# Hilly ride



## johnpembo73 (9 Jan 2012)

I am in training for my first 100 mile sportives called the Cheshire cat 2012.
Here is my story from the weekend.

As the weather looked fine for Sunday, I started planning my ride on Saturday afternoon for the morning. The route was a 63 miler, the hills were Mow cop, Blacky Bank and Bridestone, Gunhill and Wincle. The route was the same as the Cheshire cat ride 2012 in March so I thought I would have a go as I am riding the 100miler. I ate my chicken and pasta for tea and set out my drink and food ready for the ride in the morning. 
This was going to be my longest and toughest ride to date so I was just preparing everything so not to miss any of the essentials I would need. 

I set off at just before 8:30 as I needed to be back for 1 at the latest to take my lad to football.
No sooner had I started, 13 miles in I hit Mow Cop, and took it easy up there.
I hit the top and punched the air with great pleasure. The 1st real time I have done this hill on my own.
The next hill was Blacky Bank and Bridestone, so before I arrived, I ate a little flapjack mmm yummy, my fuel for the day. My stocks would run out fast. This hill is pretty steep 15% in places and gradually getting steeper as you approach the top. Again it brought a nice smile of achievement to my face when I hit the top.
Further down the road I past Rudyard and Tittesworth reservoir on the approach to Gun Hill. By this time the weather was closing in and the spitting had started from the low clouds. In places on the side of the road water was rushing down still from the night’s rain making the roads a little slippery. This would return on the final climb. I cracked Gun hill but it was tough. By now I was thinking Mow cop was the easiest out of the entire hills I had done or was it that my legs were getting tired?
In between Gun and Wincle was a wonderful looking house, so nice I just had to show my wife in the evening on google maps. I want this house when it arrives on the market! I was so focussed on this amazing house, a sweeping left hand bend approached it reminded me of one of the bends on Alp’huez (seen it on TV) around the rear of the house and climbed up for a good 150 meters at 16% well so the sign said at the top, although it felt more like 20%. That was tough, and then a statue was looking back at me from an open window from a derelict barn which I found amusing. 
Wincle was just around the corner and then I approached a steep-ish hill that became more and more steeper along the road until I reached The Ship Inn where it flattened out a little, then as the road continued I went higher again, this is sapping it kicks then kicks again as you get to the top, I shouted out as I reached the nice flat bit of road " GET IN!! " whilst punching the air. The driver of the oncoming car gave a big smile, if he only knew. Well if I only knew that I had just gone through Wincle Grange, Wincle was here in front of me up we go again past the church and what a hill this is. Part of the way up my bike tyre was slipping and not gripping the ground, I really felt this hill was sapping all my energy from my legs, but was now determined not to touch ground with my feet ,which I hadn’t done so far. I looked down at my frame and saw the sticker I had put on over Christmas 'HTFU'. I smiled and slowly reached the top. Result!! 
The slowest speed I think I saw on the computer was 3.6mph. Wow.... what a combination of hills that was.
On the way down towards Macclesfield my chain jumped off the ring, bugger I had to touch the ground with my fee,t but not my fault I got the chain on and slowly but surely the legs were starting to feel those hills on the way home even the slightest hill would be hurting but I made it home for 1:05 just in time to change and get my lad to his football match!! 
I had made and I felt absolutely brilliant, what a personal achievement !!
63 miles hilly ride in 4h 37m ... defo got thumbsup!y brilliant. 63miles hilly ride in 4h 37m.


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## indy179 (10 Jan 2012)

Well done !


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## johnpembo73 (10 Jan 2012)

Thank you indy179


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## Hacienda71 (10 Jan 2012)

My mate crashed into the brambles on the hairpin you hit just before Winkle. We were going down it at the time though. Some nice climbs in the area. Good luck with The Cat.


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## johnpembo73 (10 Jan 2012)

Yeah the roads are very precarious in places especially when wet, hope he was ok? Was it this Sunday.

I think my time for the Cat is looking to be around 6.5 to 7 hours at this rate. Those hills one after each other really drains your leg power.


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## Hacienda71 (10 Jan 2012)

He was fine, more comical than serious.


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## theloafer (11 Jan 2012)

john sounds like a great ride well done you should fly round the 100...


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## johnpembo73 (11 Jan 2012)

Thank you theloafer I do hope so.

Here is the garmin file if your interested http://connect.garmin.com/activity/139973861


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## paulb55 (11 Jan 2012)

well done and keep it up.
By the way, what does HTFU stand for


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## johnpembo73 (11 Jan 2012)

http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/

Rule No 5


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## paulb55 (11 Jan 2012)

johnpembo73 said:


> http://www.velominati.com/blog/the-rules/
> 
> Rule No 5


Like it


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