Etape du Dales 2017 May 14th
ugo.santalucia
Posts: 28,253
Decided to do this again next year... fantastic course, great organisation and 4 real food stations, one of them in the iconic Tan Hill Inn, the highest pub in Britain... anybody else?
Registration opens on the 13th of November on the BC website
Registration opens on the 13th of November on the BC website
left the forum March 2023
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Might do - was planning to do the Struggle on 21st May which my mates are talking up as the toughest Yorkshire sportive - however, having done the EDD previously, I can't quite believe it is as tough as this (or even the Richmond 5 dales). Therefore by doing both, I'll be in a good condition to compare!0
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Most events claim to be the toughest... IMO it's the weather that decides... I did EdD 2015 in 9:15 and FWC 2016 in 7:58, very different days.
On a nice day, 3K of climbing is fun, on a bad day it's hell.
I think the FWC is more beautiful, but only 2 food stops means I have to carry half a fridge worth of food, while the EdD has 4 stops, which means I can travel lighterleft the forum March 20230 -
I did EdD this year in 7:58, beautiful day with very little wind - apparently the conditions last year were tough. The feeding stations are excellent; this was my first sportive and I've been quite disappointed by the feeding stations on a couple of smaller sportives I've done since.0
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How many people do this now - read that it didn't sell out last year ? I need something to aim for - normally that would be the Fred but of course I can't guarantee getting in to that so this could be an alternative - both events used to be regarded as pretty much on a par as the premier uk sportives not that long ago.[Castle Donington Ladies FC - going up in '22]0
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DeVlaeminck wrote:How many people do this now - read that it didn't sell out last year ? I need something to aim for - normally that would be the Fred but of course I can't guarantee getting in to that so this could be an alternative - both events used to be regarded as pretty much on a par as the premier uk sportives not that long ago.
In 2015 you could register on the day. Typically it takes 1000 entries and it does sell out towards the end, but they are flexible on numbers.
There should be places available after the FWC draw.
The other selling point are the descents... the FWC descents are pretty much all nerve racking and to be taken very slowly, while at the EdD you can fly down most, with the exception of a couple of them.
Food stops are twice as many end better stocked tooleft the forum March 20230 -
Its certainly a great event and as ugo rightly says, the weather makes a huge difference. The horizontal rain/sleet in 2011 sticks in my mind. I have never been as miserable....0
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FWC on 7 May, EdD on 14 May and The Struggle on 21 May would be quite a month...0
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Tempted by EDD but was hoping to get a spot in the FWChallenge and this one is a bit close being just a week away0
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Spoke to my riding buddy and we're keen depending on us getting enties into Ride London.
If we dont get on the latter we'll sign up for this.
Ugo, one upon a time you mentioned three rides which should be on everyones hit list. EDD, FW and AN Other... Which was the third as I cant remember?Advocate of disc brakes.0 -
homers double wrote:Spoke to my riding buddy and we're keen depending on us getting enties into Ride London.
If we dont get on the latter we'll sign up for this.
Ugo, one upon a time you mentioned three rides which should be on everyones hit list. EDD, FW and AN Other... Which was the third as I cant remember?
You should enter it regardless of RL100, completely different time of the year and completely different event.
UK wise, I think the Autumn Epic should be on everyone's bucket. If we look at Europe, then I would say the Roubaix Velo organised Paris-Roubaix which runs every other year and of course the Eroica in Tuscany if you are into period cycles.left the forum March 20230 -
It's fairly local to us, based about an hours drive away but family stuff dictates what can and can't be ridden.
Europewise, I'm thinking Maratona purely because I can combine it with a holiday at our place on Como.
I avoid period cycles if I can...Advocate of disc brakes.0 -
I did the Etape in 2015 & it the weather put pay to any hope of a decent time. Gale force winds in many places, including the whole of the climb up to the Tan Hill Inn feed station. I've never seen so many broken people so early into an event like this, & that climb probably remains the most demoralising time I've had on a bike yet. Still, its a fab event & a great route. I would say its as tough as The Fred Whitton, even without the weather. Ridden both routes twice & i'd happily do them again. Just hope for better weather.0
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nunowoolmez wrote:I did the Etape in 2015 & it the weather put pay to any hope of a decent time. Gale force winds in many places, including the whole of the climb up to the Tan Hill Inn feed station. I've never seen so many broken people so early into an event like this, & that climb probably remains the most demoralising time I've had on a bike yet. Still, its a fab event & a great route. I would say its as tough as The Fred Whitton, even without the weather. Ridden both routes twice & i'd happily do them again. Just hope for better weather.
