Colomba Classic - this weekend

jc-bike-person
jc-bike-person Posts: 69
edited November 2010 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
As usual at this point I start getting a little nervous – but I up for the Colomba Chemo classic (from Richmond into the Yorkshire Dales) this weekend
The profile on map my ride looks OK (ish)
But I would like to know how tough it is?
It doesn’t look too bad – although I cannot find out the altitude gain – any ideas?
Overall I’m looking forward to it – as long as the rain holds off – not looking good though! :(
... must train harder

Comments

  • Steve GT
    Steve GT Posts: 383
    When looking at the route on mapmyride.com it gives the elevation gain as 1393M. I would have thought it to be a bit more.
    Looks as if we are in for a cold wet ride.
    Just remember to be very carefull coming down Park Rash.
    Toughness - well that all relative really to what the weather conditions are like on the day and one's general finess.
    Crediamo in te, bici!
    My Bikes.
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    My Polar CS400 gave 5981ft last year. This included the 'hard' finish from Grinton.
    +2 about Park Rash, especialy if wet. The descent to Grinton can be a bit dodgy as well. All the really hard climbs are in the second half of the ride. They kick in straight from the feed.
    My Fleet.
  • Royal Dragoon
    Royal Dragoon Posts: 270
    Few of the guys from here are doing it,

    http://www.mtbe.co.uk/columba-chemo-classic-t9256.html

    Conditions look pretty grim up there at the moment, have a look at the picture link in the later pages................ :wink:
  • jc-bike-person
    jc-bike-person Posts: 69
    Sunny Intervals - 8 degress. Light 8mph breeze - perfect :)

    or

    Heavy Rain Showers, 5 degrees and a strong 20mph wind :(

    I wonder? :?
    ... must train harder
  • sagalout
    sagalout Posts: 338
    Im doing this for the 2nd year too. Definitely feels like more than 1400m of climbing!

    I'd also warn to take care on the descents. Park rash is natural, as it obvious how steep and twisty it is, but the descent to Grinton almost caught me out last year. Not sure if it was fatigue from the long preceding climb, but I didn't spot a tight turn until the last minute and locked the brakes. No idea how I didn't crash, but somehow stayed upright despite several almost high sides that unclipped me both sides!

    It's a good ride, with a good feed at the end. Not as tough as some of the Lakes o es or the EtD but still a challenge in the weather. I think the best time was only about a 15mph average last year, so you can see it's got plenty of climbing.
  • sagalout
    sagalout Posts: 338
    So how did everyone get on?

    I thought it was a great day. Stronger wind to last year but sunnier. Got caught in a massive downpour at park rash, but it soon passed. I tried to keep with club mates but got dropped in the first 5 miles - they went on to do it in the best time of the day at 3:45!

    Actually saw a lot of the pro's this year. Alex dowsett (still in trek kit) passed me on the grinton moor climb as if I was stood still, then they all waited at the summit for each other. They passed me again later on at flying speed - think they decided to make a race of the last 10 miles. It's amazing how they look like full size people in the magazines / tv but are tiny in real life.........Lizze Armitage is seriously hot though. Wish I could have kept on that wheel ;)

    Went on to do it in 4:50, with 4:32 riding time. Reasonably happy with that - bit faster than last year against a tougher wind and didn't really get into any groups. Met some nice people along the rout too - always seems a nice atmosphere this ride :)

    Results are on the site but not linked anywhere.
    http://www.colombachemoclassic.org.uk/r ... erby=total
  • John.T
    John.T Posts: 3,698
    You did well to only get dropped by those 3 in the first 5 miles. They can loose me in the first 100 yards. I gather you are a fellow Nova member.
    My Fleet.
  • Steve GT
    Steve GT Posts: 383
    Although I enjoyed the ride on Saturday, I felt more knackered than I should have. Got around in just under 5 hours, moving time of 4:32 according to my Garmin. Too many stops faffing around!
    The wind really took a lot out of me on Saturday. The climb between Redmire and Grinton took any remaining reserves I had left. Also not being able to clip in my left shoe for the entire ride really annoyed me
    Crediamo in te, bici!
    My Bikes.
  • sagalout
    sagalout Posts: 338
    John.T wrote:
    You did well to only get dropped by those 3 in the first 5 miles. They can loose me in the first 100 yards. I gather you are a fellow Nova member.

