Howsteen Gorge

14 Responses to “Howsteen Gorge”

1. designman says:
   12/07/2010 at 09:29 am

   Thanks for the warning, looking to upgrade my cassette this week to a 12-27, some of those hills coming back from Knaresborough were a killer for me especially only have 12-23….
   Had a great day out, and it was good to meet you all - Legs feel fine today which I didn’t expect.

2. designman says:
   12/07/2010 at 10:58 am

   Quick question to all you hill lovers - would I be better of upgrading to a 12-25 or 12-27.
   Thanks.
   John.

3. Doug says:
   12/07/2010 at 11:33 am

   I would put the compact chainset back on, if I were you.

4. Martyn says:
   12/07/2010 at 12:54 pm

   compact chainset, 12-25 , good legs and the job is sorted

   all you need to do then is to master the art of cadence. research has shown that spinning at over 100 revs per minute can produce fantastic results, watching many elite riders it seems they go much faster than us, and this is attributed to the art of cadence.

   initially faster spinning takes its toll on your breathing but after a while you will fly up hills leaving all in your wake

   what say you Doug!……

5. Doug says:
   12/07/2010 at 06:56 pm

   Easier said than done.

   Why not use bigger gears and make use of the strength in the legs rather than overloading the cardio vascular system? If things get harder, go up a gear and stand out of the saddle, gently tipping the bike from side to side as you pull on the brake hoods to get maximum leverage and turn the bigger gear. This technique has worked well for many gears amongst accomplished club cyclists who refuse to use lower gears. Eventually they get fed up and stick to flat roads. They then regale all the “young ‘uns” with stories about how they never had a cassette (or “block” as it once was) with any sprocket bigger than a 23, and never had a chainring smaller than a 42. But then, or course, they never went up a proper hill, did they? Or they did it was so long ago that they forgot how much it hurt and how bad they were at it.

   So yes, get some proper gears.

6. Doug says:
   12/07/2010 at 06:56 pm

   Oh, and a couple of years riding will help!

7. Sir Q Ittus-Root says:
   12/07/2010 at 07:17 pm

   Oh good…. more hills… just what I wanted.

   Seriously though sorry if I appeared rude by disappearing on Sunday. The master plan was that you would catch me going up Harry Ramdsen’s, and not have to wait for me as per usual. More fool me, huh?

   Anyway, took the Spen Valley Greenway home which I can report is in a splendid state. I wanted to check it out for my commute in to work. I was suitably impressed with the number of leisure cyclists out, it really is being well used.

   Saw John T. riding in the opposite direction on the way back through Ravensthorpe, which was quite funny.

   Had a great day out. Now, about them hills!

8. designman says:
   12/07/2010 at 07:27 pm

   Yeah it was a great day out except for a few of us getting “Bird Crap” on us…..
   About them hills!! Im definitely upgrading the cassette to a 12-25….. 12-27 will be too much for me…
   Thanks for the advice Doug, will certainly build on my strength.

9. johnthewliss says:
   13/07/2010 at 05:50 am

   awesome run again al ,sky john go for the 27-12 you,ll need it on sunday .

10. Martyn says:
    13/07/2010 at 08:54 am

    Ah, there goes the master plan again.

    You missed my blind panic when the garmin fell off in Otley centre and I had to rescue it from the wheels of death.

    We rode up the old ( steep) chevin but cmae back down to the lights below Ramsden’s and then waited by the land rover dealer , bemoaning all 4X4 drivers for a while but you must have been away down the road ( in which direction we know not)

    I was wonderring about the Greenway myself,but Sky John shot off at Odsal and so we stuck to Wyke and Scholes

    The tarmac on the Greenway is OK, the verges and other bits look terrible but will like all of us recover with age!

11. designman says:
    13/07/2010 at 12:14 pm

    Is the cycle to “Howsteen Gorge” that steep that I need to have a 12-27?
    I should manage with a 12-25 I guess :))))

12. Martyn says:
    13/07/2010 at 12:21 pm

    you can lead a horse….

    it isn’t so much the ride to howsteen, more like the ride back over Yorke’s folly which nlifts about 600ft inside a mile with steep corners

    someone once said there is no shame in walking,

13. designman says:
    13/07/2010 at 12:49 pm

    Walking - Never!!!
    I struggled up the steep hill coming out of Otley, I just need to get the old legs working…

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