What are your plans for Le Tour?

[fritz]

If you don't like it stay at home - or go away (feel free to stay away and moan for rest of your lives )

Controvershall

Access is going to be a right old pain tho admitidly

Best solution is cycle in cycle out from somewhere a few miles away from route.

Roads will be open to cycle and foot traffic all time closed to powered vehicles (except last bits before caravan and race of course)

Allez - vive le Tour

 

[AA388]

Planning on watching from Grinton Moor, have you any suggestions for bike parking at or nr Reeth please.

As it stands no one knows what to expect, if you believe what the council say up to a million people are going to come into the dales to watch it so it will be carnage. As for parking it's anyone's guess. PM on it's way.

 

[fritz]

I do have to say i think the closures are overkill but I think the worry was everyone would rush from the west of the dales 'loop' to the east and cause chaos.

If you're locked in there are options to cross - mainly by cycle, and of course you can cycle across the route and back out easily, but no no on by motor vehicle - crackers I agree.

It'll be over in a flash in majority of places (the riders that is) but I'm pretty sure it won't be without much character for much of the time.

If you really aren't sure - you want to take a cycle - any old crock will get you in and out which you cannot do by car or m/c.

and of course if it persists down you can opt to watch it on TV or a 'hub' - the folk who've paid over the odds (£139 for 2 for a tent for 3 nights...really ) will be trapped whatever

Grinton will be mighty busy, mighty fine, and quite something crowd wise. Get yourselves to any point you can and show your support and if you are in the loop, rest, breath calmly, and wait, and wait, and wait...

Allez!

 

[BikerBigTed]

Saw a number of Graffiti items on the route today.

 

[Deleted account Cooperman]

Planning on watching from Grinton Moor, have you any suggestions for bike parking at or nr Reeth please.

The nearest to Grinton will be Cogden Hall (on the road in from Richmond). £10. Suggest you get there very early.

http://letour.yorkshire.com/travel/travel-information-map

 

[fritz]

Saw a number of Graffiti items on the route today.

More the merrier - I advise marking the 'dressed' roads - any that are a nice biutuninous surface presently will be surface dressed in next month or two (I know , taking the civil out of engineering ). Wouldn't want the Banksy artwork to be covered eh Lets get creative folk

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

More the merrier - I advise marking the 'dressed' roads - any that are a nice biutuninous surface presently will be surface dressed in next month or two (I know , taking the civil out of engineering ). Wouldn't want the Banksy artwork to be covered eh Lets get creative folk

Talking of dressing......

Houses.......

Your yellow bike looks nice at 1st floor level

 

[IOM]

Miss it

 

[fritz]

Been out and about to see what's what on the northern part of 'our' loop.

For those of you not up here this is what it's like in the build up for the big day(s)

Brilliant seeing so many bikes (i.e. cycles) out. Few organised rides with m/c outriders - not leading them out or anything just up front I think to warn oncoming vehicles - we could do that, Bev and I

Apart from some cyclists and the odd Sunday driver (eh - what they doing out early going same rate as peleton - i.e 25-30mph ) it was actually very quiet over Park Rash and down to Kettlewell - lucky as part of the stone wall had fallen on the road on the tight bend into village which was an unpleasant surprise.

Some pics, the sign you see everywhere warn miserable ***** to go away a view over Kettlewell with a king of the mountains jersey on far side of valley (squint) and the fallen wall hazard

 

[fritz]

Stopping at the shop in Kettlewell to try and source any of the 20+ TdF beers on offer we caught up with one of the riders we had previously seen peddling up Swineside before Park Rash - a fit fellah that got there very quickly indeed - a leisure cyclist but he was quick enough to make you wonder! Ex Ausie. I've cycled that route myself and it isn't easy (understatement ). He and his group are staying in Skipton for week, riding bits of route and then watching the race - great, that's the benefit - the legacy will follow later - it WILL .

Only found a Copper Dragon special beer in the whole day - were the hell are they expecting to flog the other 19 odd

On to Hawes and a few different bikes. The one we have is everywhere - just yellow with TDF2014 stencilled on. Bev bought it in Bedale with £5 going to air abulance so a good cause. Some wood work class has been very very busy! There are 10's of them everywhere - but only one like ours

Worton, Bainbridge and then Hawes.

 

[fritz]

A few 'grunters' going over Buttertubs (well done!) and we stopped for a coffee and cake in Gunnerside just afore the lady was closing. Asked what she thought and she was in favour - her granddads Penny Farthing was outside - now that must have been interesting on these roads She said they'd had lots of extra trade - and expected plenty more

Opposite side of the road was an alternative bike (sadly no pic) that was crashed into the wall (nasty bend round houses). Got chatting to bloke and he was a biker too. In fact very interesting as we talked bikes. He'd taken an XT 500 across the sahara in 1985 must catch up with him again - parted trying to insist he should get some blood sprayed up the wall by the bike!

Low Row threw up more alternate content - come on folks - get lateral! (it always gets a bit arty in the further away places eh) The bunting is going up - but it's not everywhere yet.

 

[fritz]

Onwards to the next 'classic' place to watch Cote de Grinton. Some graffitti, but pretty poor except the flag. This'll be a good spot.

Stage one is classified as FLAT - is honesty is!

 

[fritz]

Leyburn wins on the alternate bike front - ewe'll agree? Baa rt time

 

[fritz]

Though not on the route these bales are impressive and should be visible to the helicopter following the route anyway

 

[fritz]

And finally (for today) Masham, a good 100+ miles of intersting and lovely riding.

This time (daytime) next week you could be riding this route on closed roads...if you use your legs

 

[fritz]

In the words of Space (the band, not some Hawkings concept) 'Who lives in a house like this'

 

[Ex-Call Centre Chimp]

Great pictures Fritz, looks like the atmos is already ramping up.

Allez Les Irlandais.

 

[GS TRV]

Eurosport on series link

 

[JohnnyBoxer]

In the words of Space (the band, not some Hawkings concept) 'Who lives in a house like this'

Your house makes me smile every time I see the bike on it now

 

[Sunny Jim]

Yesterday (Sat 28/6) a few of us did the north section the wrong way around then broke off at Addingham to do the southern bit...don't know what all the noise is - it's a piece a pish!

...can't wait until next week when it flies through 't village!