Peter Armstrong
Über Member
I set a goal of 20:00 on Cragg Vale V9916 course TT. Join me and set your own goal: http://www.strava.com/goals/segment/80060 that's my goal, dunno if it's the same section or not
My 20 minute Cragg Vale hill climb challenge
- Thread starter ColinJ
- Start date
Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.
oldfatfool
Guru
The time I quoted was from the sign to the res.
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Yes, that is it.
I have never used Strava. I might take a look at it later.
You would probably be able to take 1.5-2.0 minutes off that then.
Just to be an awkward pedant, the HC course actually starts (or at least it did when I cycled past last autumn, and the line is still on the road) a little earlier at the telegraph post next to the 'Townson Thornber' sign. Regarding a post further above, I think the HC course and the painted lines end at the same place, opposite the reservoir road.
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Yes, you are right - that will teach me not to check with Street View! I just checked that it was not starting from the sign in Mytholmroyd, and assumed that they had the start right.
They have the end right, which is where you say it is. Street View does not currently show the line which is now painted across the road.
Rob3rt
Man or Moose!
- Location
- Manchester
That is the TT course yeah, it is slightly shorter than the full climb so as to avoid the bus stop at the bottom and to avoid people flying past the finish into potential traffic at the top.
I recon I can do sub-17 when not riding into a 20mph headwind all the way up and being unable to see anything other than the road markings a few feet ahead, never mind where the finish is because of an insane downpour, lol! Then again, I like racing in difficult conditions, I think I have both a physical and mental advantage in such situations, especially if the conditions make the course take longer than normal (I didn't like the crazy tailwind in the National HC up the Stang as it made the duration too short to play to my advantage).
Last edited:
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
It was lovely up here today so I decided to have another go and see how I am doing.
It was my first ride this year without overshoes on, and I swapped a short-sleeved jersey for the long-sleeved one I have been wearing for rides since November.
There were nice warm conditions, and it was forecast not to be too windy.
I think I set off a bit too fast and hit the halfway point (bus turning area) in 13-20. I thought I might take a minute and a half off my previous best but I was tiring on the moor and the cross/headwind was a little stronger than I'd expected (still only about 8 kph/5 mph though).
So, when I crossed the line ... I had beaten my previous time by 38 seconds!
Update on my Cragg Vale HC times:
I am pleased that I am taking big chunks off the time since there is a long way to go before I have any hope of getting close to my 20 minute target.
It was my first ride this year without overshoes on, and I swapped a short-sleeved jersey for the long-sleeved one I have been wearing for rides since November.
There were nice warm conditions, and it was forecast not to be too windy.
I think I set off a bit too fast and hit the halfway point (bus turning area) in 13-20. I thought I might take a minute and a half off my previous best but I was tiring on the moor and the cross/headwind was a little stronger than I'd expected (still only about 8 kph/5 mph though).
So, when I crossed the line ... I had beaten my previous time by 38 seconds!
Update on my Cragg Vale HC times:
- 19/05/13: 39:15 [Finished first Warfarin treatment regime but already reclotting!]
- 25/10/13: 35:15 [8-10 kph cross/headwind]
- 04/11/13: 34:26 [ ditto ]
- 10/11/13: 32:19 [ ditto ]
- 25/11/13: 31:19 [5-7 kph cross/headwind]
- 11/12/13: 31:11 [8-15 kph cross/headwind; chilly]
- 28/02/14: 29:49 [5-8 kph cross/headwind; chilly]
- 09/03/14: 29:11 [5-8 kph cross/headwind; warm] YAY!!!
I am pleased that I am taking big chunks off the time since there is a long way to go before I have any hope of getting close to my 20 minute target.
Archie_tect
De Skieven Architek... aka Penfold + Horace
- Location
- Northumberland
Just a thought- do GPS systems measure horizontal map distances as distance travelled as opposed to bike computers which measure actual distance travelled by the turn of the wheels, because a 20 degree incline is considerably further than the GPS mapping distance...
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I imagine that they do the same thing as maps, which is to measure the horizontal distance.
That's an interesting point though ... I have never had a bike computer and GPS on the same bike at the same time to compare them. I do compare the GPS odometer readings with plots of my routes on OS maps and they come out very close, certainly not different enough to bother me! (I don't care if I have done 99.6 km or 100.4 km when I think I have done 100 exactly.)
Peter Armstrong
Über Member
My attempt at weekend was 25:03, not as bad as it seems though, this was on the wrong end of a hard 40 mile catch up as a small group of us set off 15 mins late on a club ride, along with a head wind all the way up.
Steve H
Large Member
- Location
- Brighouse in West Yorkshire
- 09/03/14: 29:11 [5-8 kph cross/headwind; warm] YAY!!!
That's an awesome result Colin. Looks like your diet and training is really beginning to pay off. I'm feeling inspired - think I'll give this climb another go later this week. Haven't been up for quite a few weeks now.
Peter Armstrong
Über Member
Time did you go up on sunday colin, Mite have seen you
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
I can maybe lose (say) 1 m 11 s with more weight loss, using my lighter bike, and carrying less with me. That would be 28 minutes.
If I got a freak day with no wind whatsoever, that might save me another couple of minutes, so that would be 26 minutes.
Finding the other 6 minutes to hit my 20 minute target is going to be very hard work, but a challenge isn't a challenge if it isn't, er, challenging!
TBH ... Given all that has happened over the past couple of years, and the fact that I am now 58 years old, if I can even get down to my all-time record of 23.5 minutes for the full, extended HC ('sign-to-sign') then I would be chuffed. That would be about 22 minutes on the HC course.
If it was you, then you would have passed 2 female cyclists 3 or 4 minutes back down the hill.
I was on my blue Basso, and wearing 3/4 length bibtights, a lightweight gilet over a yellow jersey.
If I got a freak day with no wind whatsoever, that might save me another couple of minutes, so that would be 26 minutes.
Finding the other 6 minutes to hit my 20 minute target is going to be very hard work, but a challenge isn't a challenge if it isn't, er, challenging!
TBH ... Given all that has happened over the past couple of years, and the fact that I am now 58 years old, if I can even get down to my all-time record of 23.5 minutes for the full, extended HC ('sign-to-sign') then I would be chuffed. That would be about 22 minutes on the HC course.
Ah, 2 men did go past me on the way up. The slower one turned off to the left by the farm. The other one said hello as he went by and quickly pulled away from me! It would have been about 3:45 - 4:00 pm, or maybe a little earlier. I remember looking at the clock before I set off and it was 3:15, but I messed about pumping up tyres etc. so it could have been 3:30 by the time I set off and it took me about 25 minutes to get to where I was passed.
If it was you, then you would have passed 2 female cyclists 3 or 4 minutes back down the hill.
I was on my blue Basso, and wearing 3/4 length bibtights, a lightweight gilet over a yellow jersey.
Peter Armstrong
Über Member
Thankx for all that infomation but I went up around 12:00 so no way near, passed about 4 or 5 people at various places along the way tho, just wondering.
OP
OP
ColinJ
Puzzle game procrastinator!
- Location
- Todmorden - Yorks/Lancs border
Yes, there are certainly lots of people riding up there these days. The Wiggins/Froome effect has definitely been important, and the Yorkshire start to this year's TdF is already kicking in!
I reckon by the end of the summer we could have about double the number of cyclists in the UK that we had about 5 years ago.
