Sorry about slow delay in the Sunday run report but for some reason I can’t log on at home.

Well I awoke on Sunday to the kind of weather that makes cycling in this country such a pleasure, slinging it down and blowing a gale. Unusually for me I wasn’t late to the meet point and was greeted by John, A few mins later Doug and Alex tipped up. After a couple of mins more waiting we soon realised that we were the only ones daft enough to brave conditions that reminded me of October 87. We chuntered for a bit about how everyone else was a poof for not turning up. Before rolling out of Mirfield, where we met a hung over Brad by John Cottons, Whom had it in his head that because he was only out for a few hours that it was his duty to soften our legs up by setting a punishing pace through Huddersfield, which had me slipping to the back to find some shelter and pleading for lights to turn to red to get a breather. Upon reaching Honley the heavens really opened, prompting us to stop to put our capes on, as per usual once we stopped to put them on the rain abated. Once over the climb up to the Sovereign pub (which I don’t remember been that hard), Brad turned off and left us to enjoy an incredible tailwind whilst heading towards Sheffield, with speeds of 40mph seen on the flat, but we knew we would pay for this assistance. On the way to
Sheffield we picked up another rider, whom is a blog reader and had seen where we were heading and decided to go in that direction, sorry I didn’t catch your name!

After reaping the benefits of the tailwind into
Sheffield, we headed west at Hillsborough. After pulling up at some traffic lights for a tram, Al had a grumble about the pro and cons of trams, once the lights turned to green we set off. After clipping in and pedalling a few revs, I heard a bang. I quickly glanced back to see what happed, not seeing anything I turned back round just in time to see my front wheel drop down into a tramline. A perfect save was executed by a quick unclip and a dab on with the foot on the floor to lift the front wheel out. After this heart stopping moment everyone was cautious of the deadly wet tramlines and me with a brown line somewhere else!

As we had predicted it was a very strong headwind up the valley to Ladybower, We all sat on Dougs wheel while he kindly took the wind. Our new friend turned off at the Strines to make his way back home, Which considering how hard it would get later on would have been an easier option!! We stopped off for lunch at the sarnie wagon in a lay by opposite the reservoir. It was like an Oasis sat there, not a breath of wind and the sun came out. After refuelling on bacon sarnies and tea we set off again, Once round the corner and back out in to the headwind normal service was resumed with Doug pulling like a tractor into the wind and everyone else trying to hang on to his coat tails for some shelter. Approaching the top of Snake pass was terrible with the head wind. I was in next to bottom gear on a (cough) compact, out of the saddle churning the gear round and wondering why I came back to this sport. I’m sure I didn’t have had to knock that many watts out to get up Wrynose pass! Doug took the king of the mountains points, followed shortly by Al, then myself and John collecting the last points on offer, Upon summiting John eloquently commented that his legs were f#*ked! The descent into Glossop wasn’t much fun ether, the wind was blowing us all over and I don’t think I got much above 30mph.

Coming out of Glossop we passed a tourist with full front and rear panniers, some solace could be taken from the fact that no matter how bad my legs felt, at least I wasn’t carting that lot about. We hoped that having fought the wind all the way towards Glossop that the wind would be funnelled up Woodhead valley, Our prayers were answered and we had a decent tailwind up Woodhead pass although it didn’t feel have as strong as the one that had been doing is best to blow us back to Sheffield as we climbed up snake.

After the reaching the top of Woodhead, we met a group of mountain bikes, exchanging pleasantries with them we then set off in chase off them down towards Dunford bridge, Just as we were about to cut up one of the mountain bikers as we turned left to go over the dam wall, John shouted out “where do we turn off?” To which Al shouted back “here!”, the 3 of us pulled off half expecting a mountain biker to plough in to our chuffs. This left John flying past, brake blocks on fire and the foot on the bike tire in an attempt to go from 40mph down to 10mph in the space of 3 yards. Having waited for John to turn round and regroup, we rode down into to Honley, had a moments rest bite at the local co-op. Once we were fuelled we set off back through
Huddersfield, again sat behind the ever considerate club member Doug. Riding on
Leeds road we seemed to be facing another headwind where I’m sure 6hrs earlier we’d also been facing a headwind going in the opposite direction. Going through

Copper
Bridge we all turned off to grovel (well for me and John anyhow) our separate ways home

Ride stats (in proper money!)

80ish miles

15mph guestimated average speed

Ft Climbed: Not half as many as it felt like

% of ride where we felt to be riding in to a headwind 90%

Cups of tea supped: 8

Total calories burnt: About the same as I put back in with a good skin full and a spread at a do I went to that eve.

Normalised Average Wattage: effing lots in to that headwind!