200k perms that could be started in Teesdale?

[phil d]

Can someone from the northeast help me out, please?  I find myself staying in Teesdale (Romaldkirk) 13/14/15 April, and have a free day on the Sunday.  I'm trying to determine whether there is a 200 perm that I could utilise.  The nearest likely control town would probably be Middleton in Teesdale, but having to start / finish in Barnard Castle wouldn't be a problem.

Any suggestions?  I have of course looked at the perms listings on the AUK site, and a few look (from their names) as if they might, possibly, be suitable.  But there is absolutely zilch information.  This really pisses me off (see posts elsewhere ad nauseum).  The organisers probably complain that they get no entries.....

I could, of course, design a DIY, but would prefer to use a route designed with local knowledge.

[Hillbilly]

(Not living in NE anymore, but....)

Have a look at Andy Corless's rides <edit - oh, it appears you have seen them!>.  Some of them pass by that way.  A bit lumpy though.  It can be a bit difficult to decipher from the titles of his rides (the system truncates them) so best to send him an email (or letter).  He has (or had) an A4 sheet that listed all the events with control towns.  If you struggle to get in touch with him, drop me a PM and I'll try to dig out my paper copy and scan/email it to you.  Note that they don't come with a routesheet, from memory, but the roads between control towns are pretty obvious.

[phil d]

Thanks Billy.  It wasn't actually Andy's I was referring to!  [edited to add, there's actually control detail for at least some of Andy's rides]

Routesheets aren't strictly necessary, as there just isn't the road density around those parts (once away from Teeside, of course).

And I'm happy with "lumpy".

[aidan.f]

Great area for a DIY, you must ride some of the roads between Teesdale and Weardale Chapel fell is a good one.

[Deano]

Aye, there's at least one Andy Corless perm that uses Barnard Castle as a control - and as Billy says, the route between the towns is obvious when you look at a map (which you'll have to).

Here it is, Penrith-Stanhope-Barnard Castle-Hawes. I haven't ridden it, but I always assumed that between Barnard Castle and Hawes you'd have to go over Buttertubs and the Stang, rather than along the track over Sleightholme Moor to Bowes and Barnie, which would make it a bit short.

As an alternative, they're not strictly perms, but Nigel Hall has made his routes available on the VC167 website (with all the care and attention that he puts into his routesheets):

http://www.vc167.org.uk/index.php?option=com_simplelists&view=simplelist&category_id=23&Itemid=39

I have thought about making some of these up into perms, but the two which you should look at are the J38 and Heavy Metal.

J38 would be the simplest - it passes through Barnie, and it's a great ride, for the scenery, the quiet roads, and for the nosh-up at Tebay Services. Out across the Eden Valley to Tebay, down to Kirkby Lonsdale, back through gorgeous Barbondale and Dentdale, dash along Wensleydale and past Richmond Castle, then a quick hoik up Gilling Bank to Aldbrough, and it'd be a fairly easy run back to Barnie along the Tees.

As a perm, it'd work with these controls (there's a pub in Aldbrough which you could use):

http://goo.gl/maps/84gvH

You wouldn't have to use Dent as a control, but you'd be mad not to go through there.

Heavy Metal would be much, much hillier, and harder to make into a standard perm (relatively easy if you use GPS), but great fun if you like hills. It'd show you more of the area, too, as it spends a lot of time up on my favourite roads, the high passes between the dales.

Or, if you want to plan a DIY, I can suggest many fine places to go.

[Revellinho]

The chipshop in Middleton in Teesdale signed my brevet once and I had a very good feed on the wooden benches/tables outside - num num.  I was heading West to the Lakes and it kept me going over the hills

edit - could use a section of the the LEL routesheet to do a 'there an back' as it passes through that area - I'm sure they would not mind a bit of feedback from someone.

edit 2 but subject to checking 'on the ground' so maybe not much fun on a Sunday... 'twas such a nice chippy meal though!
Opening hours
Tuesday 16:30 - 20:00
Wednesday 16:30 - 20:00
Thursday 16:30 - 20:00
Friday 11:30 - 20:30
Saturday 11:30 - 20:00

[Deano]

That bloody chippy has been closed every time I've been in Middleton.

[phil d]

Nigel's J38 looks good.  I could do it as a GPS DIY.  I've dropped him a courtesy email to check he's happy I use his route like that.

I've just remembered it's not Romaldkirk we're staying in (no room at the inn); got somewhere in Middleton instead, which fits with J38 rather well.

Thanks for all of the comments.  I know the area quite well (lived in the NE in the 70s, though was a walker rather than a cyclist in those days) and have ridden most of the dales at some stage since.  Just didn't want to recreate a route that was already there.

[phil d]

Right.  J38 it is.  Posting on the "company on perms" thread if anyone is interested.  Sunday April 14th.  Hope all roads clear by then!

[Deano]

I'll be travelling back from Derby, sadly.

We were out in the Moors yesterday - there's still some ice around in the early mornings, but it's pretty easy to avoid. You'll be alright on everything but the minor roads down to Tebay, maybe bits of Dentdale and Barbondale.

And it might even have warmed up by then!

[Deano]

How did it go, Phil? It was a bit blowy up here on Sunday.

[phil d]

Yes, so it was!!!  And very wet in the morning.

I started from Middleton in Teesdale, as that was where we were staying, at 0720, and it was something of a struggle to Tebay into a brisk SWesterly, such that I was concerned at one stage that I would be out of time.  But had a few minutes in hand at Tebay, which (surprisingly, considering the wind) I managed to build upon on the relatively short leg to Kirkby Lonsdale.  Found a nice cafe on the market square in KL (take out prices for all cyclists!), and was thus refreshed for a delightful ride over to Dent, free of the headwind at last.  The road between Dentdale and Garsdale Head was something of an issue - I had to walk most of the mile or two over the top due to the amount of snow still up there.  I stopped for a coffee in Hawes (Mary was visiting the museum, so we met up briefly) and then I blasted down the main road to Leyburn and on to Richmond and Aldburgh - wind assisted all the way;  the rain jacket came off just after Hawes.  The last section, through Barny back to MiT was into the wind again, but far less blustery by now, and I could enjoy the late afternoon sunshine.  Finished on pretty much exactly 12 hours.  A tough ride (I gather the GPS trace has been submitted for 3.75 stupidity points) but despite the weather of the morning, hugely satisfying.

Many thanks for the recommendation.