Sunday 21st September 2008
This being the first fine weekend for a while we decided a ride was in order. Unfortunately many of the usual team were missing. Dom in London, Matthew & Andy playing football etc. So there were only 4 riders: Martin Dearnley, Malcolm Kyle, Joe & Thomas Lowery.
We (as usual) headed down Storrs Hill, up Netherton Hill to Midgley, along Denby Dale Road to Clayton West, then Emley, Skelmanthorpe, Upper Cumberworth, Denby Dale, Scissett, returning home via Netherton again.
The ride around Denby Dale was from a printed route by Kirklees Council. We passed through villages and along routes which we had never seen before. The route was very hilly so we enjoyed the downhill stretches & endured the climbs.
According to Malcolm's computer the ride was 22 miles at an average speed of 9.5 mph (good for such a hilly route) and a maximum of 38 mph.
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Spen Valley Greenway
Monday 25th August 2008.
After a party at Bill & Michelle's house for Liz's 50th birthday one-or-two of todays riders were a little "fragile".
The riders were: Andy, Joe, Tom & Matthew Lowery, Malcolm Kyle, Dominic Barnes, Chris Graham & Martin Dearnley.
Our route followed a path we are familiar with & is well-liked due to the lack of hills but this time we extended the distance.
View Larger Map
We went down Storrs Hill to Horbury Bridge then along the canal towpath to Ravensthorpe then headed north along the Spen Valley Greenway to Bradford. This is a steady uphill incline but due to the route being a disused railway line the slopes are gentle. We stopped at Oakenshaw, Bradford where the Greenway appeared to end & had lunch in the park.
The Greenway was quite busy with walkers & cyclists due to this being a Bank Holiday and is clearly a valuable resource to the area.
Unfortunately on the return journey Dominic had a puncture but the front 3 riders (with the puncture outfit & spare tube) were about 5 miles ahead before realising it!
This required some ferrying back & forth to get Dom mobile again.
A total distance of just over 25 miles according to Malcolm's trip computer makes this the longest single trip taken by the team so far. The average speed was high at 10 mph.
After a party at Bill & Michelle's house for Liz's 50th birthday one-or-two of todays riders were a little "fragile".
The riders were: Andy, Joe, Tom & Matthew Lowery, Malcolm Kyle, Dominic Barnes, Chris Graham & Martin Dearnley.
Our route followed a path we are familiar with & is well-liked due to the lack of hills but this time we extended the distance.
View Larger Map
We went down Storrs Hill to Horbury Bridge then along the canal towpath to Ravensthorpe then headed north along the Spen Valley Greenway to Bradford. This is a steady uphill incline but due to the route being a disused railway line the slopes are gentle. We stopped at Oakenshaw, Bradford where the Greenway appeared to end & had lunch in the park.
The Greenway was quite busy with walkers & cyclists due to this being a Bank Holiday and is clearly a valuable resource to the area.
Unfortunately on the return journey Dominic had a puncture but the front 3 riders (with the puncture outfit & spare tube) were about 5 miles ahead before realising it!
This required some ferrying back & forth to get Dom mobile again.
A total distance of just over 25 miles according to Malcolm's trip computer makes this the longest single trip taken by the team so far. The average speed was high at 10 mph.
Biking bargains at Aldi
Aldi have some more biking products at bargain prices- I called in today to check it out.
They have:
Biking sunglasses £2.99
Rack to fit a car to hold 2 bikes £24.99
Small retractable bike lock £3.99
Gel cover for saddle. Essential if you don't have one.
Nice designed backpack.
Special belt to hold water bottles.
A pulley system to raise your bike to the ceiling to save space.
Good quality cycle helmet for adult or child £8.99.
They have:
Biking sunglasses £2.99
Rack to fit a car to hold 2 bikes £24.99
Small retractable bike lock £3.99
Gel cover for saddle. Essential if you don't have one.
Nice designed backpack.
Special belt to hold water bottles.
A pulley system to raise your bike to the ceiling to save space.
Good quality cycle helmet for adult or child £8.99.
Newmillerdam, Crigglestone & Mud
Saturday 19th July. Newmillerdam, Crigglestone & Mud
The leader of the ride this week was Dominic Barnes. He chose a route incorporating a Wakefield Met Cycle Ride around Newmillerdam.
