Kirklees Sportive now known as Brian Robinson Challenge.

popette

actually, on checking, I have the same email - what they expect me to read my email??

I'm a div.

Really looking forward to it

roadrider84

Just to confirm what most of you already know:-

Registration starts at 08:00.

Assemble of riders will begin at 08:50

Rider safety briefing at 08:55 and the ride kicks off at 09:00.

There were two feed stations last year Colin. The first stop I could only see Bananas and the second stop had flapjack. I only filled my bottles up at the second stop.

Popette, that weather forecast you submitted earlier in the week keeps changing. Looks a little colder and more blustery now. Saturday is forecast rain all day!

ColinJ

roadrider84 wrote:

Just to confirm what most of you already know:-

Registration starts at 08:00.

Assemble of riders will begin at 08:50

Rider safety briefing at 08:55 and the ride kicks off at 09:00.

There were two feed stations last year Colin. The first stop I could only see Bananas and the second stop had flapjack. I only filled my bottles up at the second stop.

Popette, that weather forecast you submitted earlier in the week keeps changing. Looks a little colder and more blustery now. Saturday is forecast rain all day!

Thanks. All I can remember is: Home, ride to start, rain, hills, rain, hills, backache, feed stop, hills, backache, sunshine, hills, backache, hills, finish, backache, ride home, collapse! In the course of all that, I managed to injure my right leg. It hurt for months after the Kirklees. It's about 95% ok now, a year later, but I can still feel where I hurt it.

Yes, looks like the wind might be a factor - take care descending off Holme Moss folks - gusting sidewinds when you are doing 40+ mph can be lethal! :shock:

popette

weather looks crap now - wet. Not sure what to wear - my full on waterproof (gore oxygen thing) might be a bit too warm now it's not winter.

Mossrider

and now it's going to be sunny...

kr1s

Wish the weather forcasters would make their minds up

Svendo

Forecasts seem to be settling down to a dry morning and rain shower in the afternoon, between 1pm and 4pm.

Incentive to go under 5 hours (yeah right, as if I could!)

Decisions decisions, set off with overshoes? 2 or 3 layers? Gilet or boil-in-the-bag?

ColinJ

Svendo wrote:

Forecasts seem to be settling down to a dry morning and rain shower in the afternoon, between 1pm and 4pm.

Incentive to go under 5 hours (yeah right, as if I could!)

Decisions decisions, set off with overshoes? 2 or 3 layers? Gilet or boil-in-the-bag?

Lightweight overshoes, 2 layers + Gilet for me. It won't be as warm as it was for us on SITD last week, but I don't think it's worth boiling-in-the-bag for a few showers later on!

The bottom bracket on my Basso has suddenly started making alarming clunk-click noises and developed a lot of play. I don't have time to get it sorted now so I'm going to have to make a decision about whether to risk riding it.

The alternative is to finally take my Cannondale out of the bike box two years after flying it back from Spain! The past two summers were so crap that I didn't want to ride it. It's a great bike, but its lowest gear is equivalent to using the 23 tooth sprocket on my Basso and I'm used to having a wimp-like 28 at my disposal. We don't have to do much super-steep stuff tomorrow, but Wessenden Head and Holme Moss would probably make me grovel in the Cannondale's bottom gear.

Oh stuff it, it's a sportive, not an audax - the Cannondale it is! Watch out for the large guy on the big red bike, possibly walking up the steep stuff !

PS I reckon that you could certainly get close to cracking the 5 hours Svendo. I've seen how quickly you can climb and descend. Just don't hang about at the feed stations.

popette

What lightweight overshoes do you have? I've only got those endura neoprene things - or my over socks.
I'm wearing a summer weight base layer, a short sleeve jersey, I've got a windproof/showerproof jacket which I'll wear at the start and if it starts raining later on. 3/4 length shorts and a buff. Oh, and mitts.

Just had an enormous lunch of pasta.

ColinJ

popette wrote:

What lightweight overshoes do you have? I've only got those endura neoprene things - or my over socks.
I'm wearing a summer weight base layer, a short sleeve jersey, I've got a windproof/showerproof jacket which I'll wear at the start and if it starts raining later on. 3/4 length shorts and a buff. Oh, and mitts.

Just had an enormous lunch of pasta.

I have a pair of Shimano overshoes made from a thin nylon-like material. They are shower-proof and wind-proof so they are ideal for mild but windy and drizzly days. They are a bit like these SIDIs. Perhaps that is what you mean by oversocks?

I have heavy-duty neoprene overshoes for the winter but they would be a bit too much for this time of year.

popette

Hi Colin,
I have these http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Caste ... 360038772/
they are knitted socks so won't be much use if it gets wet. I've only worn them once and the bottom has a massive hole in. Bit of a waste of money really. My shoes are white so I could do with something that is showerproof but for warm weather. Whenever I'm going to do a longer ride like this, I always start thinking about new kit.

llanberispass

Hi

Anyone else riding the DLMC (full)?

