Oxenhope Moor climb (Cock Hill) from Oxenhope – south towards Hebden Bridge.
Length 2.1 miles
average gradient – 6%
Max height – 432m
Height gain: 709ft (216m)
Category 3
Max gradient: 10%
Time: 9 mins
OS Map 104
Oxenhope moor – Release your inner cyclist – route of stage 2
Oxenhope Moor is a long steady climb from the village of Oxenhope to the top of Oxenhope Moor. It sometimes goes by the less well known name ‘Cock Hill’. Though when the Tour de France came through town, they decided Côte d’ Oxenhope Moor had a better ring to it.
I’ve been up Oxenhope moor a few times. There is some great hills around the Keighley and Worth Valley (e.g. Thwaites Brow and Hainworth Lane). Keighley has some of the best cobbled climbs this side of Belgium. But, Oxenhope Moor is less strenuous than some of those short steep climbs, but at over 2 miles, it makes a good test, and if the wind is blowing in the wrong direction, it can be really hard work on the exposed slopes.
Oxenhope moor looking towards Howarth
After leaving the village of Oxenhope (At the end of the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway) It passes the Wagon & Horses Inn on the left. Also after a few hairpins, you can take a left turn to take a harder and steeper minor road over the moor past the Holline Hill wind farm. This takes you down to Luddenden. By the main A 6033 is probably a better route to take – it doesn’t get too busy.
The climb is hardest as you leave the village of Oxenhope, but eases off towards the top.
There is a great descent from the top of Oxenhope moor into Hebden Bridge. Long and sweeping, though parked cars on the road mean you have to take care. From Hebden Bridge you are spoilt for choice if you want to keep cycling uphill – you could take in Cragg Vale or if you want something very steep try Mytholm Steepes or Halifax Lane from Luddenden.
Oxenhope Moor Tour de France 2014
Oxenhope Moor is one of the many climbs on stage 2 of the Tour de France
Hebden Bridge to Oxenhope Moor (north to south)
Oxenhope moor on descent to Hebden Bridge
From Hebden Bridge to Oxenhope Moor, the climb is even longer, with over 300 metres of climbing. It is steep at the bottom as you come out of Hebden Bridge but gets less steep the further up you go.
Mytholmroyd near Hebden Bridge has to have a good shout for being the best location for finding a large quantity and variety of hill climbs. From Mytholmroyd you can take any number of hill climbs – from the famous Cragg Vale (3%) and longest ascent into England, to more esoteric climbs like Mytholm Steeps and Halifax/Luddenden Lane.
I returned to Mytholmroyd and met up with Nathan who rode the Cragg Vale hill climb last Tues. We started off with a gentle ascent of Cragg Vale before plunging down into Ripponden. From Ripponden we followed the Tour route and climb up Ripponden Bank. I’ve done it a couple of times including during a hill climb event organised by Paul Brierly of the Huddersfield R.C. We were lucky with the lights and were able to get a smooth run up the climb.
I’ve never seen the council so busy – Council workers were everywhere – filling in the smallest potholes, picking up litter, dropping off ‘Road Closed signs’ – even cleaning ‘undesirable graffiti’ on Cragg Vale hill climb. Some local wag, thought it amusing to paint the names of Tom, Dick and Harry on the road. It might bemuse the French to see Wendy for Craig – but that’s what’s been painted on Cragg Vale. At least no-one’s drawn a big needle on the road.
At Ripponden Bank we did a u-turn and went all the way down to Littleborough. The ascent from Littleborough (Blackstone Edge) is a great climb – although an A road, it’s not too busy – there’s even a cycle path. We went up the gradual ascent at a good pace, helped by a strong tailwind from the West.
Cragg Vale from Mytholmroyd on the B6138 road proudly claims to be the longest continual ascent in England. 968 feet of climbing in 5.5 miles. It is not steep, just a classic long drag – a power climb with an average gradient of just over 3%.
