Anyone doing Pendle Pedal this year?
vermooten
Posts: 2,697
It was a toughie last year, well it crapped me anyway. Ace countryside, possibly the best... Anyhoo, will I see you all there? Mmmm?
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Yes it's a great event. For anyone else interested, follow this link for details. Hurry - it's this Sunday (5th August)!vermooten wrote:It was a toughie last year, well it crapped me anyway. Ace countryside, possibly the best... Anyhoo, will I see you all there? Mmmm?
I'll be doing it again this year. I'm riding to the start from Hebden Bridge, and back again afterwards which will bring it nicely up to 200 km.
I just got an email from the organisers today. I'm glad that they have taken on board comments made last year about the feed stations. This year there will be 4 rather than the 2 of last year. I almost ran out of drink before the first one last time.
Last year I pointed out to the organiser at the finish that some of his marshals had started packing up early and that wasn't good enough. I got to the feed station at Longridge Fell almost 30 minutes before the cut-off and they were already cutting the arrows down and removing the food and drink. I know that quite a few riders were still behind me. What really annoyed me was that the marshal I spoke to about it on the road got funny with me and said "Well what have you been ****ing about at! Do you think we have nothing better to do than hang about here all day!" Charming...
This time they have published clear cut-off times based on a minimum 20 kph average speed. I actually think that is a bit harsh because it is a very hilly route and there will be people struggling to average that. Last year 50 of the 173 finishers of the 160 km event took longer than the 8 hours that represents and I was one of them.
I reckon that I can probably get round in about 8 hours this time. I was hoping to do much better than that but my weight has been creeping up due to my fair-weather-cyclist tendencies and the awful summer we'd been having until recently. It'll be hard dragging 14 stone over those hills so I'll be making full use of my triple.
I'll be wearing red and black, blue/black MET helmet, and riding my blue Basso (yellow decals) with a bodged-on rack. If you spot me at the start say hi before you burn off down the road!0 -
Yes, I can't wait for 100miles of hair-brush-like profile. I looked again at the profile, and though nothing is too long, or too hard, it just looks like there is not a single flat mile in there.
Don't get me wrong. I love to climb. Not because I am good at it.
Can't wait.
Look for a snail as you swooosh past.Going uphill fast, is easy; all you need are legs and lungs. Going downhill fast is hard... you need... balls.0 -
I am doing this one. I did the Legbreaker challenge the other week so hope that will stand me in good stead for this one. The Profile does look tough 3200m total climbs. Is it similar terrain to the Yorkshire Dales?
I'm just off for a quick spin over Holme Moss this afternoon get my last ride before Sunday.
I will be on Wilier Mortiro wearing white top/ white MET helmet.0 -
Riding the Legbreaker was like being stabbed repeatedly in the neck with a shiv made from a prison kitchen spoon. The Pendle Pedal was like being trampled on by elephants forever. Nick O' Pendle is ... magnificent.
Will be on a Cervelo and (probably) wearing a red assos top, Bell helmet, please say howdy!0 -
ChrisBowers wrote:I am doing this one. I did the Legbreaker challenge the other week so hope that will stand me in good stead for this one. The Profile does look tough 3200m total climbs. Is it similar terrain to the Yorkshire Dales?
I'm just off for a quick spin over Holme Moss this afternoon get my last ride before Sunday.
I will be on Wilier Mortiro wearing white top/ white MET helmet.
I think it has a different 'feel' to the Dales, but in many ways it is just as lovely and just as tough!
To whet your appetite, here's my description of the route:
General notes - there are some long climbs and there are some very steep climbs, and there are some long climbs with steep bits in! Bring strong legs and/or low climbing gears. Kamikaze sheep inhabit these parts and riders have been killed crashing into them so watch out on the descents. I saw one guy go between two sheep on the road down off Waddington Fell last year. He must have been doing 80+ kph. Not clever... Save a little bit in your legs for the last 20 km because those last few hills are really tough and caught a lot of people out!
0 km. Start. About 2.5 km in a built-up area. Get this out of the way. Let the countryside begin!
2.5 km. Turn right up a steep lane. Bit early in the day for this, but bite the bullet! Dip down into Roughlee.
4.5 km. Pendle Hill will be looming up in front of you. Fortunately we skirt its Eastern fringes and don't have to go straight over it! Steady climb through Barley and upwards.
