Winning on Winnats (Part 3): Rebecca Richardson on the National Hill Climb Championships

In my mini series on women's thoughts on contesting the National Hill Climb Championships on the iconic Winnats Pass (Peak District) for the first time in history, we focus on Rebecca Richardson. The Brother UK racer has had podium success in the past at the UK Hill Climb Championships, when she was third on Haytor Vale in 2019. Based in mid-Wales, Rebecca was unable to compete in 2020. But this year the reigning Welsh Hill Climb Champion is back, and will see if she could add to her hill climbing palmarès.  

Rebecca at Monsal Head hill climb (photo: Anthony Wood)

"Last year was a bit of a wet blanket because a week before the Nationals the Welsh Government changed its mind about where we could go [because of the Covid pandemic], so being based in mid-Wales I didn't get to race on Streatley Hill.

So I’m pretty excited about the National Championships on Sunday, and pretty relaxed. I know that I’m in the mix in terms of maybe the top 10 hill climbers but this year is competitive. The level’s really gone up. What’s great about the women’s field now is that as it gets bigger you get more specialists. We know in the men’s fields certain riders go better over a short distance, and  some go better over a long climb. In the women’s field we’ve never had that depth and breadth of field in the past, but this year we have. We’re getting some consistent women in the sport, and then when you add in new women we are starting to see this range.

A climb like Mam Nick suits me. It’s about 7.5 minutes long for women. Anything that’s sort of 5-7 minutes or 7-10 minutes is more my cup of tea.

Mam Nick has been my favourite race this season, where I broke the course record. It’s a climb that, for a couple of years my friends had been saying I should go for, and I really wanted the course record off Lizzy Banks. It’s a really beautiful, iconic climb. When I did the hill climb I put in the best 7-minute power. A minute from the end I was numb with my head down, and I was really in a place I’d never been, physically. My sight was blurring – basically all the oxygen from my brain was going! 

I was really glad to get the record, especially after the disappointment at Monsal Head where I had a massive wheel-slip and lost power. I picked back up at the end, and when I got to the top I was like aaargh! With the field of riders there, I thought I wouldn't even get a podium place. So when I found out I was third, it was a surprise. Looking at the pacing on Strava, I was actually ahead of Mary [Wilkinson], when I had the wheel-slip. I was actually in line with Bithja [Jones], so I know my result could have been a lot better. 

Winnats Pass is not my kind of climb. If you talk to people like Bithja, Mary, Illa [Gardner] and Frances Owen they will say that they love anything that’s steep. Well, I’m the total opposite! Everyone who knows me, knows how much I go backwards when it gets really steep. It’s like when I get out of the saddle my body just doesn’t propel forwards like everybody else!

My partner Rick, lives about 30 minutes away from Winnats so we rode it with Lizzy Banks. We did a ride for the Cycling Podcast tech channel, doing a full gas effort about a month and a half ago. We worked out the gearing, and then I went back and did another full gas effort last week, and we’ve changed all of my bike gearing since.

I was back there on Tuesday this week, because I could see that the weather on Tuesday was looking pretty similar to what we’re going to get on Sunday. The thing about Winnats is that it completely changes with the wind. It’s like a gulley which faces the prevailing wind. When it's windy you get down draughts which are really really gusty. 

On Tuesday we had 28mph South-Westerly gusts and in the gorge in Winnats, on the actual climb, I had to get off my bike. I couldn’t physically ride up it because it was so scary. I had to walk down and my bike was getting pulled out of my arms by the wind. It was flying in the air like a kite! Then a walker in front of me fell over from the wind. 

If the weather is like that on Sunday it’s going to be really interesting. It will be just a case of who can actually get up it. I said that I don’t think I’m a contender but if the weather is anything like Tuesday, I think the advantage of being able to stay in the saddle will make the difference. So I’m going in prepared for the worst, basically. I'd rather have attritional conditions, as that might give me a chance!

In terms of bike set-up I’ve got a really special bike which was created by my partner and his business partner. They have a company called DreamBuild, and have a You Tube channel where they film dream builds – pro bikes, latest bike releases, and they work with manufacturers on projects. So my bike is one of their projects. It’s the S-Works Aethos that has string wheels and everything’s been geared towards being really lightweight. It’s their lightest frame and is around 700g. The whole bike is 4.7kg including disc brakes. Maybe it's really the wrong bike for the wind. I think for those conditions you might just want an old winter bike, or even a mountain bike!

