Brian Robinson Challenge Ride

rodgers73

I just got an email telling me entries for this event are now open.

Does anyone know much about this? Would you recommend it?

The website doesn't show the route, just describes it rather vaguely, although it does mention Holme Moss.

gsk82

a couple of guys at my club (velo club beverley) go on about this one. one of them seems to do a lot of the harder sportives so i'd guess its rather hard. below is apparently the route.

http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Br ... lenge-Ride

alanp23

I did it last year and will be doing it again this year. It is about 75 miles, leaves from the Galpharm stadium, heading northeast for a mile or so before turning west and following the trail of the M62 across to Denshaw (long steady climb). It then comes back over the Pennine on the A62 before climbing out of Meltham on some beast of a hill, before a fast descent down into Holmfirth and then up the Moss, back up across the Woodhead and then a big loop back to Huddersfield.

It was a massed start, with the first couple of miles on a closed A62 and then a nice day just going up and down the hills in the Pennines. Brian Robinson was there too to start it all off.

The map link above has the start at a different spot which meant that it shows the loop starting from Meltham so has the Moss early in the ride rather than late as last year.

Two feedstations - Water and home made flapjacks were the order of the day. Very well organised with motorcyclist marshalls.

Highly recommended.

gsk82

i've just enterred it, should be a car full of us so i expect a good day

Papapete

Yep.....I'm in, also did last year and would highly recommend. Similar weather to last year please!!!

bjl

Has anyone got a link for entries - i keep coming up with 2011 ride.

alanp23

Try this...

https://www.sientries.co.uk/event.php?event_id=661

EX DH

Did it last year on my own and had a great time! Got a few of us together this year and cant wait! Looking forward to holme moss but not the one before it in meltham! that was a killer.

Maurice Thepity

How was your ride?

I was okay until after the second feed station when I got really cold on the descents. I had to keep braking because I was shivering and it was difficult to steer the bike.

heatonrider

impressed it went ahead .. we decided to give it a miss given the gales .. gutted to miss out but it did not seem worth the suffering and danger of high winds!

alanp23

They took out the climbs at Meltham and Moss/Woodhead as they were just too dangerous. There was a nasty combination of strong winds and very wet roads. It was totally the right decision as it was a bit dicey when you got hit by a sideways gust.

It ended up be just under 60 miles in length. Very cold, very wet and very windy.

I was very pleased to have finished it. It was probably the toughest day I have ever had in the saddle and was certainly the worst this year (and I've been out most weeks since the start of January)

snaffledog

Complete opposite from the weather last year which was almost 20c, sunny and very little wind. The car was registering 4c when I arrived at the stadium, very cold wind and rain bordering on sleet pelting down . Glad to see quite a few other brave (mad) souls had to decided to ride given the rumours that the ride may be cancelled due to the weather warnings. I'd guess there were 100-150 riders took part?

I'd agree that the organisers got it right with the route, Woodhead Pass would have been particularly treacherous into the wind. The climb up from Delph and down to Marsden was a bit borderline, struggling to maintain more than 10mph on the way down. Each descent into the wind/rain gave me an 'ice-cream' headache (reminder - need to get a skull/bob cap).

Towards the end most riders were obviously suffering with very cold hands, vigourously shaking one hand at a time to try and get some blood to the finger tips.

Back at the stadium finish, a few chaps had the tin-foil on as they were really shivering.
Brian himself signed all the certificate for completion of the ride, and great credit for enduring all those cold wet handshakes!

Credit to the organsiers and volunteers for going ahead with the event and enduring the truly awful weather (great organisation as always) and all the riders for showing some grit to take part.
It is one of my favourite sportives, so see you in 2013.

DCLane

I've just found this, having done the Brian Robinson on Sunday. It was certainly tough; very wet, cold and windy.

Apparently about 230 started - who were the fitter/madder ones. A lot didn't finish though or did only part of the ride.

I managed the whole route, but was shaking with cold at the end.

rodgers73

I met a bloke on Thursday who did this and came off on a descent - hit a barrier with his face and lost sight in one eye for 10 mins!

Don't like to hear stories like that - makes me worry about descending, even on a normal day.