Reflections on Rapha Festive 500

It was only a couple of days ago when I finished riding the Festive 500, but now that Christmas is out of the way and we are back into the usual routine it seems a distant memory, but I wanted to list the things I learned, in case anyone want to tray this sort of thing.

A section of Bristol to Bath cycle path

Why did I do rail trails?
To get in 500km I could have just done various rides and club runs from my home along the usual routes like Surrey Hills, the Kent lanes and Pilgrims Way, and even out to Windsor. But I felt that given it was a specific challenge I decided to try something different and give it a theme that would motivate me.

Riding rail trails was a way of staying off-road and not worrying about being unsafe due to the climatic conditions or the traffic.


Why did I travel around the country?
As someone who writes about cycling I feel it is important to know about as many cycle routes and locations as possible. By doing a theme that took me to different parts of the country I would be killing two birds with one stone.

I had already planned to do cyclocross races outside of London (in the South-West and in the Peak District), plus I have family in Yorkshire, so it was a no-brainer to do rail trails in those areas.


How did I know which rail trails to ride?
Some of the rail trails were ones I had written about for cycling publications in the past, such as the Down's Link and the Crab and Winkle Way. Some were trails I was familiar with because I lived near them or used them when visiting family - for instance the Middlewood Way and the Hudson Way.

Then there were other rail trails that I was aware of from word of mouth, articles, or just looking at an Ordnance Survey map and they are quite obvious. That's how I found out about the Marriott Way and the Bure Valley rail trail. Checking out an area on an Ordnance Survey map is extremely useful as it gives information about local trails, some of which may be relatively unknown (like the Bubwith rail trail) but also cut-through routes and of course how hilly an area will be.

There were loads of others rail trails that I would have like to include, but logistics just couldn't allow it. For instance in the Peak District there were Tissington, High Peak, and Sett Valley Trails. Closer to home there were the Forest Way, and Worth Way. There are loads more around, so I will probably have to do another series on rail trails.


Did I have any contingencies in case of problems?
I did as much as possible to plan for the controllable things. For instance, I put mudguards on my gravel bike, knowing that the trails could be muddy.

They worked well most of the time, but the day I did the Longendale trial the conditions were very wet so there was nothing I could do about that. So then, it's just a case of having spare clothes and the means to wash down your bike.

Margate beach, before the fog arrived

I generally try to plan routes that are not too far from train lines so that I can resort to that if something goes wrong.

For Christmas Day and Boxing Day when there were no trains I aimed to do local rides so that I would not be so far from home if things went wrong, or so that a taxi ride would still be feasible if I really had to take one.

I did do an impromptu train ride on the Kent day when on the Viking Coastal Trail and got lost in the fog after Margate. There had also been a lot of talk of local train strikes and engineering works over the Christmas period so I kept a watchful eye on that. For instance, I knew that trains would be sketchy in the East Anglia area so I planned my day to Norwich being aware that trains would not be working.

And of course I always have tools - at least to do the repairs that I know how to do! Then the usual things like money and enough charge on my phone. I also had strong mountain biking lights as I knew it was highly likely that I would be riding at night.


How did I cope with doing it all alone?
I never really gave it any thought. I do loads of travelling and bike rides on my own, so this was no different. If I am not sure of something I don't have any qualms about asking passers-by for local information.


Did I get tired?
To be honest, it was more tiring than I had expected, and probably more time-consuming as well. Because the rail trails were in different parts of the country I needed to allow time to drive to the places, find somewhere to park, then set up the bike before I could get going.

On the first day I set off in good time in the morning, but most of the other days my rides started late because before I could leave the house I had to blog and do social media across the different platforms (Blogger, Instagram, Facebook, Strava, Twitter) about my previous day's ride. I wasn't very good at using some of the platforms - especially the Instagram Stories and Facebook Live - and I ended up taking longer than usual!

Even though I was getting up at 6am to do social media it still led to late starts because I also had to gather my things together, load the car and drive somewhere.

By the time I was starting the ride it was practically the afternoon, and by the time I'd done the ride and moved on to the next place I would just have time to eat, rest up and go to sleep - something which I did quite easily because I did get increasingly tired as the week went by.

