Hills hills and more hills

After the effort of Sunday we had a post-work bike pootle organised with Rich and The Newmanator - plus a guest appearance from Angry.  Dave, who'd done his longest ever ride on Sunday, was considering coming out, especially when I said it would be a steady recovery.  In the end he didn't, and I'm quite glad he decided against it as I don't think he'd have been very happy with me.

Out along the old roads through Steeton was fine, with Rich doing well to hang on into the wind, then a turn through Sutton-in-Craven.  Going past the pub some lads shouted "Good luck lads - you'll need it on that 'ill!" - so maybe we should have known...

I knew the bottom was pretty steep, but my memory of what happens after that was fairly hazy - as it turns out it's probably one of the more sustained bits of steepness I can recall riding up!  The first third of a mile has an average gradient of 18% - there's then a slackening off (but by no means easy angled) before it kicks up again - a total of nearly a mile and a half of climbing with absolutely no let up.  And Angry absolutely spanked me - it was like I was pedalling through porridge.  I was imagining Rich swearing at me as he walked up, and The Newmanator was also off the bike for a fair bit (but to be fair that is a shopping bike...).

Then it was a scary descent down into Goose Eye before a surprisingly easy climb out into Oakworth, then another frightening drop down the appropriately named Tim Lane and another steep, gnarly climb up to Haworth.

I'd told the lads that it was flat after this, but local Rich said there weren't any flat ways out of Haworth, and as we turned right near the station I could hear his voice behind me saying "Shit, no! Not up there!"

But shit, yes, "up there" we went, to a give way line on a 20% hill then more climbing beyond the junction.  Finally we came out above Cullingworth and were rewarded with a descent back to Bingley for beer and a chat.

But what a ride - only 20 miles, but nearly half the ascent we did on Sunday in 75, and that was concentrated in the middle 7!  Brilliant, if testing 90 minute ride after work - definitely one to be repeated!

Look at the lumps on that...