Cheshire Cat 2010

Marko1962
Marko1962 Posts: 320
edited December 2009 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
Anyone any info on next years routes?

According to this weeks comic, Sunday March 28 is the date but there are several routes and some route changes, also some of these routes will appeal to families - that cannot be a good thing - think LCL or the Manchester 100 when all the routes converge....
http://www.northcheshireclarion.co.uk/

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Comments

  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    The KiloToGo website confirms 28th March 2010 and says
    Entries for the 2010 Cheshire Cat open 1st November 2009

    Hopefully they'll detail the routes then !

    Also this article on Cyclosport
    http://www.cyclosport.org/article.aspx?id=1219

    - says 'new South Cheshire event HQ'
    - still Mow Cop
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,261
    Seen the route... frankly the poorer brother of last year's one, with the beautiful Macclesfield Forest out and the interesting Swiss Hill out...

    http://www.kilotogo.com/index.php?optio ... vent_id=11

    Beside a couple of short steep stretches, like Mow Cop, it's a very flat and uninteresting route...

    I won't bother...
    left the forum March 2023
  • Will Young
    Will Young Posts: 26
    Shame about Macc Forest.....Swiss Hill will be no loss though. It's usually a good leg stretcher this one, coming so early in the season. Last year took me by surprise.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,261
    Will Young wrote:
    Shame about Macc Forest.....Swiss Hill will be no loss though. It's usually a good leg stretcher this one, coming so early in the season. Last year took me by surprise.

    Don't know... I have no desire to drive 3 hours to ride on some flat roads in Cheshire, to be honest.
    left the forum March 2023
  • pickled
    pickled Posts: 439
    There's a price increase too. Must be the inflation on bananas.
    I was going to do this one too as last year the start was close to home.
    I don't fancy driving to Crewe so I might give it a miss.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,261
    Looks like it's following the bad example set by the other big sportive... the one in Wales...

    High entry fee, crap route...
    left the forum March 2023
  • singlespeedexplosif
    singlespeedexplosif Posts: 1,564
    .Swiss Hill will be no loss though
    ??? Swiss Hill was superb. Sorted the men from the boys, and all that...

    Crazy price. It was bad enough last year. (plus...doughnuts at feed stations? what's all that about? Not exactly 'sports nutrition' ;) )
    Not going to bother this year. Was worth a giggle last year, particularly seeing Howie's strop at an errant driver...but for that price, I'll do 2 other sportives instead.
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Route is fine... as they are 'my roads' anyways, I am bound to to say that.
    Wincle has a nice little charge up it...in fact I daresay it will be a very pleasant warmer upper if the weather is clement..
    however.. as they are 'my roads' , I will pass at paying the £28 and enjoy the riding the route ... passing by the donut stands ...
    times is 'ard ,
    sorry organisers
    :wink:
  • skinsey
    skinsey Posts: 105
    Second that. The route comes within 100 yards of my front door, and it's very similar to a training route I do anyway, so £28 for a timing chip and a couple of feedstations? Don't think so.

    For those not from Cheshire though, I'd say come and have a go if you haven't done it before - despite missing out Macc Forest (my stamping ground) it's still a pretty interesting route, and is the right level of challenge for that time of year.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,261
    skinsey wrote:
    Second that. The route comes within 100 yards of my front door, and it's very similar to a training route I do anyway, so £28 for a timing chip and a couple of feedstations? Don't think so.

    For those not from Cheshire though, I'd say come and have a go if you haven't done it before - despite missing out Macc Forest (my stamping ground) it's still a pretty interesting route, and is the right level of challenge for that time of year.

    I won't drive 3 hours, pay 28 pounds to ride 4 very minor climbs in Cheshire and then drag along for 70 flat miles. I don't know how they managed to miss out the best bits of Cheshire, it's quite an achievement... :evil:

    We've got plenty of pitoresque flat roads west of London... in Oxfordshire and Northamptonshire
    left the forum March 2023
  • skinsey
    skinsey Posts: 105
    And that's absolutely your perogative.

    However, not everyone wants a climb-fest in March, and I would say that:
    a) no, it's not the sexiest route in the world
    b) for anyone that hasn't ridden in Cheshire before, it's a perfectly pleasant ride, and for many, will be what they want at that time of year
    c) it's not necessarily any worse value-for-money than plenty of other sportives
  • moolarb
    moolarb Posts: 83
    I agree with skinsey. There are plenty of hard sportives out there if that's your bag. I'm not the best climber and tend to be put off by sportives that include ridiculously steep climbs. It's nice to have an event that has some moderate climbs and different distances to suit all abilities.
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    I agree with you skinsey.