On one day I did social media, drove a couple of hours, did a rail trail, raced cyclocross and drove to the next place - and somehow I fitted in some Christmas shopping. I think I might need a social media team to travel with me next time, as well as someone to do my chores!

I was most relaxed on the last day because I didn't have to drive to get to the start of the ride, and I knew that I wouldn't have to get up early the following day.


What else did I learn?
The need to have lots of clothes for when night falls. The weather was generally mild over Christmas week during the day, but at night the temperature would drop suddenly and dramatically. I was glad to have extra coats, hats and gloves.


Would I do it again?
Most probably yes, but not necessarily as part of a Festive 500, so that I can take my time. Having said that, the next time I do a Festive 500 it is likely to be based around a new alternative theme which could also end up being equally challenging!


Review of the Rail trails


My favourite rail trail
This was strictly not a rail trail, but I liked the River Avon trail from Bristol back to Pill because on that section I was in the Avon Gorge with Clifton Bridge right above me. That looked quite spectacular. As for pure rail trails I like the Monsal trail for the beautiful views of the Peak District, and the series of tunnels.

Monsal Trail just before one of the tunnels

Most remote lost and lonely: Market Weighton to Bubwith - you just don't see anyone around as you bump along rugged terrain past farm houses and stables for over 10 miles.


Best maintained: Bristol to Bath - it had beautifully smooth tarmac and was well signposted to various other trails and bridleways. Selby to York was also well maintained.


Most dramatic: Longendale - it goes the length of the Torside and Woodhead reservoirs, with the Peak District towering over you. There are also nice views of the Woodhead Pass in the distance.


Most family friendly: Monsal trail - there are seating areas, refreshment stops, and a good compact off-road surface; sections of the Downs Link, especially around West Grinstead and Partridge Green where there are places to eat, and play areas.

Start of the Crab and Winkle Way in Whitstable

Most logistically convenient: Middlewood Way - it is never far from the villages. Both ends of the trail are near train stations and there is a train station at the half-way point, at Middlewood.

There are places to sit, picnic areas and nearby shops and pubs in Bollington and Poynton which are along the way.

Most challenging to ride: Crab and Winkle trail - there is a tough gradient to get up whether you ride it from the Canterbury side or the Whitstable side;

The full length of the Down's Link could be a challenge as it is around 36 miles when starting from Shalford and going all the way to Shoreham-by-Sea. There is a brief section with a steep climb and a steep descent; Market Weighton to Bubwith is quite bumpy and may require reasonable off-road biking skills if you are not used to that terrain. A mountain bike may be a more comfortable option for a novice.


Hidden gem of the week: Waterlink Way - a traffic-free route through south London that is round the corner from where I live, but had never previously ridden it in all these years; Market Weighton to Bubwith rail trail - a good trail to practice for cyclocross practice if I lived up that way. It appears that hardly any cyclists ride it because no one seemed to be on it when I was there!

And I can't neglect to mention other key traffic-free cycleways I rode on, that aren't necessarily rail trails - Avon Cycleway, Regent's Canal, Viking Coastal Trail, and Transpennine Trail.


Related Posts
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Middlewood Way and Londgendale Trail - Northwest and Peak District

Stats
Kms ridden: 43
Running total: 420
Kms left: 80
Refreshments: 250ml water; Clif Bar; tortilla chips; walnuts


Weather: light rain, drizzle, hanging mist; 12 degC

Highlights: Seeing the sun set over Torside Reservoir and Woodhead Pass; getting an extremely muddy bike from the trails


Rides on Strava

Middlewood Way

Longendale Trail

Start of the Middlewood Way just outside Macclesfield (medieval labrynth just behind)

No cyclocross for me

Today was probably the worst day so far in terms of weather, which also impacted on the riding too. I had hoped to get out early and ride the Middlewood Way before my planned race in Macclesfield. However, at 8am it was still pitch black (Sun rises later up here than in London!), misty and raining. I really wasn't ready for this, so I waited for things to clear up a little.

In a way, if I were doing one continuous ride during the day that would have been easier to manage. At least once you stop riding you know you've finished for the day. However, my plan had been to do a ride, then stop to do a cyclocross race, then get in the car to drive somewhere else and do another ride. So taking off and putting back on drenched kit wouldn't have been great, and given that I was on the move there wasn't the facility to dry my clothes - logistics....

