It also happens to be before the racing season starts, which makes it a bit easier to get to.
So, you just really have to cope with whatever the weather his. At this time of year it can be just about anything. The previous Sunday the weather was gorgeous, as it was on the Friday. But it had been snowing quite heavily on the Thursday.
So, having had sunshine and snow in the preceding two days, it was time for heavy rain and gales.
The good thing about rain in gales is that it tends to be slightly less wet that heavy rain without wind. Last year I had a TT under Hurricane Bertha, and a HIM in similar conditions. And just wearing a tri suit was a bit cold in the lower intensity HIM.
And the rain wasn't going to hang about all day.
So, wind to disperse the rain, and a nice set of layers meant it wasn't going to be that bad.
A bit of messing around before plunging in saw us setting off a bit before 10.
The route was a few miles longer than last year, with two extra cobbled climbs thrown in. But the group was smaller, so we shouldn't get so strung out.
However, the weather conditions weren't making for a first day.
The first casualty was Chappers, who went all Captain Oates on us after the first two climbs. He had forgotten to bring all his kit apart from his helmet and shoes, so was getting a bit cold (he has absolutely no body fat, either).
First climb was Hough, a much more gentle introduction to riding the cobbles than Shibden Wall. A swooping descent from Hough down to the Shibden Wall split the pack up a bit. Chappers, Ewan and IanM stormed up it. I wanted to take some action shots this time, so waited at an interesting section. After everyone had gone past I set off, only to realise I had left a glove behind. Back to get it,. ho hum.
Down into the valley to whizz through Halifax. I had vaguely thought of taking the back route, which would have been a bit more sheltered, and takes you past the After 8 mint factory, which smells fantastic. Bit it misses out a small section of cobbles. In any case, IanM was storming on ahead, so we just followed the main road round.
There were road works at the top, so the idea was to turn a left and miss the last 200m of cobbles. Interestingly, they were in the middle of roadworks at the bottom of the hill, and had scraped the tarmac off to reveal even more cobbles! A nice little bonus.
However, the wind hand blow down the "road closed" barriers, so Ewan decided to go through. I stopped to do some more epic filming.
Down the nice little descent into Halifax, followed by an intricate trip round the old Minster, flat cobbles, then a long flattish bit for Trev to practice riding at 25mph on. On the flat, it's best to put the bike in a very big gear, so that you have to press the pedals so hard that your backside doesn't really get to touch the saddle. Trev attempted a change up, but somehow lost the chain. About 15 meters into the cobbled section. Good Paris Roubaix experience there!
The rain had pretty much eased up by now, as we took a different route out of Halifax to the North. You could even see the sun shining up a head!
Next up was climb number 4. A new one for this route. Gibb Lane. Quite a challenging one. Will was in an extremely bad mood. So I tried to coax him out of it. To no avail. Oh well.
I had already decided to make use of some old magic and change the route so it would be a lot more sheltered in some trees, and cut out the bit round hebden bridge (2 climbs), and an easier ascent of the big cat 2 mountain. Which would have the wind behind.
But after the climb up Gibb Lane, Will was very grumpy, and Trev was struggling a bit, so I though about heading straight back to Oxenhope there and then, cutting out Old Lane.
But people seemed up for it. So the interesting descent into Luddenden. However, road works again! So the descent was slowed right down, with just a little footpath round the rather fun hairpins.
It hadn't been raining for a good half hour and the wind was quickly drying up the roads.
Now for Old Lane. Again, I went up about half way - not the steepest section, but I thought it would be good for filming. As it tuned out, it was about the point where people came to a stop.
This seemed to cheer up every one, and off we went, climbing all the way now for a good half hour or so. Trev was struggling again, so I vainly attempted to get IanM and Ewan to slow down, or we would have a long wait. This ascent is punctuated by a little bit of downhill, which gave a chance to regroup.
On up to the summit, which was one of the easiest with a force 8 gale on your back. I was able to freewheel uphill for about a mile while waiting for Trev to catch up.