9 km. Great views to the right over the Ribble Valley. Nice long fast descent now, but don't go crazy!
16 km. Grotty big cement works at Chatburn. How on earth did they get planning permission for that! Never mind, it will soon be behind you.
20.5 km. Waddington. It's time to start the climb of Waddington Fell. From this side it is just a long drag - about 5 km at 5.6%.
25 km. Summit of the Fell. Great views. Great descent ahead but watch out for loose sheep and beware of the 90 degree right-hand bend on the fastest part of the descent!
29 km. Newton. Great views of the high Fells around Dunsop Bridge. Nice here, innit?
31.5 km. Feed station at Slaidburn. Don't hang about too long, because there is a great climb ahead - 10 kms over Tatham Fell. Some steep bits, but a big dip in the middle to give you a breather. You will see riders stretched out way into the distance ahead of you, unless you are really quick, in which case we'll be looking up at you instead! Fantastic views all around. How do the people in those remote farms cope in bad winters...?
41.5 km. Summit at last! A great long descent ahead, but there are a few dips that can catch you out so watch it! I spent too much time looking at the scenery last year and nearly ended up decorating a car which suddenly emerged in front of me.
56.5 km. Wray. If that descent didn't make you smile, nothing will! The next section is one of the easiest of the whole ride. Still nice scenery, but relatively flat. If you are going for a quick time, get your head down and whizz round here.
74 km. Feed station at Crook O'Lune. It looks very nice, but you won't have time for sight-seeing - saddle up! Head for Quernmore.
82 km. Quernmore. Turn left at the cross-roads and grab a low gear while you still can. Last year some young guys had a bit of fun as they overtook me there. "Ha ha, look he's got a triple on his bike!" I enjoyed it so much overtaking them halfway up the steepest part of that climb. They were walking their bikes up, their 39/23 gears having proved woefully inadequate for their needs. That's why I use a triple lads
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85 km. The tower at the summit. Another fast descent to follow. More Kamikaze sheep. Take care. The 'Trough' is coming, the 'Trough' is coming - whoopee!
91.5 km. We are doing the Trough of Bowland from the easier side. The road rises up for about 4 km, without ever feeling brutally steep, unless you are already suffering - in which case it will
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95.5 km. The summit. Take a quick look at the memorial on your right near the cattle grid. The 'Trough' is absolutely gorgeous, so enjoy the descent but heed this - there are always sheep on the roam about here. I know of one fatal accident and one serious injury suffered by riders here in recent years. There is usually a lot of tourist traffic at the weekend, especially in good weather - watch out! There is a steep little hiccup of a hill on the way down, but don't worry - you don't climb far before descending again. Whiz along for 8 km to the next feed station.
103 km. Feed station. There wasn't one there last year but I remember turning up that lane - it's a steep little swine so you might not want to eat and drink too much before tackling it.
105 km. Top of the hill. Now it's just a fast descent to Chipping...
108 km. ... except that some sadist put a little 45 metre hill in the way - drat!
111 km. Chipping. It will probably be busy but if you fancy a break, there is a cyclists' cafe and a pub there. I'd rather press on. Fly round to Longridge.
118 km. Begin the climb up through Longridge onto the Fell.
126 km. Viewpoint - just look around, will you!
127 km. That's enough of that.. right turn, on the drops, descend!
130 km. Undulating road to Clitheroe.
137 km. I was tired there last year and ended up going the wrong way down a one-way street. Suddenly you are on busy roads again. Take care as you head through the town and cross the A59.
139 km. Cross the A59 and start some serious climbing over the Nick O'Pendle. This is where the walking will begin for a lot of riders. I overtook a lot of riders there who had passed me earlier in last year's PP - I was saved by my trusty triple. I know my limitations.
142 km. Aaargh, that hurt! That's the worst of the climbing done and it's downhill all the way from here...
144 km. ... to Sabden that is. Then it is straight back up again. This is the climb of Padiham Heights or Black Hill. I knew how bad it was, but a lot of riders were caught out by it. Prepare to grovel!
145 km. Phew! Enjoy the views for 3 km round to Sabden Fold, but we're not quite done yet...
148 km. Sabden Fold. I wasn't the only rider to look ahead/left last year and think "Thank goodness I don't have to ride up there!" only to go round the bend and discover that I did... This is the tough little climb to Newchurch-in-Pendle.
150 km. From Newchurch, descend to Roughlee.
