the whole 8km has climb has been decked out in bunting from the very bottom in MY right up over the moor to the border with that lankyshire.. brilliant effort.

This thread is etc etc………

It’s a world record attempt – apparently just waiting for the Guiness people to come and verify it.

Is it made from little bits of tie dyed clothes?

I’m riding up there tonight to look at the decorations and enjoy the buzz that’s infecting the whole area 🙂

Think I’ll be having a ride through at lunch time to take some photos and get into the mood. My favourite Tour display is a bike and Legs sticking up out of a pile of a manure with a ‘Oh merde’ sign – that’s on the left as heading down from Blackstone to Ripponden (near Stones ?)

Fubar – saw that last week. Hope they show it on TV

Lots of pics on their Facebook page

https://www.facebook.com/BuntingCraggVale2014

Massive cock n’ balls somewhere on it too. Nice.

Something similar happening in Harrogate, I read, mini knitted jerseys to use as bunting. The organising group asked the public to contribute and hoped to get around 2500, ended up with more than 23000 with contributions coming from New Zealand and the Arctic Circle!

I’m riding up there tonight to look at the decorations and enjoy the buzz that’s infecting the whole area

It would appear the enthusiasm is not universal…. http://www.hebdenbridge.co.uk/forum/2014/055.html

I rode up through Hebden and Cragg Vale on Sunday and was very impressed with the effort that’s gone into decorating the route, I saw at least 3 groups of people still putting up bunting. Also Holmfirth, they have some amazing bike sculptures going on there.

It would appear the enthusiasm is not universal….

Goodness me, some people really are utterly, utterly miserable aren’t they?

I’ll bet they’re the same people who poo-pood and complained about London 2012 before the event as well.

MIL is/has knitted/ing masses of teeny Yellow jerseys for the Harrogate Round Table bunting..

It’s rather Ace.

Excellent effort. We are getting the train to Mytholmroyd on Sunday morning and hoping to stand somewhere towards the bottom of Cragg Road. Not being local to the area, and having only been to Hebden once, can anyone confirm if that is likely to be a good or a rubbish idea? We’ll have PixelMix Jnr with us, so I’m hoping that the crowds aren’t going to be too deep if we walk up the climb a short way.

For the inhabitants of ‘green’ loving, eco-warrior, open minded Hebden Bridge, the only time I’ve ever seen anything on that forum has been small minded NIMBY-ism.

I reckon the crowds will be 10-deep for the entire length of Cragg Road. We’re going to Hebden and I’m not overly confident of getting anywhere where the kids will be able to get a good view of the riders. I’m sure I read somewhere that Calderdale is expecting something in the region of 160,000 visitors on Sunday, but I might be wrong.

Pixelmix.

The cragg road ascent is thought of (and this is from a keen roadie friend) as one of the likely most popular spots to watch from.
When you leave the station you might have a bit of a trek up the road to find somewhere quiet(ish) to spectate and the expectation is, it could be 5 or 6 deep most of the way up. It’s not a steep climb, very gradual but its the length, and the continuous upwards gradient, that puts it in the record books.
I was planning on parking up at little valley brewery and walking the quarter mile or so to the upper end of cragg road to spectate. However, 3 kids in tow, possibly standing around without a loo + their inevitable boredom has put paid to that so plan C is now in place.
Looking at the weather forecast for Sunday, plan D may yet come to be!

Rode up on sunday with the kids. Couldn’t believe the amount of cyclists riding up. There was a real atmosphere building even then. Going to try and get away early from work on Friday and ride up again see how it’s going. The wife saw Omega Pharma Quickstep on Elland bypass this morning with cars and motorbike escort. It’s all very exciting.

Cool, thanks for the responses. PixelMix Jnr is sufficiently young that it doesn’t matter if he can’t see much really, as it won’t mean anything to him. We’ll still go with our plan, as at least being in Mytholmroyd means we have options to stay lower down towards Hebden and the shops, cafes etc if we prefer.

HebWeb is the moaniest forum I’ve ever seen, puts this place to shame.

I heard there will be an estimated 250,000 people on Cragg Vale alone – god knows where! There’s not much space around the road.

