One of the toughest and most spectacular mountain bike challenges in the UK attracted a field of just over 150 riders.
The Colne Valley Mountain Bike Challenge had routes of 20 or 30 miles and also a section for electric bikes.
The challenge is not a race but the quickest back in the 30-mile route was 22-year-old Matthew Taylor from Outlane with a time of 2 hours and 8 minutes.
Second back was 18-year-old Oscar Williams from Scapegoat Hill (2hrs, 14mins) and third was 37-year-old Christopher Capp from Scunthorpe (2hrs, 16mins).
First back in the 20-mile challenge was 58-year-old Martin Wright from Longwood in 2 hours.
In the electric bike section the first back in the 30-mile route was 37-year-old Matthew Foster from Almondbury in 2 hours, 8 minutes. First back in the 20-mile route was 55-year-old Tim Robinson from Birchencliffe in one hour, 26 minutes.
Organiser Jonny Brook said: “The weather was brilliant for this year’s challenge. It was a great day for riding and the feedback was 100% positive.”
Colne Valley Mountain Bike Challenge was set up by Jonny from Golcar in 2004 and raises money for Leymoor Cricket Club in Golcar and the 39th Parkwood Scouts who are now based at St Mark’s Church in Longwood.
The race starts at the bottom of the ultra-steep cobbled road Dodlee Lane in Longwood and the 30-mile route takes in Outlane Golf Course, Scapegoat Hill, Pole Moor, Nont Sarah’s at Scammonden, Cop Hill, West Slaithwaite, Marsden, Tunnel End, Pule Hill, up Wessenden Head valley, back down Wessendenhead Road towards Meltham and across to Deerhill, Blackmoorfoot Reservoir, Linthwaite and down past Huddersfield Narrow Canal to Wellhouse, Bolster Moor and back to the start. The 20-mile route is similar but cuts out a chunk after Marsden.
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content and copywriting.
