Up the Chimney?

Sergeant Rock

On the day after the excellent Ryedale Rumble I was wondering how people managed on Rosedale Chimney. As you might guess from my question I didn't fair too well, climbing off at the second hairpin after falling into a state of mild to sever delirium accompanied by a vision of a tunnel with a white light at the end! Better preparation and a triple might be in order for next year.

So if you got up can you answer the following questions:

1 Are you on drugs?
2 Did you have a motor tucked down your seat tube?
3 Are you a relative of Andy Schleck?
4 Did you have a triple on?
5 Are you from the planet Krypton?
6 Did you just dream it?
7 Are you built like a Whippet?

To those who made it up The Chimney deep admiration and to those who didn't there is always next year. I for one will be back to conquer the beast.

andy162

1. No drugs, zipvit & whatever I grabbed at Lealholm.
2.No motor...might've been usefull tho!
3.No Schleck DNA...unless he's got a secret family in Doncaster.
4.No triple...standard with a 26 on t'back.
5.No Krypton heritage...Coruscant pehaps?
6.No...dreams never hurt that much!
7.Yep...I'm a skinny bugger.

It's a tough climb(one of THE toughest?)& I realised whilst I was coasting down into Hutton le Hole I was just about spent. A cider fuelled wedding doo with complimentary hangover on Saturday didn't help either. My HR was way over from the start & wasn't coming down when it should've been. Dehydrated methinks? I couldn't even look at the Garmin on the way up the Chimney...if I had I'm sure the shock would have halted my ascent. The snapper lurking at the toughest spot didn't help either.

It's a climb embedded in cycling folklore & should be on any climbers "to do" list. Going down it (into Rosedale) is just as entertaining. Brakes don't really work, the bike does slow down a bit, not much tho. It's easier to hope nothing gets in your way & leave the brakes til you get to the flatter bits.

monty666

speaking of "to-do" lists did anyone see that women standing near the top of the chimney with a flowery summer dress and hat? think she was with husband and kids , also saw her on the climb just after Glaisdale, .......lifted my spirits

Steve GT

Sergeant Rock wrote:

On the day after the excellent Ryedale Rumble I was wondering how people managed on Rosedale Chimney. As you might guess from my question I didn't fair too well, climbing off at the second hairpin after falling into a state of mild to sever delirium accompanied by a vision of a tunnel with a white light at the end! Better preparation and a triple might be in order for next year.

So if you got up can you answer the following questions:

1 Are you on drugs?
2 Did you have a motor tucked down your seat tube?
3 Are you a relative of Andy Schleck?
4 Did you have a triple on?
5 Are you from the planet Krypton?
6 Did you just dream it?
7 Are you built like a Whippet?

To those who made it up The Chimney deep admiration and to those who didn't there is always next year. I for one will be back to conquer the beast.

All of the above with the exception of number 7!

freehub

I'm not that skinny and I felt ill when I got to Rosedale and lost all my power, on the flat bits on the way to Rosedale Chimney I felt like crap barely able to get over 16mph, I managed up Rosedale though and it's so easy, all you got to do is pace yourself, and if need be, go to the far right on the bends as the gradient is less, I kept to the left and if you do that the gradient is over 33% apparently as the road bends and sort of kinks on the inside of the bend.

I was dreading the chimney, so when I go there, from the bottom I stuck it in my 34/25 and just crawled up, I knew my chances of getting a gold was out of the window unless I suddenly got my energy back which never happened.

tomiko

Rode it OK last year and this. I do have a triple but the bike weighs over 20lb and I'm 50+ and no lightweight.
Like Freehub says; A wide sweep at the left hand hairpin helps then just take it steady.
On the worst bit I was doing 3mph with a cadence of 40 but that to me is still easier than walking up pushing the bike!
(and I'd much rather go up it than down any time!!!)
Well done to all who finished, however they got round.

hugo15

In the September '10 C+ magazine one of the rides near the back features Rosedale Chimney.