Etape du Dales - who's up?

vermooten
vermooten Posts: 2,697
edited May 2008 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
After the Fred last week, I can't quite believe I'm doing the Etape du Dales on Sunday. It doesn't look like it's going to be quite so horrendously hot - I predict high winds up on Tan Hill.
You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

Manchester Wheelers

Comments

  • ash68
    ash68 Posts: 320
    yeh I'm doing this one too. Rode the fred last weekend as well, just hope my legs can recover in time. It was so hot last weekend , so it's got to be raining this weekend. Don't get two cracking Sundays in a row eh?.
  • snipz
    snipz Posts: 85
    After doing the White Horse, Forest of Dean then the Tour of Ireland my and my girlfriends legs are in need of a rest, so there are two places going for the Etape de Dales if anyone wants them...
  • Ken Night
    Ken Night Posts: 2,005
    vermooten wrote:
    After the Fred last week, I can't quite believe I'm doing the Etape du Dales on Sunday. It doesn't look like it's going to be quite so horrendously hot - I predict high winds up on Tan Hill.

    I'll be there-it'd be great to meet some forumites
    “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best..." Ernest Hemingway
  • mathi
    mathi Posts: 110
    Yes i will be there , cant wait 8)
  • Bart Puss
    Bart Puss Posts: 169
    I`ll be there....5 day forecast says LIGHT rain just like two years ago when it absolutley pissed it down. :( .

    Just aiming to get round before dark ! :lol::wink:
    MEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    Mathi, you passed and your lovely wheels passed me in the Fred on Whinlatter Pass - the sound of the helicopters at the start of Apocalypse Now sprung to mind, saw you again later on in some wooded area but was too fcked to say hiya. Ash68 I;m pretty sure it was you who passed me several times, most notably as I walked up Hardknott and you rode. Storck yes?

    Ken see you bright and breezy on Sunday!
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • Ken Night
    Ken Night Posts: 2,005
    Looks as if the weather is going to be cool but dry, so rather better riding than the steamy efforts at both ends of the country last weekend

    The standards look hard....has anyone a comparison against other events-say WRC where the standards give you 20mins more?

    I'm happy to meet for a drink after the event. Either arrange now, or look out for the kit in my avatar
    “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best..." Ernest Hemingway
  • MartinJ
    MartinJ Posts: 104
    I'll be there. I hope Ken's right about the weather. After a soaking on the Kirklees Sportive last month it would be good if it's dry. Not sure I fancy descending Fleet Moss in the wet.

    I've not ridden this before and don't know the roads N of Hawes. What is the ford like? Is it rideable or should you get off and go over the footbridge? :?

    I'm looking forward to the Coal Road :roll: after all I've heard about it! (fitted a lower bottom gear last week!).

    See you there :)
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    The ford is rideable but you have to go fast, straight and don't lose your nerve. I've taken the footbridge before too, it's all good. Problem is there's usually a photographer at the ford, so you gotta look your best.
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    MartinJ wrote:
    I'll be there. I hope Ken's right about the weather. After a soaking on the Kirklees Sportive last month it would be good if it's dry. Not sure I fancy descending Fleet Moss in the wet.

    I've not ridden this before and don't know the roads N of Hawes. What is the ford like? Is it rideable or should you get off and go over the footbridge? :?

    I'm looking forward to the Coal Road :roll: after all I've heard about it! (fitted a lower bottom gear last week!).

    See you there :)

    I've not did the EdD..but I have ridden from Keld upto Tan Hill then descended through the ford...and I found it very dangerous...it was really slippy and i near came a cropper...IMO better to play it safe over the wee footbridge...lose around 15sec?

    Coal Road...why do so many go on about this climb? I came up the other way from Dent and it looked way tougher than this way from garsdale head and even the way I did it wasn't one of those 'terrible' climbs? I'm doing the WRC in a month and I'll hit this at around the 60mile mark and it won't frighten me at all...sure it will be sore but I really don't think it deserves the awful rep its got....I'd even understand if it was something like Park rash or Fleetmoss from Hawes or Oxnop from Askrigg but my mind boggles about the Coal Road?
  • Ken Night
    Ken Night Posts: 2,005
    vermooten wrote:
    The ford is rideable but you have to go fast, straight and don't lose your nerve. I've taken the footbridge before too, it's all good. Problem is there's usually a photographer at the ford, so you gotta look your best.