152 km. Roughlee. Yes you did pass through here on the way out, but don't cheat by going back that way. The organiser has one last trick to play on you to get you up to distance... climb steeply to the A682 at Blacko!
154 km. Okay, you can go downhill now - descend to the Heritage Centre.
157 km. Heritage Centre. Just a few km to go...
160 km. The finish. Not a bad day out on the bike.0 -
Thanks for the excellent route review ColinJ
It gives me a good idea of what the route is like. I will keep an eye out for any stray sheep.
:shock:
Cheers0 -
If the 160 km (100 miles) and 3,000+ m of climbs aren't enough for you, you could always park in Hebden Bridge and ride over Widdop Moor to the start in Colne, and then ride back again afterwards. That will take you neatly to 200 km and 4,000 m of climbs. The extra 1,000 m of hills includes some particularly testing 20% and 25% stuff - nice!
I'll be doing those extra bits because I live in Hebden Bridge and I don't drive.
Hebden Bridge - Pendle Pedal - Hebden Bridge profile
I did the extended ride last year and it was my first 200 km ride - a real baptism by fire! I've done about another 10 since then.0 -
colinj
Will be wearing red and black, blue/black MET helmet, and riding my blue Basso (yellow decals) with a bodged-on rack. If you spot me at the start say hi before you burn off down the road!
chris
will be on Wilier Mortiro wearing white top/ white MET helmet.
Vermooten
Will be on a Cervelo and (probably) wearing a red assos top, Bell helmet, please say howdy!
george
will be on a Black Thorn Raven Catalyst with Rohloff gears,
I'm not doing the ride but I am off to do, Waddie Lamb and Tatham on Sunday
george0 -
I'll keep an eye open for you George. Our feed station at Slaidburn closes at 11:15 so we should passing through there between about 10:30 and then.jibi wrote:colinj
Will be wearing red and black, blue/black MET helmet, and riding my blue Basso (yellow decals) with a bodged-on rack. If you spot me at the start say hi before you burn off down the road!
chris
will be on Wilier Mortiro wearing white top/ white MET helmet.
Vermooten
Will be on a Cervelo and (probably) wearing a red assos top, Bell helmet, please say howdy!
george
will be on a Black Thorn Raven Catalyst with Rohloff gears,
I'm not doing the ride but I am off to do, Waddie Lamb and Tatham on Sunday
george
WATCH OUT - DUCK!!!
Sorry, I thought I heard something... ! 0 -
I'll keep an eye out too, I'll be going over Lamb and Tatham about 11 I think
and don't laugh about the duck, I nearly sh*t myself :oops:
george0 -
The weather forecast is looking good
Unfortunately, the neck/back forecast isn't. I've just got out of bed and both are aching before I've even got on my bike. I think today is going to hurt :?
Oh well, in for a penny and all that...0 -
That's one fcking tough route huh. Seven bleedin' hours, 30 minutes slower than last year. WTF?
Oh well such is the way of the universe. It's the next day now and I can't walk proper like.0 -
Vermooten
It was a bl00dy hot day. I was going the other way over the Trough and Jubilee, I think I saw a Cervelo and a Willier
I was the short, fat, hairy, guy with a purple face who shouted out the name of the bike
Took me longer to do my ride than I thought too
george0 -
Hi Vermooten.vermooten wrote:That's one fcking tough route huh. Seven bleedin' hours, 30 minutes slower than last year. WTF?
Oh well such is the way of the universe. It's the next day now and I can't walk proper like.
I'd got it in my head that you'd be wearing red Assos and riding a red Cervelo. If you were actually wearing an orange jersey and riding a black Cervelo, then I spotted you at the start.
It certainly is a brute of a route - a beautiful brute though! The diversion after Sabden seemed even tougher than the original Black Hill - though it started off easier, it got progressively harder towards the top.
I found the ride harder than last year. Knowing what is to come can be somewhat intimidating when one is not in peak condition...
Last year was a lot cooler and I found that easier to cope with. I was struggling to cope with the heat on some of the big climbs yesterday. I'm not complaining mind - I wouldn't have wanted to do that ride in the rain!
We'd had a gentle cross-tailwind on the way out which was quite pleasant but I'm convinced that the wind picked up for the return leg. I rode alone all day and at times I was struggling to get over 25 kph on the flat into the cross-headwind.
