[Closed] Mary Townley Loop

Mannings pies are nice 😛

Take plenty to eat. You'll need the energy for opening all those gates. 🙂
Which way are you doing it? Clockwise is best.
Whenever I've done the MTL challenge, I always make sure I have an energy gel left for the climb up Rooley moor road near the end. It's horrible. 🙁

A bottle with energy powder mix as well as your regular water supply is always handy. Are you on a time limit or can you stop for a pub lunch? Always find a proper meal stop is better than any amount of gels/bars/snickers etc.

Rooley Moor from the Rochdale side isn't that bad, it's coming the other way thats horrible!

Take plenty of energy drink, gels, bars etc. and ideally find somewhere halfway around to replenish your camel back. The first time I did it I dehydrated badly, had the worst hangover the following day despite not having touched any alcohol. It was lack of liquids either, just not replenished the salts I'd sweated out. There's not many palces on route to stock up (Ram Inn I think is the only establishment actual on the trail so unless you plan to add a mile or two to the 47 makesure you carry enough to get you round.

Don't under estimate it, it's a big ride but worth the effort.

I'm doing the ride for Manchester Children's Hospital which i think is a very well deserving charity.
I'm gonna be doing the ride back end of November early December, & I'm gonna be doing the anti-clockwise route Starting & ending at Gorple Rd in Worsthorne, & it's gonna be unsupported just what i can carry myself.

I have done this ride before clockwise with 3 ltrs of water & a pack lunch with assorted cereal bars to keep energy up. but i found 4 hours in i got very weak and it just got impossible to turn the pedals, but i kept them turning for another 6 hrs until i finished the Loop in a time of 10hrs 10 mins, which i thought was a bit lame lol.

So that's my Challenge the Mary Townley Loop anti-clockwise in under 10 hrs.

I'm sure you've thought of this but you will only have about 8hours of daylight at the end November.
So take lights as well as food..

Cheers Higgo

That's sort of part of the challenge I'm trying to make it as uncomfortable as possible for myself.

So Light's Check

If you let us know the dates you might have some company along the route 🙂

We can bring hip flasks to ease your pain...

you may find a loan cyclist following you for the ride about half a mile behind you,

(don't be scared, if you do it's me, i dont have anyone to do it with)

So that's my Challenge the Mary Townley Loop anti-clockwise in under 10 hrs.

We did it clockwise, starting from the bottom of Rooley Moor Rd (actually from Norden village) in 10h. The last 7h were very slow due to early crash injuries. In terms of nutrition, we had about 5l water each (this being in Jul), cereal bars, Haribo & sandwiches.

TBH, I think what will be more of a problem than nutrition or lights is that a large part of the route (between Hebden & the canal) is paved with stone setts that have been polished smooth by foot, hoof & tyre, and as a result will be utterly lethal in the wet. Have you got a tyre plan?

Andy

(Oh yes - and take some spare brake pads. Apparently some people went through two sets on the MTL Challenge in the rain last weekend)

"A loan cyclist..."

You ride around lending money to people? 😛

Choc chip Brioche - 3 bags should do it. 1000 cals per bag. The only thing I ate when I did it!

We did the MTL in 2 days (clockwise) and that was bad enough. Good luck to you trying for it in 1 day.

We stopped off at Hebden Bridge, apparently the lesbian capital of Britain (almost certainly true too 😯 ) for few nice ales, a great Thai meal, more ales before doing the second half the following day after a hearty breakfast.

the climb up Rooley moor road near the end. It's horrible