UK Sportives - Best and Hardest

TheStone

Would be interested to know which UK sportives everything thinks are the best and
the hardest. From last year I'd say:

Best
1) Dragon Ride
2) Gran Fondo Cymru
3) Hell of the Ashdown

Hardest
1) Fred Whitton
2) Gran Fondo Cymru (if I'd had time to do the long route)
3) Forest of Dean (on paper not that hard, but up, down, up, down all day long)

For reference, these are the ones I did (all good by the way)
Hell of Ashdown
SWRC Spring
Cheshire Cat
White Horse
Forest of Dean
Fred Whitton
Hampshire Hilly Hundred
Gran Fondo Cymru
Dragon Ride
Surrey Legs of Steel
Falling Leaves

redddraggon

Dave Lloyd Mega Challenge got to be the Hardest surely?

Brian B

redddraggon wrote:

Dave Lloyd Mega Challenge got to be the Hardest surely?

Did the Mega and the Fred this year. The Mega(140 mile) was MUCH harder than the Fred. The First 70 miles of the Mega packed in so much climbing that there virtually no flat. And the 2nd half was almost just as bad.

You could argue that there was no Hardknott at 100 miles(and that is what really makes the Fred so hard) but the overall amount of serious hills for the whole distance of the course makes the Mega harder than the Fred.

I am not saying that the rest of the Fred is easy - far from it as its is as tough as they come but it does not match the severity of the Mega. This years mega is even tougher!

I enjoyed all the sportives I did this year but I reckon the Devil Ride and Southern Upland Sporitve were my favourites. I loved the mega but just because the difficulty level and the feed stations. I ate more than my entry fee at the 2nd alone.

Booboocp

I think if you tried the White Rose Challenge (formally the White Rose Classic) you would change the above list, both in terms of best and hardest.


http://www.whiterosechallenge.co.uk

Anonymous

Last year I did the FWC,WRC,DLMC & the Devil Ride.....4 of the very toughest...

The most I suffered at any one point was on the FWC...there's bugger all else like Hardknott in the world...its just such an intense effort...and it was scorching this year....and Honister Pass is as tough as any climb I did on any other sportif (save for Wild Wales in 2007)......

The toughest event overall is definitely the DLMC....that was just so hard....at 100miles on the DLMC I was way more spent than I was on any other sportive never mind the 40miles still to go....it is quite a test of endurance...and next year its just totally bonkers hard...Bwlch Y Groes from Dinas at 107miles will have same effect on field as Hardknott on the FWC...then Hirnant,the Stingers & finishing up Penbarras...good luck!

The WRC was really hard aswell....probably around equal in overall pain to the FWC....never had the intensity of Honister/Hardknott/Wrynose...but Fleetmoss,Coal Road & Langbar will still test the soul....the difference between this event was the undulations which went in between the big hills...murder!....especially from Malham back to the finish...I called my write up 'Bloody Yoyo'...that gives an idea....the feeds and the organision on this were simply splendid....it really was a great day.

The Devil Ride.....for me...almost perfection....very,very tough without entering the above category, 95% well surfaced backroads, Scenery was jaw dropping...yes for me this was a real priviledge to ride....

All above were great for different reasons.....but the question was Hardest and Best...I'd have to say DLMC Hardest easily, The Devil Ride was most enjoyble (but this does not mean best?)......I feel the WRC had best feeds?.....I feel the FWC is a legend and its an honour to ride?.....

All my sportives have been great experiences....very difficult for me to give a proper answer :roll:

John C.

I found the Rydale Rumble harder than The Fred, but that could be down to the heat, Around Egton it was just so hot and no shade for miles.

cjcp

Highclere (200k route) was very good. Organisation and feed stations were superb.

Anonymous

John C. wrote:

I found the Rydale Rumble harder than The Fred, but that could be down to the heat, Around Egton it was just so hot and no shade for miles.

Yes John...the Ryedale Rumble I reckon would be similar in pain to the FWC...the pain never really ends eh?....in between the big horrors theres tons of other climbs...including that monster long haul up Bransdale....Christ our 85mile Reccy last year was tough enough without adding another 30miles on.......Ive already signed up for next year...maybe see you there?

Not Another Hill

The Rydale Rumble was a shocker. The combination of Mega Heat and some seriously sapping climbs made the WRC seem like a stroll in the park! Not done the FWC or David Lloyd Mega ride.

Captain Fagor

Not Another Hill wrote:

The Rydale Rumble was a shocker. The combination of Mega Heat and some seriously sapping climbs made the WRC seem like a stroll in the park! Not done the FWC or David Lloyd Mega ride.

The Ryedale Rumble certainly was a shocker. My buddy was having an off day, and I buggered about for ~20 mins at the top of the hill at the medium & long course bifurcation (was it Boltby Bank or Blakey Bank?) before deciding which way to go. I wussed and went for the medium route. It felt like the right decision at the time, but I still hate myself for it.

Anonymous

Captain Fagor wrote:

Not Another Hill wrote:

The Rydale Rumble was a shocker. The combination of Mega Heat and some seriously sapping climbs made the WRC seem like a stroll in the park! Not done the FWC or David Lloyd Mega ride.

The Ryedale Rumble certainly was a shocker. My buddy was having an off day, and I buggered about for ~20 mins at the top of the hill at the medium & long course bifurcation (was it Boltby Bank or Blakey Bank?) before deciding which way to go. I wussed and went for the medium route. It felt like the right decision at the time, but I still hate myself for it.