So after waiting an hour or so I ventured out, but the weather had only marginally improved. Then I began to worry about doing the cyclocross race. Last week when I raced in similar conditions at the Mendips Raceway it was at least 90 minutes after finishing racing before I could get going. That's how long it took to clean myself and my bike up after getting covered in mud. I couldn't afford to spend that much time again, knowing the other things that I had to do.

So in the end, I had to choose between doing the cyclocross race or doing the trails. Well, given that a cyclocross race only gives about 10km as opposed to a trail ride giving me double that amount in the same time period, for the purposes of getting the 500km-challenge done, I had to leave out the cyclocross race. It was sad to have to leave it out because Macc Supacross is a good event, and I have fond memories of going to South Park in Macclesfield.


Middlewood Way

Without too much crying over spilt milk I got on with the task of riding the Middlewood Way. I am familiar with this trail as part of it was my regular commute when I worked in Macclesfield. It was great to ride or run on it, through the woods, to get to Tytherington.

That section near Macclesfield is fully tarmacked. However, with the damp weather it was still a messy affair with all the leaves and mud on it. The surface is still fairly compact through Kerridge, and up to Bollington. Then after the bridge in Bollington it becomes a forest trail, which is very muddy in the wet.

Picnic time! Middlewood Way near Poynton

Still, the weather didn't deter people and there were lots of folks out - more groups of mountain bikers than leisure cyclists. Lots of people were on lunchtime walks too. In fact, the picnic area near Poynton was quite popular even on this dreary day, as was the nearby Boars Head pub!

Some years ago, I wrote an article for the now closed magazine, Cycling Active. I remember having a good day out when we did the photo shoot here.

I didn't do the full 10-mile trail, which runs from Macclesfield to Marple (near Stockport), but instead turned around at Middlewood train station and returned to Bollington via a road route, just to give the bike respite from the mud. The road route is still pleasant, and passes along the edge of Lyme Park. It burns more calories than being on the trail though, as there are a few steep climbs to get through the village of Pott Shrigley. Thankfully, there's a handy coffee shop along the way.


Longendale Trail

After the Middlewood Way, I jumped into the car and made my way over to Glossop, to ride the Longendale Trail.

The last time I was in this area was when I rode the Transpennine trail from Southport to Hornsea a couple of years ago. Discovering this trail was a real delight, especially when the weather was so much nicer than on this day.

Torside Reservoir shimmered beautifully in the sun, there were loads of brightly coloured flowers of early summer, and near the Woodhead Tunnel people were even sunbathing. Not so today!

Torside reservoir seen from the Longendale trail

It was misty and damp, there was low cloud on the hills, and the trails were very muddy. People had shied away from coming out today, as there weren't many people at all.
Up until now my clip-on mudguards on the bike had done a good job. But with today's conditions were probably a big ask, and the bike plus my ankles and shoes were covered in cack.

Once again, I didn't ride the full 8.5 miles as it was just too dark, damp, and miserable. The riding was very slow-going, and I needed to get to my lodgings in East Yorkshire that day.

So I turned around after around 5 miles and returned to the car via a minor road. It was lovely seeing the sun set over the hills and the reservoir, with the lights from the towns in the distance. In a strange way I felt lucky to have the chance to ride along this road through the Peak District at this time of the day.

With my Proviz jacket and Exposure lights, plus a high viz cover on my rucksack I was sure that any vehicles would have seen me, so I felt pretty safe. The road wasn't busy in any case. This route was slightly longer, and hillier (naturally) than the Longendale trail, but nothing too steep. The best bit was the long descent into Padfield, which made the road route worth it.

I still have around 80km to ride, and I will have to do it all tomorrow. Hopefully, it shouldn't be too difficult. I would prefer not to deal with a lot of mud though!





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Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 2

Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 1

5 Favourites - Off-road biking trails

In this lovely weather why not get your bike out and have a quick spin on some off-road trails. They are mainly on disused railway lines and are easily rideable as they aren't too technical. Some are longer than others and are family friendly, with picnic areas and refreshment stops along the way.