Gave Will a head start of a few minutes on the descent then into Haworth.
With all the gritty rain water, the brake block at the back had rapidly deteriorated, so I had to take the descent quite slowly as I only had a front brake, and didn't want to wear that one away!
Into Haworth, up Butt Lane (climb 6). Then up Haworth High Street (climb 7, featured in last years TDF, and in this years TDY). Will wanted to find a toilet, so went straight past the ones at the bottom of the hill.
We left a mound of bikes outside the Cake shop, and bought pies and cakes and stuff. Then ate them while waiting for Will to emerge (we had sent a search party, but hadn't found him). Saw will and waved him over. He promptly turned round and went back up the hill again! At this point we realised that he was as blind as a bad. He eventually came back, we waved and shouted again. Somehow, the message got through.
Off again. Down the very steep hill and over the actual River Worth. Then up again. Then into the nice little village of Goose Eye (watch out for it on the TDY coverage).
I had rerouted again to go up a very gentle but quite long cobbled climb (#7), largely for the now departed Trev's benefit. And to cut out about 20 minutes off the route.
Will had got shelled out of the back on the descent, so I waited for him, while IanM and Ewan carried on up the road. But to be seen by Will, and not be run over, meant I had to stand in about 6" of water. Nice. But feet already wet, so didn't make that much different. Will eventually came down the hill, so a waved like an idiot. 100m away. No reaction. 50m away no reaction. 1.5m away, Mole-eyes finally got a sight of my (bright blue jacket standing out in the rain wonderfully). To late to step he went past, and shouted something to me lost in the Wind. I assumed he was going to turn round, so got out of the water and set off. A few yards along I looked behind to see if Will was catching up. No, he wasn't. But there in the distance, half way up the hill, there he was.
I hurried up and caught up with the other guys. Now we were a bit mystified about what Will was up to. I suspected that he wanted to break his PR on this climb (it's featured in the TDY), and he would be back soon. Waited. Nothing. Eventually Mike and Keith (thanks to Strava for the names) came along, and asked us if he we had lost a partially sighted rider. We said "yes". They said they had told him that we hadn't gone past them. So Will knew we weren't on the road.
Oh well, after failing to persuade Ewan to go back to find him, we all set off. Not wishing to get split up any more. Back down the cobbles. No phone signal. And even so, Will had changed his phone number without bothering to tell me (or transferring my number to his new phone. Hmmmm).
By this time Will was refusing to come down the hill he had climbed up, and was determined to press on towards the lake district, or something.
Eventually made contact using Ewan's phone (Vodafone) which worked in Goose Eye, but mine didn't. By this time Will was in Keighly, about 4 miles away. Told him to come back to the bottom of the next Climb.
We turned round (after climbing up the Hill that Will had gone up to see if he was waiting at the top) and went back up the cobbled climb. So this was climb 8,9 and 10 for us
.Over the top and back down into the Worth Valley. Caught out by roadworks again. The road we wanted to take was closed, and what looked like an alternative route wasn't. So a bit of map reading, and back we came to clamber over the road closed barriers (which had mainly blown down in the Wind).
Before Will decided to run away, I had phoned ahead to let the pub now we would be back at 4:30 for our pie and peas.
All this messing about meant that there was no way we had time to get the last climb in.
So our final climb, where we did find Will (I wasn't that convinced he would be there, or recognise us) was Hainworth Lane. Up there, down into Cullingworth, up the final non-cobbled climb of the day, and the last 2 miles across the moor to the pub. This was really the first time we had hit the head wind. Will decided to work out the last of this grump by laying down about 500w for the next mile and a half. It was all we could do to hang on in his shelter. Eventually by legs gave up. But by then we were just about back at the pub.
In for a drink. or two. And pie and peas. Back home to get out of wet clothes, then promptly get soaking wet again going back to the pub.
By this time the wind was really picking up, and I had a rather difficult walk back, getting practically blown off my feet. Great stuff.
One item of discussion over dinner was about a summer version. Late Summer, September, seems to be the favourite time.
