Etape Du Dales
MartinGT
Posts: 475
Hi Guys
I was hoping to do this at some point but seem to be put off by the caveat about how difficult it is.
I cycle approx 150 miles a week and then do a long ride at the weekend. I have just done the 260km RvV and I class myself as fit. I cycle out to the Dales a lot from North Leeds and do a lot of hill work.
I should be ok, shouldnt I?
I was hoping to do this at some point but seem to be put off by the caveat about how difficult it is.
I cycle approx 150 miles a week and then do a long ride at the weekend. I have just done the 260km RvV and I class myself as fit. I cycle out to the Dales a lot from North Leeds and do a lot of hill work.
I should be ok, shouldnt I?
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Comments
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Yeah you'll rip it up no probs. Get in a group if you can especially going up to Tan Hill jeez.0
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It's a tough route with plenty of climbs. The trouble is that the entire route is fairly "relentless" if you get my drift. It's hard riding all the way round with very few sections that are easy, so it fatigues you constantly. I don't find any of the climbs daunting, it's that there's lots of them. The route profile looks like an xray of a sharks gob!
I'm there again this year & am gonna go for it from the off. It's all part of my Marmotte build up & I intend to beast myself on it & try to beat last years time...but not Malc Elliotts(5h47...!!)
Go for it, you'll be fine.0 -
How does the Etape du dales compare to the Fred whitton?0
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Both tough, FWC tougher in my experience. Steeper hills, faster crowd, more climbing too. First climb is about a km from the start in FWC, not for 10 or more in EdD so you have time to warm up. But they're both excellent!0
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MartinGT
You'll do it easy,as I'm sure you know.
As for me, the 50-something with kids and limted time,
commuting 5-10 m per day and doing the odd saturday mornng ride,
it will be painful.0 -
Hi
I'm thinking of riding the Etape du Dales route in a few weeks but have limited climbing experience,
Question is Just how challenging is the route?
I've done the route of the Lakeland Loop and thought that was an excellent day on a bike, I realise the EdD is much further but is it much much much harder.
I know I can handle the distance, it's just can I handle the climbing and the distance?
Any experience or comments would be great.0 -
If you got round Lakeland Loop ok, then you should be fine.
I did EDD last year and up again for it this year. The real toughie in this route is Garsdale Head (aka Coal Rd) which you hit at about 70 miles. Very steep in parts but don't believe in the same league as Hardknott & Wrynose.
Once over this, 2 more reasonable climbs and then last 15 miles slightly downhill with (hopefully) a following wind. The first 15 miles are pretty flat as well before you tackle Fleet Moss from it's easier side - careful on the descent though.
Would suggest you don't attempt on a breezy day as the grind up to Tan Hill can be soul destoying into a strong wind!0 -
Thanks for the comments, I know I can handle 6-7 hours in the saddle and 115miles, if it's gonna happen it'll be on a certain day so I'll check the weather n make a last minute decision.
Cheers0 -
I'm signed up for this one. In truth: I'm bricking it!
A complete crisis in confidence!
I can ride and ride and ride and I'm a fit lad, but some of you guys only have to walk out of the house to find good hill training. It's not quite that easy for me so I'm worried my limited climbing experience will be my undoing on this one.
And to top it off, my knee flared up on Saturday! Ace.Ben
Bikes: Donhou DSS4 Custom | Condor Italia RC | Gios Megalite | Dolan Preffisio | Giant Bowery '76
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ben_h_ppcc/
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/143173475@N05/0 -
I did it last year - its tough if there is a head wind 'out'. Good news having just been up Tan Hill is the pot holes have been filled and some resurfacing. I have a ticket if any takers as cant ride now! 0
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Please can anyone comment on the food stops en route i,e, how
frequent & is it the usual cordon bleu etape fodder? thanks0 -
Food stops every hour and an half to two hours ish. Four last year, all good, usual bananas, flapjacks, energy drinks etc. Tan Hill lunch stop particularly welcome after one of the most dispiriting climbs I've ever had on a bike.
I enjoyed a spectacularly effective raspberry and caffeine gel at the Moorcock Inn just before the dreaded Coal Road, hope they've got more this year!
All in all awfully good fun, to those people worrying about the climbs, bear in mind that you've got to go down the other side as well so for almost 50% of the route you don't have to pedal.0 -
Many thanks !0
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Last min entry - give me a call 01943 8790220
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My weather thingy says FAIR right up to tea-time, Sportsunday will have at least 3 togs out so bring yer smiles.
Have a good day everyone and stay safe.0 -
Your weather thingy was so, so wrong
Surprised there's no posts about this yet - everyone must still be drying out! It turned into one of those epic rides - 110 miles of seemingly unending headwind and rain - possible the hardest thing I've done on a bike.
