Any PH'ers signed up for the Rise Above Sportive
Discussion
I'm signed on for the mid distance too, it's on my door step so rude not to really.
I've only been cycling on the road for a month or so though and as yet haven't been over 42 miles ! I need to develop a training plan, don't want to get eaten by sheep on the horse shoe pass 😀
I've only been cycling on the road for a month or so though and as yet haven't been over 42 miles ! I need to develop a training plan, don't want to get eaten by sheep on the horse shoe pass 😀
I really enjoyed it, well apart from the timed climb which was a horror!! Thought the event was well organised apart from the first food stop which was overrun! Enjoyed the start and finish, the closed off section and the crowds at the end were a nice touch!
Glad I didn't do the long one!
Glad I didn't do the long one!
I did the mid distance as I need to be able to actually use my legs in the morning.
I was blasting (ok blasting for me doesn't mean quick
) and hadn't stopped save for traffic lights until I got to the 1st food stop on the horseshoe, in hindsight I should have stayed for longer than it took to refill a bottle and grab a couple of gels as there was no real recovery time before the timed climb at Penabarras (the old Bwlch) which is in the 100 toughest climbs book as the quick descent from the HSP is soon met with a gradual uphill.
I got to the hairpin half way (where the video guy was) up and lost traction and had to unclip after pushing it a bit too hard to try and keep ahead of a car i'd spotted making it's way up , then a bit further up there was a car coming down at me and one following right on my back wheel. Due to the single lane I had no option but to stop and let them pass at the pull in.
The few stationary seconds I gained was a real help to me after the brutal 28% section tore the legs apart.
The section of road really should have been closed off as it was a timed climb, which is a bit dangerous with the gradient and cars. My time up it is never going to worry many people though
Final uphill sprint with the crowd cheering and clapping was really good, as were the goodies and the fabulous massage on the legs.
I was blasting (ok blasting for me doesn't mean quick
) and hadn't stopped save for traffic lights until I got to the 1st food stop on the horseshoe, in hindsight I should have stayed for longer than it took to refill a bottle and grab a couple of gels as there was no real recovery time before the timed climb at Penabarras (the old Bwlch) which is in the 100 toughest climbs book as the quick descent from the HSP is soon met with a gradual uphill.I got to the hairpin half way (where the video guy was) up and lost traction and had to unclip after pushing it a bit too hard to try and keep ahead of a car i'd spotted making it's way up , then a bit further up there was a car coming down at me and one following right on my back wheel. Due to the single lane I had no option but to stop and let them pass at the pull in.
The few stationary seconds I gained was a real help to me after the brutal 28% section tore the legs apart.
The section of road really should have been closed off as it was a timed climb, which is a bit dangerous with the gradient and cars. My time up it is never going to worry many people though
Final uphill sprint with the crowd cheering and clapping was really good, as were the goodies and the fabulous massage on the legs.
I did the full and it was great. Our club was second to start which meant that we got a nice early start so the foodstuff at the Ponderosa was hardly even touched by the time I got there.
The trip out to Corwen had quite a stiff headwind and was much harder work than it might have been. Managed to tag into a bunch that actually wanted to work together eventually so that made that section a little easier in the end though it was quite late on by that point.
Then it was narrow lanes with various degrees of climb from inconvenient through to borderline horrific. They even wrote on the road before one "hard climb" and that was a beast. It just seemed that there wasn't a huge amount of recovery available between efforts so it really took it out of you.
The timed climb wasn't a huge amount of fun, I'd say about 90% of the riders dismounted and walked in the end, I had met up with a friend by this point so we were involved in some friendly rivalry so we were committed to stay on the bikes, even managed a sprint finish (he won, I went too early, classic rookie error).
I think the website massively underestimated the amount of climbing on the course by about 400m for the mid and 5-600m for the full. Which I think makes a huge difference and accounts for the amount of people who had to walk some sections.
Overall apart from the queues a good event but not sure it's one I would do again.
The trip out to Corwen had quite a stiff headwind and was much harder work than it might have been. Managed to tag into a bunch that actually wanted to work together eventually so that made that section a little easier in the end though it was quite late on by that point.
Then it was narrow lanes with various degrees of climb from inconvenient through to borderline horrific. They even wrote on the road before one "hard climb" and that was a beast. It just seemed that there wasn't a huge amount of recovery available between efforts so it really took it out of you.
The timed climb wasn't a huge amount of fun, I'd say about 90% of the riders dismounted and walked in the end, I had met up with a friend by this point so we were involved in some friendly rivalry so we were committed to stay on the bikes, even managed a sprint finish (he won, I went too early, classic rookie error).
I think the website massively underestimated the amount of climbing on the course by about 400m for the mid and 5-600m for the full. Which I think makes a huge difference and accounts for the amount of people who had to walk some sections.
Overall apart from the queues a good event but not sure it's one I would do again.
Yes indeed, it was a great turn out for us, I'd guess 50-60 riders at least. First time I have actually ridden with the club as they always arrange to start too early for me to get there after work. I was using it as a training ride for IM Wales but actually it was a tougher ride than Tenby is going to be, unless the weather makes up for it.
How is the lady from Chester Road club who came off at the bridge on the way out of Gresford? Looked like she was quite shaken up.
How is the lady from Chester Road club who came off at the bridge on the way out of Gresford? Looked like she was quite shaken up.
We lost 2 riders today, Lynsey who was brought down in Gresford is said to be OK now with cuts and bruises but went to A+E, Liam hit a pot hole at the turning for Ecclestone on the run in and broke his arm near the elbow. He's due an op in the morning.
I rode briefly with one of your guys prior to the Bwlch, didn't catch his name but he was only on the 80k he skipped his way up the climb and pulled away, think he finished a couple of minutes ahead of me.
I rode briefly with one of your guys prior to the Bwlch, didn't catch his name but he was only on the 80k he skipped his way up the climb and pulled away, think he finished a couple of minutes ahead of me.
@drinks
Hi m8, I've been in touch with Lynsey via Facebook and she said she was given first aid by a guy from your club.
Apparently he was a doctor and he persuaded her not to continue as she was in shock. She wondered what his name was so she could say thank you for the assistance, is there any chance you can ask around?
Hi m8, I've been in touch with Lynsey via Facebook and she said she was given first aid by a guy from your club.
Apparently he was a doctor and he persuaded her not to continue as she was in shock. She wondered what his name was so she could say thank you for the assistance, is there any chance you can ask around?
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