This week's riders were Dominic Barnes, Malcolm Kyle, Andy, Thomas, Matthew & Joe Lowery, Steve & Joe McCarthy, Martin Dearnley & a new rider - Iain Wilkinson.
The weather forecast was poor but although there were a few light showers there wasn't enough rain to spoil the morning. We set off from church, Horbury Bridge, canal to Navigation, on-road to Almshouse Lane, Newmillerdam.
Unfortunately at this point we had our first casualty. Steve McCarthy had to retire with a severe dose of The Crigglestone Crampy Sweaty Puky Fever.
Joe McCarthy carried on bravely but he appeared most concerned that his lunch had returned to Ossett with his Dad! This week Joe was on a different bike. Although it was borrowed it was bigger than his own and more suited to his size. This was much better for him & he coped very well with this ride.
Our resident medic - Andy - took responsibility to accompany Steve home where he is doing very well.
The team carried on along a very pleasant off-road route along a disused railway track & then a circular path anti-clockwise through the woods & fields surrounding Newmillerdam. We returned to Ossett via the southern side of the canal & then up through Horbury.
View Larger Map'>http://
View Larger Map
Conditions on the tracks were very muddy & slippery as revealed by the photos at the end outside Malcolm's house.
Stats from Malcolm's computor reveal:
Distance 14.8 miles
Riding time (not including stops) 1h 50m
Average speed 8.1 mph
Max speed 25 mph
>
The leader of the ride this week was Dominic Barnes. He chose a route incorporating a Wakefield Met Cycle Ride around Newmillerdam.
This week's riders were Dominic Barnes, Malcolm Kyle, Andy, Thomas, Matthew & Joe Lowery, Steve & Joe McCarthy, Martin Dearnley & a new rider - Iain Wilkinson.
The weather forecast was poor but although there were a few light showers there wasn't enough rain to spoil the morning. We set off from church, Horbury Bridge, canal to Navigation, on-road to Almshouse Lane, Newmillerdam.
Unfortunately at this point we had our first casualty. Steve McCarthy had to retire with a severe dose of The Crigglestone Crampy Sweaty Puky Fever.
Joe McCarthy carried on bravely but he appeared most concerned that his lunch had returned to Ossett with his Dad! This week Joe was on a different bike. Although it was borrowed it was bigger than his own and more suited to his size. This was much better for him & he coped very well with this ride.
Our resident medic - Andy - took responsibility to accompany Steve home where he is doing very well.
The team carried on along a very pleasant off-road route along a disused railway track & then a circular path anti-clockwise through the woods & fields surrounding Newmillerdam. We returned to Ossett via the southern side of the canal & then up through Horbury.
View Larger Map'>http://
View Larger Map
Conditions on the tracks were very muddy & slippery as revealed by the photos at the end outside Malcolm's house.
Stats from Malcolm's computor reveal:
Distance 14.8 miles
Riding time (not including stops) 1h 50m
Average speed 8.1 mph
Max speed 25 mph
>
Saturday 19th July
Due to St. Igs Summer Fair & other commitments we have missed a couple of weeks. The next ride is Dominic's choice:
I am planning a cycle this Saturday morning around Newmillerdam. The route will be down Storrs Hill Road from church, along the canal to the Navigation, then by road through Crigglestone and Chapelthorpe to Newmillerdam.Then, a circular route around Newmillerdam Country Park, mainly off-road, and head back to Ossett, either the way we came, or up through Pugneys towards Thornes and use the cycle path to Horbury. This will be the gentler option as it avoids Storrs Hill. Overall, I reckon about 16 miles of mainly easy cycling, so suitable for all, but we can extend it a bit by exploring one or two tangents, like a disused railway line that runs south towards Notton from Newmillerdam.
No lunch will be needed as we'll probably be back for lunch. Bring drinks & perhaps a piece of fruit. As Dom has other commitments it will be an earlier start than usual. Meet at 9:00 am on the church drive.
If weather is iffy a decision regarding the ride will be posted here at 8:30 am.
I am planning a cycle this Saturday morning around Newmillerdam. The route will be down Storrs Hill Road from church, along the canal to the Navigation, then by road through Crigglestone and Chapelthorpe to Newmillerdam.Then, a circular route around Newmillerdam Country Park, mainly off-road, and head back to Ossett, either the way we came, or up through Pugneys towards Thornes and use the cycle path to Horbury. This will be the gentler option as it avoids Storrs Hill. Overall, I reckon about 16 miles of mainly easy cycling, so suitable for all, but we can extend it a bit by exploring one or two tangents, like a disused railway line that runs south towards Notton from Newmillerdam.