In a few days, the Tour de France peleton and whole caravan will be passing up these slopes. 198 riders, and goodness knows how many support vehicles and supporters. Compared to the Alpine giants like the Col du Tourmalet, Alpe d’Huez and Hautacam – Cragg Vale is little more than a mound or hillock, a minor pinprick on the map. It won’t feature too much in Team previews. But, it’s still a good test and a good place to watch. The peleton will be strung out – 5 miles of uphill, is hard in anyone’s book. For the riders, it will be about getting a good place in the peleton for the upcoming climbs, such as Holme Moss and Côte de Greetland nearer the finish.
Riders going up Cragg Vale
Yorkshire Cycling Federation Hill climb
I’ve ridden Cragg Vale once in training (with a huge tailwind), and I jumped at the chance to race a hill climb a week before the big race. The local community are really getting into the spirit of the tour – amongst other things, they are going for a Guinness world record for the longest stretch of bunting – 5 miles uphill of bunting. It looks good.
Bunting was put up all along the route.
Where’s Bradley Wiggins?
I did a warm up on the climb. Amidst the Go Froomedog, Geraint Thomas! e.t.c. I did see a writing. “Where’s Wiggins?”
Whilst at the start, a member of the public asked seriously if Bradley Wiggins was in our race. They thought they had just seen him. I replied, offhand – no, it will be just someone wearing a Team Sky replica jersey. And indeed there was a rider in the ‘come and try it event’ wearing a Team Sky jersey. However, back at the HQ, I heard again the rumour that Bradley Wiggins did indeed ride up Cragg Vale that evening; and according to the extremely unofficial rumour mill, I heard he did a ’12’. Maybe that was just a guess from projected power figures.
More concrete was a sighting of recently crowned British time trial champion Emma Pooley; Pooley was seen training on the slopes of Cragg Vale – surely you couldn’t have both national TT champs training on Cragg Vale on the same evening?
It was very good of the Mytholmroyd community to put up bunting for the YCF hill climb – It’s definitely set the standard for future hill climbs. I suggested to a local they leave it up for a few days, as I hear another big cycle race is coming along soon too.
Norwood Edge is a tough 1.2 mile hill climb from north of Otley towards Pateley Bridge. It is hardest at the bottom, with a max gradient of 16%, it then ascends at a more gradual gradient around a couple of hairpins before cresting at the top of the moors. It is a difficult climb to pace well. You need to go hard at the bottom because it is the steepest part, but if you give everything at the steep section, you will suffer on the remainder of the climb.
Norwood Edge was my first ever hill climbs, many years ago as a junior in Otley CC. I think my time might have been 6.30, but I can’t really remember. I’ve always seen it as a good hill to test relative form. It’s 20 minutes from Menston and a good warm up. The hill climb starts from the road over the reservoir, where it soon kicks up to 16%, and is a tough start. After this opening couple of minutes, the climb levels off, though it’s deceptively hard because your legs are trying to recover from steep part. After the briefest of flattish section, the road gains in gradient again as you go around a sharp right hander. From there there are excellent views down the Wharfe valley. From here there’s still a kilometre to go before you head over the ridge of the hill.
The course record for Norwood Edge is 4.40 by Jeff Wright back in 1994. I got close in 2010, when I did 4.45. But, it will be hard to break the record now as we now do Norwood Edge as the second climb of the day (after Guise Edge) in the morning – it used to be the other way around Norwood then East Chevin.
Norwood Edge Climb
Location: 7 miles north of Otley, West Yorkshire on B road towards Pateley Bridge
Course record for open hill climb: 4.40 Jeff Wright
Norwood Edge Hill Climb
Norwood Edge was the first hill climb I did back in 1994 or something. I can’t remember my time, but I think it was 6 and a half minutes. Perhaps I will dig out the old results sheet one day.
My times up Norwood Edge in Otley CC hill climb
1994 – 6.30 something
2009 – 5.0 something (3rd, behind Matt Clinton, Jim Henderson)
If you want a hilly ride, Norwood Edge makes a good starting point. The B6451 will take you to Summerbridge. If you go straight on here, you will find a little known steep climb to Brimham Rocks. It’s a real toughie over 20% taking you straight up to wonderful views from the tourist spot of Brimham Rocks.