Early on I thought that I might manage to break 8 hours which would have been a huge improvement on my 9 hrs 15 mins of last year. It wasn't to be. I had a stiff neck and a sore back even before I started. It wasn't long before my feet started to cramp up too. In the end I took 8 minutes longer than last year. I thought that I might at least have achieved the honour of Lanterne Rouge status but 6 riders finished slower than me - drat! 21 DNFs according to the official results.
It had been a bit dispiriting having fit riders pass me all day on the climbs. It wasn't that it was unexpected, it was just the ease with which it was done. The riders' hands would be on the tops of the bars, and they'd be chatting away happily. I began to hear a familiar pattern - distant voices, then the hum of rubber on road as they got closer, and finally the creaking of expensive carbon-fibre frames as they passed me. I'd quite fancied a CF bike until yesterday but I think that noise would drive me mad - do all CF bikes creak?
I told myself that my weight was what was slowing me down - I'm about a stone over a comfortable weight, and two stone over a good climbing weight but I saw a guy yesterday who looked about 3 stone heavier than me and he was climbing far better than me, so my excuse doesn't really hold water.
I only saw 2 riders really going for it all day; I'm sure that it was Stephen Henson and Dave Lloyd. They passed me near Pendle Hill going at an impressive speed up the climb. They finished in 5 hrs 43 mins - wow!
I think the fact that only 6 of 196 finishers broke 6 hours for 100 miles speaks volumes for the severity of the route. Heck, even I've done other century rides in under 6 hours!
As mentioned in an earlier post - I extended my ride to 200 km by riding to and from home. The ride back from the event was absolutely brutal after what had gone before. From Colne it is straight up a 20% climb, followed by a long drag. Further on there is a nasty 25% climb which almost had me off and walking, but I was determined to ride the whole 200 km so I used the last of my strength to get up that. What made the climb even more horrible was that the entire flying ant population of the world seemed to have gathered on that stretch of road! There was a sea of the little buggers in front of me. It was almost as though I was hallucinating... As I rode over them, the survivors flew up into the air around me. I had to breathe through clenched teeth and swat the things off my glasses. I was glad to get that last tough hill out of the way. It's a quick run home from there.
I felt really down last night, but today I'm feeling better about my ride. I may have been one of the slowest riders out there but it was a very tough route and I didn't take any of the possible shortcuts, or get off and walk. 189 very fit riders did it quicker than me, but millions of people wouldn't even contemplate doing something as hard as that!
As for not walking proper, like - I certainly struggled to walk to the local shops last night, but today my legs feel okay - tired, but not too bad. My back and neck are the real problem - they feel like I've been attacked by a 20 stone gorilla wielding a baseball bat!
George - I think that I might have spotted you at the crossroads at Quernmore. I was feeling a bit knackered by then and had already turned left and started the climb before it really registered in my brain. I couldn't face turning back to say hello - sorry.0 -
Excellent ride that but bl**dy hard work. I thought the Nick o'Pendle was tough after all the miles we'd done before it. Crazy stuff but rewarding.
ColinJ - Sounds like you had a tough day. Well done for getting round and with the extra miles you did.
George - I think I may of seen you going the other way as I slogged up the Trough of Bowland.
cheers
chris0 -
Best way to cure stiff legs and a body that won't work? Drive to Hawes the next day and ride up such beauties as Coal Road and that one at Askrigg. Show your body who's boss (clue: not it). Now I'm going to lie down on the sofa and die.
Colin: 'Twas not I: my Cervelo's red & black; my top was red and Assos-y.
George: I was in too much pain and misery to hear your call!
Andy0 -
Best way to cure stiff legs and a body that won't work? Drive to Hawes the next day and ride up such beauties as Coal Road and that one at Askrigg. Show your body who's boss (clue: not it). Now I'm going to lie down on the sofa and die.
Colin: 'Twas not I: my Cervelo's red & black; my top was red and Assos-y.
George: I was in too much pain and misery to hear your call!
Andy
Is that your recovery ride? :shock: You're a brave man. I think I suffered a bit of heat exhaustion on Sunday's ride. All I could muster was a walk up Kinder Scout with the Mrs.0 -
It was so nice to meet all you guys.
Yes i had a sit at Quernmore crossroads and had a chat with some old mates that came through.
I felt for you all, I really did
Chapeaux to all who did the 100.
george0 -
As for not walking proper, like - I certainly struggled to walk to the local shops last night, but today my legs feel okay - tired, but not too bad. My back and neck are the real problem - they feel like I've been attacked by a 20 stone gorilla wielding a baseball bat!
