Friday Night ride to Tan Hill, July 1st 2011

[Kim]

The climb was exactly what I been told to expect:gradual & very long with a couple of "f88ck me" wall-like blips.What was not expected was a 60 minute exposure to so much sun & heat giving a gradual  slightly roasted jogler result.The last climb immediatley prior the Inn was a bit of challenge.

I was admittedly over-sensitised to gradients due to the combination of heavy bike, continuing lack of fitness and agonising knee pain (on both sides from about Reeth), but I maintain that anyone saying 'long and gradual' must have taken another route up some completely different hill or something.  Pen-y-Pass is long and gradual; Arkengarthdale is a sodding backwards roller-coaster!  Every time we gained some useful amount of elevation, we'd find ourselves going down again and lose almost but not quite all of it.  Certainly not stick-it-in-the-19"-gear-and-twiddle territory.

Most of the "'f88ck me' blips" I managed to carry a decent amount of momentum into, so managed to avoid any getting-off-and-pushing or anything silly like that.

The final push up to the pub didn't bother me, as I could see the pub on the GPS and knew that as long as I could stay awake^[1] for a couple more minutes, it was - and I quote - "downhill all the way to Darlington".

I never imagined that riding up a hill could be enjoyable.This is only the second hill I've ever ridden up that I would choose to do again.

I'd probably be inclined to agree with you if I hadn't struggled so much.  The view was utterly fantastic.



_{[1] Heat, pain, allergies and the effects of the various drugs I was using to manage them were making it surprisingly difficult to keep my eyes open.  I had to get off and have a lie down in the shade of a sheep (which unhelpfully ran off) at one point.}

[Kim]

I particularly cherish the "Yes, I am mad" explanation to the hikers and the "Death grip" comment when we re-grouped at the end of the track  
Understatement, you haz it !

I keep forgetting to say: it occurred to me that there's a sort of Ballmer Peak for recumbent offroading; where just the right combination of opiates and antihistamines slows down your higher thought processes to the point where you only really appreciate the true terror of the shark infested potholes, boulders the size of your front wheel, suicide-sheep, sudden drops into very rocky looking wet stuff, swathes of death gravel and so on after you've negotiated them.  And yet your reaction time is still quick enough to do the Right Thing when you start to lose traction.  Too much and you'll use your remaining sense to get off and walk.  Too little and there's a high risk that you'll wuss out at the last moment, hit the brakes too late and Nothing will happen.

I hope never to reproduce this effect again.  

[thelazycyclist]

Every time I look at this picture, it makes me think of the beginning of Reservoir Dogs.  It's just instead of black suits and ties, we've got brightly coloured lycra on and instead of robbing a bank, we're just trying to get a late breakfast at the Tan Hill Inn, which is harder than it sounds.

I couldn't decide if the abuse some of us got from the landlady was meant to be Yorkshire humour, or if it's just that they can afford to Fawlty Towers it to the max, because it's not like you can nip to the pub next door for a drink.  You pretty much have to let them speak to you however they like, cos they're the ones with the beer and the food and you're on top of a bloody big hill needing some of it. 

[rower40]

I keep forgetting to say: it occurred to me that there's a sort of Ballmer Peak for recumbent offroading; where just the right combination of opiates and antihistamines slows down your higher thought processes to the point where you only really appreciate the true terror of the shark infested potholes, boulders the size of your front wheel, suicide-sheep, sudden drops into very rocky looking wet stuff, swathes of death gravel and so on after you've negotiated them.  And yet your reaction time is still quick enough to do the Right Thing when you start to lose traction.  Too much and you'll use your remaining sense to get off and walk.  Too little and there's a high risk that you'll wuss out at the last moment, hit the brakes too late and Nothing will happen.

I hope never to reproduce this effect again.  

That explains my awesome^[1] traverse of Salisbury Plain Military Road during 2010's Solstice Warty.  I couldn't find TimO's post (must've been on another thread) about how utterly brilliant I was.

It's the combination of l33t 'bent skillz, antihistamines and sleep deprivation.  We haz them.

[1]: http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=32300.msg650285#msg650285

[mrcharly-YHT]

You pretty much have to let them speak to you however they like, cos they're the ones with the beer and the food and you're on top of a bloody big hill needing some of it. 

I used to work in the Wasdale Head Inn (which is about as remote as Tan Hill).

They are miserable sods because they can get away with it, IMO.

[Deano]

Every time I look at this picture, it makes me think of the beginning of Reservoir Dogs.  It's just instead of black suits and ties, we've got brightly coloured lycra on and instead of robbing a bank, we're just trying to get a late breakfast at the Tan Hill Inn, which is harder than it sounds.

I couldn't decide if the abuse some of us got from the landlady was meant to be Yorkshire humour, or if it's just that they can afford to Fawlty Towers it to the max, because it's not like you can nip to the pub next door for a drink.  You pretty much have to let them speak to you however they like, cos they're the ones with the beer and the food and you're on top of a bloody big hill needing some of it. 

You missed out the rest of us, looking kinda glum, and SlowCoach doing...something.

[rower40]

Every time I look at this picture, it makes me think of the beginning of Reservoir Dogs. 

Mr Blue & Mr Yellow didn't quite get the "Dark Glasses" message.
 

[interzen]

Every time I look at this picture, it makes me think of the beginning of Reservoir Dogs. 