    I was thinking I should take my disc braked cross bike, putting slicks on for the day......
    “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best..." Ernest Hemingway
  • mathi
    mathi Posts: 110
    Vermooten - i will bring my wheels along again on sunday , just for you :lol:
  • kenbaxter
    kenbaxter Posts: 1,251
    If you see me in a Stratford CC top (only one there) on a Litespeed Vortex then give me a hello (or a bloody good push!).

    Bring it on :D
  • Yorkman
    Yorkman Posts: 290
    RICHYBOYcp wrote:
    MartinJ wrote:
    I'll be there. I hope Ken's right about the weather. After a soaking on the Kirklees Sportive last month it would be good if it's dry. Not sure I fancy descending Fleet Moss in the wet.

    I've not ridden this before and don't know the roads N of Hawes. What is the ford like? Is it rideable or should you get off and go over the footbridge? :?

    I'm looking forward to the Coal Road :roll: after all I've heard about it! (fitted a lower bottom gear last week!).

    See you there :)

    I've not did the EdD..but I have ridden from Keld upto Tan Hill then descended through the ford...and I found it very dangerous...it was really slippy and i near came a cropper...IMO better to play it safe over the wee footbridge...lose around 15sec?

    Coal Road...why do so many go on about this climb? I came up the other way from Dent and it looked way tougher than this way from garsdale head and even the way I did it wasn't one of those 'terrible' climbs? I'm doing the WRC in a month and I'll hit this at around the 60mile mark and it won't frighten me at all...sure it will be sore but I really don't think it deserves the awful rep its got....I'd even understand if it was something like Park rash or Fleetmoss from Hawes or Oxnop from Askrigg but my mind boggles about the Coal Road?

    Richmond CC have a sportive next Saturday which helpfully takes you up Fleet Moss & Park Rash at the end. After the Stang and Tan Hill from Reeth.

    Evil.
  • MartinJ
    MartinJ Posts: 104
    That was a tough day! :x So many demanding climbs! :roll:

    Really well organised event - good signing on/signing/marshalls etc. :D

    I'm so tired I can hardly move but on reflection (if not at some points on the ride) it was a great day. Probabl;y my toughest day on the bike as I was pushing hard all the way.
    Dry day,if a bit cool and windy.

    Didn't quite manage my target fo 7 hours - finished in 7:08

    A great event, and now I'm sat down at home the positive memories :D are begining to replace the pain :cry:
  • cacbyname
    cacbyname Posts: 285
    Well organised and signposted, it's a great event. Just managed to get under 7 hours and 45 mmins quicker than when I last did it 2 years ago.

    Results already available:
    http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/200 ... _LONG.html
    With splits:
    http://www.sportident.co.uk/results/200 ... _LONG.html
  • Bart Puss
    Bart Puss Posts: 169
    Yes a great day out especially the weather ..DRY...although the head wind over Stainforth at the end was the last kick in the teeth.... :shock:

    Thought the actual event organisation was much improved from 2 years ago..better marshalling, ambulances,radio and especially the feed stations. Only one gripe...no sag wagon...one of my companions felt ill by the time he got to the Moorcock check and had to cadge a lift off a spectator to get back to Grassington...not ideal.... :o .

    No fun hauling 16 st up those climbs, triple and weight loss required if I`m daft enough to do it again ! :wink:
    MEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW
  • Ken Night
    Ken Night Posts: 2,005
    Bart Puss wrote:
    Yes a great day out especially the weather ..DRY...although the head wind over Stainforth at the end was the last kick in the teeth.... :shock:

    No fun hauling 16 st up those climbs, triple and weight loss required if I`m daft enough to do it again ! :wink:

    Great day out here too-though painful to drive back to Plymouth afterwards. Had a zizz at a service station

    I have a hatred of the climb after Coal Road, which goes under the viaduct.....always seem to have my bad patch between there and Halton Gill

    The headwind was unfair, as we'd had it on the way out....
    “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best..." Ernest Hemingway
  • cacbyname
    cacbyname Posts: 285
    I was impressed but also a little disconcerted by seeing the number of ambulances parked up on the descents. Hope they all had a very quiet day...
  • greg roche
    greg roche Posts: 124
    No sag wagon? I distinctly remember driving one, (the Sunday Bicycles van) and as well as fixing a few punctures, mending chains and tightening the odd mech, we ferried a few people back to Grassington from the Moorcock checkpoint so your friend must have missed us...

