The great thing about cycling in Yorkshire is that you can be greeted by cyclists going the otherway with:

“Ey up”

It beats ‘hi’ anytime. There is always a bit of debate about the cycling etiquette of acknowledging fellow riders going the other way. In the days when cycling was a minority sport, the rarity of the occasion made it easier to do. Nowadays it would be hard work to greet every cyclist on the road. Maybe when I go back down south I will try greeting every cyclist with ‘Ey Up’ and see how it goes down.

Given the long time off the bike, fitness has evaporated and I’ve lost some muscle mass on the legs. I must be a bit slower than usual, because I got overtaken a couple of times. That’s not so common on training rides.

Still it was good to make it all the way to Grassington. I like cycling at this time of the year. There is a raw beauty of winter, plus the Dales is a lot quieter. The main drawbacks to December cycling are the weather and the fact that by 3.30pm it’s getting dark.

The village of Linton.

Looking north towards Grassington.

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The road to Burnsall.

I’ve found a new feature on my camera which takes panorama shots (click to enlarge). It’s also that time of the year, where I’m in the mood for being a touring cyclist rather than cycle-racer.

The weather is great, but the Yorkshire Dales roads are much busier now it’s the summer holidays. I remember why I like riding in spring and autumn so much now.

The road to Langbar. Be careful of sheep.

Panorama of Langbar.

Panorama 2.

The road over Langbar.

I had a letter to post, so I thought I would stop at the first letterbox by the side of the road. I ended up cycling 15 miles to Woodstock before a letterbox appeared. It was a rather well maintained letterbox.

Lower Wharfedale.

One of those days when I was in the mood for stopping and taking photos rather than concentrating on cycling.

I could quite see myself as a cycle tourist, panniers, fat tyres and rolling around the countryside. Not sure about growing a beard though.

Intrigued by the wildflowers by the side of the road. Again a sign of the tourist nature dominating. Usually when cycling I don’t notice these things.

A few weeks earlier. Wharfedale looking towards Barden Tower.

Barden Bridge

North of A59

I went up  Hainworth Lane cobbles a few weeks ago. Can’t say I enjoyed it!

A typical view from the steep hills of West Yorkshire.

Looking towards Hebden Bridge

Calderdale is an area which has grown on me. Densely populated, and roads often busy, but still great views.

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Today I went to Hebden Bridge, Todmorden, Widdop Moor and Trawden. It was just short of 3,000m of climbing in 70 miles. A strange kind of rest, though it was good to find some new climbs and new roads – not too far from Menston.

You wouldn’t choose West Yorkshire for a cycling holiday, but I’ve grown to really like these valleys and moors. Going from dense conurbations to quiet roads and moors, within a few miles. There are many moor roads, where you can see the packed terrace houses of towns down below and green moors above.

After that, I had a sharp descent to Todmorden where I went looking for a new climb called “Dog House Lane”. I read about it in Cycling Climbs of Yorkshire. I took a bit of time to find the climb in Todmorden, though it’s right near the train station, so easy when you know. Whilst deciding which road in Todmorden to take, I saw a rider go past, fully kitted out in the Orica Bike Exchange kit. For a moment, I thought it might be Simon Yates (who is from Bury). But, then I saw the size of the riders stomach, and realised it couldn’t be a professional who weighed 59 kg.

Dog House Lane is very steep at the bottom and, with a bit of moisture on the road, I got a bit of wheel slip to add to the drama of the climb. Usually when going up big climbs, I try to engineer a tailwind (i.e. pick the right climbs for the day) But today I just wanted to do a particular circuit and all main climbs seemed to have a headwind – especially Dog House Lane – which made the finishing drag a bit of a pain. On the way down I saw the most amazing cow with horns like he belonged in the Alps. I should have taken a photo because it was a wonderful contrast to the bleak moors and industrial towns below. You can find almost everything in West Yorkshire.

After the descent to Cornholme, it was another climb in quick succession. This time Shore climb which snaked north east towards Stansfield Moor. I enjoyed this climb a lot, perhaps because I finally I had a cross/tailwind, but there were also plenty of sharp switchbacks and a steep gradient to make it interesting.

