Today's Bike Ride

[Graham Breeze]

A cold and blustery wind hampered my progress today during my 40 miles and 4'183 feet ride resulting in it taking 3hrs 2min.
For a change I set off downhill into Ashford in the Water and along to Great Longstone and up Longstone Edge. A headwind to the top of Hay Dale before I dropped into Upperdale and then the steep climb up to and through Cressbrook and on to Litton.

Back into a headwind for the next 10 miles along the road above Little Hucklow and then over to Peak Forest with no respite until Wormhill and the drop into Millers Dale where a welcome latte and date slice (again) warmed me up.

No excitement at todays stop other than a dog eating someone's chips!

Now refuelled I took on the mile and a quarter drag out of Millers Dale up to the A6. I hate this hill. It is sheltered from the wind and not particularly steep but I can never seem to get into a comfortable gear or pace. Perhaps it is because every time I do it it is at least, and usually more than, 2 hrs into a ride.

Anyway I got to the A6 and the headwind again riding over to Chelmorton and on to the 515. Then nearly all downhill to Flagg, Monyash and home after what felt like a tough ride.

Please forgive me if I should know this, but Earl Sterndale, Millers Dale, Chelmorton,..have you ever done the Bullock Smithy? (I don't mean on your bike!)

[Llani Boy]

Please forgive me if I should know this, but Earl Sterndale, Millers Dale, Chelmorton,..have you ever done the Bullock Smithy? (I don't mean on your bike!)

No I haven't Graham. I think the order should be Millers Dale, Chelmorton, Earl Sterndale.

Funny you should mention it as a friend of mine led a group of five around the route 3 weeks ago, although only he and one of them finished!

[Graham Breeze]

No I haven't Graham. I think the order should be Millers Dale, Chelmorton, Earl Sterndale.

Funny you should mention it as a friend of mine led a group of five around the route 3 weeks ago, although only he and one of them finished!

Yes on the order. Millers Dale is 28 miles in. All much too far for me to do (56 miles!) but I kept recognising the three CPs (7,8,9) above in your ride accounts and wondered.

[Travs]

Is this an invitation to start a closest to the bullseye thread, like 'Where am I?', for cyclists?

Seriously though, the term 'just pushing along nicely' should not be used for this route. It is the cycling equivalent to two really nasty climbs at the end of a tough fell race.

I've only ridden it once, and managed to pedal all the way without stopping. I do recall a left-hand bend going up Hardknott being so steep I had to ride it on the wrong side of the road; it's that sort of climb.

You will need low gearing too, otherwise you'll be walking a lot which won't be much fun as it often busy with cars. You'll need good brakes too.

Going back to your first question, my guess is 59 minutes if you're going to ride hard (if you spot a cyclist in front and get carried away), or 90 minutes if you're going to ride it more conservatively.

Thank you Marco.

Certainly not looking for anyone to predict my time to the minute! But yes some indication that it might take approx 1.5 hours rather than 2.5 is most welcome for logistical purposes...

[Graham Breeze]

Thank you Marco.

Certainly not looking for anyone to predict my time to the minute! But yes some indication that it might take approx 1.5 hours rather than 2.5 is most welcome for logistical purposes...

Hardknott has some 30% or possibly 33% but even if you are walking you should be able to manage 2mph. It is, say 1.3 miles. Wrynose is 25% and 1.5 miles. I would have thought something close to 1.5 hours was reasonable.

There is a mass of stuff on youtube including Fred Whitton footage where you will see how many people walk up Hardknott.

[molehill]

30k with 600m, it was horrible and nearly blown over. Was also wearing running shorts and top + trainers, but with the addition of a light goretex jacket ( it was p***ing down). One day I will buy some trendy cycling gear. Possibly.

[Graham Breeze]

If the gearing is low enough any hill on a road is rideable, even if your bike is heavy

Well Travs hadn't mentioned gears so I assumed he was doing it on a F/W.

[Gambatte]

Having started our second lockdown a few days ago I've had more time to look at this using the climbbybike site https://www.climbbybike.com/country/Germany/8 and have found a bigger climb called the Waseberg on the Blankeneser Berge. It says it's the hardest climb in North Germany

Hey Marco, the Waseberg you mention, 0.66km 73m Strava, is actually barely half a mile off my fav Falkensteiner, 0.57km 65m. I do both regularly. Although Waseberg is bigger I prefer Falkensteiner because more space and less traffic for U-turn at each end.
https://www.strava.com/activities/4340590902

Very good climbing I'd love to have the geography to do it regularly, but living in flat boring northern Germany because the career I've chosen I'm afraid I can only do it when I visit Mum in northern Italy during holiday. Here a very great one:
https://www.strava.com/activities/2586844820

[Gambatte]

Thanks for that Alberto; I prefer the look of the Bondone Does your Mum live in Riva?

Now, if you want some real British climbing you should look at Travs post about the road just North of Coniston that goes over the Wrynose and Hardknott passes - with genuine stretches of 1 in 3! Seriously hard and closer to you than Lake Garda as the crow flies

Yes, my Mum lives in Riva. She was born in nearby Arco, spent adulthood in Milan (I was born and grew up there, very ugly place, only good thing of Milan is that it's 3hr drive from MtBlanc to the West, 3hr drive from the Dolomites to the East, and 1hr drive from other mountains to the north). After retirement she went back to Riva. All my life I visited Riva/Arco regularly, but it was always only visiting family. Nothing wrong with that, but wow it was dead boring just watching my mum playing cards with her sisters and chatting football and school with my cousins. It took me long to realize that since gorgeous mountains are there, when you are in the area just better make use of them.

I think I did the Wrynose and Hardknott already, in the 2005-2010 years I lived in the North West. I remember the luxury of cycling into the peak district directly from home, or driving to the Lakes for hiking etc. It was really super.

[Travs]

Yes, my Mum lives in Riva. She was born in nearby Arco, spent adulthood in Milan (I was born and grew up there, very ugly place, only good thing of Milan is that it's 3hr drive from MtBlanc to the West, 3hr drive from the Dolomites to the East, and 1hr drive from other mountains to the north). After retirement she went back to Riva. All my life I visited Riva/Arco regularly, but it was always only visiting family. Nothing wrong with that, but wow it was dead boring just watching my mum playing cards with her sisters and chatting football and school with my cousins. It took me long to realize that since gorgeous mountains are there, when you are in the area just better make use of them.

I think I did the Wrynose and Hardknott already, in the 2005-2010 years I lived in the North West. I remember the luxury of cycling into the peak district directly from home, or driving to the Lakes for hiking etc. It was really super.

Similar reason to why i like Milan...

Transport network. In two hours on the train you can be in Genoa, Torino, Verona, Venice, Bergamo, Bologna, Florence, Lugano, Como, Parma.

Actually quite like the city too, although yes there are more attractive Italian cities...