Rebecca's S-Works Aethos as featured in Cycling Weekly

I think realistically, based on all my recons at Winnats, I am not going to be on the podium. But in my mind, that won’t be a failure because the success for me is that there are so many women now who are up there, and to be on the podium you have now got to be in top form, and a notch above. 

It is now like how the men have had to compete for several years. When you see 75 senior women and a full field of junior women – they’re talking about over 100 women - and you can’t even say whether you’re necessarily going to be in the top 10 because there are so many potential top 10 hill climbers, that’s really exciting. 

Even Cycling Weekly magazine recently featured three women hill climbers. They had a story about The Rake, with Mary [Wilkinson] leading the article, a profile on Bithja [Jones], and in the tech section they had my bike. So women’s hill climbing has become so exciting and unpredictable. People are talking about Bithja and Mary, but Illi has beaten Bithja this year. I personally think it will be between Mary and Illi. I think Winnats is too long for Bithja.

I’m really excited for Sunday,  because every time you go up Winnats normally, the traffic is so horrible, and I know the organisers have been working for about two years with the council to get this venue and have closed roads.

This is a unique chance, and because it’s a natural amphitheatre and quite short we’re hopefully going to get some brilliant crowds. They had the Nationals on Bank Road in Matlock in 2016, where I raced in what was my first open hill climb, and the crowds blew my mind; it was like the Tour de France. I can only imagine Winnats is going to be like that." 

[Rebecca sets off from the cattle grid near Speedwell Cavern at 10.28am on Sunday 31st October]

Related posts

Winning on Winnats (Part 2): Mary Wilkinson on the National Hill Climb Championships

Winning on Winnats (Part 1): Bithja Jones on the National Hill Climb Championships

Winning on Winnats (Part 2): Mary Wilkinson on the National Hill Climb Championships

In the run-up to the National Hill climb championships on Winnats Pass, I have been getting the thoughts from different riders as we approach another momentous occasion in women's cycle racing. This iconic climb just outside Castleton is being used as the setting for the Nationals for the first time since 1977. Given that in those days there was no hill climb competition for women, it will therefore be the first time that a women's hill climb competition is being held there. 

The women's 70+ strong field is going to be very fiercely competitive, with a number of contenders who could be crowned "Queen of Winnats Pass". Defending champion, Bithja Jones gave her thoughts in a previous post. Now it is the turn of Mary Wilkinson (Yorkshire Road Club), last year's runner-up. Mary, a former elite runner and Zwift Academy finalist, has finished in second place on three occasions in the last four years but has never won. Maybe this could be her year. 

Mary pushing herself to the limit at Monsal Head Hill Climb (photo: Anthony Wood)

"Winnats Pass is an absolutely beautiful climb. I think you’d really struggle to find a more fitting location for the championships and I’m really looking forward to it. The winners will be truly deserving champions on a course like Winnats. To me, it’s a really classic, pure hill climb with a fairly constant (brutal) gradient that will push everyone to their limit physically, mentally and tactically.

Having crowds back has already been a huge boost this year at all the events, but I can guarantee that the atmosphere on Winnats is going to take this to a different level. It is such a natural amphitheatre; I can already hear the noise!

I’ve done a few races in the area so I took those opportunities to ride Winnats a few times, as I’ve made the mistake before of not seeing a climb until race day - that can be challenging mentally. It’s certainly a hard climb, but majestic at the same time. I’ve found myself admiring the surroundings as much as focusing on my effort, so hopefully that’s out of the way before the event! Even without crowds the location feels special, so to have closed roads and screaming crowds is just going to be amazing.

I’m really lucky to live where I do and to be surrounded by some of the most amazing roads to ride in the Yorkshire Dales and the Forest of Bowland. We certainly have our fair share of steep long hills, that's for sure! It’s pretty difficult to actually go for a flat ride, but because I enjoy riding uphill so much, that’s never a problem. So living where I do certainly helps you be a hill climber whether you want to be or not.

This is the first year that I’ve had a dedicated hill climb bike. I’ve previously just ridden a slightly modified road bike (i.e. I took the bottle cages off!). I spotted another hill climber selling their specially built bike at the start of the season and I was very lucky that it was my size and I managed to buy it. It’s built around a Cannondale Supersix frame which seems to be one of the most popular choices for hill climbs, and runs SRAM Red Etap.

I’ve worked with my mechanic, Eddie Dickson (Darwen Cycle Repairs) to tweak a few things such as narrower bars and longer cranks. I managed to get hold of a nice set of lightweight wheels, also second hand from another hill climber (It’s a good community!), and have got my trusted Continental Tyres on them.

