England : Lancashire Ronde van oost Lancashire, Sat 30th March 2013

[DCLane]

An 'informal' sportive which takes place in Lancashire/West Yorkshire: http://crossjunkie.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/ronde-route-description.html which doesn't seem to have an entry fee

Last year's thread is here: http://www.cyclechat.net/threads/ronde-van-oost-lancashire-31st-march-2012.96916/

This year's is Saturday 30th March and I'm hoping to be available.

 

[ColinJ]

Watch out riding up through Heptonstall this year - Lee Wood Road (the 'Heptonstall bypass') is closed to traffic due to a collapsed retaining wall so all local traffic is having to go through the village and is causing problems at times.

If I remember, I'll go and stand halfway up The Buttress and take some pictures of the riders going up it!

 

[PaulB]

It passes close to my humble abode so I feel almost compelled to do it. I know that route very well but avoid the cobbled sections wherever possible but when someone sets a challenge like that.....

 

[Garz]

OMG it goes into Hebden.. I knew there would be a killer hill involved when I scanned that!

 

[ColinJ]

OMG it goes into Hebden.. I knew there would be a killer hill involved when I scanned that!

Enjoy!

 

[Garz]

Enjoy!

Holy delayed thread reply Colin! Must be the fasting...

 

[ColinJ]

Holy delayed thread reply Colin! Must be the fasting...

It must be the slowing!

(I saw your post but I'd planned to video a walk up The Buttress so I was waiting to do that before I replied.)

 

[Garz]

It must be the slowing!

(I saw your post but I'd planned to video a walk up The Buttress so I was waiting to do that before I replied.)

I would expect the hebden mountain goats to be able to up!

 

[ColinJ]

I would expect the hebden mountain goats to be able to up!

Most of them probably still have fully working hearts, lungs and legs though! (Mine are still only working at about 30% of their former effectiveness. )

I set off up the 30% section and immediately got short of breath, so I had to slow to a gentle stroll rather than my normal brisk walking pace.

 

[Garz]

Sounds like a solid section to cycle up then Colin.

 

[ColinJ]

Sounds like a solid section to cycle up then Colin.

I would recommend getting some speed up before hitting the bottom bit. Mind you, it is so steep that I reckon that speed would be stripped away in just a few metres! It would be tempting to try and use brute force to power your way up but if your legs go then you've had it. I would stick it in my granny gear and try to spin my way up.

 

[ColinJ]

For some strange reason, I thought it was today!

Anyway, I took another hard look at that first section - it's tough!

I think you'd have to be very fit and also fairly skilled to ride all the way up using standard road gearing.

 

[DCLane]

Hmmmm - don't have a granny gear - I've got 30x28 at the moment and that'd have to be enough to get me up.

 

[ColinJ]

Hmmmm - don't have a granny gear - I've got 30x28 at the moment and that'd have to be enough to get me up.

I would describe that as a granny gear! I was thinking of people struggling in gears such as 39x27 or 34x25.

Just before I got ill, I had given way to obesity and lack of riding and fitted a 26x28 granny gear to my Basso! Typical that I hardly got any use out of it. Assuming that I eventually make a full recovery, I will be so much lighter that I will not have much need for it. Health-permitting, I will have a go at The Buttress using the 26 ring before putting a 30 back on.

 

[DCLane]

Having had the Cheshire Cat cancelled last week, if the snow lifts I'm hoping to do this.

Edit, it's been cancelled: http://crossjunkie.blogspot.co.uk/

Thanks for their quick response though.