Here are my top 5 (in no particular order) for the weekend:

1. Tissington Trail: 13.5 Miles - Ashbourne to Parsley Hay

Set in the Peak District: The oldest, and one of the most popular trails in England

2. Cinder Track: 21 miles - Scarborough to Whitby

One of the most spectacular off-road trails. You are never far from the coast as you journey between these two North Yorkshire seaside towns. Don't miss the beautiful views from Robin Hood's Bay.

3. Middlewood Way: 10 miles - Macclesfield to Marple

A scenic ride through Cheshire. There are lots of little villages to stop at along the route, with the beautiful Lyme Park nearby.

4. Downs Link: 37 miles - Guildford to Shoreham-by-Sea

A slightly longer ride, but very rewarding as you end up at the seaside on the Sussex coast. It might be a little long for a family ride with children, but it is perfectly possible to ride sections of it and there are various places to get refreshments along the way. If you have energy at the end of the Downs Link you can ride an easy 10 miles along a tarmacked coastal cycle path to reach Brighton. I did this ride earlier in the year, though rather than taking the coastal path I decided to challenge myself by going across the South Downs! 

5. Longendale Trail: 6.5 miles - Hadfield to Woodhead tunnel

Very pretty ride going along the side of the Torside reservoir at the north-west end of the Peak District. I rode along it while doing the Transpennine Trail.

Related posts

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Notes from the Transpennine Trail - Stockport to Barnsley

Scenic Stockport!

Today's ride was distinctly more scenic day than Saturday's route. In fact in my opinion this is the most scenic part of the Transpennine trail as it involves crossing the Peak District with its beautiful moorland. The only snag is that when crossing a national park it is impossible to escape climbing up lots of hills!

Stockport viaduct peeping through the trees

 My ride started from Stockport train station, from where the Transpennine trail was signposted on immediately exiting the station.

Within a short ride of Stockport town centre I was in peaceful parkland with woods and a lake, giving intermittent views of the impressive Grade II listed viaduct - the most noteworthy thing in Stockport. The route was was pleasantly shaded, which was needed on this a hot day. 

At the other end of this woodland the path led me into the affluent areas of Godley and Broadbottom Village. They looked such cute neighbourhoods with just a few houses and pretty window boxes congregated around a mini hamlet green. Given the location, on the edge of the Cheshire hills the residents would have also had a permanent picture postcard to look at from their window. 

As I had paid handsomely for my train ticket to get there, and I had ridden cross-country most of the previous day, for a moment I wondered if I should pack up London life and come and live in Broadbottom Common permanently. Why not just stay and enjoy the idyllic life up here without having to schlep up and down on my bike!

Then reality hit me when I saw a few cars get caught in a mini traffic jam on the lane leading up to their homes, and I rode through a swarm of smelly flies. Maybe I prefer to just visit these places with their pretty cottages and decorative motifs, then admire them a little before heading homeward bound to London.

Motif near Broadbottom

In contrast to the previous day's ride, this day was definitely lumpy. There was a fair bit of climbing involved, and sometimes I had to wheel my bike. It was impossible for me to lift the bike or wheel it up steep inclines and at those moments I was obliged to remove one pannier and carry it in my hand while wheeling the bike, which was still not easy. 

The gravel bike is a robust machine, that is significantly heavier than my cross bike - even more so, with the panniers attached. Added to that all the hills I had to surmount meant this ride gave me a full body work-out! Having said that, being on the gravel bike I felt confident that it could cope well with the different types of terrain, and it moved quicker than if I had been on a mountain bike - particularly on the road sections. 








Torside and Woodhead terrible twins!

Broadbottom represented the end of one district - Tameside. I was now in Derbyshire where the landscape definitely took on a rural theme rather than a Manchester conurbation feel. Passing through the villages which were a magnet for country pub traffic, it was tempting to stop and join the masses on this sunny Sunday afternoon. But I was conscious of the time and didn't want to finish my ride too late in the day. So I pressed on with following the signs for Longendale and Torside.

Torside reservoir

This area was vaguely familiar to me as I was near the villages of Padfield and Hadfield which I recall going to a couple of years ago when the Tour de France came to Yorkshire. For Stage 2 of the 2014 Tour we parked in Padfield, cycled down to Torside Reservoir, and then climbed up Holme Moss to see the professional cyclists struggle over what must have been one of the hilliest debuts to a Tour de France edition.