    It is at the end of March. Even in Cheshire, we've had snow...

    The Cheshire Cat 'old route' they did for the first couple of years struck me as a decent easier warm-up route early in the season, then you could do your Fred Whittons and Dave Lloyds when weather and fitness improves in the Summer.

    This year's (2009) route was a step towards 'my sportive's harder than yours' willy-waving territory and whilst very pleasant on a sunny day it could have been very miserable if it wasn't.

    Looks like they've decided to step back a bit.



    I just wish they wouldn't hype 'the Mow Cop Killer Mile' so much - it just isn't the North Face of the Eiger.

    I think that climb out of Congleton before the Bridestones and then Danebridge/Wincle will make people suffer more...
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,261
    moolarb wrote:
    I agree with skinsey. There are plenty of hard sportives out there if that's your bag. I'm not the best climber and tend to be put off by sportives that include ridiculously steep climbs. It's nice to have an event that has some moderate climbs and different distances to suit all abilities.

    Well, the traditional format is that there is a medium course which is good for all and a challening one for those who like the challenge.

    Here I don't see the challenge (the weather, maybe?). 4 minor climbs in the first 30 miles and then nothing... for a "northern" sportive it's a bit ludicrous. I wonder how many will travel a long way for an event they have already where they live (rather unlike you say, England is littered with flattish sportives, some good, some mediocre).

    I am actually struggling to find a challenging event in March-April... any idea anyone?
    left the forum March 2023
  • singlespeedexplosif
    singlespeedexplosif Posts: 1,564
    I am actually struggling to find a challenging event in March-April... any idea anyone?

    Burgess Hill was OK, not sure if/when they're running it this year. Constant up and down although only small stuff. ElevationoftheSpringtimeClassicCyclosportive.jpg Really well run event.

    I loved the stress they kept putting on a climb called 'the wall'. Ah well...I'm from the North, you know ;)[/code]
  • shipperz
    shipperz Posts: 22
    Still in two minds about this one. Would be nice to get a long event in at this time of year but was a bit put off by the profile. However, chances are I wouldn't go out for 100miles at all at this time if I didn't have an event in the diary.

    To answer ugo's question the Discover Rutland sportive was a toughy last year at the end of April. Presume its running again this year: http://www.everydaycycling.com/edc/even ... _tour.aspx

    Puncheur early March also looks good as a build up event (www.puncheur.co.uk)
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,261
    singlespeedexplosif wrote:
    I am actually struggling to find a challenging event in March-April... any idea anyone?

    Burgess Hill was OK, not sure if/when they're running it this year. Constant up and down although only small stuff. ElevationoftheSpringtimeClassicCyclosportive.jpg Really well run event.

    I loved the stress they kept putting on a climb called 'the wall'. Ah well...I'm from the North, you know ;)[/code]

    Thanks I'll keep an eye on this.

    I'm doing the Hell of Ashdown in the same area earlier in the year
    left the forum March 2023
  • a_n_t
    a_n_t Posts: 2,011
    andy_wrx wrote:
    I just wish they wouldn't hype 'the Mow Cop Killer Mile' so much - it just isn't the North Face of the Eiger.

    :D

    I know, the 25% bit is what? 50 feet? Easy!
    Manchester wheelers

    PB's
    10m 20:21 2014
    25m 53:18 20:13
    50m 1:57:12 2013
    100m Yeah right.
  • Mendip rouleur
    Mendip rouleur Posts: 163
    I'm going to ride it, mainly because it's a good "temperature check after the winter".

    May not be the greatest sportive route ever, let's face it, it must get harder to think up new ones. You can't please everyone all the time, and for us southern softies, it's always quaint to venture up north to see where all the hard cyclists train! (that's a joke btw)

    To be serious, I like the experience of going to different parts of the country and cycling in areas i don't know very well. And I want to make it up the hill at Wincle without barfing like last year. I think it may have been the doughnuts, or my soft southern stomach......
    “I ride my bicycle to ride my bicycle.”

    http://mendiprouleur.blogspot.com/
  • andy_wrx
    andy_wrx Posts: 3,396
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    I am actually struggling to find a challenging event in March-April... any idea anyone?

    http://www.cumbriankiller.net/

    Is that hard enough for you then ugo ?
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,261
    andy_wrx wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    I am actually struggling to find a challenging event in March-April... any idea anyone?

    http://www.cumbriankiller.net/

    Is that hard enough for you then ugo ?

