Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Rides and Touring => Topic started by: Oscar's dad on 07 October, 2019, 02:46:03 pm
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I've had an idea which I could come to regret given my current lack of fitness. Here goes [GULP] it would be lovely if you fancied joining in...
I have long wanted to cycle up to the legendary Tan Hill Inn (https://www.tanhillinn.com/) which is the highest pub in Britain at 1732ft (528m) above sea level. Plus you can camp up there as many yacf members have already done. I've also wanted to visit the Carradice factory in Nelson, Lancashire; I've just emailed them to ask if its possible to pop in for a quick peek. So my cunning plan is to combine the two unrequited ambitions in to one mildly audacious endeavor.
I'm still working on the details but the rough plan looks like this...
Wednesday 30th October - having enjoyed a regular Mid-Essex Mid-Week Nocturnal Series (MEMWNS) visit to a Mid-Essex hostelry we set off into the night heading north, destination York or maybe Teeside.
Friday 1st November (evening) - hook up with some northern based yacfers for drinks and food. If we end up in Teeside maybe we can get on the outside of a parmo (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parmo). Perhaps one of the aforementioned northern yacfers will have kindly offered us a floor to sleep on?
Between Wednesday and Friday evening we will have camped along the way if campsites have been located or bivvyed in a wood or ditch snuggling up to BoJo's lifeless corpse if we're still in the EU.
Saturday 2nd November - ride up to Tan Hill Inn and camp overnight. Apparently they have bands every Saturday night. The Inn was taken over by new owners relatively recently and a huge amount of effort has been put into renovations so it sounds ace. Camping costs £5 per person/night and all proceeds go to local charities.
Sunday 3rd November - head towards Nelson and find somewhere to stay (B&B, Premier Inn etc) or camp or bivvy
Monday 4th November - Hopefully visit the Carradice factory in the morning.
Between the remainder of Monday and Wednesday 6th November - we head south getting back in time to enjoy another MEMWNS session. It has been suggested that we incorporate some of the brand spanking new Great North Trail (https://www.cyclinguk.org/route/great-north-trail-full-route-cape-wrath?fbclid=IwAR2gATO-Cq1zyGuOA2wVe4f-5KLymZSucIWuzlninRuZHoHBTyjgpwqlonk) into route back to Mid-Essex. Along the way we can camp or bivvy depending on what we come across.
IMPORTANT NOTE #1 - If it all gets a bit too much due to borked legs or unhelpful weather or both I have no problem with letting a train take the strain.
IMPORTANT NOTE #2 - Its absolutely fine if you only want to get involved with part of this mildly audacious endeavor really stupid idea.
So, what do you think???
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Although I'm in for this, there are quite a few things that make me a little uncomfortable!
For a start, overnight riding at the start of the tour? So that's sleep deprevation right off the bat for the rest of the trip!
There seems to be a lack of any planning between the Wed and Fri at the start. Campsites are unlikely to be open. Bivvying in ditches at this time of year could be horrendous and if things get bad, are there any train stations that actually go anywhere useful nearby?
It's going to be cold and it's going to be wet. We'll need somewhere better than a ditch or hedge to get dry, change clothes, sleep etc. Is it worth researching some campsites?
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I shall give the matter some thought! I thought the first bit might be like the start of the PBP! ;D
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We don't live in Teesside any more, but we do live a nice ride from Tan Hill Inn.
[Where 'a nice ride' = 70-75km & somewhere between 750 & 1100m climbing]
We could host a few yacf-ers. We might even ride to Tan Hill with you.
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We don't live in Teesside any more, but we do live a nice ride from Tan Hill Inn.
[Where 'a nice ride' = 70-75km & somewhere between 750 & 1100m climbing]
We could host a few yacf-ers. We might even ride to Tan Hill with you.
Smashing!!! Thanking you!!!
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Huggy's 3Rs on Saturday 2nd November - I have to ride, to keep my unblemished 3-Year Winter Series Record going. (And I failed my RRTY last month due to Lurgi and The Dodgy Digit :()
I will be away on a long weekend the one before, checking changes to The ACME Grand route, so I can't really take any more time off, sadly. I would absolutely love to do a tour like this, though! Subject to getting my Rough-Stuff Tourer back on the road ...
And welcome back to Blighty OD, keep the ideas flowing :thumbsup:
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Tomsk, and anyone else riding that weekend, why not just ride the Wednesday night after the regular MEMWNS session? Or carry on a bit further and get the train back in time for the weekend? Like I said there’s no imperative to do the whole thing.
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This is all looking remarkably similar to my ludicrous Coast to Coast at that time of year. Just after the clocks had gone back...