See you tomorrow - forecast looking good now!

ColinJ

I've just put the Cannondale back together and cleaned it ready for the morning. I'd forgotten how nice it looks (I rather like the mega-oversize tubing). I'm still feeling nervous about increasing my bottom gear by 25% though...

Another thing. I did my best to replicate the position I had on my Basso, but even after flipping the Cannondale's stem, it still has a much more aggressive set-up. The bars are about 4 cm lower. I think the old back will be aching by the time I get home!

I'll be wearing mainly red to match the bike. Say hello if you spot me.

langsett

Hi

I hope you all enjoyed the ride?

there are some pics of the event on

http://www.flamingphotography.co.uk/portfolio55216.html

JJDLD

Just a line to say that I thought it was a fantastic event yesterday. The organisation and route were excellent, and the motorcycle marshals were very friendly and helpful - it was nice not having to worry whether route signs had been removed!!

Even the weather was good (it's raining in my little bit of Yorkshire this morning!!).

JJ.

suze

What JJDLD just said...

Yes it's raining heavily in Newhey too. Only 2 miles from Denshaw.

ColinJ

Langsett wrote:

Hi

I hope you all enjoyed the ride?

there are some pics of the event on

http://www.flamingphotography.co.uk/portfolio55216.html

I did enjoy the ride, despite not being in good enough condition to go round quickly.

I grovelled again this year, but unlike on the Kirklees event last year, I didn't walk any of the climbs. I specifically didn't want to stop on Wessenden Head or Holme Moss and managed to get up them despite not having my trusty triple at my disposal. Note even a compact setup actually, just 53/39. Mind you, I did have a 29 sprocket so that helped. I did stop to stretch my back on some of the longer drags.

Just one complaint - some of us don't get round in 5 or 6 hours. It would be really nice when tired riders come in after 7 or 8 hours, for the restaurant/bar to still be open! By the time johnbirkby46213 and I got back, the facilities were shut. Having spent all day on cold drinks, energy bars, bananas and flapjack, it would have been nice to have had at least a cup of tea or coffee. I turned a couple of people back who were coming in search of refreshments and they weren't happy either. I think there were about 20-30 riders still behind us.

As John said - the slowest riders are likely to be the ones most in need of sustenance when they arrive back!

Great event though, and doing it in sunny conditions was a huge improvement on last year! Also - we were super impressed with the car-parking under that massive viaduct. Alfresco peeing facilities, complete with echo chamber and stunning stone work - what more could one ask for?

snaffledog

Really enjoyed it , caught the good weather again (Cheshire Cat was also great). Tthe 'mass' start was a new experience, anybody know what time we actually started? I know it was meant to be 0900 on the dot, but think it was a bit later. The 'loud'-hailer that Brian R was using wasn't much cop, I couldn't hear what he was saying which was a shame. Got back at 1445, so if we started on time that was 5h45m, so just outside the silver cut-off time. Still happy with time, aiming for 6h30m considering the distance of 77m and nearly 3000m climbing (?? according to various profiles )

The marshalls at every junction was great, that meant confidence in not getting lost, so then concentrate on the ride. Food-stops were 'basic' but well placed. Most of the route was new to me apart from Holme Moss, always a fine sight to see all the cyclists working there way up the climb in the sunshine. A bit different from my normal training routes, which tend to be a succession of shorter/steeper climbs, where as this route had lots of longer sapping climbs.

So thanks to the organisers of the event and everybody that took part, well done, and see you next year.

Unless i book in for another event in May,next one is Polka Dot then Dave Lloyd-midi-Challenge.

ColinJ

snaffledog wrote:

Tthe 'mass' start was a new experience, anybody know what time we actually started? I know it was meant to be 0900 on the dot, but think it was a bit later.

According to my GPS tracklog, it was 09:05.

snaffledog wrote:

The 'loud'-hailer that Brian R was using wasn't much cop, I couldn't hear what he was saying which was a shame.

It was a shame, but it wasn't the loud-hailer's fault. The man doing the safety briefing had no problem with it. I don't think Brian was holding it close enough to his mouth.

Hmm, according to my tracklog, I hit 72 kph (45 mph) coming off Holme Moss. It would be a higher speed if it hadn't been for the headwind on the descent. I was quite glad for it because being heavy means I have trouble keeping my speed down without doing a lot of braking.

Where I hit that speed was coming up fast on two other riders, one of whom decided to pull out to overtake the other just as I was about to overtake him! :shock:

I had to veer wide to get past but it was safe to do so - I'd already looked ahead (and behind) to make sure there was no traffic before starting to overtake. It would be good if everybody else did too!

