England : North Yorkshire Etape du Dales 17 May 2015

[DCLane]

Someone let me know entries for this are now open: http://www.daveraynerfund.co.uk/etapedudales/ entry frr £49

So I'm entered I did it last year and liked it, despite the Coal Road causing issues! It goes past my parents' house so I can stop for a cuppa.

"With a height gain equivalent to a Tour mountain stage the Etape du Dales figures on most riders list of “must do rides”, even if only once! So, why not come and experience some of the challenging roads used in the 2014 Tour de France!

Covering 112 miles in the Yorkshire Dales the Etape du Dales sportive starts and finishes in Threshfield near Grassington.

Please do not treat your entry lightly, remember to respect the challenge. The Etape du Dales route is an extremely difficult ride and requires an excellent level of fitness. It takes in the major climbs in the Yorkshire Dales and that means steep and technical descents as well. The course has good signage but you should be aware of the route and terrain.

Make sure you have adequate clothing and your equipment is in perfect order, a bottom gear of 39 x 25-28 minimum is recommended. Please be prepared for multiple punctures on such a ride. Safety is our priority and so tri-bars are not permitted and approved cycle helmets are compulsory."

 

[Kbrook]

I fancy this but the £49 is putting me off. Led to believe there was a distinct lack of food at the feed stations last year. Not sure it needs to be so expensive, that said, it will be sold out .

 

[ColinJ]

It's a good hard route, but £49 would put me off too!

I aim to do a Dales forum ride from Settle in the summer covering some of the same roads and it will only cost me what I spend in cafes on the day, more like £6-9.

 

[Kbrook]

That's more sort of price Colin. Make sure to include the hill out of Settle to Airton, left turn then up the Cove Road at Malham. Don't think the Etape does either of those two climbs, but does plenty of others though.

 

[ColinJ]

That's more sort of price Colin. Make sure to include the hill out of Settle to Airton, left turn then up the Cove Road at Malham. Don't think the Etape does either of those two climbs, but does plenty of others though.

Last time, we headed over to Ingleton, then up Kingsdale and down Deepdale to Dent. I warned everybody about the descent of Deepdale and we got down it ok, but I was shocked to read that a female cyclist was killed when she crashed on it a couple of weeks later. There are steep descents all over the place up there so it would be hard to avoid them all but still ride to the nicest places.

It would be a bit brutal starting off up one of those steep climbs from Settle!

 

[zacklaws]

The price puts me off too, I could do a lot of things with £49 which would be more benificial than a single bike ride, but the week before, I have the Wiggy "300" and the week after, "The Old 240", so that weekend would have been classed as a rest weekend anyway, even if it was only a "fiver" to enter.

But, I am hoping, "The Grimpeur de Dales" is on this year which looks more of a challenge, longer and hillier, and far better priced, missed it last year because of another function, but if it fits in with my plans, I'll be doing it;

 

[DCLane]

@zacklaws - true but this ride, compared to the Etape Caledonia/Cymru/Pennines which makes profit for a media company, is run to raise funds to support developing riders under the Dave Rayner Fund. To me that makes it worthwhile.