My man size challenge for 2014

[47p2]

Now that I'm back cycling after a 25 year break from it I have decided it's time to set myself a challenge. The last few months have been great for getting myself fit and loosing some weight, but I fear that if I don't have something to aim for I may well loose the incentive to train throughout the winter months rendering all my efforts almost worthless.

So my challenge has to be a real man size challenge, something I can get my teeth into, something I will possibly not be able to achieve. Should I fail (which there is every possibility) I can at least say I tried.

Not sure if this link will work south of Hadrians wall but here is my challenge... Click


I'm looking to do this possibly late May or early June 2014, by then most of the snow will be gone and the weather should be a little kinder. Anyone wishing to tag along on this challenge is welcome, just make sure you are physically and mentally prepared for the torture that could be endured throughout the ride

[47p2]

Google Maps Link... Click

A total distance of around 91 miles and and the highest climb being 6 miles long and reaching a height of 2055 feet

[nammynake]

Can't view the video. Is this a Sportive of some type?

The Fred Whitton is a proper challenge - generally considered one of the toughest in the UK (ignoring those crazy long Audax things).

http://www.fredwhittonchallenge.org.uk

I've done it the last two years running. First time I'd only been cycling a year and got round pretty slowly with a bunch of mates, just happy to finish. The second time I was in much better shape and finished two and a half hours faster despite horrendous conditions.

Hardknott Pass after 100 miles is insanely tough, but with suitable gearing and determination you can just about get up without walking. The majority of riders take one look and say fk it!

Good luck if you enter!

[47p2]

There is a company who have put together a sportive of this route. I completed my first sportive in September a total of 111.8 miles and an elevation gain of 9388 feet. I'm not sure I would do that one again, to me it felt like everyone was out for a race rather than a day's cycling.

[anonymous-user]

Looks like its the sportive around Applecross taking in Bealach Mor which is a pretty beastly climb. Likened to an Alpine ascent because it has a few hairpin bends near the summit which really are steep. We stayed in Applecross last year and drove over it a few times, its actually harder from the West as its a shorter climb but even from the East its a bd. Wouldnt mind a crack at it though. Problem with sportives is its just one day, I'm starting to really get a desire to do a few hundred milers back to back but cant be arsed with the faff of LE-JOG.

[yellowjack]

Multi day challenge, you say? Back to back centuries (well, almost) you say?

Look no further than...

Spyder5 said:

I've signed up for both days - anyone else doing it?

http://www.london-revolution.com/

Spyder5 has a thread going on it here... http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... ...but it might be a bit London-centric for someone planning an Hadrian's Wall odyssey.

[anonymous-user]

I really liked the look of the tour of wessex which is three days, 335 miles (and only £105) but Spring 2014 isnt a good time for me so it will need to be later in the year. Might just do something off my own back, there are enough 100+ mile sportive routes around the Bristol area to go, north/east on day one then west into Wales and finally south over the mendips over three consecutive days.

[richardxjr]

pablo said:

I really liked the look of the tour of wessex which is three days, 335 miles (and only £105)

That doesn't even include camping from a quick glance. Is it me or do these organised sportives and rides look increasingly expensive? Outside of Audax of course which looks much better value. I'd sooner plan and ride my own route anyway, or with some mates, but then I am a tight unsociable bugger

[Silver940]

nammynake said:

Hardknott Pass after 100 miles is insanely tough, but with suitable gearing and determination you can just about get up without walking. The majority of riders take one look and say fk it!

I rode over that in August as part of a 35ish mile ride, can't imagine it with 100 miles in your legs!

[thepawbroon]

47p2 said:

Not sure if this link will work south of Hadrians wall but here is my challenge... Click

Funny you should bring this up.....

I watched that programme last night, one of my rally-driving pals is on it (he's the ginger talking about the Bealach as being "so big and it goes on and on and on and on"), and a handful of folk I know have competed on the Sportive in the past.

To summarise my thoughts - I'm too auld n fat to think about that for a couple more years, but maybe once I've done some warm-up events (e.g. Isle of Mull Sportive - http://www.mullcyclosportive.co.uk/Event.html ) I could consider it.

Good luck though - it does look amazing, and it's in a lovely part of the world. There's also a sportive around Oban which looks good: http://www.obansportive.co.uk/index.htm

cheers,

Edited by thepawbroon on Thursday 7th November 09:00

[GaryGlitter]

A group from my club rode this, and had some coverage on the programme (female faller on the level crossing!).

