My Commute (and hopefully yours)

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redefined_cycles
Posts: 9282
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: My Commute (and hopefully yours)

Post by redefined_cycles »

Right... so the Sheffield mtb commutes didn't happen as work dried out. Got myself a card for the lockers across the city for Nottingham parking. But after realising that the places of work there that I had booked in for, were just taking the wee... Booking your weeks/days in advance then cancelling at last minute coa they managed to get cover from elsewhere.

Anyway, so I'd conceded to just mtb duties and keeping the bike with me rather than going on it to work. But today I managed a commute to takeaway as my mate needed a hand for deliveries, so I volunteered even though it's one of the last jobs I'd want (past history of take-aways, a taxi office and more takeaways in between proper work at B&Q and First...

Took the bike and mounted the Quadlock hoping I'd get chance to do some deliveries by bike. That would have been cool but was overruled (probably rightly so). Took the road bike which I'd been contemplating selling (due to the commute-less issue as well as having gotten wheels for another road bike and one can't have 2 x road bikes can they) but on the ride back home I remembered why it was my dream bike. Smiles from ear to ear Alhamdulillah (all praise God), ao it might as well stay with me a little longer... Oh, it's steel and frame built by a bike cooperative. Got it second hand obviously.

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redefined_cycles
Posts: 9282
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: My Commute (and hopefully yours)

Post by redefined_cycles »

Not sure if anyone recalls the Earnie goes paddling commute (reported above somewhere). That was probably the ultimate-daft commute so far... until this one! Somewhere in the Lakes...

So I popped the mtb in the bike as I'd managed to book an affordable-ish YHA at Patterdale. Work was somewhere near but past Hellvelyn and theost direct route was drawn via OS maps. Lovely little bridleway all the way across going south-west. Was I biting off more than I could chew!

Well, it was only 7 miles and despite the frantic contour lines of little and large tongues, I was confident I could make it across. The bridleway looked clean and non-green enough and the other option was a potential brake-fade down a dangerous mountain pass, with road closures. Much thinking during this very commute about whether I 'ride, to work' or 'work, to ride'.

Confidently I can say it's the former. I've been using the bike to commute ever since 20 or more years ago at B&Q. The commutes only got farther but that's what drew me into cycling (the excuse to buy that first bike and I do love riding) and my first ever mtb. 5am came and I miscalculated the timings. Due to be at work for around 8 and I gave myself only 1.5H.

Browsing the map and I noticed Dollywagon Pike. Oh, 'shizzle' but the plan had already been set. Could it be that I was going past some of them gnarly Hellvelyn trails that take an age to climb... Before I knew it I was at my first signpost with seemingly plenty of time to spare.

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I had my lights and a seemingly appropriate mtb... So I pushed on.

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Isn't it lovely when you ride through the dark, into the dawn. Thankfully the gnarl hadn't yet started and I was still in the 'honeymoon' period.

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Absolutely gorgeous, Alhamdulillahi-RabbilaAlameen (All Praise God, Lord of all The Worlds) I thought and said. Plenty of time for before-dawn prayers; or so I'd thought!

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The views got more epic, but thw trails got more, 'oh!'.

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Then the seriousness of the task hit me. I was in Gian territory and I just needed to survive. Hopefully arriving for work a bit late but alive. No signal so unable to alert anyone of what an idiot I'd been. Too late to turn back, so I cracked on, still trying to ride...

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The reality of being late for work had fully hit me but I'm sure they at work would appreciate the views. Maybe just me being an idiot and I've learnt my lesson!

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Then the scrambling (almost for life) started and I realised I was beyond Dollywagon Pike teritory in some of these sections. Said my prayers quickly on an almost level bank and noted at least 4 tents in the distance. With a dog sat outside one of the triple pitches. Were they even alive in there. Dunno, I needed to ensure I made it out alive myself. Plus they seemed to be on the other (more dangerous) side of the mount/valley.