I really couldn’t be happier with the final build. Weight-wise it comes in around 5.1kg all in, but equally as important I feel really comfortable and confident riding it. Weight is important, but I believe having confidence in the handling and performance of the bike in all conditions is worth even more.

Gearing wise I run a single chain ring up front, either a 38, 36 or 34 depending on the gradient and weather, and an 11-28 cassette on the back. For Winnats a lot will depend on the wind direction, which makes a big difference to the duration and effort and that will determine which chainring I run.

My best race this season was probably the last event I did, at Ripponden Bank (near Halifax) where the power was well above what I’d done for that duration before. The Rake is a close second because of the challenging conditions with the wet road, and the fact that it was an event I’ve really wanted to win. So there was extra pressure from myself to try and put in a performance to achieve that, and I was really happy to execute the ride there.

From a pure statistically point of view, to have broken the course records in every race I’ve ridden this season is more than I could have expected, and to take the win in nine out of the ten races I did is way beyond what I had hoped for. I’ve progressed my training as I wanted to, done all I can, so what will be will be!

I couldn’t really have asked for a better season. I came into it feeling healthy and strong, and have managed to progressively build on this as the season has gone on. I’ve completed all the training I’ve wanted to do, stayed healthy and most importantly I’ve really enjoyed the whole process - the training, the racing and the camaraderie at events. 

I feel that I’m in the best place I’ve ever been both fitness and enjoyment-wise and I think it’s important to acknowledge and appreciate that. Whatever happens at the Nationals I’ve had a brilliant season and enjoyed every minute, I can’t really ask for any more than that.

The level of women’s participation and the standard has increased year on year. When I started hill climbing (only a few years ago) there would be one or two women at events if you were lucky, and our presence was pretty insignificant. Nowadays, we are getting really good numbers of women riding at lots of events, and we are largely treated on par with the men which is great to see. 

There are lots of new riders getting involved too, although this year I think the overall numbers (in men & women) has been lower because of the delayed road season, but I expect that to pick back up next year and beyond. I think on the whole the hill climbing community has also progressed and there is a definite feeling of growing inclusivity and friendship among the riders, which is brilliant and something that will only help the sport grow.

Each year I’ve competed I’ve improved my power numbers and my performances, but every year the level at the top of women’s hill climbing improves too! This can only be a good thing. It keeps everyone pushing for that little bit extra, striving for that extra 1%. 

It’s also great to see that there are some younger riders coming through, because at 40 I really shouldn’t be winning events, although I’m not complaining! As long as I keep enjoying it, I’ll keep competing. 

You can always be the best version of you and as a cycling discipline, hill climbing is the perfect arena in which to achieve this because it really is you against the hill."

[Mary sets off from the cattle grid near Speedwell Cavern at 10.29:30seconds am on Sunday 31st October]

Related post

Winning on Winnats (Part 1): Bithja Jones on the National Hill Climb Championships

Photo of the day - 10: Cycle race up Winnats Pass? Maybe!

 

Photo: Neil Theasby

This beautiful stretch of road is Winnats Pass, in the Peak District. It's in a very popular area just outside the village of Castleton, with Peveril Castle nearby as well as a number of show caverns to visit. And lets not forget the numerous walking trails that lead to Mam Tor, and the highest peak, Kinder Scout. But the most noteworthy thing here for cyclists is this excruciatingly steep hill over 1km, with 25% gradients, which breaks the moral of many. It's not uncommon to see people pushing their bikes up the hill. I rode up it last year while on a ride around the Peak District, and I had to stop for a breather. That was in part due to the stress of the numerous vehicles going up the hill too. It's quite hard to manage the ride up this climb. 

The good news is that this hill has been selected for the National Hill Climb Championships at the end of October, so riders will get to ride up the hill with no vehicles given that it will be on closed roads. The bad news is that many people who would like to ride up this climb won't get the opportunity.

Therein lies the subject of a heated debate that took place on the UK Hill Climbing Facebook group today. 

Last year, almost 500 riders, including 93 women, competed on Streatley Hill, the venue for National Hill Climb Championships. This year, the authorities have limited the numbers to 300 riders. The organisers have designated 150 places to men, and in the interests to equality, 150 places to women. One guy highlighted the issues around this. His claim is that 150 places for women is a lot given that there is never that number of women entrants in any hill climb. Last year's championships had a record number of entrants - around 120. And this was after a big communications campaign and an offer to pay the entry fees of 100 women. Normally, around 50 women enter. In a non-championship hill climb race there are usually fewer than 10 women entrants. 