As Torside had been part of the stage into Sheffield I had lured myself into a false sense of security that once I got to the reservoir I wouldn't be far from Sheffield, and then it would just be a hope, skip and a jump (or as near as is doable on a bike) to  Doncaster, my planned destination for the day.

Arriving at the start of the reservoir I was greeted with a beautiful sight of the Peak District hills surrounding clear blue water laced with yachts. The path went slightly awry at this point and I had to take a detour as work was being done on the paths. A local mountain biker offered to ride with me in order to show me the revised route. But I felt I would be so embarrassingly slow that I declined his offer.

Fortunately, I was able to follow his detailed description of the directions, but unfortunately this was the most challenging part of the day up to that point. It involved riding (mixed in with some walking) up an incredibly steep trail over stones. Even pushing my gear up the hill was a challenge.

Longendale trail

What a relief to get to the top, even if I was absolutely dripping with sweat! As I heaved a big sigh of relief, trying to get my breath back, my heart sank as the bike decided to get another puncture!
Typical! Well, punctures had been the order of the day over the last 24 hours so I just got it sorted and pressed on.

This section of the route goes along the Longendale trail which in my opinion really is the best part of the ride. A welcome change from the pull up from Torside, this disused railway is nice and flat, and you are accompanied by spectacular views of the reservoir as you pass intermittently through woodland. The trail is around 6.5 miles long and not technical so you can motor along this trail on a mountain bike or cyclo cross bike - and there were many cyclists out doing exactly that.

Sunbathers along River Etherow at Woodhead

Finally, the trail ended at the Woodhead disused railway station and tunnel. Also at that point the flat riding stops and I was back honking my way up a gravelly path with all my baggage. Note to oneself - there is a river below (the Etherow) where it is possible to lounge on the bank and sunbathe beneath the Woodhead tunnel. A few sunbathers were down there enjoying the last part of this sunny day and it looked better than any beach - views of the majestic mountains, a peaceful lake and no fights over beach space. I must go there. But not today!

Fleeced on the shear climb over Woodhead!

There I was thinking I was about to embark on a long descent into Sheffield. But in fact I was caught out and ended up climbing even more! If the hill up from Torside reservoir was tough, the climb over the Woodhead Pass was a real knock-out. The trail twisted and turned as I headed higher and higher. The main Transpennine road sank lower and lower beneath me, as I was winched further and further skywards. At times it was impossible to ride, such was the steepness of the gradient. I was all alone on the moorland at this point, and became slightly worried that I might have taken the wrong way only to be lost in depths of the hills and I would never get home that evening.

In fact, even though I was in a remote place there were still signboards for the Transpennine trail, and also signs to get to other places like Stalybridge and Ashton-under-Lyne, which were near where I had come from. This was not the time to get the signs wrong!

It was really eerie being up there with just sheep and cows for company, and even they ran away from me at the sound of my desperate panting!

Although I could see where I needed to get to the bridleway seemed to took a somewhat circuitous route which made it somewhat disconcerting and I wondered if a mischievous sheep had managed to jump up and twist the signs the opposite way as a joke!

Later on through my trek I bumped into human life - three mountain bikers passed me in the opposite direction and greeted me. It was a relieved to know that I wasn't the only mad person up on this Godforsaken place on my bike at a time when folks would be settling down for Sunday afternoon tea or even dinner!

Eventually the bridleway threw me down onto a tarmacked road which took me on an amazing descent to Dunford Bridge. Was I near Doncaster? Nowhere near at all!

There still remained the small matter of getting across to Penistone, onwards to Barnsley and then passing loads of other former mining villages before eventually reaching Doncaster,

Well it was 6pm and I wasn't really in the mood to do all that. So in the end I followed a disused tarmacked railway line through Penistone (formerly known as the Great Central Railway line) and then diverted to Silkstone Common just outside Barnsley, where I got on a train to Sheffield. Doncaster could wait till tomorrow.

This stage had been hard work but I was really glad to have ridden through it. I can see myself returning there with no luggage and doing a training ride from Stockport to Penistone. The Longendale trail is very pretty and would make a great training route. During the day lots of mountain bikers were out on that route doing just that. I would also say it is a great route for a cyclo cross rider too and I would definitely use my cross bike.

For now though, I just had to resign myself to the fact that I was a sluggish cycle tourist!


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