We had a group of about 12 of us at the start (Cappuccino Cycling Club). We're not the fastest but we were one of the best organised, in 2 by 2 formation with everyone taking turns on the front - I looked round at one point and we were towing about 40 or 50 riders to the Tan Inn! I was feeling good up that point, convinced that, like last year, once we turned at Tan Inn the worst of the wind would be behind us, however somehow it seemed to follow us around, and the stretch to Nateby was really sapping. We managed to keep everyone together until the Coal Road - we'd long decided to forgo a good time in favour of helping each other round. A split occurred after the Coal Road into 3 smaller groups and the front group made really good time to Stainforth, again picking up and towing along quite a few riders along the way.
The weather at Stainburn was proper grim - you could see the sheets of rain hammering across the road, but at least its all down hill from there and we finally got a tailwind for the last 20 miles or so.
My energy was pretty much gone by the finish line, but I still felt better than last year, other than very cold and very wet. On that last stretch into Grassington I could barely change gears as my hands were numb. In the end it was 7:45 riding time but 8:40 total time (lots of stops to keep the group together).
It was so much better riding it with a good group. It would have been a bloody long day in the saddle without a good bunch of mates to share it with - we even had our own team car, who spent the day taking photos and shouting abuse / encouragement. They did a sterling job recovering a bloke who crashed and broke a finger at the ford, someone else who couldn't continue, and assisted someone with a snapped chain too - ironically they didn't need to help any of us!
All in all a hell of a day on the bike, but no doubt I'll be back next year to try for that silver!0 -
Set off at 7.45 and got back at 6.30 and I wasnt the last one in by far. Only my second event and a really hellish time it was too!
Quite proud of myself today, even though I did walk up Coal Road and the next two climbs after that. Uncontrollable shivering at the finish, despite ten minutes in the rugby club's hot showers.0 -
My sportive cv includes an etape de tour, wicklow 200, a number of etape
caledonias, etc. This was TOUGH. It's a beautiful route, and loved the first
40 miles, but then came the wind and rain and it was all about keeping
morale going. Few groups to ride with and Coal Road was so steep it almost required
crampons, so was very relieved to reach the finish.
In yesterday's conditions, Etape du Dales was like doing Etape Caledonia
twice on one day, and some.
Hats off to the organisers, and you are a tough lot you Yorkshire folk.0 -
sagalout wrote:Your weather thingy was so, so wrong
Surprised there's no posts about this yet - everyone must still be drying out!
All in all a hell of a day on the bike, but no doubt I'll be back next year to try for that silver!
Only ever seen Metcheck that wrong once before, and that was a very soggy Polka Dot Challenge.
I would have posted earlier, but spent 26 hours in the shower both drying out and warming up.
It was brutal, 10 hours and 12 minutes of brutal. But I shall return for the next one, hopefully having been serious about reaching a sensible weight (one that isn't 113kg)
Fantastic event, great organisation, stunning countryside (even yesterday).0 -
7:56 for me, i was goosed. still feeling the whitton from last week but hopeful for a sub 7 hour time......not a chance. the weather was absoloutly ridiculous. After 40 mils i could literally have cried then i managed to cling to a group until after about 60 miles they dropped me it was at that point that i actually started fallign asleep on the bike, a new experience for me!!!!
the last feed station was a god sent, i stuffed sandwich after sandwich and flapjack into my gob and got on with it,
those showers in the rugby club were awesome and i must have spent 10 minutes stood with my eyes shut thinking.....WHY???
still il be back next year for a sub 7.
thanks to all the marshalls and orgaisers a superb sportive and to stand out in that weather all day as a volunteer is massively appreciated.0 -
sagalout wrote:Your weather thingy was so, so wrong
Surprised there's no posts about this yet - everyone must still be drying out! It turned into one of those epic rides - 110 miles of seemingly unending headwind and rain - possible the hardest thing I've done on a bike.
We had a group of about 12 of us at the start (Cappuccino Cycling Club). We're not the fastest but we were one of the best organised, in 2 by 2 formation with everyone taking turns on the front - I looked round at one point and we were towing about 40 or 50 riders to the Tan Inn! I was feeling good up that point, convinced that, like last year, once we turned at Tan Inn the worst of the wind would be behind us, however somehow it seemed to follow us around, and the stretch to Nateby was really sapping. We managed to keep everyone together until the Coal Road - we'd long decided to forgo a good time in favour of helping each other round. A split occurred after the Coal Road into 3 smaller groups and the front group made really good time to Stainforth, again picking up and towing along quite a few riders along the way.
The weather at Stainburn was proper grim - you could see the sheets of rain hammering across the road, but at least its all down hill from there and we finally got a tailwind for the last 20 miles or so.