I was there too... 9 hours 15...
It must have taken me an hour to climb tan hill... at that point I was pretty determined to reach the first train station and give up, but then the wind in the valleys turned out to be less ferocious and I managed to finish. What a day!left the forum March 20230 -
homers double wrote:It's fairly local to us, based about an hours drive away but family stuff dictates what can and can't be ridden.
Europewise, I'm thinking Maratona purely because I can combine it with a holiday at our place on Como.
I avoid period cycles if I can...
Just sneak out at 5 AM and you'll be back for a late sunday roast...
left the forum March 20230 -
I did the EDD in May this year, fantastic day out on the bike and some gruelling climbs. I'm a nervous descender so coming down some of the hills was a bit hair raising!!
Well organised, friendly bunch of cyclists and well stocked food stops.
When I dragged my weary body over the line back at Grassington RFC I had a real sense of achievement but vowed 'that's it, done it, not again' but I'm tempted to give it another go........
Oh and Ride London pales into insignificance challenge wise, Leith Hill and Box Hill would be just classed as bumps in the road compared to Fleet Moss, Buttertubs, The Coal Road and Lamps Moss.0 -
AndyK2479 wrote:I did the EDD in May this year, fantastic day out on the bike and some gruelling climbs. I'm a nervous descender so coming down some of the hills was a bit hair raising!! .
You might want to avoid the Fred Whitton then, as the descents are definitively scarier left the forum March 20230 -
ugo.santalucia wrote:AndyK2479 wrote:I did the EDD in May this year, fantastic day out on the bike and some gruelling climbs. I'm a nervous descender so coming down some of the hills was a bit hair raising!! .
You might want to avoid the Fred Whitton then, as the descents are definitively scarier
Yep, been told that!!! Always fancied entering the FWC but I'd be bag of nerves coming off the tops of the climbs there.0 -
AndyK2479 wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:AndyK2479 wrote:I did the EDD in May this year, fantastic day out on the bike and some gruelling climbs. I'm a nervous descender so coming down some of the hills was a bit hair raising!! .
You might want to avoid the Fred Whitton then, as the descents are definitively scarier
Yep, been told that!!! Always fancied entering the FWC but I'd be bag of nerves coming off the tops of the climbs there.
Yep, coming down Honister, Hardknott and Wrynose requires belief and nerves of steel. Kirkstone too can be dangerous if you don't control the speed. There is also a nasty corner coming down Newlands...left the forum March 20230 -
left the forum March 20230
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ugo.santalucia wrote:AndyK2479 wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:AndyK2479 wrote:I did the EDD in May this year, fantastic day out on the bike and some gruelling climbs. I'm a nervous descender so coming down some of the hills was a bit hair raising!! .
You might want to avoid the Fred Whitton then, as the descents are definitively scarier
Yep, been told that!!! Always fancied entering the FWC but I'd be bag of nerves coming off the tops of the climbs there.
Yep, coming down Honister, Hardknott and Wrynose requires belief and nerves of steel. Kirkstone too can be dangerous if you don't control the speed. There is also a nasty corner coming down Newlands...
The left hand steep one through the farm followed by the right hander as the descent bottoms out?0 -
dish_dash wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:AndyK2479 wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:AndyK2479 wrote:I did the EDD in May this year, fantastic day out on the bike and some gruelling climbs. I'm a nervous descender so coming down some of the hills was a bit hair raising!! .
You might want to avoid the Fred Whitton then, as the descents are definitively scarier
Yep, been told that!!! Always fancied entering the FWC but I'd be bag of nerves coming off the tops of the climbs there.
Yep, coming down Honister, Hardknott and Wrynose requires belief and nerves of steel. Kirkstone too can be dangerous if you don't control the speed. There is also a nasty corner coming down Newlands...