    Hi John, yeah, only this year. Did the reliability trials last winter then a season of TT'ing. There are some bloody good riders it seems - I'm trying to be inspired rather than depressed!
  • leeroy72
    leeroy72 Posts: 330
    I did this ride too, pretty good set up.

    Does anyone know who was taking photographs at the top of park rash??

    Would be nice to see some painful expressions... 8)...mine included
    Find your limits...and then exceed them frequently
  • Royal Dragoon
    Royal Dragoon Posts: 270
    Some of our riders had very interesting rides on this Event, and thoroughly enjoyed it, very well organised this year seemed to be the general opinion. :D

    Read about it here:

    http://www.mtbe.co.uk/columba-chemo-cla ... 56-60.html

    :)
  • wn202
    wn202 Posts: 11
    Does anyone know who was taking photographs at the top of park rash??

    I did the ride aswell, first time and was a different experience! bloody cold!

    I would also like to see some of the pictures....my brother's chain broke then broke the carbon fibre bit of his rear derailleur and he toppled over on the steepest bit right near the top and started sliding back down...
    No pain, no gain.
  • Shabbyhouse
    Shabbyhouse Posts: 5
    Great day out. Good company, excellent food at the Thoralby feed stop and really good weather. A bit breezy heading up Coverdale (where Lizzie Armistead left me for dead on the first steep ramp), but a really nice day, at a steady 5:38 with a Treacle Sponge & Custard stop at the cafe in Kettlewell.

    Mellow, and one of the best.
  • Shabbyhouse
    Shabbyhouse Posts: 5
    wn202 wrote:
    Does anyone know who was taking photographs at the top of park rash??

    I did the ride aswell, first time and was a different experience! bloody cold!

    I would also like to see some of the pictures....my brother's chain broke then broke the carbon fibre bit of his rear derailleur and he toppled over on the steepest bit right near the top and started sliding back down...

    That would be Oliver, then, hey?

    My wife in the team car (!) gave him a lift. I'm really sorry we couldn't fix it at Thoralby, big shame for such a good lad. Pass the message on to him that we should have taken him straight back to Caygill's Cycles in Richmond and fixed him up and plonked him back on the top above Park Rash 2 hours later! Arthur Caygill said to me yesterday he'd have been happy to have done a student-type deal on a new chain and 2nd-hand/new changer.

    Anyway, glad we could be of assistance, and regards to Oliver!
  • ocn27
    ocn27 Posts: 2
    Hi Adrian,

    Many thanks to you and Amy for the lift! Lifesavers! Playing directeur sportif in the car for a few hours was a great laugh anyway even if I did miss out riding with Lizzie :P !

    The 25 miles were enjoyable and I'm pretty sure the mechanical was down to a worn chain :oops: . Expensive lesson learned there! Obviously if anyone asks the leg-guns got the better of a Campy chain up a cliff-face like hill :wink: .

    Someone, somewhere has a great photo of me toppling off when it went in fact I think there were two people with cameras at exactly the right place and time (typical !!).

    Not completing the route is keeping me awake at night :lol: and I don't think I can wait a year to start and finish it! I've ordered the replacement parts and they arrive tomorrow so I've only had 3 days off cycling, worse 3 days ever :P .