If you turn left at Summerbridge, you can take the main road towards Pateley Bridge. From Pateley Bridge you have a choice of quite a few good climbs. The main B road travels West towards Grassington and Skipton. This road takes you up Greenhow Hill which is a real classic climb (nearly 1,000ft of ascent), with several ramps of 16%. Alternatively, you can take the quieter roads up to Greenhow, through Guise Edge – which is nearly as tough.
Views from Norwood Edge
Half way
The long bend
Views from Norwood Edge
The last climb
Veloviewer
Strava
The 100 climbs version is an extra 0.1 miles starting by the reservoir. The Otley CC hill climb version starts 100 m further up the hill by a layby.
I’ve noticed that I’ve been getting a lot of traffic in recent days for the Google search ‘Buttertubs pass’, Grinton Moor,Cragg Vale’ – You could almost guess the route of the Tour de France by the popularity of keyword searches.
Ilkley from the Cow and Calf – you will be able to watch the Tour from a distance snake its way along the A65 from this vantage point
The Tour de France is a big deal for the Yorkshire; we haven’t had this much excitement since the Yorkists gave the House of Lancashire a good thrashing in the old War of the Roses (And if history buffs claim the House of Lancashire won the war of the Roses, it’s not the version we remember here in Yorkshire.)
But, it would be churlish to bring up old conflicts from the dark ages, the Tour de France is giving the old county the kind of uplifting excitement and inspiration – not seen in Britain since the 2012 Olympics. Like the Olympics, the Tour de France is another vehicle for creating a spirit of international friendship and goodwill. It is an unexpected benefit of attracting a big cycle race to your shores.
Goodness me, all the pubs in Otley have translated their names into French. This is the greatest outpouring of British-French unity since British pubs started serving garlic bread! in the mid 1980s.
Leeds Grand depart
In a country struggling to deal with the growing influence of the European Union, you may think Britain was primarily beset with trying to regain it’s Anglo Saxon independence. But, even in the heartlands of our EU bashing county, there’s been an outbreak of French lingo, and appreciation of most things Gaelic. The Tour de France has done more for British-European relations, than a whole string of EU directives and speeches.
Saturday 28th June 2014 was the BDCA 50 mile TT. Matt Bottrill (Drag 2 Zero) set a new 50 mile competition record of 1.34.43 on A50/6. Average speed of 31.67 mph (50.97 km/h)
I was third in a pb of 1.39.36 (30.1 mph). Paula Mosely was fastest lady in 1:51:47. Female comp record is Julia Saw (1.46.46)
Matt Bottril’s bike with lots of aero stuff.
Matt Bottril and BTTC
After finishing 2nd in the BTTC 2013 champs behind Alex Dowsett, Bottrill never hid the fact his main goal of the season was the BTTC champs in Wales last Thursday. Despite being on tremendous form and being well prepared, Bottrill was perhaps a little disappointed to finish 6th, 4 minutes behind a flying Bradley Wiggins. (Results at Velo UK)
It’s still an excellent result – there are many good pros who would struggle to finish 4 mins behind an on form Bradley Wiggins (4 minutes behind Wiggins would have been 17th in the 2012 Olympic time trial). Also a different course may have suited Bottrill more. When I spoke to Matt he was in philosophical mood, saying he made him realise how big the gap to the top pros was. Bottril said he was going up the climb in Wales at 475 watts, when Wiggins went past like a train. God knows what watts Wiggins was doing up there. (Also nice to see Wiggins regain his descending in the wet form.)
UCI rules
Given the hilly nature of the course, I was disappointed to be engaged up in Yorkshire for the BTTC champs. I’d much rather be racing courses like the BTTC champs than dragstrips like the A50. However, hearing about the UCI mandarins and their incomprehensible 10 cm rules – which caused a lot of problems for the amateurs, did make me feel a little better for not being there. A love these 45 page UCI clarification of their rules, which makes everything as clear as mud. They say the next BTTC champs might be in Isle of Man – do I want to travel there, only to risk the UCI declaring the bike illegal?
