Bollington Bikefest 16th September

nohills123

Peak Cyclesport, organiser of the award-winning three shires sportive, the Peak 100 and the Macc Monster, has partnered with Adelphi Group of Bollington to bring a bike ride extravaganza to suit all ability levels. The event will be held on the 16th September and will include a 75 mile ride the Grimshaw Grueller including plenty of hills, a 40 mile ride which follows the first half of the Grimshaw Grueller and a 20 kilometre route on the Middlewood Way disused railway line. The event is in aid of local charities. Please register at http://www.bollingtonbikefest.com

Rides

I live locally and am really pleased to hear of a sportive taking in this amazing countryside. Some incredible scenery and much loved hills that I'm sure will be packed into the 75 miler option. Looking forward to it!

Chrisjloxton

Looking forward to this. Some great routes on varied terrain with stunning scenery.

rdt

Medical writers of the world unite.

3Shires

We've designed a slightly easier route than the Macc Monster, which was very full-on from start to finish. All riders do the Bolly Bash element (43 miles of rolling Cheshire lanes and Peak foothills), the Grimshaw Grueller then does a 33 mile add on - very full on! Climbs include Blaze Hill at the back of Bollington, short but feared, Windgather Rocks, a favourite climb even better now the rough sections have been resurfaced, Goyt Valley, Flash, Axe Edge and a few other local favourites.

Also, soon on the website www.bollingtonbikefest.com, there'll be a video of a group of us out on the course, including a white knuckle descent of the Cat n'Fiddle road in the wet.

wardy14

Me too - i often cycle around Bollington and all those hills are good fun. I am looking forward to it and will definitely be taking part - just not sure if i can face Blaze Hill again!

nohills123

Blaze Hill is definately the hardest climb. Althought Grimshaw Lane after the feedstation will be difficult!

drdaveyb

I love the look of that Grimshaw Grueller route - all my favourite local hills in that one - should be a good challenge following a spin out round Cheshire.

kayo74

Can you register on-line for this one yet,rather than by post?

Cleat Eastwood

do you have to have a number in your user name to post on here?

this is on the same day as the Kilotogo Lancashire Hotpot which doesnt have a 'cobbled together' feeling like this here bollington thing.

rdt

drdaveyb wrote:

I love the look of that Grimshaw Grueller route - all my favourite local hills in that one - should be a good challenge following a spin out round Cheshire.

Alternatively..... the GG-add-on section is pretty unimaginative IMV. And I really don't like that Macc Road section from the top of Blaze Hill to Kettleshulme - with all the quiet lanes around, why choose a narrow, fast bit of main road to route along? The Windgather climb is already in the same organiser's Macc Monster event; they could instead have routed from Blaze Hill to Pym Chair via Pike Rd, giving riders the Jenkin Chapel climb, etc.

I'd considered riding this event but the disappointing route rules it out for me. Each to their own, of course!

3Shires

re posting by rdt

section from Blaze Hill to Kettleshulme.
It's not a main road! It's the B5470, with very light traffic flows. It's not narrow! The carriageway is defined by central markings, either solid or dotted white, for the entire section. I personally love this section of road, turn left at the top of Blaze hill, downhill past the Highwayman, swooping round the fast bends, slight rise to the Col at the top of the Brickworks, slight pause for the amazing vista across Derbyshire at the top, with Kettleshulme village a mere pinprick way below, then an amazing descent of Charleshead, with a series of swooping left and right bends and an alpine-esque hairpin to boot! The only negative is that the entire section of road is all over in less than 8 minutes, before arriving at the village of Kettleshulme.

Again, and like yours it's a personal opinion, I don't like Pyms Chair, rising from Jenkins Chapel. It's very steep, painfully so, just a real leg-snapping grind. I much prefer the more gradual but equally-long Windgather Rocks climb, which emerges at the same summit as Pyms Chair.