(http://peter.chesspod.com/gallery/d/4594-2/DSC03487.JPG)
That's my dear wife half-way up Nateby Bank (between Kirkby Stephen and Tan Hill). Yes, that's snow on her. Yes, that was October.
I recall turning up in a pub in a village in the North York Moors at about 8pm after an evening of biblical rain. It was Hallowe'en. I stood at the bar about to check in and ask for my room keys, a small Windermere collecting on the floor around my feet (which I couldn't feel because they were so cold) and I heard the chap sitting close by say to his lady friend (or even his wife for all I know) "That feller... is decidedly moist."
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^ That is what concerns me. I don't mind being rained on. Or even snowed on. But somewhere dry at the end of the day is essential if hyperthermia is to be avoided!
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Thank you Wow for your contribution - ever considered motivational speaking? ::-) ;D
So, how about we set off into the night after MEMWNS and ride north. It’ll be like the Green and Yellow Fields start or the first segment of the PBP. I will find some manner of accommodation for Thursday night which isn’t a ditch. BoJo will be sad.
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I would like to ride a little tour.
I'm not worried about the weather if we can get warm and dry at the end of the day, but unfortunately a night with no sleep at the start of the ride is the best way to ruin it for me. I really hate the sleep deprivation.
I'm a bit worried about the daily distances too, with luggage and maybe camping gear I'd struggle to ride 150km at the moment.
So as it stands, I think I'm out. :(
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I'm a bit worried about the daily distances too, with luggage and maybe camping gear I'd struggle to ride 150km at the moment.
Indeed. It's the best part of 300 miles to Tan Hill. And less than 48 hours have been provisioned to get there!! Fully loaded, in summer, I would usually do that distance in 5 days nevermind < 2!
Sorry, Steve - I'm being a bit of a lightweight here :P
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I read this and immediately decided to join in, either riding to Tan Hill for the night from Newcastle and then heading home again or maybe incorporating it into the 'Tyne to the Mersey' mini tour that I've been mulling over recently.
Yep, that's a great idea I thought. Something was niggling away at the back of my mind though, some reason why I couldn't. Unfortunately it required a quick look at the calendar to realise that it's on little Joe's birthday so perhaps best not to sod off on my bike all weekend.
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That’s a shame Joe :'(
bobb, the current daft idea is we set off on Wednesday night and arrive at the top of Tan Hill on Saturday evening. By my CSE Grade 4 maths that equates 3 nights (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). Plus 3 days (Thursday, Friday and Saturday). Loads of time! And I’m sure we can include 2 nights not in a bivvy (Thursday and Friday night).
It’ll be exciting and a proper adventure :thumbsup:
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Proper adventure indeed! Unfortunately the dates don't work for me nor does the Essex start and come to think of it I'm too much of a wimp to enjoy camping in November. Plus the stuff that bobb said. That aside, it's a smashing idea! Good look to all who do it and we'll be watching for the report. :thumbsup:
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That’s a shame Joe :'(
bobb, the current daft idea is we set off on Wednesday night and arrive at the top of Tan Hill on Saturday evening. By my CSE Grade 4 maths that equates 3 nights (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday). Plus 3 days (Thursday, Friday and Saturday). Loads of time! And I’m sure we can include 2 nights not in a bivvy (Thursday and Friday night).
It’ll be exciting and a proper adventure :thumbsup:
Ah, my mistake!
But by my reckoning, that means:
Wednesday night, through to Thursday evening to a place to stay ~ 120+ miles.
Friday to get somewhere not too far from Tan Hill ~ 100+ miles.
Saturday - get to Tan Hill ~ 60+ miles.
Piece of piss then! :P
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There you go! Too easy now?
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Why not get the 21:56 from Chelmsford to Lpl St, ride across to KX, get the 23:00 to York (arriving 01:30ish), travelodge York Wednesday 'night', 77km to Leyburn, ferisnstance (http://www.cowclosecaravanandcamping.co.uk/facilities/)for Thursday night, 90km to us for Friday night?
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Why not get the 21:56 from Chelmsford to Lpl St, ride across to KX, get the 23:00 to York (arriving 01:30ish), travelodge York Wednesday 'night', 77km to Leyburn, ferisnstance (http://www.cowclosecaravanandcamping.co.uk/facilities/)for Thursday night, 90km to us for Friday night?
What a ridiculously sensible idea! Steve will never go for that :P
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I like the sound of all this, but won't be able to get the time off on this occasion. If it's any help last year I rode with full camping gear to Tan Hill in 3 days. 2 days to just north of York at approx. 120 miles each day, then 70 odd to Tan Hill. I can confirm the live music, I saw a great Manchester covers band, along with 9 others in the audience! That was in May on the way to my wedding on Iona.