    I thought the day was great - and the weather just about held together!

    Greg
  • Ken Night
    Ken Night Posts: 2,005
    greg roche wrote:
    No sag wagon? I distinctly remember driving one, (the Sunday Bicycles van) and as well as fixing a few punctures, mending chains and tightening the odd mech, we ferried a few people back to Grassington from the Moorcock checkpoint so your friend must have missed us...

    I thought the day was great - and the weather just about held together!

    Greg

    to have your people handing out water at the finish, not to say of the courtesy coffee in the morning was a nice touch...
    “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best..." Ernest Hemingway
  • mathi
    mathi Posts: 110
    Fantastic day , the best event of the year so far 8)
    I saw you flying about in the sag wagon Greg , bet you wished you were riding
  • Bart Puss
    Bart Puss Posts: 169
    greg roche wrote:
    No sag wagon? I distinctly remember driving one, (the Sunday Bicycles van) and as well as fixing a few punctures, mending chains and tightening the odd mech, we ferried a few people back to Grassington from the Moorcock checkpoint so your friend must have missed us...

    I thought the day was great - and the weather just about held together!

    Greg

    Glad there was a sag wagon Greg....just nobody told the marshal`s at Moorcock it would seem !.

    Good idea re the ambulances especially as I maqnaged to induce a speed wooble descending down to Hawes...for one short moment I feared the worse. :shock: Bet one well known cycle retailer was glad of one after his crash. :wink: Thought there were a lot of nice little touch`s on reflection. Certainly an enjoyable day, well done to all involved. :lol:
    MEEEEEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWW
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    Yeah my effing left cleat decided to play silly buggers on the way up Buttertubs, found that my multitool didn't have a screwdriver that fitted the small screws. Did what I could, but the fecker gave way again after Muker, and I decided that I didn't want to risk bollocksing up my knee just to complete.... so I rode back to Grassington gently, with the added bonus of having to ride back up Buttertubs and Fleet Moss (yesss!!!). And indeed thanks to the Sunday man for stopping to check I was ok. And to the many people on Buttertubs asking if I needed anything.

    Grrr. My second DNF of the year.
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • vermooten
    vermooten Posts: 2,697
    The pix are up at http://www.kennedyimages.co.uk/index.asp
    You just have to ride like you never have to breathe again.

    Manchester Wheelers
  • svenwardle
    svenwardle Posts: 8
    Yorkman - good to see you apprecaite the finer climbs in life - like Fleet Moss from Hawes, and Park Rash! (Preceded, of course, by the Stang, Tan Hill, Birkdale Common and the Mallerstang.)
    We've booked the weather for Saturday. Looking forward to it!
  • Yorkman
    Yorkman Posts: 290
    svenwardle wrote:
    Yorkman - good to see you apprecaite the finer climbs in life - like Fleet Moss from Hawes, and Park Rash! (Preceded, of course, by the Stang, Tan Hill, Birkdale Common and the Mallerstang.)
    We've booked the weather for Saturday. Looking forward to it!

    Erm, I wouldn't quite say I appreciate them, having those 2 climbs after the best part of 80 miles is as brutal as it gets.

    Forecast looks good though, as you say, and there's a load of us setting off early so it should be a good day!

    It's probably my favourite area of riding, scenery wise.
  • Yorkman
    Yorkman Posts: 290
    svenwardle wrote:
    Yorkman - good to see you apprecaite the finer climbs in life - like Fleet Moss from Hawes, and Park Rash! (Preceded, of course, by the Stang, Tan Hill, Birkdale Common and the Mallerstang.)
    We've booked the weather for Saturday. Looking forward to it!

    What the hell was going on with all the dead rabbits at the top of the Stang??

    I've never seen anything like that before.

    Or a crosswind like the one that got you on the fast descent to Nateby.

    Otherwise, a top day out.

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