Going up Shore climb, I overtook a fellow rider, who was also managing to take a selfie of himself going up the hill. I’ve never tried to take a selfie whilst climbing a 20% hill, but seeing a fellow cyclist was an encouragement to a bigger effort, and I made a good dash for the summit.

After that climb I headed towards Hebden Bridge but took a left to another new climb Widdop Moor. It was also a new road I’d never ridden before. Quiet and scenic, only spoiled by that irritating headwind. At Trawden the legs were starting to feel a little fatigued, but it was a strong tailwind all the way home – through Haworth and Bingley, which is always the flip side of riding the first half into the wind.

Training for 12 hour time trials was mostly on the flat, but it certainly doesn’t harm your form for grovelling up 20% hills. So if you want to get better at hill climbs, do a 12 hour time trial. That’s my advice for the year.

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The weather forecast for today was sun and westerley wind. I thought I would be clever and get a train from Bingley to Clapham and avoid a long slog into a headwind. It partly worked out because the wind was strong, but ‘light occasional showers’ obviously means something very different west of Settle.

First up was a new climb south from Clapham towards the Trough of Bowland called Bowland Knotts. It is a climb from 100 climbs, and I probably wouldn’t have thought of taking this road without a desire to tick off a few more climbs in the book. The road was certainly very isolated and quiet. In a long ascent and descent, I think I only saw one car, four people and a dog. It’s not mid-summer, but if you’re looking for traffic free roads, this is as good as it gets.

The climb is a long drag of 4 miles plus – averaging only 4%, but with a strong side wind, it was tough going, though some great views partly compensated. Looking back down the hill, it reminded me somewhat of the bleak open climb of the Stang in North Yorkshire. Though this climb has no 17% gradient to start off with.

After going up the climb I did a u-turn and came back down to get some photos. On the long descent it started raining, and there was no shelter to speak off – barely the odd bush let alone a tree. Eventually I plodded on to Giggleswick. I was fed up of the rain and sheltered in a red phone box. It was no laughing matter getting soaked through in Giggleswick. After a minute standing in a red phone box, I realised this really wasn’t much help. Anyway, the rain eased off so I went over to the climb of Langcliffe Scar. I had plans to go a long way north, but the return of heavy rain, encouraged me to do another u-turn and seek out some shelter in Settle.

I rarely stop at cafes these days, but the rain looked set in and I fancied warming up. I stopped at a Settle cafe, joining another three bedraggled cyclists over tea and eggs on toast. Sitting in sodden clothes was slightly uncomfortable despite the warming tea, I tried to dry my gloves by placing the pot of hot water on them. As I was leaving another two dripping cyclists came in asking for  “Two by the radiator, please” (shaking into the cafe in bare legs – brave for the inclement weather.)

Out of Settle, there is a steep climb High Hill Lane and this takes you towards Malham. Sun came out east of Settle.

Malham Tarn to Arncliffe.

A lone cyclist.

A strange day, the train was a good idea. But, despite cheating with a tailwind for most of the ride, it was a very slow average speed, 15.6 mph. Wet and hilly. In the end 65 miles, 2,300m of climbing.

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After images of congestion and congested roads, a few photos of people cycling on quiet roads. This is partly because cars are restricted in these areas or I have waited for the road to be clear.

The cycling idyll.

Bridge of Sighs, Oxford.

The Oxford High Street looking suspiciously quiet.

Quiet enough to carry mortar board to exam.

This is called the Valley of Desolation. It is the backroad from Bolton Abbey to Barden and Bursnall. It is single track and usually pretty quiet.

If you want to find really quiet roads, try abroad. Especially in the off-tourist season. This is from Sicily.

National Hill climb, Jackson Bridge. An extreme way to get to cycle on 1 mile of roads closed to traffic. Maybe riding on the hard shoulder of the A40 isn’t so bad after all.

Dunkery Beacon in September.

Walbury hill climb – another closed road event. But you have to ride (fastish) up a hill.