My energy was pretty much gone by the finish line, but I still felt better than last year, other than very cold and very wet. On that last stretch into Grassington I could barely change gears as my hands were numb. In the end it was 7:45 riding time but 8:40 total time (lots of stops to keep the group together).
It was so much better riding it with a good group. It would have been a bloody long day in the saddle without a good bunch of mates to share it with - we even had our own team car, who spent the day taking photos and shouting abuse / encouragement. They did a sterling job recovering a bloke who crashed and broke a finger at the ford, someone else who couldn't continue, and assisted someone with a snapped chain too - ironically they didn't need to help any of us!
All in all a hell of a day on the bike, but no doubt I'll be back next year to try for that silver!
Can you thank your team car please as they assisted my mate in changing a tyre, kept seeing them all passing me then waiting for you guys, you did look well organised, well done.0 -
He lives in Scotland but is from cockermouth. He had a red orbea and red and white campagnolo top on. Great pics.0
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Had a good day and didnt mind the weather too much. Finished in 6hrs 36. Mostly solo but managed to get in a group for about 15miles on and off. Climbed well and enjoyed going on the front on the climbs with the lad in the Katusha gear( you know who you are).
Certainly a tough event. Be nice to see what can be done on a fair weather day in a big group.0 -
Pennine Daz wrote:Had a good day and didnt mind the weather too much. Finished in 6hrs 36. Mostly solo but managed to get in a group for about 15miles on and off. Climbed well and enjoyed going on the front on the climbs with the lad in the Katusha gear( you know who you are).
Certainly a tough event. Be nice to see what can be done on a fair weather day in a big group.
Erm, i think that might have been me? Was it Black kit with the italian colours? ..... If so which rider were you? Congratulations on the time by the way, very impressive!0 -
Hello larrie
No the Katusha guy had the white katusha kit on and If I remember he had italian coloured bar tape. Might have been you not sure.
Im the lad with the red 953 rourke. I think I did see you at some point mind.
There was one or two fast lads who just seemed to meet up which is normal. I know at the start a Huddersfield Wheeler rider latched onto me to the first climb with another guy. They pulled away but I re joined them on the climb again. Didnt really chat much as you just seem to work out between yourselves what to do. I rode with a group for a while towards one of the checkpoints ( think they were from Skipton ?). But that group splintered when we stopped to dib.
Im sure the Katusha guy would have been faster than me as he was in a small group that left me on the final climb. At that point I was feeling it as I had done a fell race the day before0 -
Ah, yes that was me i think. It's black kit but i had white arm warmers and leg warmers on so that's probably why you think it was white. I have Italian bar tape on a black planet X with red wheels, so it would be very coincidental if someone else had the same set up.
Below are pics of i think you and one of me:
http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/photo10045376.html
http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/photo10045384.html
I remember riding with you after Tan Hill for a number of miles where we picked up the Great Britain talent team boys. If i remember correctly one of the guys i was riding with complemented you on how hard you attack on the hills just as you had finished.
You were like a machines on those hills, pulling alot of us up them. Nice riding and it was good to have a strong rider like you to keep the pace up.
All the best
Jamie[/quote]0 -
Ah Jamie yes thats def you, nice one mate. Yeah you was also strong. I was impressed at your climbing skills as well.
I wondered why one of the lads had Great Britain on his jersey. Im good uphill because im light and run lots of fell races but also my everyday rides take in the big climbs in the Peak District.
Your little group had me on that climb at Dent though. Think I had done a bit too much. We both did our share on the front.
Very good ride from yourself.
One of the things that made me laugh though was at Tan Hill when the dash to get dibbed and get food started. I just rode around the corner and waited a bit. You and the other guy bloody stormed down the descent. I had to go full gas to catch you. Briliant though as I dont spend much time riding in groups.
Welldone.
Do you race. If not you should do.0 -
Pennine Daz wrote:Ah Jamie yes thats def you, nice one mate. Yeah you was also strong. I was impressed at your climbing skills as well.
I wondered why one of the lads had Great Britain on his jersey. Im good uphill because im light and run lots of fell races but also my everyday rides take in the big climbs in the Peak District.
Your little group had me on that climb at Dent though. Think I had done a bit too much. We both did our share on the front.
Very good ride from yourself.
One of the things that made me laugh though was at Tan Hill when the dash to get dibbed and get food started. I just rode around the corner and waited a bit. You and the other guy bloody stormed down the descent. I had to go full gas to catch you. Briliant though as I dont spend much time riding in groups.
Welldone.
Do you race. If not you should do.
Looks like someone else was asking after you??
http://www.veloriders.co.uk/phpBB2/view ... c&start=200
- was your mate the one from 
