The Autumn Series - As Keen as Mustard

Just because the days are getting shorter, it doesn’t mean you have to stop cycling. Keep riding with our Autumn Series – now open for free booking. These rides are all about getting the best out of the season, perfect for getting out on your bike and warming up on a fresh autumn morning! As ‘challenging’ rides you can expect distances of twenty miles and above, usually with some hills thrown in along the way. You don’t have to be the next Bradley Wiggins to take part, but you’ll need to be fairly fit. Are you ready for a real test of your climbing legs?!  This route is not for the fainthearted but if you come along you will be massively rewarded with some great views and the bragging rights that you have taken on some of the climbs in this year’s Tour de France.  The route only just fits into our challenging rides on distance at 21 miles, but it really packs in the climbing with over 879 meters gained over the whole route. We will gradually climb our way out of Penistone through Cubley before a brief descent on our way to the first big climb.  Once at Midhopestones we will begin our ascent of the ‘Cote de Midhopestones’, don’t worry we will take our time up this as we don’t want to peak to soon.  Make sure you have use of all your gears as you will probably need them! From the top of this climb we will have a breather before tackling the descent down Ewden Bank, make sure your brakes work as this one does get a little steep in places!  There is then a climb back out of the dip as we continue along Mortimer Road following the route of the race.  This is not a categorised climb for the race, but it sure feels like it should be. We will turn off before High Bradfield so that we don’t have to tackle the ‘Cote de Bradfield’ and will instead enjoy some downhill towards Broomhead Reservoir before a short sharp climb up to Bolsterstone.  We can stop here for a well-earned rest before we tackle the rolling section that follows as we pass More Hall Reservoir and then have a short run along Manchester Road to Deepcar. From Deepcar we will loop back round to Penistone, past Forge Wood, up the last little climb to Thurgoland, through Oxspring and then we are done! The route only just fits into our challenging rides on distance at 21 miles, but it really packs in the climbing with over 879 meters gained over the whole route.  This is however a recreational group ride, so there will be plenty of stops if necessary as we leave no one behind. You don’t have to be the next Bradley Wiggins, but you’ll need to know your way around a bike and be fairly fit to take part in our Challenging rides. If you’re comfortable riding with other people and fancy a fresh challenge, these rides are perfect for you. They start at around twenty miles long, and are paced at between 11 and 12 miles an hour.