    Top effort for zig-zagging up some of those meaner gradients towards the end! Thanks again and cheers for lunch!
  • steve36
    steve36 Posts: 93
    maybe old news but pics are up on chemo classic website
  • ocn27
    ocn27 Posts: 2
    Seen the photos, none of the tumble or me or my brother :( ! Can see Amys Volvo I jumped into though :D Some good ones of Ben Swift doing a wheelie up the hill.
  • Shabbyhouse
    Shabbyhouse Posts: 5
    ocn27 wrote:
    Hi Adrian,

    Many thanks to you and Amy for the lift! Lifesavers! Playing directeur sportif in the car for a few hours was a great laugh anyway even if I did miss out riding with Lizzie :P !

    The 25 miles were enjoyable and I'm pretty sure the mechanical was down to a worn chain :oops: . Expensive lesson learned there! Obviously if anyone asks the leg-guns got the better of a Campy chain up a cliff-face like hill :wink: .

    Someone, somewhere has a great photo of me toppling off when it went in fact I think there were two people with cameras at exactly the right place and time (typical !!).

    Not completing the route is keeping me awake at night :lol: and I don't think I can wait a year to start and finish it! I've ordered the replacement parts and they arrive tomorrow so I've only had 3 days off cycling, worse 3 days ever :P .

    Top effort for zig-zagging up some of those meaner gradients towards the end! Thanks again and cheers for lunch!

    You're very welcome, and I'm glad you're not going to be grounded for too long! I'm still a bit frustrated we didn't get the team car and your bike back to Caygill's and get sorted. Still, there's always next year!

    In search of more midwinter madness, I've entered the Cumbrian Christmas Cracker on Dec 5th: http://www.epicevents.org/section.php/1 ... r-5th-2010

    Last year it was so icy (-3C) they cut a hilly chunk out and replaced it with an extra 6 miles. Amy did more rescuing that day too!!

    I was particularly happy with the hill up onto Grinton Moor; found a rhythm there alright! James was grunting a bit by then, but he got his sprinter's legs out for Swaledale. Thanks for the encouragement, and Amy says you were living every pedal rev!

    Best of luck this winter, and happy spinning!

    :wink:
  • jc-bike-person
    jc-bike-person Posts: 69
    What a great course - but there is a sting in this tale....
    Looks like I be out of action for a couple of weeks (+)
    I had a pretty big crash on the decent on Grinton Moor. 5 days in hospital with a haemathorax and 3 broken ribs.
    (I should have stuck to playing rugby)
    Now on the mend
    Many thanks to the guys that stopped and came to my assistance
    Any many thanks also to the organisers of this event.

    I am already thinking about next year - it is quite disappointing to get 52 miles round a 62 mile course and crash!!!!
    ... must train harder
  • wn202
    wn202 Posts: 11
    Glad your alright (in the grand scheme of things anyway!). I must have come by not long after you'd crashed when there were a few people already with you. We then saw the ambulances coming in the other direction further down the road, further than I'd have like though, how long were you waiting for?
    No pain, no gain.
  • sagalout
    sagalout Posts: 338
    jc-bike-person wrote:
    What a great course - but there is a sting in this tale....
    Looks like I be out of action for a couple of weeks (+)
    I had a pretty big crash on the decent on Grinton Moor. 5 days in hospital with a haemathorax and 3 broken ribs.
    (I should have stuck to playing rugby)
    Now on the mend
    Many thanks to the guys that stopped and came to my assistance
    Any many thanks also to the organisers of this event.

    I am already thinking about next year - it is quite disappointing to get 52 miles round a 62 mile course and crash!!!!

    Ouch :(

    That's what I said in my previous post. I so nearly crashed there last year - there's a wicked hairpin halfway down that I just missed the sign post for. Everyone talks about Park Rash but it's obvious how steep and dangerous it is there so people go slower - Grinton has much higher speeds.

    I saw the ambulances coming the other way and wondered if it was for a rider. Hope you mend soon fella
  • jc-bike-person
    jc-bike-person Posts: 69
    Cheers guys
    On the mend - I can now walk upstairs without losing my breath :lol:
    Another week off work to look forward to as well - lots of DVDs
    I doubt I be riding in this weather anyway
    ... must train harder

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