UCI Cheshire Cat cyclospotive

kilotogo
kilotogo Posts: 29
edited April 2008 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
Just to let people know that entries are open now for the 2008 UCI Cheshire Cat cyclosportive. Two features which might be of particular interest:

We're running at the same weekend as the UCI World track champs at Manchester Velodrome just up the road, where you can see our guys and gals get gold. Two birds, one stone? M6 junction 19

This year there's trophy for every finisher. Also special momento for every participant who climbs the killer mile without stopping or putting a foot down. See last year's walkers http://www.everydaycycling.com/news.aspx?fid=665

details www.kilotogo.com/cheshirecat2008.html
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Comments

  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    I'm in...
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • Sir Jemo
    Sir Jemo Posts: 94
    Gulp!

    I may be mistaken, and please excuse me if I'm wrong, but wasn't entry for this £10 last year?

    This year it's £27 - that's an unbelievable hike in price.

    I would like a bit of explanation from the organisers before entering. I liked the ride last year (despite the lack of a cuppa at the end) but at this price I can plan my own ride and get a full breakfast, lunch and dinner thanks.

    Compared to continental sportifs it seems that UK versions are quite pricey, and for less. I love the events but if you enter, say, five in a year, it's getting to be quite a sizable outlay.

    So what have you got to say for yourself Kilotogo aka Geoff Saxon?
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    Sir Jemo wrote:
    Gulp!
    This year it's £27 - that's an unbelievable hike in price.

    I would like a bit of explanation from the organisers before entering. I liked the ride last year (despite the lack of a cuppa at the end) but at this price I can plan my own ride and get a full breakfast, lunch and dinner thanks.

    Compared to continental sportifs it seems that UK versions are quite pricey, and for less. I love the events but if you enter, say, five in a year, it's getting to be quite a sizable outlay.

    So what have you got to say for yourself Kilotogo aka Geoff Saxon?
    +1

    It's a crazy price. Does the UCI badge 'add value' in some way?
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    27 quid ?

    Hmm. I live near Knutsford, regularly do these roads as my own training routes.
    Can't see me paying £27 for the privilege.
  • fluff.
    fluff. Posts: 771
    Was £19.50 last year fwiw, still a fair price hike though.

    Not related but the website is a horrible unusable mess on Firefox. `Optimised' for IE sites are a bit 2 years ago now, needs sorting.
  • a_n_t
    a_n_t Posts: 2,011
    fluff. wrote:
    Not related but the website is a horrible unusable mess on Firefox. `Optimised' for IE sites

    it's not great on IE tbh!!
    Manchester wheelers

    PB's
    10m 20:21 2014
    25m 53:18 20:13
    50m 1:57:12 2013
    100m Yeah right.
  • nom de plum
    nom de plum Posts: 182
    edited December 2007
    It is pricey...but I'm going to registering cos i heard very good reports about last years event.The only negative was that some folks got lost when a few route signs were tampered with.

    and the firefox problem is crazy! This problem has existed since the event started. Any competent web site designer can produce a site compatible with the major browsers
    some bikes and sheep and stuff:
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/16682367@N00/
  • TomF
    TomF Posts: 494
    The only negative was that some folks got lost when a few route signs were tampered with.

    Yes, I remember that only too well. And on my first sportive, too!

    Shame it's on the same w/e as the track world champs. I'll probably forego the ride to be there instead....

    Good luck to those who do it, but don't underestimate Mow Cop!
  • Johnny G
    Johnny G Posts: 348
    You get a medal if you get up Mow Cop without putting your foot down. You'll have earned it!
  • Mettan
    Mettan Posts: 2,103
    Is the Elevation profile or Ride details available for this yet - the site still seems a bit garbled?

    Thanks
  • popette
    popette Posts: 2,089
    Mettan wrote:
    Is the Elevation profile or Ride details available for this yet - the site still seems a bit garbled?

    Thanks

    There's a gpx file on there and an elevation profile:
    http://www.kilotogo.com/Cheshire%20Cat% ... 20long.pdf
    look under the ride details section.

    I'm definitely going to enter this one. Mow Cop looks hideous!
    http://www.2010etape.blogspot.com
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    popette wrote:
    Mow Cop looks hideous!
    Definitely worth having a go at before the event. It starts off ok, then just gets steeper and steeper without respite. I made it to the top on the day this year without touching the tarmac but I had to eff and jeff my way up at max volume.
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • trio25
    trio25 Posts: 300
    I'm thinking about doing this.
  • Mettan
    Mettan Posts: 2,103
    popette wrote:
    There's a gpx file on there and an elevation profile:
    http://www.kilotogo.com/Cheshire%20Cat% ... 20long.pdf
    look under the ride details section.

    I'm definitely going to enter this one. Mow Cop looks hideous!

    Thanks Popette - the 59 miler looks ok :) - will wait for further details on the set-up over the next few weeks, though.
  • rdaviesb
    rdaviesb Posts: 566
    You get a medal if you get up Mow Cop without putting your foot down. You'll have earned it!