No lunch will be needed as we'll probably be back for lunch. Bring drinks & perhaps a piece of fruit. As Dom has other commitments it will be an earlier start than usual. Meet at 9:00 am on the church drive.
If weather is iffy a decision regarding the ride will be posted here at 8:30 am.
Report of Cannon Hall Trip 28th June 2008
This was a very enjoyable day out. The cyclists were: Andy, Joe & Tom Lowery, Malcolm Kyle, Chris Graham, Martin Dearnley, Dominic Barnes.
When we set off it was clear that one of our number was feeling under-the-weather. Malcolm had been taken too much advantage of Martin's hospitality in the Parish Centre the previous night and was feeling very Southern unComfortable. Still - he carried on like a brave little soldier but at some points during the day he wished he'd stayed in bed!
Our route took us up through Coxley Valley and then to Midgley. The path from Little London to Midgley was very muddy necessitating frequent dismounts & short distances of actually carrying the bike on your shoulder.
We then headed into Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Normally there is a series of exhibitions in the Underground Gallery which change each year. We went along to investigate but it was clear that this was a work-in-progress as contractors & diggers were present.
View Larger Map
The next part of the route was a long, steady climb on a bridle path to High Hoyland. This was quite tough but pleasant cycling in the parkland with cows & sheep for company.
The ride into Cannon Hall car park was uneventful where we met Anne-Marie, Catriona (sp?) & Rebecca Barnes & Frances Lowery. Packed lunch at a picnic table in the parkland -
The part of the ride enjoyed by most of the riders was the long (+2 miles) downhill stretch from High Hoyland Church to the junction with Denby Dale Road. Illustrating the increased level of fitness of the riders there were parts of the ride (uphill) which on previous rides we dismounted & walked but which we were able to cycle up un this occasion. On reaching Storrs Hill, even at the end of a 20 mile run there were some very brave attempts, with varying success, to scale it on bikes.
Courtesy of Malcolm's onboard computer we have the following stats of the ride:
Distance: 19.3 miles
Riding time: 2:34 (some pushing!)
Average speed: 7.4 mph
Maximum speed: 37 mph
When we set off it was clear that one of our number was feeling under-the-weather. Malcolm had been taken too much advantage of Martin's hospitality in the Parish Centre the previous night and was feeling very Southern unComfortable. Still - he carried on like a brave little soldier but at some points during the day he wished he'd stayed in bed!
Our route took us up through Coxley Valley and then to Midgley. The path from Little London to Midgley was very muddy necessitating frequent dismounts & short distances of actually carrying the bike on your shoulder.
We then headed into Yorkshire Sculpture Park. Normally there is a series of exhibitions in the Underground Gallery which change each year. We went along to investigate but it was clear that this was a work-in-progress as contractors & diggers were present.
View Larger Map
The next part of the route was a long, steady climb on a bridle path to High Hoyland. This was quite tough but pleasant cycling in the parkland with cows & sheep for company.
The ride into Cannon Hall car park was uneventful where we met Anne-Marie, Catriona (sp?) & Rebecca Barnes & Frances Lowery. Packed lunch at a picnic table in the parkland -
Here the newest member of the St Ignatius Team Velo demonstrated her latest skills -
The part of the ride enjoyed by most of the riders was the long (+2 miles) downhill stretch from High Hoyland Church to the junction with Denby Dale Road. Illustrating the increased level of fitness of the riders there were parts of the ride (uphill) which on previous rides we dismounted & walked but which we were able to cycle up un this occasion. On reaching Storrs Hill, even at the end of a 20 mile run there were some very brave attempts, with varying success, to scale it on bikes.
Courtesy of Malcolm's onboard computer we have the following stats of the ride:
Distance: 19.3 miles
Riding time: 2:34 (some pushing!)
Average speed: 7.4 mph
Maximum speed: 37 mph
Cannon Hall
See post below regarding Saturday 28th June ride.
I'll just add that there are lots of birds (ducks & geese etc.). I recommend that the children bring some old bread with them as the birds are tame (but hungry!).