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Why not get the 21:56 from Chelmsford to Lpl St, ride across to KX, get the 23:00 to York (arriving 01:30ish), travelodge York Wednesday 'night', 77km to Leyburn, ferisnstance (http://www.cowclosecaravanandcamping.co.uk/facilities/)for Thursday night, 90km to us for Friday night?
Absolutely splendid ideas which can be banked for another occasion!
Perhaps I should explain my thinking behind the current set of daft ideas. I haven’t done any audaxing since bailing 500km into the Windsor Chester Windsor during my ill fated attempt to qualify for the PBP in 2015. But this summer I followed my chums as they gurned their way round this year’s PBP and something deep inside me stirred - I want to do some long distance stuff again. Obviously just entering an audax is far too straightforward. Plus it doesn’t combine my love of touring, nor get me up Tan Hill, or to see the Carradice factory (*). And I have some woefully under utilised kit, namely a bivvy bag, and Fred says he wants a challenge too, he’s fed up with just riding to the boulangerie. Thus my daft idea: audax stylee riding combined with touring - simples!
(*) The legendess who is Margaret at Carradice has said we’re more than welcome to pop in for a mooch round the factory - marvellous!
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I'm half in, half not with an option for setting off from the Boro as a compromise... Depends if I'm still in love with my tent by then!
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Top banana. There was a huge amount of enthusiasm last night, I can see me having to restrict numbers perhaps with a ballot like the London Marathon.
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I'm only half in myself now. I just don't fancy riding through the night, riding such long distances in such a short time and I certainly don't fancy sleeping in a ditch in the middle of winter. Maybe I could meet you further up having set off earlier or train assisted part of the way....
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We could always set off on Wednesday morning.
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We could always set off on Wednesday morning.
That would certainly make life easier, but I don't want to be some kind of arsehole calling the shots as it's your tour!
Have you any idea of route yet / places to stay?
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Bobb - don't listen to him !
Come tourdaxing with us in the spring when it's nice.
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Bobb - don't listen to him !
Come tourdaxing with us in the spring when it's nice.
Now there's a nice idea!
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We could always set off on Wednesday morning.
That would certainly make life easier, but I don't want to be some kind of arsehole calling the shots as it's your tour!
Have you any idea of route yet / places to stay?
Not yet, soon. I still haven’t given up on the night riding element, perhaps on the way back :demon:
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Yeah, it wouldn't be so bad on the way back. Still fucking miserable, but better than right at the start....
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Not miserable, it’s an adventure! ;D
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Or a miserable adventure ;D
I'm a bit worried about you OD, I don't want you cycling off into the winter all alone, never to be seen again.
Why don't you wait for Spring?
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Cos I’ve got time to spare right now.
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I think he should go :thumbsup:
We can live it like we are all living Jiber's tour at the moment.
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Sounds fair. Sorry bobb, I think the night time departure post MEMWNS should be reinstated for dramatic effect. I’m confident loads of MEMWNSers are desperate to ride into the night with me. If you like you can chase me down in a train, which will add yet another frisson to the adventure.
I’m getting properly excited now!!!
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Perhaps you're right ted, he just has to get it off his chest, suicide mission that it is.
I'm sure we can give OD an enthusiastic send off and you can teach him the art of the selfie so he can report his decline.
Being a man of letters ted, you can write his obituary too.
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If you like you can chase me down in a train, which will add yet another frisson to the adventure.
Well, yeah - I would say tell me where you'll be on Thursday night and I'll meet you there, but you won't be there. You'll either have packed and gone home due to an extreme case of "Fuck This" or you'll be dead in a ditch somewhere - your rotting corpse lost to the world until found next spring by some doggers....
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If you like you can chase me down in a train, which will add yet another frisson to the adventure.
Well, yeah - I would say tell me where you'll be on Thursday night and I'll meet you there, but you won't be there. You'll either have packed and gone home due to an extreme case of "Fuck This" or you'll be dead in a ditch somewhere - your rotting corpse lost to the world until found next spring by some doggers....
Okay, I accept the challenge, I’ll work on a meeting point for Thursday night :thumbsup:
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Right then, this is starting to come together. I have a PROVISIONAL ROUTE (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/31288720) from Witham to York where I think we spend Friday night.
More detail to follow. Thoughts so far???
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Thoughts so far???
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. York by Friday night? Good one! ;D
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What are your plans for sleeping on Thursday night?
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What are your plans for sleeping on Thursday night?
Not sure yet!