    Out comes the 34 back sprocket.......
  • a_n_t
    a_n_t Posts: 2,011
    kilotogo........please sort out your website :shock:
    Manchester wheelers

    PB's
    10m 20:21 2014
    25m 53:18 20:13
    50m 1:57:12 2013
    100m Yeah right.
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    rdaviesb wrote:
    You get a medal if you get up Mow Cop without putting your foot down. You'll have earned it!

    Out comes the 34 back sprocket.......

    Nah, I've got up it on 36 x 27 and I'm hardly an 'Angel of the Mountains'.

    Take your time.
    The route rises gradually on the plain leading up to it, so if you want to race there and get to the bottom suffering a bit, you will struggle.
    Then there's a steep bottom bit after the railway, then it lessens off a bit.
    So get a breather here, take it easy, because it gets steeper again further up.
    And then there's the last 150yds, or whatever it is, of the really steep bit - if you've kept yourself incheck, you can get out of the saddle and monster up it : but if you were well into the red, you'll have had it.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    How does Mow Cop stack up against something like Winnats? Just wondering if it's worth sticking a bigger cassette on.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    I found Mow Cop is tougher than Winnatts. Yes, use that bigger cassette.
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • Johnny G
    Johnny G Posts: 348
    vermooten wrote:
    I found Mow Cop is tougher than Winnatts. Yes, use that bigger cassette.

    I second that (Mow Cop being harder) but managed to get up it on 34x25 last year. Never again!
  • thetrotter
    thetrotter Posts: 258
    vermooten wrote:
    I found Mow Cop is tougher than Winnatts. Yes, use that bigger cassette.

    I wouldn't ride up either hill out of choice - I always use the climb out of Edale in preference to Winnatts and the longer route to the top of Mow Cop - but find Winnatts harder because a) it is steep for longer and b) there is invariably a headwind coming down between the rocks. My tactice for getting up both is to use a low gear (34X25) and take it steadily. Go into the red on either too early and you're finished. :cry:
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    It's a choice between 39*25 I already have, buy a 26 (hardly worth it) or buy a cheap medium cage mech and run a 29 cassette I have knocking about but never used - probably have to lengthen the chain ? I can get up Winnats on the 25 though I wouldn't want to go lower than that - especially after a few miles. Decisions, decisions.....
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    I got up Mow Cop on 34x25 in the Cheshire Cat last year but my legs and lungs didn't thank me for it. This year it's 34x29.
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • trio25
    trio25 Posts: 300
    I've entered this event. Hoping to get out and have a look at Mow Cop before the event.
  • Mettan
    Mettan Posts: 2,103
    I've entered it aswell - I'm looking forward to it........ my Partial ACL tear isn't :( - Am going to try and pace myself, and not hammer it on the earlier downhills......... try , being the operative word :) - with my knee injury, I'll probably be a "survivor" and not a "good timer" by the end - I'll just have to take it on the chin for the moment though.........
  • le_patron
    le_patron Posts: 494
    I wouldn't worry about Mow Cop too much. If you have the gearing to suit your ability, you should be able to get up without putting a foot down.

    I also think Winnats is tougher.
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    le patron wrote:
    I also think Winnats is tougher.

    Is there anybody here who really thinks Mow Cop is anything like as difficult as Winnats ?

    Mow Cop is easy enough if you pace yourself. Arrive at the bottom already blown-up and try to race up it and it'll be a problem, but take your time and go up it at a sensible pace and it should present no great difficulty to anyone who has the fitness to ride a Century.
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    That's what I want to hear. Must admit having looked at the preview video on the cyclosport site it doesn't look that hard - I mean the guy is sprinting up it - OK so he falls off near the top but even so you'd be hard pressed to sprint up Winnats. Having said that if the organisers can arrange an extra feed stop at the top with a large slice of humble pie that would be appreciated.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • JonBurns
    JonBurns Posts: 212
    I'd just like to have a moan about the website, the price of the ride and the fact that I live in Middlewich (part of the short route) and after last years event the Kilotogo route signs were left up for ages. God knows what eventually happened to them I hope they didn't just end up in the hedgerow with all the cans, mcdonalds wrappers and other things cyclist throw away.

    Having said that the wife & I would like to do the ride but again £27 for something we could do on a weekend what's the benefit to me other than meeting some new people?
  • popette
    popette Posts: 2,089
    crap! I tried Mow Cop today and didn't get to the top. I managed about a mile of 15% ish and then when I saw it rearing up into the sky towards the end, I just turned around. It was a different world up there - completely frosted over and I kept thinking that if I'm going up a 25% hill on frost, I'm going to be coming down it on frost too. Excuses of course - I was just buggered.

    My gears are already sh!t loads lower than you guys - I MUST LOSE WEIGHT!!!
    http://www.2010etape.blogspot.com

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