BasilBrushTheFirst

Several of us had 79 to 80 miles on our bike computers when we finished Any other views on the distance?

kr1s

BasilBrushTheFirst wrote:

Several of us had 79 to 80 miles on our bike computers when we finished Any other views on the distance?

We clocked it at 77 mile on the cat eye and GPS....

popette

77.5 by garmin

BasilBrushTheFirst

I blame all that weaving up the hills for the extra distance - fantastic day out though - next stop - Etape Du Dales

Mossrider

Well done all. This ride is better organised every year.Particularly thanks to the little group that joined up through Denby - we must have averaged close to thirty on that stretch. Not so many thanks to the groups that formed behind me on the climb up Buckstones: despite asking people to take turns at the front you were all prepared to sit on my wheel and not do the work (you may have wondered why I eventually sprinted off in disgust!). Please, when tagging on to someon else, its only good manners to take a turn.

CumbrianMan

Cracking day out yesterday.

Enjoyed the climbs up Wessenden & Holme Moss. Got 47.4mph going down Holme Moss, and I still got passed by one or two :shock:

Woodhead is never a nice place to ride, but hey, got off it safe and sound.

Worst bit for me was the drag up from Outlane to top of Buckstones. That nagging headwind and the cold. Was freezing by time I descended to Denshaw.

Got some food down me between Denshaw and Delph, and this done some good as it lifted my spirits, and my energy, as I managed to climb out of Marsden real easy.

And the run back from there to the HQ was great. I can only think it must've been the elation of knowing I'd nearly done it, coz I can recall going up the last few small climbs on that main road in my big ring !! If you'd said that to me going up Buckstones, I'dve said you were crazy.

Anyway, great day out, and will deffo do again next year.

One last mention to Karen (of CPlus fame), well done, you made it look easy !!

Cheers

suze

Great day out.

Buckstones is always the same in that direction. It's always a grind,and always into the wind. Thanks to the guy who worked with me on the top half of the climb, we took it in turns giving each other what little shelter we could. 8)

Big thanks to the guy who rode a nice pace up Woodhead, I wasn't sure I could come around and help, not sure I had the bottle to overtake with the traffic wizzing by my right elbow. But your pace was just right. I have no shame, :oops: I did thank you, and good look for the Dave Lloyd.


I'm sure you both know who you are if you read this.
Black Wilier, pink tyres

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

biker_ben

Yeh i clocked in at 78 miles, a good distance. The hardest part by far was the slog from outlane over to denshaw, been able to stick with the winner up until a couple of miles after the feed stations then he dropped me!!

I've got to say that it was the hardest ive ever pushed myself before i think, managed to just get 4:13 however not sure whether i was 2nd or 3rd, the organisers said 2nd but im not too sure! :P

Anyway got the Etape du Dales to look forward to in 3 weeks, i think im just gonna take that one as a 'ride' rather than a 'race', especially having a whole week of AS exams starting on the monday, oh the joys of being 17

Fantastic route, shame about the marshalling for the front guys, quite often there wasnt a man there to direct us and i relied on the local knowledge of the winner, thanks alot! I liked the 'mass start' aswell, gave it a much racier feel, just a shame that there werent any official times, or free teas at the end

Well done to everyone that did it, looking forward to next years ride!

johnbirkby46213

It's strange how memory/time plays tricks on you. (This is For those who did the ride last year)
When ColinJ and I were coming up to the bit this year where we started last year (ie crossing the M62) I said to Colin "this next bit is easy, its all flat". Colin politely told me that was a load of b*ll*cks. And so it proved to be. Just shows how fresh legs at the start of last year affect the brain with tired legs this year! :oops:

As has already been said, but worth repeating if any officials are watching, great marshalls (that we always said "thankyou" to as they guided us round but must have been bored ridgid themselves), improved route over last year but I must Challenge Brian Robinson on that second climb (the "long goes on forever never wavering its gradient where the heck is the top"climb) that was cruel so early. :twisted:
Great weather always helps and for once, I got to look out from the tops to some truly spectacular views.
ColinJ, we got round it quicker than last year by 39 mins on-bike time.
I got yet another frame wobble coming thru the steep bit off Holme Moss - on exactly the same bit of road as last year! Was aware of my frame this time and stopped it before it got serious. Nothing to do with my speed tho' as I went much faster later in the ride when confidence was back.
Great ride. For anyone who was thinking about it but didn't...you really did miss out

Mossrider

Yes, I also got a frame wobble a couple of weeks ago on that run off Holme moss; really scary.

The climb over Buckstones is easily underestimated. I do it once a week as a Friday commute and a headwind over there can mean an extra twenty minutes on the ride to work. A couple of weeks ago I had a tail wind which was a novel experience (and a record time).

Well done Biker Ben - fantastic time. I'll see you on the EdD (although I think you'll be receding in to the distance!)