Recently, a friend dropped off a lot of old cycling magazines – from an era when cycling magazines had long articles and lots of timetrial times. Beautiful. I don’t know why I like flicking through times from a 25 mile TT in the 1980s, but I kind of do, I guess that’s why I ended up timetrialling.
One magazine had a special feature of Chris Boardman on hill climbs tips. This was earlier in his career when Boardman was still a domestic UK rider and three times hill climb champion (1989-91).
This was of interest because if anyone knew some good hill climb tips, Boardman would be one of the first I asked.
First up was hill climb sessions. I was really hoping to find some amazing, eyeballs out interval session that would be the new secret for upcoming hill climb season. Perhaps Boardman’s interval sessions could give me the competitive edge. After all, not many other people would be reading a Cycling magazine from early 1990s
Sunday morning was the Eastern Counties Cycling Association 100 mile TT. Based on the A11 and A14, it is a variant of the popular E2 courses. The ‘E2’ is a fast bit of road and can claim quite a bit of timetrialling history. It was here Michael Hutchinson set comp record for 50 miles (1.35.27); and just recently, Movistar pro, and Current British TT champ, Alex Dowsett, smashed the 10 mile Comp record with a mind blowing 17.20. (34 mph)
The course is fast because it’s flat, smooth surface and you get a drag from passing cars. The weather forecast for Sun was one of those forecasts all testers dream of – warm, no wind and dry. I’ve ridden through enough gales this year, to feel I deserve a ‘float’ day for a change.
As it happened, it was relatively cold when I arrived at the HQ. I had been so confident of a hot day, I didn’t have many layers.
Although the course is fast, it’s not all dual carriageway. The first 15 miles was based on a B road. Early in the morning it was as quiet as the still atmosphere. No cars, no nothing, just you and the bike. I really enjoyed this stretch. The first 10 miles of a 10 is always quite easy. You can get decent speed, as you are quite fresh. However, it didn’t all go to plan. Over the first lump in the road, my rear saddle mounted water bottle ejected itself never to be seen again. I’m not sure why I bother writing blog posts – I never listen to my own advice, I didn’t have a spare bottle planted anywhere on the course. I did test the bottle cage, and although it failed in testing – I thought I’d done a clever trick in sticking some thing on bottle to hold it in place. Anyway, it was gone and I wasn’t doing a u-turn to look for it.
I still had 1.6 litres in 2 water bottles, and since it was quite cold, I wasn’t too badly affected. Nevertheless, I spent the first hour thinking about asking someone on route for a spare. But, because it was so cold, I felt my bladder filling up pretty quick from water drunk before start, and this dissuaded me from drinking. It took 70 miles to drink the first 750ml (with 2 gels).
It is not often the British feel proud and happy to imitate and revere our French brothers across the channel. But, cycling is one of those rare situations when we can happily pay homage to the influence of France and the French. No matter how much cycling success the British may have enjoyed in recent years, the French and Italians will always have a certain élan, missing from Anglo-Saxon cycling. To gain your stripes as a real cyclist you need to master, at least, a smattering of French terms.
No stereotypes of the French please. Flickr photo – brizzlebornandbred
Yorkshire-French
It will certain be a curious mix when die hard Yorkshireman welcome ‘Le Tour’ in a few weeks. “Aye Lad, they could do with a few pints of ale in the grupetto‘ Maybe it would have been more useful to give a list of terms from the Yorkshire dialect. In a few weeks, many European diligently learning the Queen’s English may be furiously flicking through their French-English dictionary – mystified as to why so many words aren’t there.
The influence of the French on Cycling
Which would you rather join?
