# Time trial up Cragg Vale



## Bayerd (17 Mar 2014)

Hello all

Here's an event I thought some of you may be interested in. It's a time trial up Cragg Vale, which is the longest continuous incline in England at about 5.5 miles and is also on stage 2 of this year's Tour De France.

The event will take place on April 3rd.

I've added a poster which gives more details.


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## Rob3rt (17 Mar 2014)

It sounds a bit sportive-like to me.


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## ColinJ (17 Mar 2014)

£12 is too much to pay for riding up a hill that I do most weeks for nothing! I will continue with my unofficial CV TT until I can do a respectable time and then I will have a go at the traditional annual HC event that Rob3rt and dr_pink took part in last year.


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## Bayerd (18 Mar 2014)

Rob3rt said:


> It sounds a bit sportive-like to me.


Exact definitions aren't really my thing, however I would have thought a timed solo ride where riders are set off at one minute intervals on a closed road is more time trial than sportive. However I'm prepared to be corrected...


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## Rob3rt (18 Mar 2014)

Bayerd said:


> Exact definitions aren't really my thing, however I would have thought a timed solo ride where riders are set off at one minute intervals on a closed road is more time trial than sportive. However I'm prepared to be corrected...



Well obviously it is not a sportive in the traditional sense, but it appears to be marketed in more of a money making/TdF cash in excercise typical of sportives.

Who is governing it? Etc. I dont see any CTT listing for this event. The CTT govern almost all hill climbs and time trials in the UK.

Maybe it will be a great event and I'll be missing out, but I'll be saving my entry fees and entering the two official hill climbs on there since the results will count toward further open hill climb entries, in particular the national hill climb champs.


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## Mr Bunbury (18 Mar 2014)

The event website says "_Promoted for, and on behalf of, Cycling Time Trials, under their Rules & Regulations". _However, like Rob3rt I can't see it anywhere on the CTT calendar. 

Also, I can't see a start time anywhere on either the flyer or the website. This is important as it's on a Thursday so I need to know whether I can get there from work! 

The CTT course is the V9916 and is 4.8 miles long. There are two events on there this year, on July 1st and October 19th. The official hillclimbs up there are usually complete crackers. My PB's 17:31 if anyone fancies beating it. Unfortunately I'll miss the summer event this year so I'd be really interested in this thing, if only there were some more information available.


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## ColinJ (18 Mar 2014)

Mr Bunbury said:


> The CTT course is the V9916 and is 4.8 miles long. There are two events on there this year, on July 1st and October 19th. The official hillclimbs up there are usually complete crackers. My PB's 17:31 if anyone fancies beating it. Unfortunately I'll miss the summer event this year so I'd be really interested in this thing, if only there were some more information available.


That's a very good time!

I do _fancy_ beating it ...




... but I know that I never will! 

If I ever manage to break 20 minutes, I would be chuffed. Mind you, if I did, then I'd want to try and do it in 19 ...


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## Rob3rt (19 Mar 2014)

Mr Bunbury said:


> The event website says "_Promoted for, and on behalf of, Cycling Time Trials, under their Rules & Regulations". _However, like Rob3rt I can't see it anywhere on the CTT calendar.
> 
> Also, I can't see a start time anywhere on either the flyer or the website. This is important as it's on a Thursday so I need to know whether I can get there from work!
> 
> The CTT course is the V9916 and is 4.8 miles long. There are two events on there this year, on July 1st and October 19th. The official hillclimbs up there are usually complete crackers. My PB's 17:31 if anyone fancies beating it. Unfortunately I'll miss the summer event this year so I'd be really interested in this thing, if only there were some more information available.



@Bayerd I have to hold my hands up and admit that I have jumped the gun here. I didn't get as far as the website, well I did click the link, but was taken to a search page rather than the event page and then being on a mobile, couldn't be bothered with the tedium of searching etc. I therefore commented without being fully informed. My error.

It turns out that it is a come and try it event run under the CTT and therefore is well worth supporting as it is an initiative the CTT have made to encourage more people into the sport. I still think the £12 entry is quite high vs normal CTT entries (exluding National Championships, entry is usually £6-10, with only really high demand events on fast courses charging the upper limit), but maybe this typical of come and try it events for some legitimate reason?

BTW, @Mr Bunbury, thats a good time, I can't remember my exact time up there, it was a short 19 though (which was good for 5th in the open HC). Weather was appaling (headwind all the way up and driving rain) that day, @ColinJ turned out that day to support! I am looking forward to seeing what I can do on a good day (I_ think _the summer open on there last year was a super fast day and the course record was smashed), although I quite like the bad conditions. James Gullen and Richard Handley were well off the course record in the Autumn event when I raced!


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## ColinJ (19 Mar 2014)

The best days That I have spotted this year still had about 4-5 mph of cross/headwind. It is very rare to get a day with no wind up there, but I am watching out for one. Meanwhile, we are back to strong winds. I have been riding up to Blackstone Edge from Littleborough for the past week, to benefit from a tailwind, rather than doing battle against the wind from Cragg Vale.


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## Mr Bunbury (19 Mar 2014)

Rob3rt, I think you mean 6th unless your name is really Paul Thirling of Adept Precision RT  I confess that my time was done on that really fast day last year: there was a rare northerly blowing riders up the climb. The course record was dropped by about 45 seconds, which was the same as the amount by which I improved on my previous time up there!


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## ColinJ (19 Mar 2014)

Mr Bunbury said:


> Rob3rt, I think you mean 6th unless your name is really Paul Thirling of Adept Precision RT  I confess that my time was done on that really fast day last year: there was a rare northerly blowing riders up the climb. The course record was dropped by about 45 seconds, which was the same as the amount by which I improved on my previous time up there!


Ah, well if you are allowing tailwinds then I want to do it in 18.5 minutes!


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## Rob3rt (20 Mar 2014)

Mr Bunbury said:


> Rob3rt, I think you mean 6th unless your name is really Paul Thirling of Adept Precision RT  I confess that my time was done on that really fast day last year: there was a rare northerly blowing riders up the climb. The course record was dropped by about 45 seconds, which was the same as the amount by which I improved on my previous time up there!



Maybe it was 6th, can't remember, I raced a LOT last year (40+ races)


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