NorthernDave
Never used Über Member
- Location
- The real Northern Powerhouse
A big day yesterday, so hopefully you'll forgive me for being a day late with this report?
We rode the 'Epic' course at the Wiggle Vale Vélo, so it was up early to get to York for registration at 7:15 - and fun and games as I was directed to park under a tree with low hanging branches. The lad directing traffic kept waving me forward, I stayed where I was and pointed at the bike on the roof...after a moment the penny dropped and I was told to stay where I was.
Anyway, that all done and after completing registration we were off to the start and into a chilly but bright Yorkshire morning, heading out of Murton up towards Stockton on the Forest, the Upper Helmsley and Sand Hutton, before dropping down to Stamford Bridge to cross the River Derwent.
Quite a group of cyclists were gathered at the traffic lights on the bridge and of course one who'd had to squeeze into the middle to be near their mates set off in a ridiculously tall gear and couldn't get clipped in so was wobbling all over the place and nearly took a couple of people off. Anyway, disaster averted it was through the village and off through Fangfoss and Bolton (the Yorkshire one) with a bit of a headwind, before skirting the top of Pocklington and heading back out into the countryside for the climb up Great Givendale, the first big hill of the day. I was riding the Pro Carbon and while the higher gearing (compared to the Road Comp) had been great on the flattish terrain so far, I really felt it as we started four miles of continuous climbing.
Eventually we reached the top and the course separated, with us Epic riders turning east and after a little lumpiness along the tops, we were rewarded for all the climbing with lots of steady descending, broken by the first feed station at Huggate. Fed and water bottles topped up we were soon back on our way with more lumpiness but general descending to North Dalton, where shortly afterwards we turned north through Tibthorpe and then Wetwang, with a quick wiggle through the village and continuing north for a deceptive but stiff climb.
By this point the sun was out and it was getting rather warm, so a quick stop to take our jackets off and we continued to Sledmere where the course split again and we continued heading east through Cowlam on a lovely quiet road, eventually dropping down into Rudston, before being directed north once more - at this point we were just 6 miles from Bridlington and while it was tempting to carry on to the seaside, we had a ride to complete so it was off to Burton Fleming and feed station number 2.
A welcome break for more flapjack and the chance for a few stretches and it was time to turn back west and start heading back to York.
Unfortunately this also meant we now had a headwind to content with, as the wind had kindly changed direction from earlier...
It was nothing too horrendous, but just enough to make sure that you knew it was there all the time through Wold Newton, Foxholes, Butterwick, Weaverthorpe, Helperthorpe, East and then West Lutton, Kirkby Grindalythe, Dugglethorpe, North Grimston and then Birdsall, by which time the sun had come out again.
Unfortunately at Birdsall there was also a killer climb up onto the tops of the Wolds and at this advanced state of the ride it was almost too much.
The high gearing (52/36 at the front, as opposed to 50/34) meant I was down to walking pace and I swear I thought I was going to pop a lung before I reached the top. But eventually I did and stopped at the first piece of flat tarmac to get my breath back and have a drink.
But, what goes up must come down and the reward for all that agony was the descent into Leavening - so steep it even had a marshal waving a flag to slow us down!
And I have to say that hydraulic disc brakes are worth every penny 
And in the village was feed stop 3, where a slightly longer break was taken along with a coffee.
With "only" 19 miles to go and only one "notable" hill we were in the home straight and it was just a matter of getting finished now, no matter how much our legs were grumbling, so we made the most of the descents and there was quite a bit of spinning going on but we kept grinding out the miles through Burythorpe, Eddlethorpe, Howsham and Bossall.
Eventually we turned onto the final loop through Sand Hutton, then Upper Helmsley, Warthill and Holtby. Then the dilemma of the day...the 'official' course was 98 miles - but what self respecting cyclist would get so close to their first imperial century and leave it at that?
Not us, that's for sure, so as we returned to Murton we turned off towards Osbaldwick adding a mile there before turning back to add another mile and ensure that we hit the ton.
And that we did as we cross the finish line on 100.08 miles
100.08 miles (161.06km) in a respectable 7h 36m at an average of 13.2mph with 4,449ft climbed. And six mini-bags of Haribo Tangfastic consumed.
Hard work doesn't even begin to cover it. It's the closest I've ever come to binning off a bike ride, but I'm so glad that I stuck at it and ground out some difficult miles. Two new personal records (total distance, total ascent) and my first imperial century.
Plus we've raised a good wedge of cash for charity (see my sig.)
A great event with excellent work done all round by the marshals, the feed station volunteers and the crew at the end who cheered everyone over the line. And virtually all the cyclists taking part played the game, which always helps.
In fact, the only real fault I could find is who decided to set a route that is 98 miles long?
An extra couple of miles could have easily been added into the route at several points, rather than doing what we did, but that aside it was good work all round.