Rotherham Wheelers v South Yorkshire Vélo
Rotherham Wheelers raises connotations of mugs of tea for 30 pence in a cafe off the A87 after your 6am Sunday morning time trial. South Yorkshire Vélo raises connotations of gleaming Campagnolo and immaculate Italian bikes. (yes, French club, but Italian bikes – I guess all Europeans are the same really)
If you want to be cool in cycling, the farthest you can get from Britain the better. I know Team Sky have done the best to challenge this historical truth. They have this extremely un British habit of being successful and professional. It even looks like the French have, temporarily, become the plucky losers, a mantle they picked up from the old British style. But, no matter how many marginal gains Team Sky make, France will always be the spiritual home of cycling, in a way the British Isles will never be able to.
Them are real mountains in France
If you want to prove you are a real cyclist, without being any good at cycling. There are two things you can try to do.
You can shave your legs
You can drop in French words with disarming regularity into your cycle chat.
This may sound a little contrived, but it will definitely impress your fellow riders to spend a few hours wheelsucking on the back.
‘He was a real grimpeur, but he forgot his musette and bidon and ended up in the Voiture Balai after bonking on the unforgiving Virage’s of the Geant de Provence Mont Ventoux.’
‘The patron of the peleton excelled at the contra le Monde, but…’
So here is a list of French Cycling Terms:
French Cycling Terms
un autobus – group that rides together to finish within time limit
un commissaire – referee who makes decisions about race. E.g. allowing a bigger time limit to avoid eliminating whole autobus.
un coureur – rider, cyclist
un cycliste – cyclist
un directeur sportif – manager
un domestique – support rider, often carrying bottles for leader
un échappé – breakaway
une équipe – team
un grimpeur – climber
un grupeto – same as autobus
un peloton – main bunch of riders, near front of race
un poursuivant – chaser
un rouleur – smooth and steady rider
un soigneur – rider’s assistant
un sprinteur – sprinter
la tête de course – leader
Cycling Styles
à bloc – riding all out, as hard and fast as possible
la cadence – pedalling rhythm, often referring to high cadence
chasse patate – riding between two groups (literally, “potato hunt”)
la danseuse – standing up
Souplesse – riding with good style, pedalling a high cadence giving impression of making it look easy.
Equipment
un bidon – water bottle
un casque – helmet
une crevaison – flat, puncture
un dossard – number on rider’s uniform
un maillot -jersey
maillot jaune – yellow jersey.
une musette – feed bag
un pneu -tire
un pneu crevé – flat tire
une roue – wheel
un vélo de course – racing bike
une voiture balai – broom wagon
Tracks and Courses
une borne – kilométrique ~milestone (literally, a kilometre marker)
un col- mountain pass
une côte – hill, slope
une course – race
une course par étapes – stage race
une descente – descent
une étape – stage
la flamme rouge – red marker at 1 kilometre from finish
le maillot à pois – polka dot jersey (worn by best climber)
le maillot blanc – white jersey (worn by best rider under 25)
le maillot jaune – yellow jersey (worn by overall leader)
le maillot vert – green jersey (worn by leader in points / best sprinter)
Verbs
accélérer to accelerate
s’accrocher à to cling, hang on to
attaquer to attack, spurt ahead
changer d’allure to change pace
changer de vitesse to shift gears
courir to ride
dépasser to overtake
déraper to slip, skid
s’échapper to break away
grimper to climb
prendre la tête to take the lead
ralentir to slow down
rouleur to ride at a steady / strong pace. A rouleur – is traditionally a strong rider, who is good on the flat, but tends to disappear in the mountains.
How far do we take the French language?
Everyday I go to a coffee shop and I’m confronted with this awful dilemma.
If I want a pain au chocolate? do you use a broad Yorkshire accent and pronounce it like it’s written? or do we have to order ‘the pain au chocolate’ with our best imitation of a real French accent, you picked up from 5 years of GCSE French lessons?
The existential angst of deciding how to pronounce often leaves me ordering the ‘chocolate thing’ No messing, just two solid English words. If I do try order, a ‘pain au chocolate’ I tend to pronounce the first word in French, but by the third word have descended into English – a kind of unsatisfactory compromise.
Matt Bottril’s bike with lots of aero stuff.