The left hand steep one through the farm followed by the right hander as the descent bottoms out?
Yep, that one.
You coming to the Etape du Dales?left the forum March 20230 -
ugo.santalucia wrote:dish_dash wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:AndyK2479 wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:AndyK2479 wrote:I did the EDD in May this year, fantastic day out on the bike and some gruelling climbs. I'm a nervous descender so coming down some of the hills was a bit hair raising!! .
You might want to avoid the Fred Whitton then, as the descents are definitively scarier
Yep, been told that!!! Always fancied entering the FWC but I'd be bag of nerves coming off the tops of the climbs there.
Yep, coming down Honister, Hardknott and Wrynose requires belief and nerves of steel. Kirkstone too can be dangerous if you don't control the speed. There is also a nasty corner coming down Newlands...
The left hand steep one through the farm followed by the right hander as the descent bottoms out?
Yep, that one.
You coming to the Etape du Dales?
I'm working on it... already booked on to Wessex, Dartmoor, and the C2C in a day so depends whether I can convince the other half to ride this one as well...
Does it sell out quickly or do I have some time?0 -
dish_dash wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:dish_dash wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:AndyK2479 wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:AndyK2479 wrote:I did the EDD in May this year, fantastic day out on the bike and some gruelling climbs. I'm a nervous descender so coming down some of the hills was a bit hair raising!! .
You might want to avoid the Fred Whitton then, as the descents are definitively scarier
Yep, been told that!!! Always fancied entering the FWC but I'd be bag of nerves coming off the tops of the climbs there.
Yep, coming down Honister, Hardknott and Wrynose requires belief and nerves of steel. Kirkstone too can be dangerous if you don't control the speed. There is also a nasty corner coming down Newlands...
The left hand steep one through the farm followed by the right hander as the descent bottoms out?
Yep, that one.
You coming to the Etape du Dales?
I'm working on it... already booked on to Wessex, Dartmoor, and the C2C in a day so depends whether I can convince the other half to ride this one as well...
Does it sell out quickly or do I have some time?
I think you have time.left the forum March 20230 -
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ugo.santalucia wrote:dish_dash wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:dish_dash wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:AndyK2479 wrote:ugo.santalucia wrote:AndyK2479 wrote:I did the EDD in May this year, fantastic day out on the bike and some gruelling climbs. I'm a nervous descender so coming down some of the hills was a bit hair raising!! .
You might want to avoid the Fred Whitton then, as the descents are definitively scarier
Yep, been told that!!! Always fancied entering the FWC but I'd be bag of nerves coming off the tops of the climbs there.
Yep, coming down Honister, Hardknott and Wrynose requires belief and nerves of steel. Kirkstone too can be dangerous if you don't control the speed. There is also a nasty corner coming down Newlands...
The left hand steep one through the farm followed by the right hander as the descent bottoms out?
Yep, that one.
You coming to the Etape du Dales?
I'm working on it... already booked on to Wessex, Dartmoor, and the C2C in a day so depends whether I can convince the other half to ride this one as well...
Does it sell out quickly or do I have some time?
I think you have time.
She went for it. We're booked. See you there!0 -
I'm doing this on my fixed wheel. Fun times. Yes Ibbo, different name on here 0
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Hinaultscrapcousin wrote:I'm doing this on my fixed wheel. Fun times. Yes Ibbo, different name on here
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Hinaultscrapcousin wrote:I'm doing this on my fixed wheel. Fun times. Yes Ibbo, different name on here
Have you done it before?
You'll have to walk up some climbs, but more importantly it's the descents you'll find it tough on fixed.
Send an email to the organisers, they are not overly keen on people doing weird things, but they might be OK with a fixedleft the forum March 20230 -
He's done the Riseabove Sportive in North Wales twice on a Fixedugo.santalucia wrote:Hinaultscrapcousin wrote:I'm doing this on my fixed wheel. Fun times. Yes Ibbo, different name on here
Have you done it before?
You'll have to walk up some climbs, but more importantly it's the descents you'll find it tough on fixed.
Send an email to the organisers, they are not overly keen on people doing weird things, but they might be OK with a fixed
Some big climbs and descents there!
Having seen him in action I think he'll be OK!0