The Buttress a 25% cobbled climbs, is unsuitable for motor cars. Unfortunately it is also unsuitable for pedal cycles too. At least when you fall off on the 30% giant cobbles, there isn’t a car behind to run over you.

Fleak Moss in the Yorkshire Dales. Quiet, but it is a really hard climb.

Luz Ardiden in the Pyrenees May. Probably one of my top cycling experiences. Climbed to the top, not a single car passed me in either direction.

Col du Tourmalet is usually pretty busy. But on this day the mountain pass was closed due to snow – until about 30 mins before this photo. It made the climb feel very isolated with clouds below, and very few souls around at 2,000m with piles of snow either side of road.

A proper cycle path by the side of the A40.

Sutton in Craven.

Country road Oxfordshire

Croatia Jan

Great Barringtons, the Cotswolds

Great Dun Fell was pretty quiet at the top (cars not allowed). But, it’s a lot of effort to get there and it’s often quite wild weather.

Another option is to go back to the 1890s, though I think cycle clothes have improved in past 125 years.

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Wrapping up against the cold

When it’s minus two degrees and everyone is wrapped up in innumerable layers, you always get one person who rocks up in shorts, t-shirts, and no gloves. It really messes with my mind. I didn’t get a photo this morning, but, it was even colder and I overtook a bloke in shorts (0 degrees) You also often see people cycling along trying to put on gloves whilst on the move, but really struggling.

Standing out from grey morning. Panniers or backpack. Nice panniers and backpack.

Taking it easy on the way to work.

Insulated helmet.  

Related

• Oxford photos
• Cycling in the cold

More photos

I’ve been taking more photos of Oxford, posting here. Oxford photos

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Photo Mark A. Jim Henderson (click to enlarge)

Photo James Allen

Photos by Velo UK

Jeff Wright, 1994.

More photos from 2015 national hill climb championship

• Cadence Photos – Dan Manoghan
• Kimroy Photography
• Cycling Weekly photos
• Velo UK
• Russellis National Hill Climb
• Ken Norbury photos
• Bob Askwith Facebook gallery

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Different cyclists  share the road- The family vehicle, the lone range Brompton and the bike for doing tricks.

The properly dressed cyclists

Ladies from Wantage, Oxfordshire in the Nineteenth Century.

~

Black and white cyclists and spectators in the road.

Off to exam

The not properly dressed

Cycling off to play rugby.

Properly dressed for the snow.

Sepoys cycling in First World War.

Students and locals in Cambridge

Love the cool shades and billowing orange Hi-Vis

Tie or not to tie

Big basket for shopping

Marginal gains

Queing in the rain.

Sociable cycling.

London

Cycling into town

In the good old days, when everyone was a cyclist and wore a flat cap.

Related

• 10 annoying types of cyclists
• The bike snob’s guide to cycling tribes at the Guardian

The post Different types of cyclists appeared first on Cycling uphill.

• A Corinthian Endeavour at Amazon.co.uk

or if you prefer to support, law abiding, tax-paying, bricks and mortar proper shops, you can order through:

• A Corinthian Endeavour at Waterstones

It’s currently the flat time trialling season. 100 miles with nothing more than 100 feet of climbing for four hours work. It has it’s own charm and attraction, but I think the hill climb season gives more photogenic opportunities than bashing up and down the A14.

So I’ll take this as opportunity to post some random photos of anti-gravity specialists.

Challacombe

From Corinthian Endeavour Facebook page

Granville Sydney. Six times winner.

Related pages

• A Corinthian Endeavour review
• Hill climb photos

The post Anti-gravity specialists appeared first on Cycling uphill.

It’s not all CdA and lightweight components at Cycling Uphill. I do get a lot of joy seeing students in sub-fusc riding to their exams. Perhaps because:

A) It reminds me of the stress of doing my own exams, but now I have the luxury of being an old man who can sit by the side of the road knowing that exam results don’t really matter than much. (Not for my career path anyway…)

B) Riding in sub-fusc at 8mph down Oxford High Street is about as far removed as you can get from timetrialling along a dual carriageway at 30mph. It’s all very sedate. And that’s cycling

enjoying the bike

Related

• Cycling in Oxford photos

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