I heard there will be an estimated 250,000 people on Cragg Vale alone

Will there bollocks.

250,000 bolloxs? I guess if half of them are male then you could assume 250,000 bolloxs as well 😆

250,000 on Crag Road! Crikey, they’ll be parking as far back as Littleborough.

I did hear that 20,000 are expected on Ripponden Bank.

they wont be parked back as far as littleborough as the roads are closed from tod..just outside stw towers in fact

I was thinking of mtbing round the reservoirs to try and get somewhere near the top of the road as it meets the A58. Can any locals advise if this is a good idea or not?

I was thinking of mtbing round the reservoirs to try and get somewhere near the top of the road as it meets the A58. Can any locals advise if this is a good idea or not?

I think everyone with a mountain bike within a 5 mile radius is planning to do that. The trails around Stoodley and Blackstone Edge are going to be very busy I reckon.

Is it closed from tod to walsden/Gordon Riggs etc And all up past the moorcock and White House?
Blimey…I bet Gordon Riggs ain’t happy!

On Twitter, all the talk is of the top section of The Buttress in Hebden Bridge being the hardest stage.

We’re going to watch it on The Buttress. Ahem. Lolz, etc…

We’re going to watch it on The Buttress. Ahem. Lolz, etc…

The route doesn’t go anywhere near there though??

The Buttress is the cobble hill from the hole int wall pub up to heptonstall…as in the up ur buttress race.
The route doesn’t go up that, or anywhere particularly near it. That might be a vantage point as they drop from pecket well into hebden, but it’s not part of the route.

Or are they talking about buttertubs pass?

Congrats to the Cragg Vale community for making the efforts and entering into the spirit of things. I was surprised at the lack of roadside decoration along the main road from Hebden to Mytholmroyd.

Will there bollocks.

That’s what I thought too – just spreading the rumour anyway. 🙂

I rode it last night and it looks wonderful. There were quite a few groups out hanging bunting and flags too.

The white cock and balls has been painted out. It is now a black cock and balls.

I think everyone with a mountain bike within a 5 mile radius is planning to do that. The trails around Stoodley and Blackstone Edge are going to be very busy I reckon.

Thanks. I need to get over from the Rochdale side, but am unsure how you get from Summit to the Pennine Way. I plotted this: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4979450

What do you think?

Looks like they did indeed get the world record…..got the following email…

Bunting Cragg Vale <bunting@craggvale.co.uk>
16:52 (16 hours ago)

to bcc: me
Just to let you all know that we have received the official confirmation from Guinness World Records that we have got the record for the longest bunting line with 12,115 m 83 cm (39,750 ft 1 in) and 52,939 flags

Thank you all so much for your help we couldn’t have done it without you and our volunteers, you are all amazing!

http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records-1000/longest-bunting-line

Well done !

why the big loop by the res..the pbw actually is right there at summit. stand to the left of the pub and your on it. to get from there to blackstone edge cross the canal go straight on past the quarry through the gate and onto the landrover track up toward the res. at the signpost on your left cut up across country to the ‘peak’ above the animal sancutuary..unfriendly folks there.. and you can see blackstone edge as well.. follow the pbw to the bottom of the track that leads up to the white house.. boom job done

What do you think?

I’ve never been up that FP from Warland so can’t comment on whether it’s rideable. Looks a bit hike-a-bikey from the map though. As Totalshell says you’re probably better off following the PBW from Summit over to Cowberry Hill and picking up the BW which takes you up to the White House pub.

Thanks. I need to get over from the Rochdale side, but am unsure how you get from Summit to the Pennine Way. I plotted this: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/4979450

Don’t know about the bit west of Warland, but after that its all good. It may be a bit of a push out of the Valley, but its good tracks once you get to the top.

Going back I’d take the PBW decent from the Whitehouse pub (its quite nice)

Its going to be busy 😯

Thanks all. I was trying to get directly to the TdF route itself – worried that if I went the route to the White House pub then the crowds would prevent me from that.

Don’t know about the bit west of Warland, but after that its all good.

I’m the opposite! I grew up in Lancashire so know the west side pretty well.