So on that basis, it will be hard to fill the 150 places for women, and if they are filled there will be novice women taking part, who may even end up having to push their bike up the hill! (For many women, last year's national hill climb championships was their first ever hill climb race.) Meanwhile, the 150 places allocated to men will be easily oversubscribed as much as two-fold, with some very capable men being denied a place on the grounds of them not being ranked highly enough. The man questioned if this really is equality when you will have every woman who applies, including novices, being accepted into the race while some very experienced men who have been competing in hill climbs throughout the year will not get a place.

I think this is a valid point, though unfortunately because the man mentioned that some women will be pushing their bikes up the hill this rubbed people up the wrong way, and what could have been a more level-headed discussion, descended into a slanging match with women taking offence and talking about all those historical inequalities sport, male chauvinism, women being oppressed, misogyny etc.

While I believe in equality, I do think that it is not as basic as saying 50% of the world are women, therefore allocate 50% of the places to women. I think it is important to take into account the practical implications of implementation. I think that allocating 150 places to women when there has never been that level of participation from amateur women racers in any hill climb will engender problems and also a lack of equality in the actual fibre of the competition. We could have elite/top female racers up against other women who are wheeling their bikes up the hill. In the men's race it will elite male racers against other top male racers. That's how a National Championships should be. I think that women need to show equal engagement in sport, the same as men in order to have the same number of places allocated.

 Many women choose not to take part in competitive cycling, but they will be very quick to call out sexism if there is a nominal difference in allocations between men and women. For the balance to be redressed, it is up to women to get more involved. 

My views weren't popular when I expressed them on the forum, though I say this as someone who is positive about women's sports. I have done sport since as far back as I can remember, and I have been involved in initiatives to encourage more women to get involved in sport. Therefore my views are based on my observations and discussions. I hope that over time, more women can take up hill climbing. 

And for what it's worth, I don't feel offended when someone suggests that I may end up pushing my bike up Winnats Pass. That is not an impossibility. I have had to do that a few times in the past, and if the ground is wet and I get back-wheel spin on the day of the National Championships, I may well end up doing so again!

Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 7

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 5

Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 4

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Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 2

Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 1

Festive 500: Rail trails in England - Day 6

Monsal Trail - Derbyshire Peak District + a cyclocross race


Stats
Kms ridden: 34
Running total: 376
Kms left: 124
Refreshments: 500ml water; nutella sandwich; raspberry jam on toast

Weather: sunny with cold wind; 10 degC

Highlight: Tunnels through the Monsal trail; Notts and Derby League cyclocross race


Rides on Strava
Monsal Trail

Cyclocross race

Warm-down

This was a day to look forward to, as I had heard a lot of good things about the Monsal trail. It appears to be one of the most popular rail trails in the country, yet for all my cycling in the Peak District I had never been on it. So it would be good to finally make it onto the trail.

One of four tunnels along the Monsal trail

There was also a cyclocross taking place. That's my favourite type of racing. Mind you, these days it's the only type of racing I do!

So after another longish drive cross country to reach Bakewell I checked out the Monsal trail. Again, I was limited on time because I needed to be back in time to sign up and prepare for the race. By prepare that just meant getting my bike out of the car and putting on my race number. There wouldn't be time to pre-ride the course, so I would be racing it blind - something that I quite regularly do!

Monsal Trail

At least today, I would be nicely warmed up after a quick blast along the 8.5 mile Monsal trail. Finding the trail was easy enough because it was right behind where the race was taking place. I just had to navigate around the various tapes across the field, which was fun and games given that racing was already in progress!

The start of the trail from Coombe Lane

The first section onto the trail involved a steep ramp and I feared that it would be this steep all the way along. In fact, this was the only ramp on the ride. There are many places to enter and exit the Monsal trail, and all of them will involve a steep ramp given that this trail is above the village and the dales.

Immediately onto the trail and I could see that it was definitely popular. This trail had more people on it than I had seen on any of the other trails I had done during the Festive 500. There were groups of walkers, groups of cyclists - leisure bikers and mountain bikers - even a group of horseriders. It seems everyone was on the Monsal trail, and those who weren't were at the cyclocross race!

The surface is compacted earth and gravel that drains well, so it was not muddy. Along the way were refreshment stops in the disused railway stations - notably at Harrop.

One of the main features of this trail is the tunnels. There are four of them, each being around 400m long. They are fully lit in daylight hours, though I think it woud be good to still have lights on the bike just to alert walkers. When travelling towards Bakewell the route goes slightly downhill so you can pick up quite a speed if you want. So from a safety standpoint a light would be a good idea.