Is anyone going by car? If so it would save on weight if they could take the lunches. Let me know.
10:00 28/6/08 Weather not too bad so ride will go ahead!!!
I'll just add that there are lots of birds (ducks & geese etc.). I recommend that the children bring some old bread with them as the birds are tame (but hungry!).
Is anyone going by car? If so it would save on weight if they could take the lunches. Let me know.
10:00 28/6/08 Weather not too bad so ride will go ahead!!!
22nd June - Planned Easy Sunday Ride
Sunday 22nd June a relatively easy flattish ride is planned along the canal side & then along the Spen Valley Greenway. In some places there will be nettles & mud!
A decision will be made at 12:30 and posted HERE if there is a problem with the weather so please check at or after 12:30 if the weather looks "iffy".
(12:50 I WILL be riding today but it is VERY windy!)
Meet at 1:30 on the church drive. The pace will depend who is on the ride. We will go at the speed of the slowest rider. All welcome!
Report:
The weather was not suitable for cycling. Gale force winds made it VERY hard work. I went down Queens Drive, up Spring Mill Lane past the golf course. along Park Mill Lane past Low Laithes Golf Course to Kirkhamgate. Then back to Gawthorpe via Gawthorpe Lane then into Ossett via Church Street.
A decision will be made at 12:30 and posted HERE if there is a problem with the weather so please check at or after 12:30 if the weather looks "iffy".
(12:50 I WILL be riding today but it is VERY windy!)
Meet at 1:30 on the church drive. The pace will depend who is on the ride. We will go at the speed of the slowest rider. All welcome!
Report:
The weather was not suitable for cycling. Gale force winds made it VERY hard work. I went down Queens Drive, up Spring Mill Lane past the golf course. along Park Mill Lane past Low Laithes Golf Course to Kirkhamgate. Then back to Gawthorpe via Gawthorpe Lane then into Ossett via Church Street.
Saturday 28th June - Cawthorne Park (planned)
This will be a full day out with a stop of about an hour at Cannon Hall & Country Park. Good weather is guaranteed.
http://www.barnsley.gov.uk/bguk/Leisure_Culture/Other%20Attractions/Cannon%20Hall%20Museum,%20Park%20and%20Gardens/Cannon_Hall_Museum_Park_and_Gardens
We will meet at at 10:30 on the church drive. A packed lunch will be had at about 1:00 pm at Cannon Hall. We will spend about an hour here so if any non-cycling friends & relatives want to come it is a nice place to visit. There is a cafe & toilets. There is no charge to visit but there is a charge for car parking.
There will be a mixture of on-road & off-road riding on this trip. The route to Cannon Hall is a long uphill climb but we will have plenty of stops & it is all downhill heading home!!
A decision will be made at 9:30 and posted HERE if there is a problem with the weather so please check at or after 9:30 if the weather looks "iffy".
Meet Saturday 28th June at 10:30 on the church drive with a packed lunch & drink. Helmets are advisable. All welcome!
http://www.barnsley.gov.uk/bguk/Leisure_Culture/Other%20Attractions/Cannon%20Hall%20Museum,%20Park%20and%20Gardens/Cannon_Hall_Museum_Park_and_Gardens
We will meet at at 10:30 on the church drive. A packed lunch will be had at about 1:00 pm at Cannon Hall. We will spend about an hour here so if any non-cycling friends & relatives want to come it is a nice place to visit. There is a cafe & toilets. There is no charge to visit but there is a charge for car parking.
There will be a mixture of on-road & off-road riding on this trip. The route to Cannon Hall is a long uphill climb but we will have plenty of stops & it is all downhill heading home!!
A decision will be made at 9:30 and posted HERE if there is a problem with the weather so please check at or after 9:30 if the weather looks "iffy".
Meet Saturday 28th June at 10:30 on the church drive with a packed lunch & drink. Helmets are advisable. All welcome!
Thornhill Hall, Whitley & Steep Hills
View Larger Map
The ride today was quite a challenging one. The riders were: Andy, Tom, Matthew & Joe Lowery, Dominic Barnes, Joe McCarthy & Martin Dearnley.
Our route took us down Storrs Hill, along the path to Healey, through the woo-woo tunnels to Figure-of-Three Locks, up past Thornhill Colliery site into Thornhill Park.
