# Mow Cop



## totallyfixed (9 Oct 2013)

I know many of you on here have ridden Mow Cop and I was wondering what gear you used. My better half is racing the hill climb this Sunday and neither of us have ever been up it. We hope to try it out on Saturday but I don't want to be taking the wrong spare cassettes, also can anyone tell me exactly how long the steep section is and has anyone done it in the wet, if so did you get wheel spin.
Many thanks for any info.


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## Hacienda71 (9 Oct 2013)

It is not too steep for the majority, but ramps up at the end to about a 1 in 4. That section though is probably for no more than quarter of a mile as you go past the pub, then the climb is over.
I know you don't like Strava, but here is the segment

As to the gearing that your wife will need no idea, but with a sub 10 mph KOM on Strava with some fairly well known names on the list you can imagine it is a bit chew your bars at the top rather than a fast rhythm climb.
That probably doesn't help much, but good luck with the hill climb.


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## DCLane (9 Oct 2013)

Have a look at threads on the Cheshire Cat in the Sportives section There's some advice in there.


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## totallyfixed (9 Oct 2013)

Thanks for that, as with nearly all hill climbs the wind will have a part to play, I have looked at it on street view and the 1:4 section looks shorter than that but really hard to tell. The time itself is unimportant, more about how she does against the opposition, if it is a howling headwind, eek. Apparently in one hill climb competition years ago no one could get to the top because of the wind, so we have our fingers crossed. Hill climbers are generally built like stick insects so any headwind can be a nightmare.


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## potsy (9 Oct 2013)

I was going to suggest pinging big Steve H but I fear his build and gearing might be slightly different to dr_pinks 

Good luck H


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## amaferanga (9 Oct 2013)

I'd be very surprised if it's 25% for 400m.


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## totallyfixed (9 Oct 2013)

potsy said:


> I was going to suggest pinging big Steve H but I fear his build and gearing might be slightly different to dr_pinks
> 
> Good luck H


True, true.


amaferanga said:


> I'd be very surprised if it's 25% for 400m.


I hope Hacienda is wrong and it isn't a quarter of a mile, that would be a heck of a hard finish.


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## totallyfixed (9 Oct 2013)

DCLane said:


> Have a look at threads on the Cheshire Cat in the Sportives section There's some advice in there.


Blimey, had a look at some stuff on YouTube and the numbers that were walking is a bit scary, the thread itself unfortunately wasn't a lot of help, more about being happy to get up it, we are more interested in the gearing that was used.


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## amaferanga (9 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> True, true.
> 
> I hope Hacienda is wrong and it isn't a quarter of a mile, that would be a heck of a hard finish.



If it was 25% for a 1/4 mile then it'd probably be the hardest climb in the UK. It may reach a max of 25% - maybe that's what he meant.


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## potsy (9 Oct 2013)

amaferanga said:


> If it was 25% for a 1/4 mile then it'd probably be the hardest climb in the UK. It may reach a max of 25% - maybe that's what he meant.


I think it just felt like a 1/4 mile as he was going so slowly up it


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## Hacienda71 (9 Oct 2013)

It may be less, just seems like the last quarter of the mile but as Potsy says it feels like a quarter of the climb. Dr Pink will have no issues going up it. 25% is the max rather than the whole of the last section and it does ease a tiny bit just past the pub. There are much harder climbs in the area.


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## fossyant (9 Oct 2013)

There is about 200 yards or so of steep stuff. I did it on 39 x 24


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (9 Oct 2013)

This vid gives a good perspective....


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## Svendo (9 Oct 2013)

If it helps I used a standard 53-39 with an 11-25 cassette on the Cheshire Cat a few years ago (old route, basically flattish run out to Mow Cop, couple of other mild climbs then tour of lanes round mid Cheshire.). I tried to hold back on the lower slopes then honked straight up the top steep section and felt fine doing it. Later on in the ride I suffered for showing off like that it though! I wasn't racing or anything though, and can't recall which actual gear I used but I think we can assume it was the 25 on the steep bit.


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## jdtate101 (9 Oct 2013)

Whatever gear you use will probably not be low enough .