And for the record, I set and risk assessed the route for the Macc Monster in 2010 but am in no way shape or form involved with the Macc Monster this year. KidsCan are using my route and feedstation from 2010 for their event but that's where it ends. KidsCan have great experience of event organisation and are a nice and friendly bunch but I've run my past sportives from a cyclists' perspective and this perspective was in conflict with that of KidsCan. KidScan were due to be a financial beneficiary of the Bollington Bikefest and were going to help me with a feedstation, and were going to run the Macc Monster next spring rather than now, but clearly now have a change of plan!

re comment from another forum user about 'cobbled together'

There's been a huge amount of work gone into the event, from route setting to risk assessment, organising a suitable start/finish with ample car parking and toilets/ changing facilities, organising the 2 feed stations, developing marketing material including a website, etc etc and believe me there are a lot of etceteras. We stopped as far as having an online entry, it's by post, e-mail or in person at the shop. I personally have organised the 3 Shires, the orginal PEAK 100 and Macc Monster, all with great write-ups in Cycling Weekly, have helped Geoff at Kilotogo with tech support at two of the Cheshire Cat events, done tech support at the Etape du Tour, ridden loads of sportives including the Marmotte - twice. I hope I know what it takes to run a successful sportive.

rdt

3Shires wrote:

re posting by rdt

section from Blaze Hill to Kettleshulme.
It's not a main road! It's the B5470, with very light traffic flows. It's not narrow!

It's a road I drive along very frequently, forming as it does the arterial route for A6 traffic in the Disley/Newtown/Chapel/Whaley region to get over to Macc and vice versa.

On my bike, however, I specifically avoid this stretch of road, as I consider it one of the riskiest stretches of road in my area to cycle, with cars regularly doing 70+ along the undulating, narrow straight section past Harrop House Farm. I'm very well aware that plenty of others are happy to ride it, though, as it's frequently busy with cyclists. Each to their own indeed, there's no right or wrong about it; I know these roads well, and that's the judgement I've formed.

3Shires wrote:

Again, and like yours it's a personal opinion, I don't like Pyms Chair, rising from Jenkins Chapel. It's very steep, painfully so, just a real leg-snapping grind.

Ha ha, I think it's one of the best climbs in the area, always a nice challenge, and ride it lots!

nohills123

Having done Pyms Chair slowly many times training for the Fred Whitton I am glad the route avoids this bit of road. I think Grimshaw Lane and Blaze Hill will set up the second loop given the flatter nature of the Bolly Bash first loop.

negativelycra

Looking forwards to joining you all for the bash, did blaze hill 2 weeks ago and it killed me, although it wasn't as cripplingly bad as the steep one between the resivoir and the cat and fiddle road.
Maybe next year tough

kayo74

Anyone got any info on this yet via post or email?.

negativelycra

Got the email today, looking forward to it.

No idea if its of any use, but I mapped both routes to get elevation - links:

http://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_2308395.html
http://gb.mapometer.com/cycling/route_2308488.html

Just click "show altitude" to see the hills! Edit - click "show altitude" then "refresh" for the grueller, I must have saved it wrong.


Fair play to you lot doing 70 miles / 5400 feet climbing, I'm not strong enough for that yet, will have to rule 5 it by this time next year!

negativelycra

Good luck for tomorrow everyone, come say hi if you spot me - i'll be the nervous looking chap on the mtb with green wheels!

negativelycra

Really enjoyed that, despite it huring like a bastard. I left in the morning with the ambition of doing the "40", then maybe taking on blaze hill / cat and fiddle and coming home. Got to the 45mile burger, and decided that descretion was the beter form of valour - i was knackered!
My route home is 8 ish miles from the start, got part way along that and thought I'd attack a hill, failed utterly. Good job I bailed when I did, I'm just not bike fit enough.
Was nice to meet a bunch of other riders, and hi to the friendly BR regular that came and said hello
Graham
PS - I'm now deffo getting a road bike, I guess you guys win!

kayo74

Really enjoyed the day could of done with setting off earlier only having to wait around for an hour to get going. Good steady 40 miler to start with then went on to do the next stage great route although tough completed in 5hrs 30 so very pleased with that 5,800ft of climbing!!!. Plus the weather held until I finished bonus!!!

Big shout out to the guy I spoke to who done it on the mountain bike with green wheels....respect!!

3Shires

Just a thanks to all who supported the event and for all your e-mails, we hope to be back next year, bigger and better!
We had 300 riders over the various route options and raised well over £4,000 net for a local charity, East Cheshire Hospice. A lot of hard work by the co-organisers and incredible generousity from a number of local businesses. Rider photos, rider times and a link to a Facebook / just giving page for riders to purchase pics of themselves will be on the website shortly. Thanks again to all.