Mr Blue & Mr Yellow didn't quite get the "Dark Glasses" message.
 

Nothing that a little bit of Photoshoppage won't fix ...

[Wowbagger]

The woman I took to be the landlady told me she came from Staines. Is that not Ali G country?

[Andrew Br]

Up across the fiddly technical bits, and down the fun road route?  That sounds like the basis of a plan... and probably the sort that would be ruined by using a appropriately sensible bike.  

That does sound like a good idea.
Fun ( ) though the Sleightholme track was, I would have liked to hurtle down the tarmac towards Reeth.
Having said that, I set a new V_max of 42mph on the light bike on the way back.
Edit for stupidity: It wasn't on the track  

[Deano]

Blimey.  I hit 45 mph just after the pub, and it would have been more if it hadn't been for that pesky motorhome.

[Kim]

I don't think I had it above 40 all day...

[Andrew Br]

Blimey.  I hit 45 mph just after the pub, and it would have been more if it hadn't been for that pesky motorhome.

See above
Ooops 

[rower40]

I didn't score a particularly high V_max, but the chain-gang bash from Barnard's Star Castle to Darlington Bank Top was the highest Vbar (gwan, someone suggest how I do a horizontal over-line!) over that kind of distance that I've ever had the pleasure of directing & being part of.

[Andrew Br]

but the chain-gang bash from Barnard's Star Castle to Darlington Bank Top was the highest Vbar (gwan, someone suggest how I do a horizontal over-line!) over that kind of distance that I've ever had the pleasure of directing & being part of.

I think it was the part that I enjoyed most as well (which is praise indeed considering how fantastic everything else was  ).

PS; what's a V_bar ?  

[Kim]

Barnard's Star Castle

 

[rower40]

PS; what's a V_bar ?

Bar (i.e. a horizontal line above a quantity) is one of the recognised maths abbrevs for "average".

[Andrew Br]

PS; what's a V_bar ?

Bar (i.e. a horizontal line above a quantity) is one of the recognised maths abbrevs for "average".

Thanks 
I guessed that but it's not a term that I'd ever come across before.

[lantern rouge]

I didn't score a particularly high V_max, but the chain-gang bash from Barnard's Star Castle to Darlington Bank Top was the highest Vbar (gwan, someone suggest how I do a horizontal over-line!) over that kind of distance that I've ever had the pleasure of directing & being part of.

I was very aware of the time and the need to get Doosh to the railway station. I was busting for a 'hedge stop' but didn't want to slow the group down. The pace was therefore partly to get Doosh to his train and partly my need for the bog.
In the end the Black Sheep would be out and I dropped off the group, inspected the local flora and was just able to re join as you were approaching the station forecourt. I don't think we could have cut it any closer. A damn good ride.

[interzen]

Every time I look at this picture, it makes me think of the beginning of Reservoir Dogs. 

Mr Blue & Mr Yellow didn't quite get the "Dark Glasses" message.
 

StandingAroundCropped-shopped by interzen, on Flickr

There ya go ... (it's only a quickie)

[mrcharly-YHT]

I didn't score a particularly high V_max, but the chain-gang bash from Barnard's Star Castle to Darlington Bank Top was the highest Vbar (gwan, someone suggest how I do a horizontal over-line!) over that kind of distance that I've ever had the pleasure of directing & being part of.

I was very aware of the time and the need to get Doosh to the railway station. I was busting for a 'hedge stop' but didn't want to slow the group down. The pace was therefore partly to get Doosh to his train and partly my need for the bog.
In the end the Black Sheep would be out and I dropped off the group, inspected the local flora and was just able to re join as you were approaching the station forecourt. I don't think we could have cut it any closer. A damn good ride.

I think you did a really good job of judging the pace - which is hard to do from the front - any slower and Doosh would have missed the train. Any faster and several of us would have been dropped.

It has made me painfully aware that while I can keep up evens for 20miles on occasion, I can't do anywhere near that after 80miles are in my legs.  Of course, I was always 2nd from last in the sack race on school sports day.

[Doosh]

It was just at the sort of pace where I start to really feel the weight of the Jalopy, hence my pondering lighter/faster rolling tyres or whether it's not worth the expense. At around 15mph it's pretty easy to keep it moving along, but when you get to 17/18+ it gets tough, which is why I grovelled into Darlo station breathing through my rear 

[Peter]

It was just at the sort of pace where I start to really feel the weight of the Jalopy, hence my pondering lighter/faster rolling tyres or whether it's not worth the expense. At around 15mph it's pretty easy to keep it moving along, but when you get to 17/18+ it gets tough, which is why I grovelled into Darlo station breathing through my rear 

I, too, have frequent thoughts about bike weight and tyres, etc.  But I think your bike is very cool.  How often are you going to need to travel that fast?

Great to meet you!

[Doosh]

Likewise good to meet you Peter, you kept me plenty amused throughout the ride!!

When I'm only commuting around and nipping here and there on short trips I do like to crack on, which is why I'm always pondering the tyres. With the tubes though it's a £50 touch, I only paid £90 for the whole bike  

[CrinklyLion]

I'd say save your dosh til you've worn 'em out, then think about it.  And anyway, if you're able for pootling along at that speed, how come I still had cake to carry and you had none!?!?!