That would have been Blakey Bank....Boltby was the 1st disgustingly steep effort....I take it you turned right at the top and headed through Hutton Le Hole....nevermind you can have a pop at the insane Chimney Bank this year

A lot of sportives usually have one infamous brute to conquer enroute....but a couple manage a few monuments...the FWC has Honister/Hardknott & Wrynose.....3 total legends.....I feel the Ryedale Rumble has 3 monuments aswell.....Boltby and Blakey Bank are a testimont to the biological makeup of the human knees and IMO equal Honister in severity.........and Rosedale Chimney is a case of seeing and beleiving....how they can get tarmac to remain on such a gradient is mind boggling...from the bottom of the switchback to the section where it veers off to the left is a staggering 32% AVERAGE gradient for 400meters?.....luckily its not long enough to enter Hardknott territory....but its still one of THE must do experiences.....did these brutes a few times but Ill never get cocky...just too steep....but theres a lot more to the RR than just those 3....I should be in good shape by August....and I'll need to be :shock:

Doobz

This years 2009 DLMC is going to be much harder than last years by a LOT - check out the preview and course. It would be hard to compare in terms of touhness. You also gotta remember it was his first event he organised so a few things could have been done beter and I am sure they will..

My fav sportive this year would have to goto The Autum Epic even tho the weather was terrible..

bobh

Started to do the Risk assessment on the White Rose Classic yesterday 10 hours driving up to and round the route and still not finished! I think you'll need to include this in your list of severe tests. Park Rash was a white out and the 1 in 4 lumps were a bit nervy to say the least. Had to take time out for a picture of the frozen waterfall in Deepdale which might just end up as a screen saver.

Martin at Kudu Bikes has managed to find some quiet roads in the Dales that I didn't know of and they give some spectacular views. There's still the Northern leg over Tan Hill and Butter Tubs too assess but we chickened out with approaching darkness and a sliding car.....Well knackered this morning and that's from being in a car!

Anonymous

bobh wrote:

Started to do the Risk assessment on the White Rose Classic yesterday 10 hours driving up to and round the route and still not finished! I think you'll need to include this in your list of severe tests. Park Rash was a white out and the 1 in 4 lumps were a bit nervy to say the least. Had to take time out for a picture of the frozen waterfall in Deepdale which might just end up as a screen saver.

Martin at Kudu Bikes has managed to find some quiet roads in the Dales that I didn't know of and they give some spectacular views. There's still the Northern leg over Tan Hill and Butter Tubs too assess but we chickened out with approaching darkness and a sliding car.....Well knackered this morning and that's from being in a car!

Yes, for the info that I have seen regarding the route on the new WR Classic it looks a severe test....in fact I reckon could be the toughest sportive in the Dales...even at 100miles....theres just so many severe ascents

If I'm correct? then its starts in Hawes...heads out to Garsdale for the first ascent of the day...the Coal Road.....then its into Dent for the Climb up Kingsdale (supposedly tougher than Coal Road) for the drop down to Ingleton...before heading to Langcliffe for the steep climb up and over Malham Moor before taking on the toughest of the dales climbs...Park Rash....then onto huge climb over Red Mire...before the haul upto Tanhill and then finishing with Butterubs the tough way...Nice!

Dont know if this is indeed the correct route as yet but if it is then its gonna be a crippler....

bobh

Sounds about right Rich, The thing that strikes you is the number of switchbacks at the bottom of climbs that see you scaling them without the benefit of a run at them. The more Northerly start in Hawes opens up much more of the Dales than we were able to achieve with the first three editions of the WRC, it also means that riders can pass through the more congested areas earlier in the day.

The HQ is at the Auction Mart where there's acres of parking, the only downside is there might be a need to staple the numbers onto riders ears as they pass through the cattle pens!!

ugo.santalucia

John C. wrote:

I found the Rydale Rumble harder than The Fred, but that could be down to the heat, Around Egton it was just so hot and no shade for miles.

Hot? Has it ever been hot in 2008? Maybe warmish... 26-27 degrees at most...

When your ancestor Tom Simpson died on the Ventoux it was well over 40 degrees, that's hot... no excuses!

cyclingvet

It WAS hot that day!. I do believe the weather men said it was over 30 degrees on the 27thJuly last year on those moors! I drank 9 litres of fluids on that sportive-sweat was dripping off my face like a tap. My time was an abysmal 9 hours and 18 minutes - al long way off silver ( I usually get a silver or gold), mainly due to a 30 minute stop at the 2nd feedstation and a 20 minute stop at the 3rd as it was so hot and I had to replenish fluids
(bottles empty by time got to each one).

Brian B

cyclingvet wrote:

It WAS hot that day!. I do believe the weather men said it was over 30 degrees on the 27thJuly last year on those moors! I drank 9 litres of fluids on that sportive-sweat was dripping off my face like a tap. My time was an abysmal 9 hours and 18 minutes - al long way off silver ( I usually get a silver or gold), mainly due to a 30 minute stop at the 2nd feedstation and a 20 minute stop at the 3rd as it was so hot and I had to replenish fluids
(bottles empty by time got to each one).

DAMN RIGHT IT WAS HOT. I suffered badly that day. I almost died climbing Hardknott and wanted to jump in the stream between Hardnott and Wrynose as it looked so inviting. I poured a whole bottle of water over me just to cool down and it did not work.