They are a mixed ability bunch, all enjoyed it and would ride it again.

[okgo]

pablo said:

I really liked the look of the tour of wessex which is three days, 335 miles (and only £105)

Drives me mad that this is seen as value. Sportives are the biggest swindle since time began

[anonymous-user]

okgo said:

pablo said:

I really liked the look of the tour of wessex which is three days, 335 miles (and only £105)

Drives me mad that this is seen as value. Sportives are the biggest swindle since time began

Buy a racing car and go sprinting then, four minutes of track time will set you back £120 in entry fees alone.

If AudaxUK started promoting themselves a bit more and stopped acting like a closed shop for those in the know they could massively capitalise on disgruntled ex-sportive entrants who want a bigger challenge for less outlay...

[okgo]

You don't need to pay someone to ride a bike round public roads for crying out loud, all they are giving you is a few gels, that vast majority don't close the road, they offer nothing above some other people to 'beat' and a few feed stops as I say.

[anonymous-user]

Quite agree, the road is still there 364 days of the year but sometimes it is nice to ride with other like-minded people at the same time and in different parts of the Country to where I live hence their popularity and whilst I appreciate that chaingangs and club rides are free, they are not to everyones taste. Some crit series are close to £20 per race to enter these days so personally I dont see the majority of sportives as being poor value for money, perhaps the big events with major backing are, ironically enough, the most expensive but local/charity ones arent that bad.

One advantage of sportives is the number who put the GPX file online so entrants can download them in advance, obviously non-entrants can also download them free of charge and create a library of good routes that use quiet roads to ride on a date that suits....

[DrMekon]

pablo said:

If AudaxUK started promoting themselves a bit more and stopped acting like a closed shop for those in the know they could massively capitalise on disgruntled ex-sportive entrants who want a bigger challenge for less outlay...

They are trying. Change is slow. Might be a big change of board members at the next AGM. Rumblings are that there's lots of money doing nothing in bank accounts, and the new blood wants to use it to promote good quality events. Slowly, things like Paypal entry, readily available maps and gpx files, decent start/finish controls, are starting to become more common.

nammynake said:

Hardknott Pass after 100 miles is insanely tough, but with suitable gearing and determination you can just about get up without walking. The majority of riders take one look and say fk it!

Good luck if you enter!

If you did the Pendle 600km audax, you went over Hardknott and Wrynose with >540km in your legs. Audaxing makes most things seem doable because the steps between distance are modest. If you can do 200km, you can do 300km, then 400, etc. It's no surprise to me that lots of people on the Transcontinental were audaxers.

Going up Hardknott
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kikCCWIq9Lw&fea...

[anonymous-user]

DrMekon said:

They are trying. Change is slow. Might be a big change of board members at the next AGM. Rumblings are that there's lots of money doing nothing in bank accounts, and the new blood wants to use it to promote good quality events. Slowly, things like Paypal entry, readily available maps and gpx files, decent start/finish controls, are starting to become more common.

looking forward to ticking off the distances in 2014!

[DrMekon]

pablo said:

looking forward to ticking off the distances in 2014!

Top man. Planning for PBP 2015? If so, I'll be very jealous. No matter how hard I intend to try, I just don't seem to be able to accrue the brownie points. Next year will be a struggle if the current attitude persists.

[Grandfondo]

pablo said:

Looks like its the sportive around Applecross taking in Bealach Mor which is a pretty beastly climb. Likened to an Alpine ascent because it has a few hairpin bends near the summit which really are steep. We stayed in Applecross last year and drove over it a few times, its actually harder from the West as its a shorter climb but even from the East its a bd. Wouldnt mind a crack at it though. Problem with sportives is its just one day, I'm starting to really get a desire to do a few hundred milers back to back but cant be arsed with the faff of LE-JOG.

It is, they do 2 one in May (Bealach meag 45miles) and one in September (Bealach mor 90miles) they are run by Handsonevents and the 6 mile climb up the Bealach Na Ba is closed road which is good because it's single track and quite busy with camper vans and caravans in the summer.

[Silver940]

DrMekon said:

If you did the Pendle 600km audax, you went over Hardknott and Wrynose with >540km in your legs. Audaxing makes most things seem doable because the steps between distance are modest. If you can do 200km, you can do 300km, then 400, etc. It's no surprise to me that lots of people on the Transcontinental were audaxers.

Going up Hardknott
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kikCCWIq9Lw&fea...

That video really doesn't show how steep that is!