Here we paused to look at the remains of Thornhill Hall which was destroyed in 1648 following a siege by the Parliamentarian forces who attacked it with cannon fire from Runtlings (a long way). We were engaged in conversation by an extremely “odd” couple who insisted that there was a “feeling” about the place and he walked around the back of the ruin & announced that there was some improvement to the “aura” since last time.
We then climbed through Thornhill Edge and into Whitely. Here I was introduced to “Charlottes”. A farm which has diversified into a tea room, ice cream sales, crazy golf & some nice animals to be tormented. There was a long-haired goat who pretended he wanted to see where we were going but then tried to eat the map!
The goat is the one in the middle.
Following some dodgy navigation by Martin we eventually found ourselves on a gated road clearly marked “PRIVATE”. We were somewhere near Denby Grange when a nail went right through Joe McCarthy’s tyre, putting 2 holes in it. This was the first time we’ve had to fix a puncture “in the field” using some teamwork & a variety of tools we got the job done OK. Andy said it reminded him of being in the S.A.S.!!!
Then following some minor paths, lanes & bridleways we made our way to Middlestown & Overton. From there we took Smithy Lane up to Chapel Hill. Here there were some stunning fields which were scarlet with poppies. We all decided that we’d never seen so many poppies in previous years and were undecided what was the purpose.
This path took us into Coxley Valley were we followed the beckside path down the valley towards Horbury Bridge. Conditions were mixed with lengthy dry sections interspersed with slippery muddy bits. Martin was the first to fall, others either fell or came close.
Typically – Joe Lowery saw a patch of mud & decided to try to cycle through it but it was MUCH deeper than it looked & he sank down & stuck completely waiting for a rescue from Dom.
We all agreed it was an enjoyable ride but very hilly.
Sunday after lunch!
This is a re-run of the cancelled 1st June ride. Next planned ride will be Sunday 15th June. This will be a mixture of on road & off road riding. It is rather a hilly course but pleasant if the weather holds up.As this will be an afternoon ride there will be no lunch required. This will not be such a long ride as last Monday. It will be much shorter but quite demanding due to number of inclines! I anticipate a 2.5 hour ride at a "brisk" pace. Meet at 1:30 on the church drive. All welcome!
A decision will be made at 12:30 and posted HERE if there is a problem with the weather so please check at or after 12:30 if the weather looks "iffy".
12:30 1st June weather looks OK so we are going ahead!
A decision will be made at 12:30 and posted HERE if there is a problem with the weather so please check at or after 12:30 if the weather looks "iffy".
12:30 1st June weather looks OK so we are going ahead!
Spen Valley Swans & Cygnets
Sunday June 8th, with Martin away and several others busy, it was decided to have a brisk cycle ride following the canal from Horbury Bridge up to the Spen Valley Greenway. Andy, Thomas, Matthew and Joe Lowrey and Dominic Barnes set out from Garden Close at 2.10pm on a hot, sunny afternoon, following the route taken on the first ride in May. The weeds and nestles have certainly grown in the last month, so those wearing shorts had to be careful. Conditions were dry, except when we crossed to the west side of the canal for a short stretch - we had to cycle through some big puddles that looked like they might have been from flooding rather than just recent rain fall. Anyway, the younger members were delighted to find some mud!! On the return, we stayed on the dry side of the canal though. Lots of interesting sights along the way, including a fishing match with every other peg occupied and the long roach poles in use; we did not see any catches though. The nesting swans we saw on the first trip have now got 3 surviving cygnets - a walker passing by told us that there had been 5 originally, but apparently any more than two surviving is considered very good. There were quite a few narrow boats in evidence as well. As we all knew the route, we cycled at a fair pace for an hour with just short stops for drinks, and made it beyond Heckmondwicke, almost as far as Cleckheaton before turning round. On the return, we went up Second Avenue as far as Jenkins Lane, where we gate-crashed Sarah-Louise and Simon's to scrounge cold drinks, arriving about 4.15pm. After this short break, we headed up through Matty Marsden Lane to return to Garden Close; unfortunately it was Matty Misfortune Lane for our own Matty as his bike got damaged here and he had to run home pushing it, impressively keeping pace with everyone else. Altogether, it was an excellent cycle ride in great weather, doing by my reckoning about 18 miles in just over 2 hours cycling.
Report courtesy of Dominic Barnes.
Report courtesy of Dominic Barnes.