Views over the Derbyshire Dales and the Peak District

I went through two of the tunnels and then turned back in order to get back to my race in time. In the afternoon sunshine the Monsal trail is a lovely place to be. There are beautiful views over the Peak District and the surface is very easy to ride on, and easy to navigate. This was definitely my favourite trail to date during the Festive 500 week.

Notts and Derby League Cyclocross race

Once back at the Bakewell Agricultural Showground I set about preparing for the cyclocross race. Although the temperature was advertised as 10 degC, the windy conditions made it feel a lot colder, and for the first time since I can remember I actually did the race in long tights. I didn't overheat either - not even on the testing climbs.

As with races in the Notts and Derby league, the women's field was pretty big. There must have been at least 30 women signed up for it. The level would also be quite high as I recognised a number of names of people who race the National Trophy series of races.

For me, this was just a chance to do a cyclocross race and get my pulse rate working a bit higher than the plod I had mainly been doing over the rail trails.

Conditions were nowhere as claggy as the two races I had done the previous week in Tonbridge and at Mendips Raceway. There were still a few sticky patches though. More importantly there were some tough climbs and a very tricky descent that was steep with loads of bumps. I have no idea how I managed to do it without crashing. In fact as I bounced down the hill with my body being thrown around like a ragdoll, there was a "whoa" from the crowds as they were expecting me to stack it. But somehow I stayed on the bike. I guess it's called focus and core stability!

Overall, the race was hard work and I languished near the back, as usual sparring with a couple of local women from Ilkeston and Derby, fighting not to be the lanterne rouge. I think I finished third last in the end, but I was just happy to have got round without any incident. I felt reassured to know that I could do this race even after all the other stuff I'd been doing.

It remains to be seen how much energy I have tomorrow when I tackle another cyclocross race as well as two rail trails! Whatever happens tomorrow, I can say that today was a good day.

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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.

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Rail trails galore!

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Notes from the Transpennine Trail - Southport to Warrington

Notes from the Transpennine Trail - Stockport to Barnsley

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!


Related posts
Notes from the Transpennine Trail - Southport to Warrington

Rail trails galore

Leisure Cheshire bike ride

Lunchtime jaunt - 1

Bollington - Blaze Hill - Macclesfield

One of the advantages of working in the new place, up in Macclesfield, is being able to ride my bike at lunchtime.

It is something that I have been able to do in the past - for instance, the times when I was home based  in London I could easily find quick routes around South London. When I worked in Central London it was even possible to do reps around St James's Park or Hyde Park, while trying not to frighten the tourists crossing the road!

Sadly, when I was in Milan this was a definite no, no. First of all there were no changing/shower facilities after finishing my ride. Secondly, places to ride were quite limited. There was only really a stretch of canal path on the Naviglio Grande. Thirdly, and most importantly there was no secure bike park so there was no way I'd leave a road bike chained up outside the building. It wouldn't have lasted 30 seconds - and I know through bitter experience! So really, if I went to work in the morning with my road bike, by lunchtime I would have had no bike to use for my lunch-time jaunt!

Moving to Macclesfield, situated right on the edge of the Peak District has been the best antidote to 18 months of being in an urban sprawl of Milan with its lack of green spaces. This area of Cheshire offers the best lunchtime cycling that I have ever had so far.

So I make the most of it. There are lots of country lanes near where I work. Quite a few of them go uphill! There are even some steep roads with cobbles for if I wish to practice for the Tour of Flanders, which I have signed up to ride. I will talk about the different routes over time.

The route I will talk about in this post is the standard jaunt that I take at lunchtimes. Even though it's only around 9-miles long it is a good little work-out, since it involves around 250m of climbing. One of the local hills to where I work is Blaze Hill - a climb that lasts less than 2 miles but gives a height gain of around 170m. There are a couple of 15% gradient sections, especially the early part of the climb, coming out of Bollington. Prior to doing Blaze Hill there is also the leg tester on Grimshaw Lane, which I always find a bit of challenge, especially as I tackle it from a low speed after having taken a sharp right from the main road through Bollington. But it's all good fun.

The descent back towards Macclesfield is lovely and sweeping, with a couple of tight bends but great for maintaining your cornering skills. There is also a short spike known as Tower Hill to stop you getting too complacent about freewheeling!

This is a good quick spin that can be done in a lunch hour without being accused of "skiving away from your desk!" When I get back to the office I feel like I deserve my lunch!
I can certainly feel myself getting stronger these days, so the hills must be good for me. I must just try to remember that whenever I heave and wind my way up Smithy Brow!

The route is here