    It is indeed... I had looked at the northern ones... I was kind of hoping to find something a bit closer, like Wales or Kent... but it doesn't seem to be the case (although there are plenty of hilly Audaxes in Kent).

    Has anyone done this one? How does it compare with the FWC? It seems to have a lot less climbing (2600 mt they claim vs something closer to 4000 for the FWC), but still has the "big ones"
    left the forum March 2023
  • jgsi
    jgsi Posts: 5,062
    Surely the idea of a sportive that doesnt include daft inclines as tho they are a ritual for passing your manhood initiation tribe in Borneo test is actually to use the timechip the organisers provide, to POST a VERY FAST time!
    Testing enough for us mere mortals

    :wink:
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,261
    JGSI wrote:
    Surely the idea of a sportive that doesnt include daft inclines as tho they are a ritual for passing your manhood initiation tribe in Borneo test is actually to use the timechip the organisers provide, to POST a VERY FAST time!
    Testing enough for us mere mortals

    :wink:

    Sure... I am disappointed because it's an event I had targeted and I was hoping for a more interesting route, based on last year's one. As I said, I don't feel particularly motivated to drive 3 hours to ride a dull route... If I lived around Crewe, I would probably enter it.
    left the forum March 2023
  • benjboy
    benjboy Posts: 258
    Ride the Cheshire cat very fast and very hard and you will hurt at the end.Ride the hills harder than you would normally and your legs will hurt at the end.Do not enter it and everybody follows suit then there wont be a Cheshire cat sportive. :( Ps i have entered it 3rd year in a row .
    Keep the chain tight all the way.
  • freehub
    freehub Posts: 4,257
    Hopefully I'll do this, I'm going to ride to the start and ride back and do the 60 odd mile one so I should have around 120-130 miles clocked up. I might have a test run of the route sometime before to see how fast I can do it as I'm going to try get a really good time this round.

    EDIT**, On second thoughts, I won't be cycling that far why are they starting it all the way over in crewe???
  • pickled
    pickled Posts: 439
    Yeah that's what has annoyed me the most. Last years start was pretty close to me.
    I'm erring towards doing it anyway now. The wife goes on a school ski trip that day so I'm at a loose end..
  • brownleather
    brownleather Posts: 114
    freehub wrote:
    Hopefully I'll do this, I'm going to ride to the start and ride back and do the 60 odd mile one so I should have around 120-130 miles clocked up. I might have a test run of the route sometime before to see how fast I can do it as I'm going to try get a really good time this round.

    EDIT**, On second thoughts, I won't be cycling that far why are they starting it all the way over in crewe???

    Get the Train Will
    spamspam.jpg
  • Floristhebadger
    Floristhebadger Posts: 5
    As a newby to Sportives, I was hoping to start my first season with the Cheshire Cat, last year it started 50 yards from a friends house and seemed perfect for my first'.

    I was also quite taken by the route, the thought of swiss hill was exciting.

    It looks like Kilo to Go have moved to Crewe to get a better start base. I cannot imagine Knutsford coped with the numbers well. The leisure centre is a bit tatty and small, and the town has enough issues with parking on a Saturday, god knows what it was like when a big sportive decended on it.

    Unfortunately the trade off is much more of flat Cheshire being between the start and the more interesting lumpy bits.

    Having said all that, I am still having a bash as this was the date in the calendar for the start of 'my' season and it still has some interest. I may well be very pleased the route has changed by the end
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Can't make next years - clashes with a half marathon I'd already committed to.
    I preferred the 08 route to 09 - the first 50 miles were flat this year and then it just got silly with climb after climb. Fine for a summer test - but too much too soon for me.

    Of course you'll never please everyone !
  • Will Young
    Will Young Posts: 26
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    andy_wrx wrote:
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    I am actually struggling to find a challenging event in March-April... any idea anyone?

    http://www.cumbriankiller.net/

    Is that hard enough for you then ugo ?

    It is indeed... I had looked at the northern ones... I was kind of hoping to find something a bit closer, like Wales or Kent... but it doesn't seem to be the case (although there are plenty of hilly Audaxes in Kent).

    Has anyone done this one? How does it compare with the FWC? It seems to have a lot less climbing (2600 mt they claim vs something closer to 4000 for the FWC), but still has the "big ones"

    I rode this last year, it's a great event. As you say it's not got the the climbing of the FWC,DLMC or the Wild Edric,but the scenery is amazing. It includes the Hardnott and Wrynose which come right at the end. It's early in the season and if it rains the aforementioned climbs take on a different challenge.

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