High Moors Sportive 2013

nunowoolmez
nunowoolmez Posts: 867
edited June 2013 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
Anyone doing this?

http://www.highterrainevents.co.uk/9.html

Looks a great ride. Not very well known it seems. Anyone done it before, there are some good reports on it on here in past threads. Limited to 300 so i might get my entry in soon! Long way to drive from London though which is the only thing.

A

Comments

  • wallace_and_gromit
    wallace_and_gromit Posts: 3,638
    I did this two years ago. Superb route and masses of cakes at the feedstations. V hard due to strong wind at altitude (ie all the route!) and lashing rain. Well worth a punt if you can put up with the travelling.
  • nunowoolmez
    nunowoolmez Posts: 867
    Hmmm, strong wind & lashing rain. Not really selling it to me there! :)

    But seriously it does sound a good course & the wind will be good extra training for me. Long distance from home so i will give it some thought.
  • wallace_and_gromit
    wallace_and_gromit Posts: 3,638
    The Marmotte, 2 weeks later, was a breeze in comparison to the High Moors Sportive - or the Tour de Cakes as we still refer to it!

    It's in a very remote part of the world, and the weather in 2011 kept the entry down to the stupidest of the stupid. At one point, I went 40k where the only other living creatures I saw had hooves or beaks. Thankfully it wasn't the Forest of Dean, so there was nothing with both!

    I'm sure the weather will be glorious this year...
  • issacforce
    issacforce Posts: 112
    its like every other cycling event, you book and pay early and hope you get good weather, i live in northeast and climbed most of the hills and some are challenge, especially chapel fell, but the scenery is fantastic,plus if you get decent weather you,ll love it :lol:
  • durhamwasp
    durhamwasp Posts: 1,247
    That looks superb! I do most of those climbs on a regular basis, but not in the same day! That is some serious effort and MUST be more than 3,170m of ascent! Bollihope, Crawleyside, Harthope Head/Chapel Fell and Hartside! Quality
    http://www.snookcycling.wordpress.com - Reports on Cingles du Mont Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Tourmalet, Paris-Roubaix Sportive & Tour of Flanders Sportive, Amstel Gold Xperience, Vosges, C2C, WOTR routes....
  • Rich.H
    Rich.H Posts: 443
    This will be my last UK event before the Maratona. I'm hoping for decent weather as I know last year it was pretty poor!

    Rich
  • durhamwasp
    durhamwasp Posts: 1,247
    the 2012 album i viewed on facebook looked like decent weather?
    http://www.snookcycling.wordpress.com - Reports on Cingles du Mont Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Tourmalet, Paris-Roubaix Sportive & Tour of Flanders Sportive, Amstel Gold Xperience, Vosges, C2C, WOTR routes....
  • Rich.H
    Rich.H Posts: 443
    durhamwasp wrote:
    the 2012 album i viewed on facebook looked like decent weather?

    My mistake, I am thinking of 2011 (as others have said). A mate of mine took part and said it was epic!
  • wallace_and_gromit
    wallace_and_gromit Posts: 3,638
    durhamwasp wrote:
    That looks superb! I do most of those climbs on a regular basis, but not in the same day! That is some serious effort and MUST be more than 3,170m of ascent! Bollihope, Crawleyside, Harthope Head/Chapel Fell and Hartside! Quality

    Hartside remains the scene of my grimmest moment in cycling...

    There was a howling gale blowing, and we were cycling straight into it. It was all I could do to keep the wheels spinning and 7kmh represented good progress. I was overtaken by a hiker at one point! Despite this, I was actually gaining slightly on the riders in front.

    I was also suffering back problems from the grinding into the wind so stopped to loosen off and have a gel. Unfortunately, my hands were completely numb from the rain/cold/wind, and I dropped my two gels on the floor. One was a caffeinated raspberry job, the other a normal apple on. I really wanted the caffeine one, but with disfunctional hands, I just could not pick it up, so had to eat the apple one instead. If giving up at that point hadn't meant certain death from hypothermia, I would have given up!

    It was a great event though, so long as you believe that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Finishing that day represents the best achievement of my cycling career. I still feel sorry for my mate, as he got lost and did an extra 15k / 150m of ascent!
  • nunowoolmez
    nunowoolmez Posts: 867
    Ok, i'm gonna sign up. I love a good battle on the bike! According to google, the travelling distance is just under the distance i drove up to do the Fred Whitton last year. Looking foward to it already!
  • issacforce
    issacforce Posts: 112
    Am gutted jst checked my work rota, and am on day shift foo bah will jst hav to climb them wen im off all on my lonesome,
  • durhamwasp
    durhamwasp Posts: 1,247
    http://www.northpenninescycling.co.uk/e ... nnines.htm

    Great website for routes in that area. The one called "North Pennine Challenge" is the hardest ride ive ever done.
    http://www.snookcycling.wordpress.com - Reports on Cingles du Mont Ventoux, Alpe D'Huez, Galibier, Izoard, Tourmalet, Paris-Roubaix Sportive & Tour of Flanders Sportive, Amstel Gold Xperience, Vosges, C2C, WOTR routes....
  • rodgers73
    rodgers73 Posts: 2,626
    This looks fantastic. Very jealous of those of you taking part!
  • rodgers73
    rodgers73 Posts: 2,626
    This looks fantastic. Very jealous of those of you taking part!
  • issacforce
    issacforce Posts: 112
    Cheers wasp man will check it out love climbing but it does,nt like me but get there in end
  • Brian B
    Brian B Posts: 2,071
    Its a great route and quite hard. I saw the weather for 2011 and wimped out but done it on my own several weeks later.

    I am going to go for the sportive again this year but reserve the right not to go if the weather is horrendous. A few showers are okay but sportives aren't just about the challenge for me as I like to see some nice views also. Had some pretty terrible events over the years due to inclement weather and 5-6hours in the rain with no views.
    Brian B.
  • nunowoolmez
    nunowoolmez Posts: 867
    This is nearly upon us now. Anyone doing this? I live in London so will keep a very close eye on the forecasts, if it looks like it will be poor, i probably won't go. Might sound lame but what it the point in driving all that way to do a 7hr ride in rubbish weather? Hoping it will be ok anyway.
  • wallace_and_gromit
    wallace_and_gromit Posts: 3,638
    nunowoolmez wrote:
    Might sound lame but what it the point in driving all that way to do a 7hr ride in rubbish weather?

    So you can hit people with the "Of course, it wasn't as tough as it was for us in the High Moors Sportive" when they tune up with their own war stories!

    My mate and I who did it talk about the 2011 running far more than any other event we've done together, including when we shed our Marmotte virginity three weeks later.

    You really need to have cycled 40k in the horizontal rain having seen no living creatures that didn't have hooves or beaks before you can say you've lived!

    Hope the weather is good and that you have a good ride if so. It is truly epic as an event.
  • Brian B
    Brian B Posts: 2,071
    I am going to do this event and the weather for Sunday looks the best over the next few days
    Brian B.
  • tonyscp
    tonyscp Posts: 111
    Wow, what a ride- this really is God's own cycling country. Amazing scenery and almost traffic free for most of the route. The climbs were quite varied and mostly really enjoyable - apart from Harthope Moss which is absolutely brutal. The descent off Hartside is the closest I've come to an Alpine style descent in England - a great way to finish off the ride. Many thanks to the organisers who were enthusiastic and supportive at all times. This really is a must do ride if you haven't done it before.

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