Colne Valley MTB Challenge 2024 *THE LAST ONE**

Mudguards on or off for tomorrow?

I did the Magic Gravel ride from Huddersfield a couple of weeks ago and was (mostly) glad to have them on, but it’s been reasonably dry since.

Well, I saw the clock turn to 3.00am…

You CAN ENTER ON THE DAY if you like, it’s £25 CASH please.

PLEASE, please, please arrive around 8.00am if you want to park reasonably close to the cricket field. The postcode is HD7 4QW

Make use of the streets on the lower side of the field too: Thorpe Green Drive, Intske, Green Crescent etc, but please PARK RESPONSIBLY!!

Safe travels everyone and I hope you have a great day out. Thanks.

I’m confused about the start point @TheSanityAssasin . The instructions attached to the confirmation e-mail say at Parkwood Methodist Church, Holmfield Road which appear to be 2 different places neither of which is at HD7 4QW according to Google Maps.

Can you clarify please? Cheers.

You have to register at HD7 4QW first, then roll down to the start on Holmfield Road.

Is the registration bit outdoors? Don’t really want to leave my bike outside if I need to go in.

Just to clarify a few points:

You must register and collect your bike number at Leymoor Cricket Club first. It is on Parkwood Road, Golcar, Hudds. HD7 4QW, right next to the Walkers Arms pub.

You can then head for the start, which is on Holmfield Road, about half a mile away.

You will finish at the cricket field.

Parking is all on street and very congested. Aim to arrive as early as you can, around 8.00am if possible. Make use of the streets both above and below the cricket field.

We have just 2 toilets – you will have to queue. Please bear this in mind.

Refreshments before and after are free.

Bacon butties are £1.50each. You do have to pay for these if you want one.

You CAN ENTER ON THE DAY. It’s £25 CASH and you will NOT GET A T-SHIRT. No exceptions.

Thanks – we hope you have a great day.

Made it down south.  Nearly got a nosebleed 😜   Carb loading time ( steak and ale pie and a pint)

How do we recognise other STWers in the morning?   Ill be on a red Shand hardtail.  Be lovely to meet others.

This might hurt.  Ive hardly ridden a bike for months.

Orange Specialized Diverge with a bar bag and full mudguards, but I’ll recognise you. 👍

I’m on a black Ritchey 29er with rigid forks. 👍🏻

Black Canyon Dude with bluto’s, see you all tomorrow 🙂

I’ll be the big ugly bugger they shouts at you at the start!
Been out since 12.00 marking the routes and only been in the house 20 mins, so I’ll be needing coffee and Red Bull til I come round a bit!

Grey cotic cascade with Jones bars loaded up with bike packing bags.

1st to sign on! Just about the only thing I’ll win today 😂😂

Thanks to @sanityassassin and everyone else involved in organising this event. The marshalling was amazing and weather was kind and everyone was really friendly.

In fact the only downside was the route only appeared to have up or down , with not a single horizontal surface anywhere in sight 🙂

I met a few people from here including @tjagain which was great.

Particular thanks to the lady frying 10,000 rashers of bacon in a hot clubhouse, it was much appreciated!

I’d echo that. Thoroughly enjoyed the ride. Thanks to the organisers, marshalls and all involved.

Also came on to say thanks. And yeah, for a 30 miler that was a killer! Cheers all, nice to meet a few of you (again).

Big thanks to all involved, very well organised, excellent marshalling and signage.

I did it back in 2016 and had forgotten just how hard the route is! That first cobbled climb is brutal😱

Nah, the first climb was fine. It’s the 10th, 12th, 13th…. that’ll get you. 😁

Lived the long climb up past the reservoir.

Hope someone takes over and carries it on, I’d go back next year. Might even train for it! 😂

Big thanks @TheSanityAssassin and team for putting this event on over the years – great event today, nice turnout.

Done it on the MTB a couple of times so thought I’d take the cx bike round today – bit slower but felt good on that route once settled. First 30 minutes not pleasant.

Aye, big un that, it’ll be an early night for me tonight, absolutely spanned by mile 27 and trying to keep honest with an ebike chum was hard going.

I’d downloaded a copy of the route to my Garmin and the wonderful climb feature counted down through 9 defined climbs. Climb 8 felt to be almost downhill, but that long drag up past the reservoir, 7, was never ending. Fortunately, the kind Marshall at the top, peeled my banana for me, reducing the amount of effort exerted.

4hr 14 here, a decent ride for my last day as a 54 year old.

How did he plot a route that only went up?  Cruel thats what it was🙄😜

My first, and last go round the CV MTB Challenge, proper quality type 2 fun 🙂

Big thanks to the organsisers and all the marshalls and volunteers, me and the fatty (thats the Dude, not Simon) had a cracking morning out.

Aye – good event and nice to meet folk.  sorry I didn’t say hello mugboo –

I’ll miss it. I never knew a challenge course so savage on the legs.

The first climb was a speciality of mine for a few years.

88127570123 by Luke Bradley[/url], on Flickr

You looked my way and nodded Tj, that was good enough for me 😉

That first cobbled climb is brutal

But not as bad as the Bastard Grassy Field Of Bastard Bastardness 🙂 Glad you all had fun.

The field! That was ridiculous! Who would even buy such a stupid field?