Luke Appleyard (Wharfedale)- quick on the dissent
Rode with my son today. Alas not to Pateley Bridge** but 21 local miles: Cow & Calf, Old Pool Bank, 1860 feet. My resting pulse of less than 50bpm peaked at 157 - but I was trying to keep up with him. Very windy but "hundreds" of cyclists out.
** The Visit Harrogate Tourist site advertises "Nidderdale's Killer Climbs":
Trapping Hill, or the Cote de Lofthouse.
Now famous after its starring role on Stage 2 of the 2017 Tour de Yorkshire Trapping Hill leaves the village of Lofthouse far behind as it climbs the valley wall of Upper Nidderdale. Not dropping below 10% until the end this climb is relentless from the outset but kicks up at several points to escalate the challenge.
Naught Bank (or ‘Two Stoops’)
Naught Bank might not be so bad if it were not for the 25% left hand hairpin in its opening stretch. Never letting you see too much of the climb at once this road explores the hillside as it climbs before finding a nook to sneak up onto the moors. The Two Stoops name comes from the popular folly that can be seen on its summit.
Peat Lane
Starting near the foot of Naught Bank, Peat Lane is a climb of two halves, with most of the climbing coming in the first half mile and the added challenge of a poor road surface. The second half is a climbing time trial of about a mile in length emerging finally by the popular Coldstones Cut.
Old Church Lane
This climb begins at the top of a hill. But bear with us. While the main road up Pateley Bridge’s award winning high street turns to follow a gentle route down the valley, our climb carries on up possibly the hardest of our Killer Climbs. Passing the old church of St Mary’s that gives the climb its name, the tight, winding, and unrelenting gradients take the most direct route up the north side of Nidderdale and simply do not stop until you reach the top.
~~~
One might think if you are cyclist you may as well stay in Pateley Bridge where these climbs actually are - but perhaps that was a pedal stroke too far for the Harrogate Tourist Office!
Last edited by Graham Breeze; 27-03-2021 at 04:28 PM.
"...as dry as the Atacama desert".
And the Pie shop in Pateley Bridge is probably the best in Yorkshire - so the world.
Old Pool Bank is a stiff climb. Many running sessions up there with my Otley running club mates. Bugger to race up, unless it's against Mr Cardinale!
Last edited by MattPo; 27-03-2021 at 08:30 PM.
This morning Wheeze came on his bike......let me rephrase that 🤔.
Wheeze and friend stopped by on their bikes for a cup of coffee - b****r wrong sort of bikes, forget that.
Don't roll with a pig in poo. You get covered in poo and the pig likes it.
At last, sunshine and dry a glorious spring day. Unfortunately the ride was inglorious, suffered from the start and legs refused to work - even after a mars bar!
Cut the route short by missing a big forestry section and happy to arrive home after 44k and 1070m ascent.
It is very up and down here, in fact there is no flat peddling on any route - unless I head down the valley to main A roads ☹. I do frequently wish for some easy riding just for the sake of it as I get no younger! Most of my routes including the back roads tend to average out around 1000m per 50k.
Don't roll with a pig in poo. You get covered in poo and the pig likes it.
With a warm forecast I decided to display my gorgeous Mercatone Uno-Bianchi-Girmi (see left) top for the first time this year and pay homage to Marco on the Nick O' Pendle which Simon Warren awards 8/10 (rather generously in my view) in Cycling Climbs of North-West England. Apparently I was almost alone in this ambition because I only saw one other rider in the area but dozens of parked cars of course.
So out via Silsden-Cowling-Colne and then up to Sabden. With an OS map in my sack I would normally disdain the
navigational abilities of my phone but on this occasion it was valuable by warning me that Sabden Road was closed and finding the fastest alternative route ("fast" here being a relative term). Then home via the Clitheroe-Skipton Road.
So 56 miles, 3900 feet, max pulse 154, max speed 42 mph, one litre of apple juice, 2 gels and one sandwich consumed and, can that really be the start of a sun tan in March?
Last edited by Graham Breeze; 31-03-2021 at 04:59 PM.
"...as dry as the Atacama desert".