1st June ride
This ride cancelled due to rain.
I am away weekend 7th & 8th so I won't be doing a ride.
I will plan one for weekend of 14th & 15th
Next planned ride will be Sunday 1st June. This will be a mixture of on road & off road riding. It is rather a hilly course but pleasant if the weather holds up.
As this will be an afternoon ride there will be no lunch required. This will not be such a long ride as last Monday. It will be much shorter but quite demanding due to number of inclines! I anticipate a 2 hour ride at a "brisk" pace.
Meet at 1:30 on the church drive. All welcome!
I am away weekend 7th & 8th so I won't be doing a ride.
I will plan one for weekend of 14th & 15th
Next planned ride will be Sunday 1st June. This will be a mixture of on road & off road riding. It is rather a hilly course but pleasant if the weather holds up.
As this will be an afternoon ride there will be no lunch required. This will not be such a long ride as last Monday. It will be much shorter but quite demanding due to number of inclines! I anticipate a 2 hour ride at a "brisk" pace.
Meet at 1:30 on the church drive. All welcome!
Heath & Stanley Ferry
Monday 26th May 2008 a very pleasant ride out comprising Steve & Joe McCarthy, Andy, Tom, Matthew & Joe Lowery & Martin Dearnley. The route was complex and one or two wrong turnings. The weather was fine but chilly with some strong winds. Packed lunch was eaten at Pugneys. We stopped at Sandal Castle to have a look round & some took advantage of the hills by rolling down them!
We then carried on into the beautiful Heath village and then to Kirkthorpe before following a path to Stanley Marina. Click "View Larger Map" & you'll be able to zoom in/out and switch between map & satellite view to follow the route.
View Larger Map
At Stanley Marina there is very large pub/restaurant (2 for one). It was very popular with lots of families dining on this Bank Holiday Monday. We all had a drink, a rest, and made use of the "facilities".
We carried on into Wakefield on the side of the river/canal & returned home via the Wakefield-Horbury cycle path which starts at Thornes Park.
As we were climbing up into Horbury Steve McCarthy had an unfortunate accident. No knowing his own strength he completely broke his chain. Unable to carry on - we had to abandon him and promised to return with a car.
A total distance according to Google Maps of 21.5 miles which with wrong turns etc is likely to be a cycling distance of 22.5 miles. We were out for 5 hours with quite a few stops for drinks & lunch.
Bretton & Coxley
Sunday 25th May 2008. We went down Storrs Hill to Horbury Bridge. Climbed up through Coxley Valley to Midgley. We passed through Yorkshire Sculpture Park at Bretton before dropping down to Crigglestone. Passing through Blacker Lane (which is narrow and we will avoid in future) we turned off before Netherton down Balk Lane to the canal. We then climbed up to Horbury & returned home via Matty Marsden Lane. I reckon total distance to be 12 miles which we did in 2 hours & 5 mins. The bikers today were Andy, Joe & Matthew Lowery, Chris Graham & Martin Dearnley.
This was quite a tough ride with some fierce hills & difficult terrain. Although windy the weather stayed dry. Conditions underfoot have much improved with the recent dry weather but we did encounter some boggy areas at the top end of Coxley Valley. Almost home we saw a goat with it's head completely jammed through a wire fence. We tried to release it but it was incredibly strong & we couldn't move its head enough to release it. Eventually the owner had to cut the fence to free the goat.
View Larger Map
This was quite a tough ride with some fierce hills & difficult terrain. Although windy the weather stayed dry. Conditions underfoot have much improved with the recent dry weather but we did encounter some boggy areas at the top end of Coxley Valley. Almost home we saw a goat with it's head completely jammed through a wire fence. We tried to release it but it was incredibly strong & we couldn't move its head enough to release it. Eventually the owner had to cut the fence to free the goat.
View Larger Map
Next Outing - Bank Holiday Weekend
MONDAY
The next ride will be Monday 26th May. We will be heading towards Wakefield on what should be an interesting ride. All welcome *remember* this is a bike ride for enjoyment not speed! Please bring a packed lunch and a drink. The majority of the ride will be off-road but there will be some parts on the road. A helmet is at your own discretion but is normally recommended. This will be a relatively easy ride with few steep inclines. There will be fewer riders than last time as I know some are away for the weekend.
Meet at 11:00 on the church drive. I expect to return at about 3:30-4:00.
