I'm thinking doing the Jenride (or solo equivalent) either this year (might be too soon) or next. I'm looking for some good training routes within striking distance of St Helens - so single day circuits equivalent to one day of the Jenride over similar terrain/distance/ascent carrying all the kit.
Had a couple of biggish days out in Clwyds and up round Rivington/Darwen but due to lack of local knowledge there's been a few on the spot detours due to unsuitable choices of path.
A big day out in the Peak feels like it would work and Hayfield seems like a good starting point. Is Jacobs ladder a bit too much to take on with a fully laden bike? I'm not particularly seeking out thrills (or spills!) just a nice ride with the requisite amount of suffering!
A trip to the Lakes is obviously an option but the closer to home the better.
Any ideas welcome. Ta
Sorry should have included a bit more detail. So I guess that would be circuits of ~50 miles and ~2000 metres of ascent.
Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/jOZPZefTSyb
That was my final Jen ride training. 57 miles/ 6800ft~2000m. I did it without the bags. Mix of technical cut gate and there is quite a bit of flat of railway line and some on some steep roads.
I'd suggest building your own route on Strava. Then you will have more control over the road/ off road amounts.
That's brilliant thanks. How did you feel that route compared to a day on the Jenride?
I've built myself a few routes using Komoot but it's local knowledge I'm lacking, it's not always obvious from an OSM map if a path is going to even exist on the ground or just be a boggy hell hole! I know you can get the heat map on Strava but I've dropped my subscription due to expense and lack of voice guidance in the app.
Is there anyway you can make it so I can download the gpx from your page? I get a "Sorry, you are not allowed to access that page." message when i try to export.
@tall_martin
That's an impressive time for that route. I've done very similar but not for some years. Might give that a try in a month or two 👍
Mary Townley Loop? 45 miles, 2000m climbing, also will get your bikepacking gate technique fully honed. 🙂
You can start it near Rochdale.
That looks perfect just a 45 min blip down the m62 to get started, thanks!
One thing I've noticed when plugging these routes into online mapping services is the different amounts of ascent given by them. For the Mary Townley Loop using the same gpx file i get
elevation gain =
Strava - 2,038m
Komoot - 1,640m
RideWithGPS - 1,496m
Which one to trust? Perhaps RideWithGPS before the attempt and (if successful) Strava afterwards!
Check out my activity on Strava: https://strava.app.link/Ql514zOfTyb
No idea how it equates to the Jenride ... but it was a reasonably sized day out in the Peaks.
It was a hard day out. Not as hard as the Jen ride, but I didn't have the bags on.
I'd ride Jacobs ladder with bags on. I think I've been down stuff as tricky as that on some Jen rides.
If you drop me a line with your email I can email you a gpx. I don't know of a way to make it available through strava.
The vertibrate graphics dark peak book has some long rides and some of them can be linked together. That's how I built my knowledge of the peaks. I joined NATS Nottingham all terrain cycleS. They are out each week in the peak. A summer of that would build your knowledge of the peaks quickly. They are on facebook now. I haven't ridden with them since my son was born.
@stanley
Thanks! It was a bone dry day, with a semi slick on the rear after alot of training up. It goes over cut gate so I'd wait until it was drier.
That looks a right monster of a ride! Some very tough climbs to do in a day
Some good suggestions here thanks all.
Just bought the dark peak book and will drop you a message @tall_martin
Might be worth looking at doing the last Mills and Moors loop at the end of April
https://www.calderdividetrail.co.uk/mills-n-moors-series-2023
We did the February one and really enjoyed it.
We did Adrian's bike packing event last year as prep for the Jennride. Similar distance but with a campsite halfway round. Glad we did because I learnt that my knees weren't happy with my saddle position..
My prep for the Jennride has been a bit disturbed by damaging my ribs on a snowboarding holiday in March but I'm back on the bike now.
My prep for the Jennride has been a bit disturbed by damaging my ribs on a snowboarding holiday in March but I’m back on the bike now.
I'd just begun to get over pneumonia in January when I slashed my shin open, so my Jennride prep is non-existent. Should get back on by next weekend, but no idea if I'm going to be able to do it this year. Anyone seen the route? Apparently High Street is included somehow.
Actually, OP should probably include some routes with a bit of pushing/hike-a-bike if he wants to train for the full experience. I think the loop I suggested includes some pushing if you do it in one direction, can't remember which.
Route is on jennride Facebook and ride with gps.
It's just appeared as I think rich did the final test ride over Easter weekend (and he found it was good)
Looks like a nice loop.
Hope everyone starting to feel a bit better from injuries and illness for the end of May.
I have no proper excuses for poor performance other than general laziness.
Thanks AndrewL 😎
Thanks Andrew, looks like one from a few years back. No HS then. Only complaint from me is the road up to Walna Scar just to come straight back down to Torver! Parkamoor mass camp by the looks of it, or push on to Claife.
EDIT: And only 1 significant push up in the whole thing...
martinhutch - brilliant, we can ditch the bags and have a play on the steep stuff 😉
How has the training gone @stemill ? Not long till the event. I've managed a couple of slightly longer rides, weather is looking good on the long range forecast at the moment....
