Mio so we were able to guide the group around for the rest of the day.
The morning pleasantries didn’t last too long as we soon hit Whalley and the first climb of the day, with much relief we rode past Whalley Nab instead taking on the long drag up Whalley Old Road. Ste D’s chain came off and being caring individuals we all raced off eager to test our legs on this climb. The theme of the day was set as Phil and Luke quickly opened a gap and played cat and mouse up the climb leaving the rest to us grinding our way up. Ste F seemed very eager to test his form with a number of attacks out of the saddle but no one was bringing the two mountain goats back.
After regrouping we descended down through Wilpshire and then Ribchester taking in some beautiful scenery, then onto some more familiar roads around Longridge and then onto Chipping. By this point Ste F and Luke had taken the front and the pace had definitely been lifted, the sun had also started to make an appearance and arm and leg warmers were being removed to cope. After avoiding Whalley Nab we were delighted to turn away from Jeffery Hill and head down into the trough past the ever upmarket Inn at Whitewell. We arrived at Dunsop Bridge and rather than take a left turn to climb out of the trough we followed the road round, past the Puddleduck Café and onto Slaidburn for the café stop of the day.
The café at Slaidburn by the river was small but the owners were very friendly with quick service and good food. Talk quickly turned to the coming miles, with Ste pointing out that the bulk of the climbing was still to come. He wasn’t wrong! With our stomachs full and legs cold we hit the road and within 30 seconds were faced with a long climb hitting 13% and a hair pin that wouldn’t have been out of place in the Dolomites.
With our legs fully tested we regrouped and Phil and I led the way over the tops taking in more incredible views, the rolling terrain was taking its toll so the pace was kept steady but still brisk. One factor that the councils need to sort and obviously are trying to was the number of potholes, with many roads signs saying the roads would be closed for resurfacing. Ste D’s route took us off a main road and down something that wouldn’t look out of place on Dan Monaghan’s classics ride. How someone didn’t puncture is beyond me but is quickly decided that this must have been a mapping error as there is no way the pro’s will be cycling down such a road. This was confirmed when the route wanted take us up something that even our knobbly tyre brethren would have objected to. We took a detour using James’ Garmin, claiming a point back on the Mio vs Garmin debate, getting us back on track.
More amazing scenery and lovely small villages before he headed into Barnoldswick and then Earby. The sight of a shop to allow some riders to fill up bottles led to a slow down and a touch of wheels with hitting the deck and her rear mech taking a battering. Some tinkering got her bike sorted and on we went, leaving Earby to a fearsome climb. 1.8km at an average of 11.2%, with a section so steep I was fighting to keep my front wheel on the tarmac. One prediction will be that the peloton will be smashed apart here, when the pro’s take this on in one month’s time. At this point all everyone wanted to know was if that was the last climb, unfortunately it wasn’t, by a long shot. For the next 10 miles we hit some fast descent followed by nasty climbs, regrouping at every summit. We then went through the village of Barley past some pubs full of sensible people who spend their Sunday afternoons eating good food and enjoying the sunshine, as we left Barley we narrowly avoided getting wiped out by a black Audi on a blind bend and then the penultimate climb began, the long arduous climb up Barley Fell, something that after 75 miles really took its toll. A quick descent before a final leg breaker and we were home.
A tough ride with nowhere to hide – a real one day classic kind of course that I doubt will end in a bunch sprint, one to watch out for when the pro’s take it on.
Huge thanks to Ste D for organising another great trip out – cannot recommend rides like this enough, keep your eyes peeled for them next year, as I am sure they will be repeated.
Post new comment