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Also, if it's York on Friday to get to Tan Hill on the Saturday as planned means about 80 odd miles. Arrival at Tan Hill will be in the pitch black. No views then! Probably have to leave in the dark too to get to wherever your next crazy destinaton is :P
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ITYM it's 65 miles (https://goo.gl/maps/xZVgUHxrHMxD3cCA9) :P
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Also, if it's York on Friday to get to Tan Hill on the Saturday as planned means about 80 odd miles. Arrival at Tan Hill will be in the pitch black. No views then! Probably have to leave in the dark too to get to wherever your next crazy destinaton is :P
This had already occurred to me. I was thinking of getting a train from York to somewhere like Northallerton and setting for TH from there. Is Northallerton a good choice?
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Yeah, NTR is fine. But... you ride through all the sh1t bits (the south & midlands) and use a train for some of The North?
Madness!
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Yeah, the way I'd do it would be:
Ride through the night on Wednesday and into Thursday. Get train assistance from wherever that may be some time in the middle of Thursday to Barton-on-Humber (obvioulsy cycling over the bridge is essential) and stay there (or on the other side of bridge if time) Thursday night.
On Friday ride from Barton to Northallerton (or similar). Stay the night there.
Saturday a short hop to Tan Hill.
Probably way too sensible though :P
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You'd be better off riding to Leeds and hopping a train to Kirkby Stephen, then it's just up the hill to the pub.
Sadly, I'm at a gig that weekend.
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I fancied riding up and over the Lincolnshire Wolds as that’s where we bailed from the 2013 Easter Arrow in the wee small hours when our water bottles froze and snow was blowing across the road.
Nevertheless your suggestions are worthy of consideration...
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After going through a Yes/No scenario I decided there are too many people suggesting this is all madness (and I am not uup to fitness for big distances, especially overnight) so I'm not even going to look at the home front and ask.....I do look forward to watching your progress though!
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tippers, it is a bit daft and I’m nowhere near as fit as I should be but I’m trying hard to get fitter and I’m still going to give it a go. The worst that can happen is a train gets to take some of the strain. Like I said I’ve got time to spare at the moment so I don’t want to squander the opportunity to have an adventure.
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Like I said I’ve got time to spare at the moment....
So why are you trying to get to Tan Hill in 3 days then?!!!!!!! :P
4 would be so much more doable....
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Cos I wanna do it audax stylee ;D
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Also, if it's York on Friday to get to Tan Hill on the Saturday as planned means about 80 odd miles. Arrival at Tan Hill will be in the pitch black. No views then! Probably have to leave in the dark too to get to wherever your next crazy destinaton is :P
This had already occurred to me. I was thinking of getting a train from York to somewhere like Northallerton and setting for TH from there. Is Northallerton a good choice?
It's only 65 York to Tan Hill!
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Also, if it's York on Friday to get to Tan Hill on the Saturday as planned means about 80 odd miles. Arrival at Tan Hill will be in the pitch black. No views then! Probably have to leave in the dark too to get to wherever your next crazy destinaton is :P
This had already occurred to me. I was thinking of getting a train from York to somewhere like Northallerton and setting for TH from there. Is Northallerton a good choice?
It's only 65 York to Tan Hill!
Yeah but I’d like to do the climb in daylight to enjoy the views.
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Well you've got 15 fewer miles to do in daylight than bobb expects you to have :smug:
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Well you've got 15 fewer miles to do in daylight than bobb expects you to have :smug:
He's bound to throw in loads of unnecessary COR and hills just for the hell of it. 85 miles will be the minimum :P
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I fancied riding up and over the Lincolnshire Wolds as that’s where we bailed from the 2013 Easter Arrow in the wee small hours when our water bottles froze and snow was blowing across the road.
I can see history repeating :facepalm:
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Sounds shit
I fancied riding up and over the Lincolnshire Wolds as that’s where we bailed from the 2013 Easter Arrow in the wee small hours when our water bottles froze and snow was blowing across the road.
Nevertheless your suggestions are worthy of consideration...
Not everyone packed O:-) :thumbsup:
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THe Lincs Wolds are very strange. Like the Gobi desert. You ride along this B road for ages, hundreds of feet up, and you see no villages or pub or shops. The road has a name but I can't remember what. It's an ancient drovers' route or something. And you notice that when you are in N. Lincs, everyone speaks with a Yorkshire-ish accent. When you are S. Lincs, everyone speaks as though they are from Norfolk. That proves that the Lincs Wolds were put there to keep the Northerners out.
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Sadly The Current Mrs R’s Dad died in the wee hours of Monday morning :'( so I’m having to postpone the ride.
I’m still planning to do an adventurous ride at some point during November but it’ll be local. Hopefully I can have another crack at Tan Hill in the spring.
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Condolences to the current Mrs. R - and, of course, the current Mr. R.
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Sorry to Mrs R, good job you were back.
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Condolences.