And finally, the map:
We rode the 'Epic' course at the Wiggle Vale Vélo, so it was up early to get to York for registration at 7:15 - and fun and games as I was directed to park under a tree with low hanging branches. The lad directing traffic kept waving me forward, I stayed where I was and pointed at the bike on the roof...after a moment the penny dropped and I was told to stay where I was.
Anyway, that all done and after completing registration we were off to the start and into a chilly but bright Yorkshire morning, heading out of Murton up towards Stockton on the Forest, the Upper Helmsley and Sand Hutton, before dropping down to Stamford Bridge to cross the River Derwent.
Quite a group of cyclists were gathered at the traffic lights on the bridge and of course one who'd had to squeeze into the middle to be near their mates set off in a ridiculously tall gear and couldn't get clipped in so was wobbling all over the place and nearly took a couple of people off. Anyway, disaster averted it was through the village and off through Fangfoss and Bolton (the Yorkshire one) with a bit of a headwind, before skirting the top of Pocklington and heading back out into the countryside for the climb up Great Givendale, the first big hill of the day. I was riding the Pro Carbon and while the higher gearing (compared to the Road Comp) had been great on the flattish terrain so far, I really felt it as we started four miles of continuous climbing.
Eventually we reached the top and the course separated, with us Epic riders turning east and after a little lumpiness along the tops, we were rewarded for all the climbing with lots of steady descending, broken by the first feed station at Huggate. Fed and water bottles topped up we were soon back on our way with more lumpiness but general descending to North Dalton, where shortly afterwards we turned north through Tibthorpe and then Wetwang, with a quick wiggle through the village and continuing north for a deceptive but stiff climb.
By this point the sun was out and it was getting rather warm, so a quick stop to take our jackets off and we continued to Sledmere where the course split again and we continued heading east through Cowlam on a lovely quiet road, eventually dropping down into Rudston, before being directed north once more - at this point we were just 6 miles from Bridlington and while it was tempting to carry on to the seaside, we had a ride to complete so it was off to Burton Fleming and feed station number 2.
A welcome break for more flapjack and the chance for a few stretches and it was time to turn back west and start heading back to York.
Unfortunately this also meant we now had a headwind to content with, as the wind had kindly changed direction from earlier...
It was nothing too horrendous, but just enough to make sure that you knew it was there all the time through Wold Newton, Foxholes, Butterwick, Weaverthorpe, Helperthorpe, East and then West Lutton, Kirkby Grindalythe, Dugglethorpe, North Grimston and then Birdsall, by which time the sun had come out again.
Unfortunately at Birdsall there was also a killer climb up onto the tops of the Wolds and at this advanced state of the ride it was almost too much.
The high gearing (52/36 at the front, as opposed to 50/34) meant I was down to walking pace and I swear I thought I was going to pop a lung before I reached the top. But eventually I did and stopped at the first piece of flat tarmac to get my breath back and have a drink.
But, what goes up must come down and the reward for all that agony was the descent into Leavening - so steep it even had a marshal waving a flag to slow us down!
And I have to say that hydraulic disc brakes are worth every penny And in the village was feed stop 3, where a slightly longer break was taken along with a coffee.
With "only" 19 miles to go and only one "notable" hill we were in the home straight and it was just a matter of getting finished now, no matter how much our legs were grumbling, so we made the most of the descents and there was quite a bit of spinning going on but we kept grinding out the miles through Burythorpe, Eddlethorpe, Howsham and Bossall.
Eventually we turned onto the final loop through Sand Hutton, then Upper Helmsley, Warthill and Holtby. Then the dilemma of the day...the 'official' course was 98 miles - but what self respecting cyclist would get so close to their first imperial century and leave it at that?
Not us, that's for sure, so as we returned to Murton we turned off towards Osbaldwick adding a mile there before turning back to add another mile and ensure that we hit the ton.
And that we did as we cross the finish line on 100.08 miles
100.08 miles (161.06km) in a respectable 7h 36m at an average of 13.2mph with 4,449ft climbed. And six mini-bags of Haribo Tangfastic consumed.
Hard work doesn't even begin to cover it. It's the closest I've ever come to binning off a bike ride, but I'm so glad that I stuck at it and ground out some difficult miles. Two new personal records (total distance, total ascent) and my first imperial century.
Plus we've raised a good wedge of cash for charity (see my sig.)
A great event with excellent work done all round by the marshals, the feed station volunteers and the crew at the end who cheered everyone over the line. And virtually all the cyclists taking part played the game, which always helps.
In fact, the only real fault I could find is who decided to set a route that is 98 miles long?
An extra couple of miles could have easily been added into the route at several points, rather than doing what we did, but that aside it was good work all round.
And finally, the map:
Was saying to the friends I visited yesterday that it's the land and the skies and the pleasure to be found in them that's one of the best bits of cycling. 