SUNDAY
If anybody can't make Monday and/or wants a bit more of a challenge I'll be going on a ride heading south which will have more hills & at a bit faster pace on Sunday afternoon 25th. I'll be setting off from home at about 1:00 if you want to join me.
The next ride will be Monday 26th May. We will be heading towards Wakefield on what should be an interesting ride. All welcome *remember* this is a bike ride for enjoyment not speed! Please bring a packed lunch and a drink. The majority of the ride will be off-road but there will be some parts on the road. A helmet is at your own discretion but is normally recommended. This will be a relatively easy ride with few steep inclines. There will be fewer riders than last time as I know some are away for the weekend.
Meet at 11:00 on the church drive. I expect to return at about 3:30-4:00.
SUNDAY
If anybody can't make Monday and/or wants a bit more of a challenge I'll be going on a ride heading south which will have more hills & at a bit faster pace on Sunday afternoon 25th. I'll be setting off from home at about 1:00 if you want to join me.
Bargains!
Aldi in Batley have loads of bike stuff at bargain prices like clothing, saddles, pumps, bags, tools, gloves, sunglasses, padded shorts etc. etc.
Looks good quality at less than 50% of what you'd pay in Halfords.
Looks good quality at less than 50% of what you'd pay in Halfords.
First ride!
Well, today was the first excursion of the St Ignatius Team Velo, the new cycling club of St Ignatius Church, Ossett.
The first intrepid cyclists were:
Martin Dearnley, Andy, Matthew & Joseph Lowery, Malcolm Kyle, Dominic Barnes, Chris Graham, Steve & Joseph McCarthy.
We started at 11:00 outside church. Headed down Storrs Hill Road to Horbury Bridge then cycled west on the canal towpath to Ravensthorpe where we joined the Spen Valley Greenway. After a lot of rain recently we were lucky with the weather which was fine and (almost) sunny. The wives & children joined us for a drink at the pub (The Perseverance) where Anne-Marie, Rebecca & Katrina Barnes, Maria Graham, Frances Lowery, Celia McCarthy, Debbie Kyle sat outside in the hazy sunshine.
We really enjoyed the day out & agreed that Kirklees had a better idea than Wakefield Met when it came to organising outdoor leisure activities & that the Spen Valley Greenway was an asset to be appreciated!
Unfortunately the return journey necessitated a climb of either Healey Road or Storrs Hill Road. We opted to try to avoid these hills & headed up the lane from Mitchell Laithes to the new housing development on the site of the former mill on Runtlings. This was a muddy route & steeper than anticipated!! (Click on the photo of Joe to see just HOW muddy!)
There were no fatalities & an enjoyable day out. We returned to St Ignatius at 3:00 having ridden for about 16 miles ( I think).
The next ride is planned for Sunday 25th May.
Email me on martin.dearnley@gmail.com with any comments or questions.
The first intrepid cyclists were:
Martin Dearnley, Andy, Matthew & Joseph Lowery, Malcolm Kyle, Dominic Barnes, Chris Graham, Steve & Joseph McCarthy.
We started at 11:00 outside church. Headed down Storrs Hill Road to Horbury Bridge then cycled west on the canal towpath to Ravensthorpe where we joined the Spen Valley Greenway. After a lot of rain recently we were lucky with the weather which was fine and (almost) sunny. The wives & children joined us for a drink at the pub (The Perseverance) where Anne-Marie, Rebecca & Katrina Barnes, Maria Graham, Frances Lowery, Celia McCarthy, Debbie Kyle sat outside in the hazy sunshine.
We really enjoyed the day out & agreed that Kirklees had a better idea than Wakefield Met when it came to organising outdoor leisure activities & that the Spen Valley Greenway was an asset to be appreciated!
Unfortunately the return journey necessitated a climb of either Healey Road or Storrs Hill Road. We opted to try to avoid these hills & headed up the lane from Mitchell Laithes to the new housing development on the site of the former mill on Runtlings. This was a muddy route & steeper than anticipated!! (Click on the photo of Joe to see just HOW muddy!)
There were no fatalities & an enjoyable day out. We returned to St Ignatius at 3:00 having ridden for about 16 miles ( I think).
The next ride is planned for Sunday 25th May.
Email me on martin.dearnley@gmail.com with any comments or questions.
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