It didn't go well for him yesterday. Been enjoying the coverage of both stage races on Eurosport and it just left a tinge of sadness when the race ended up like that. Hard to watch.Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
It didn't go well for him yesterday. Been enjoying the coverage of both stage races on Eurosport and it just left a tinge of sadness when the race ended up like that. Hard to watch.
Richard Taylor
"William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
Sid Waddell
It looked a lot warmer outside today than it actually was, and windier too.
A headwind out to Chelmorton and Brierlow Bar on the Scott Solace before a little shelter over to Earl Sterndale, Glutton Bridge and Hollinsclough. Back to Longnor and then along the ridge between the Dove and Manifold valleys with a nice tailwind to Hulme End. The beautiful views were only glimpsed as that road, especially through Sheen, has a terrible surface in places.
Back to Hartington and then up Long Dale which seems to always funnel a westerly into a northerly headwind. The legs were tired so I crossed the 515 at Tagg Lane, dropped into Monyash and a nice taily home.
It was nice to hear children's voices again from the village school playgrounds that I passed, a sign that things may be getting better. Three other cyclists seen, a couple on a tandem and what looked like a proper cyclist dressed in all black Castelli Haute Couture who sped passed me at the bottom of Long Dale, as I was stationary finishing my Marathon, without even a wave or hello.
I can happily report that I reeled him in, Roglic like, in under two miles just before he turned off to Parsley Hay. No wonder my legs were tired!
A total of 30.82 miles, 2,756 feet in 2hrs 10min. A very enjoyable ride out.
Visibility good except in Hill Fog
As noted earlier there used to be a railway between Colne (via Foulridge, Earby [Barnoldswick], Thornton, Elslack) and Skipton. It was 11 1/4 miles long. From Colne you could travel anywhere and similarly from Skipton eg via the Settle-Carlisle to Scotland. Barbara Castle (Labour Transport Minister) authorised its closure from 1st February 1970, a closure NOT recommended in the 1963 Beeching Report.
Very little of the "track bed" has been built on and a study is to be carried out to assess the viability of rebuilding the line. "A no-brainer" is not a phrase I use often but in this case...
It is actually possible to travel the 11 1/4 miles between Colne and Skipton by train. It requires 3 changes and takes 4 hours 10 mins (and a single is from £23). Skipton is north of Colne but the current rail route via Burnley, Halifax and Bradford goes a long, long way south first.
And apart from revitalising the labour market and the economy there is the benefit of a shorter more efficient route for 2000+ tonnes quarry trains.
Anyway: today's blue sky merited a trip on the Bianchi so I cycled via Silsden, Cowling and Colne to Foulridge (notable as one end of the famous long tunnel on the Leeds-Liverpool canal) to explore the last bit of track bed to Colne 2 1/4 miles away, which I had never explored. Most of the track bed is in a cutting and therefore approximates to a swamp and the path that walkers have created over the past 51 years is uneven, unattractive and mostly mud. Of course reclaiming track beds for social purposes (SUSTRANS) is far harder and more expensive for those in cuttings so SUSTRANS usually go for those on embankments to avoid the drainage issues. I have ridden on some lovely elevated routes. And obviously a route in a cutting is not quite as attractive to those seeking spectacular views.
The track bed comes to an abrupt stop at the A6068 (Vivary Way)by Boundary Mill, Colne which I joined, suitably subdued, to ride home up the long drag (passing Black Lane Ends) to the wonderful Pinhaw Beacon (388 metres) with its spectacular views and deliciously long and fast 12% descent to Carleton in Craven and Skipton.
42 miles and 3250 feet. It was a beautiful day so I was happy to ride and of course there would have been no practical train service available to get me home had I had a major mechanical
Last edited by Graham Breeze; 17-03-2021 at 11:28 AM.
"...as dry as the Atacama desert".
12k on the tandem with Mrs Noel before the sun set. Glorious hazy views across the Cheshire plain from the road near the Hanging Gate Pub.
We did about 5km running earlier in the day, so all good triathlon training. I might do a few lengths of the bath later for the full training experience.
26 miles and 3525ft around the reservoir, mix of on and off road. I am not fast in these hills!
Don't roll with a pig in poo. You get covered in poo and the pig likes it.
sounds like a nice day out Graham.As noted earlier there used to be a railway between Colne (via Foulridge, Earby [Barnoldswick], Thornton, Elslack) and Skipton. It was 11 1/4 miles long. From Colne you could travel anywhere and similarly from Skipton eg via the Settle-Carlisle to Scotland. Barbara Castle (Labour Transport Minister) authorised its closure from 1st February 1970, a closure NOT recommended in the 1963 Beeching Report.
Very little of the "track bed" has been built on and a study is to be carried out to assess the viability of rebuilding the line. "A no-brainer" is not a phrase I use often but in this case...
It is actually possible to travel the 11 1/4 miles between Colne and Skipton by train. It requires 3 changes and takes 4 hours 10 mins (and a single is from £23). Skipton is north of Colne but the current rail route via Burnley, Halifax and Bradford goes a long, long way south first.
And apart from revitalising the labour market and the economy there is the benefit of a shorter more efficient route for 2000+ tonnes quarry trains.
Anyway: today's blue sky merited a trip on the Bianchi so I cycled via Silsden, Cowling and Colne to Foulridge (notable as one end of the famous long tunnel on the Leeds-Liverpool canal) to explore the last bit of track bed to Colne 2 1/4 miles away, which I had never explored. Most of the track bed is in a cutting and therefore approximates to a swamp and the path that walkers have created over the past 51 years is uneven, unattractive and mostly mud. Of course reclaiming track beds for social purposes (SUSTRANS) is far harder and more expensive for those in cuttings so SUSTRANS usually go for those on embankments to avoid the drainage issues. I have ridden on some lovely elevated routes. And obviously a route in a cutting is not quite as attractive to those seeking spectacular views.
The track bed comes to an abrupt stop at the A6068 (Vivary Way)by Boundary Mill, Colne which I joined, suitably subdued, to ride home up the long drag (passing Black Lane Ends) to the wonderful Pinhaw Beacon (388 metres) with its spectacular views and deliciously long and fast 12% descent to Carleton in Craven and Skipton.
42 miles and 3250 feet. It was a beautiful day so I was happy to ride and of course there would have been no practical train service available to get me home had I had a major mechanical
The quarry trains can I think use the Clitheroe section and link up to Long Preston and is occasionally used for some seasonal passenger trains and quite often for freight, as well as an option when the West Coast mainline is out of action.
I agree though opening up beyond Colne would add options, as well as more regular services via Clitheroe.
Richard Taylor
"William Tell could take an apple off your head. Taylor could take out a processed pea."
Sid Waddell
"...as dry as the Atacama desert".
28 miles in the forest of dean. 3,140 feet of climbing. Average 9 mph. Me and Mr Bosch that is.
Simon Blease
Monmouth
Glad I continue to inspire you Mr B.
I went out on my newly serviced bike last night.
Was smoothly whizzing along with my brand new sprocket, new brakes and new pedals.
Until at the end of a long very steep decent into Lothersdale part of my brake (the disc?) fell out onto the floor.
I stopped to pick it up and burnt my hand. Ouch.
Do you need to bed new disc brakes in?
Yikes. I didn't know that could happen.
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