Colin, sometimes I think you have a very sado/maso streek! That ride sounds trully awful!
JB (from flatshire)2 minute grovels can sometimes be a lot longer..tho' shorter on a lighter bike :-)
Ride the Route Ankerdine Hill 2008
http://peterboroughbigband.webplus.net/index.html0 -
Hi All,
You all must have gone past me at some point - I had three punctures as a result of a fine break in the sidewall of my tyre - The first after ten minutes just at the beginning of the first climb hmphh - it set the tone for my day. It made the day a bit dissapointing and added humungous time to my ride - The slowest I've done - I was determined to get around and luckilly had a bit of tape to put on the side wall - Funny but I had a puncture on the Leg breaker and couldn't find what caused it - double checked for objects in the tyre but just must have missed the problem - at least now I know! The clue should have been that every time it punctured it went bang! Oh well - tyre in bin now.
The views were excellent - However, I didn't like the steep decsents - no fun after a hard climb to be hanging on the breaks - I don't mind descending fast on good roads but 17% lanes - I'm just too scared!
At the end I almost didn't go over the timer as I felt so bad and felt a dnf would be better but I did it and ultimately it is very tough wether you do it in under 6 or over 9 hours like me (I had hoped to do it in 7:30! doh). It's a lot to do with what happens on the day.
If I'm honest I prefer flatter faster rides as I just can't climb - and I've been trying pretty hard! Tom 0 -
Hi John.johnbirkby46213 wrote:As for not walking proper, like - I certainly struggled to walk to the local shops last night, but today my legs feel okay - tired, but not too bad. My back and neck are the real problem - they feel like I've been attacked by a 20 stone gorilla wielding a baseball bat!
Colin, sometimes I think you have a very sado/maso streek! That ride sounds trully awful!
JB (from flatshire)
It's a shame - I really love the hills but some bits of my body aren't currently strong enough to allow me to enjoy them! About 6 years ago I was very fit and went a whole season without using the 'granny' rings on either my road or mountain bikes. I've posted before about macho climbing gears but I never meant to say that any particlular ratio (39/323 etc.) was too high. I just think that labouring over a gear that feels too hard isn't sensible. When I was skinny and fit I got up all the local climbs in 39/23 but on Sunday even 30/28 felt tough after 12 hours of hard riding. These days I hardly ever get short of breath on climbs because I find it hard to push hard enough to make that happen. My legs, heart, and lungs are fine but my back, neck, abs and feet are buggered!
I have to admit that I've had enough of being in pain... It's one thing to suffer when really pushing oneself, but it is something else to suffer just turning the pedals over on a 6% climb... I'm not really happy with coming 190th out of 196 finishers, but I did my best on the day!
I want to get back the feeling I had when I'd forget that I was still on the 53 chainring because it felt like I was on the 39. Time was when I would have said that a 51 year old should forget such notions, but these days riders like 58 year old Dave Lloyd show that it can still be done...0 -
No photos up anywhere?0
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I haven't found any yet.vermooten wrote:No photos up anywhere?
The link on the PP website currently gives a 404 error. That link has misspelt Pendle as Pendal , but it doesn't work with the corrected link spelling either.
While I was searching for photos, I came across this Forest of Bowland ride on the Cycling Weekly website. Interesting reading after going over those hills on Sunday...0 -
What a great ride.
My buddy and I planned to do the 100miler, but a day-prior ride of 40 miles, saw us opt for the shorter. If I climb better than you - you're in bad shape. And that's what happened.
The course was great and pretty. Great views and painful ascents. I loved the downhills. I am usually able to pull back the time I lose going up :-) and so I did.
Confession - I thanked the lord in heaven for the guy who invented the triple! Those stinkers at the end of Pendle hill, and on the way back, that little 18% (or so) little stinker... couldn't have done it without good ole' 32X25er.
Great organization. Really. Plenty of food/signs/marshals.
See ya next year. This time we'll be in shape for the big loop.
A'zGoing uphill fast, is easy; all you need are legs and lungs. Going downhill fast is hard... you need... balls.0 -
Thanks to Andy H for these links to P.P. videos on YouTube:
Pendle Pedal part 1
Pendle Pedal part 2
They bring back some (masochistically) happy memories of August...0
