Cairngorm Classic

henryblake

Is anyone coming to ride Britains answer to Alpe Duez? The Cairngorm Classic this year? 4 weeks away!

Henry

rip_van

I did the "50" last year. Thought about the "100" this year but I'm doing the "50" to try to beat last year's time.
The 50's not a difficult course but obviously the hardest part's right at the end. The 100 has more than double the ascent of the 50.

henryblake

The hill at the end looks like it might be quite tough after the long ride in!

Most people signed up are doing the 100 miles

Did anyone else do it last year?

Henry

wakemalcolm

I did it last year and of the 4 hands-on events that I did, this one left me a little cold. Can't quite figure out if it was the route, which isn't that exciting until the final climb; the location, which meant there wasn't really any pre-match atmosphere - again not helped by it being held on a Sunday after which everyone went home; or the start, 4 degrees and wet with a big descent at the very start.
Still thinking about it but I'm definitely doing the Skye one.

ded

henryblake wrote:

The hill at the end looks like it might be quite tough after the long ride in!

I'm doing the 100, precisely because it has a big hill at the end. :? Got the Marmotte later on so it's all good training!

wakemalcolm wrote:

or the start, 4 degrees and wet with a big descent at the very start

After the Bealach Beag this year that doesn't sound all that bad! I'm not that familiar with most of the rest of the route apart from the bit near Cairngorm itself, but it must be more interesting than the 40+ miles I did around northern Cumbria in the Cumberland Challenge last year! :roll:

aberdeen_lune

The route is interesting up until you get to Grantown on Spey. The long drag out of Grantown seemed a bit boring to me. Maybe I was just getting tired. I've decided to enter it again this year to see if I can improve on last year. My tactics will be changing. I didn't stop last year but I will stop and refuel at Grantown this time. I ran out of steam going up the last hill, not a good idea. I didn't like the initial descent in the wet either. Surely this year it will be good weather especially after the crap weather at the little Bealach and the EC.

Coyote

Me plus 7 of my buddies are up for it this year. It's a Saturday not a Sunday, right?

aberdeen_lune

Saturday 13th June. Its the weekend after the LAMM hope my legs hold out.

scapaslow

I've entered this event for the first time as well.

What sort of length and gradient is the final climb/ initial descent? Trying to work out if i need to change my cassette for an easier bottom gear.

aberdeen_lune

It's not that steep its just very tough at that stage after you have 90 odd miles in your legs. I'd guess the gradient is 12%ish. I will be using a 53/39 with a 12/27 cassette. That should be ample. An 11/23 cassette would be ok if your not too tired but you may be better with a couple of spare big cogs just in case your cream crackered.

fenski

I did this last year and enjoyed once I got warmed up! On the first descent I was the second coldest I've ever been on a bike. The coldest was yesterday... on the Bealach Na Ba - horrendous rain, soaked to the skin, stiff headwind on the climb, thick cloud, then my brother punctured at the hairpins- replacing the tube just gave us enough time to lose any heat generated by the climb! The descent was FREEZING! Ah north-west Scotland in May...

Back on topic - I would do the Cairngorm Classic again but for the cost - I don't think I can justify it when there's so much cycling to be had for free or for a few quid, i.e. audaxes.

cframe

Signed up for the 100 but gonna drop back to the 50, didn't bother to check the amount of climbing before entering.

Not had nearly enough time on the bike recently, as proven by starting to run out of steam after this years Bealach and Etape Caledonia, so figured the 8000ft-odd of climbing might be pushing it a little bit too far!