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Grisdale Tarn came just after I'd met the fell runner. He obviously thought I was a little mad and was on his way up to Hellvelyn himself. Before the rain came he told me. After checking my velosquare it appears I've ridden down or up the trail he was following. But this other side of Grisdale was totally new and I was also on my own.

The words of the YHA Ollie rang in my head. I'd told him my plan and of riding back in the dark. I've got good lights I'd told him. He obviously thought/knew I was being an idiot abd reminded me to be careful. "Don't want another mountain rescue team out after you", to which I was slightly perplexed... 'But why?'... I was slowly beginning to discover the answer for myself and also dreading the way back... Lots of plans ticked over in my head...

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That was the final view I'd shot before making it back to safety. The trails on the opposite side of Garsdale Tarn wet slippery and downright dangerous. It wss a good half hour or more before I risked riding. Even the gaps for the water to flow down were so wide that you risked slipping to your death each time you crossed the slimy rocks!

The decision that I wasn't up for a BB200 this year was made (not that Stu would include anything as gnarly :lol: ) and I got to work. Had managed to get signal and word out that I was running late because of a misjudgement of commute. Got to work and was told off then cancelled - it's slightly more complicated but I'll not go into it, though I accept full responsibility for my misjudgement and how it might look wreckless to the ouside world!

Way back to the YHA I decided against the most direct and shallower route. So went via Kirkstone and The Struggle. Poured it down enough to make it an epic in and of itself... Took a few pics but ensured I didn't risk the phone becoming clogged. Especially since I already have a HG failure going on...

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Lesson learnt...

Epic views.
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THE END
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whitestone
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Re: My Commute (and hopefully yours)

Post by whitestone »

Shaf - pretty well all the bridleways in the central part of the Lakes are hardcore and can be pretty full on.
Better weight than wisdom, a traveller cannot carry
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fatbikephil
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Re: My Commute (and hopefully yours)

Post by fatbikephil »

Good effort Shaff, quite the adventure commute :-bd
redefined_cycles
Posts: 9282
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: My Commute (and hopefully yours)

Post by redefined_cycles »

Thanks Bob and Phil. Yes, I think it might have been the rush I was in that made it seem even more full on. Dollywagon pike when I last attempted it was down from Hellvelyn I believe so this way makes sense to seem alot tougher.

Never again :grin:
riderdown
Posts: 459
Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2021 9:57 am

Re: My Commute (and hopefully yours)

Post by riderdown »

The decision that I wasn't up for a BB200 this year was made
I don't think the problem is the legs it's the head, you are doing 40 mile road commutes in 2 h20m you are more than strong enough

Misjudging the Lakeland bridleways isn't a cause for loosing hope, it's just a lesson we all learn (often repeatedly) not helped by a lot of the tyre tracks now belonging to Emtb.

I'd just ask if you could still do it, it's a balanced epic route
redefined_cycles
Posts: 9282
Joined: Tue Sep 20, 2016 8:19 am
Location: Dewsbury, West Yorkshire

Re: My Commute (and hopefully yours)

Post by redefined_cycles »

riderdown wrote: Sun Oct 30, 2022 12:49 pm
The decision that I wasn't up for a BB200 this year was made
I don't think the problem is the legs it's the head, you are doing 40 mile road commutes in 2 h20m you are more than strong enough

Misjudging the Lakeland bridleways isn't a cause for loosing hope, it's just a lesson we all learn (often repeatedly) not helped by a lot of the tyre tracks now belonging to Emtb.

I'd just ask if you could still do it, it's a balanced epic route
Very true Riderdown but sadly the estate car is still leaking (H gasket) and the new cheap car (21 year old v8 I'll have you know :smile: ) still needs paying off as I the 2k borrowed from a mate (it started life as a proper sentence). So sadly need to keep working hard and have booked myself in for a shift on the weekend.

Really appreciate the encouragement though and still slightly gutted that I didn't properly train etc. Bloomin cars :lol:
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