I'm not bad at climbing, but prefer drags to super steep, and have done this on a 34x28 before and made it. Also tried on a 39x28 and that was too much for me, but then I'm a big lad not a super skinny weenie.


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## 400bhp (9 Oct 2013)

fossyant said:


> There is about 200 yards or so of steep stuff. I did it on 39 x 24



This^^

Ignore @Hacienda71 , he talking bolshoi


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## fossyant (9 Oct 2013)

It's a mile climb. Pretty steady until the pub, I'd say upto 1 in 8 max then it ramps to the 1 in 4 for 200 yards then eases back to 1 in 8. I rode most of the hill in 39 x 19, then 21 just before the steep bit, then the 24. Wasn't a pretty sight though.


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## Rob3rt (9 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> Thanks for that, as with nearly all hill climbs the wind will have a part to play, I have looked at it on street view and the 1:4 section looks shorter than that but really hard to tell. The time itself is unimportant, more about how she does against the opposition, if it is a howling headwind, eek. Apparently in one hill climb competition years ago no one could get to the top because of the wind, so we have our fingers crossed. Hill climbers are generally built like stick insects so any headwind can be a nightmare.



What did she use at Monsal? I go up 25% sections in about 2 cogs up from what I went up Monsal in, IME going lower doesn't increase speed or reduce suffering and makes pedalling action more ragged. Just asked my clubmate (Chris, the guy that is usually at the HC's) what gearing he used to go up Mow Cop today as he was out for a recce in prep for racing on Sunday. Will let you know what he says.

I don't know if Helen will push much easier gears than me and Chris or whether she can push the same ratios given she is very slight and won't weight anywhere near what I do? 

Just been up the Rake in 39:25, on Sunday will be hitting it in 39:23 if I can, both climbs look similar on paper tbh, fairly manageable gradient up until a short section of 25% right at the end. As you know, I don't like standing up unless I have to and I managed to ride up the Rake sat down until I hit the 25%. Sounds like Mow Cop is similar.


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## Rob3rt (9 Oct 2013)

bromptonfb said:


> This vid gives a good perspective....




That guy is going about half the speed Helen will be going, if that, lol 



totallyfixed said:


> Blimey, had a look at some stuff on YouTube and the numbers that were walking is a bit scary, the thread itself unfortunately wasn't a lot of help, more about being happy to get up it, we are more interested in the gearing that was used.



Videos of walkers en masse in a sportive is nothing to be concerned with, hah.


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## Saluki (9 Oct 2013)

I got half way up then got off and walked. I hadn't been back cycling long (after a 7 year lay off) and it was on a ratty BSO Apollo jobbie.
No idea why we went that way and then decided that Mow Cop would be a plan but we did.

Soon after that I broke my wrist and had another 12 month lay off.


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## Mickthemove (9 Oct 2013)

When i first walked up in July, I was there for about half hour and saw no one seated and spinning! The last 100 yards of 25% is deffo a stand and grind for most with a 28 on the back!

I went back in sept and didn't walk any of it but that last 100 yards lives vividly in my nightmares


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## ColinJ (9 Oct 2013)

Here's a plot of the profile taken from my digital OS map ...


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## totallyfixed (9 Oct 2013)

The difference between dr_pink and you guys is power output, we can put out 400W easily for short climbs and some of us much higher than that, dr_pink weighs 50kg and can't go anywhere near that although she has a very good power to weight ratio which is excellent for longer climbs. She did Monsal Head on 39x25 briefly and I would think then she could do Mow Cop on the same but would probably be more efficient on 39x27. The length of that
1 in 4 section is fairly crucial though so it looks as though we will have to ride it a few times on Sat afternoon.
I think you are correct Rob in that the Rake is very similar in profile, just not as long, but what you definitely don't want on 25% climbs are wet roads, so fingers crossed.


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## totallyfixed (9 Oct 2013)

ColinJ said:


> Here's a plot of the profile taken from my digital OS map ...
> 
> View attachment 30587


Looking at that Colin, I make the steepest section to be about 100 m. Yikes, I have just looked at the forecast and the wind for Sunday is an easterly .


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## ColinJ (9 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> Looking at that Colin, I make the steepest section to be about 100 m. Yikes, I have just looked at the forecast and the wind for Sunday is an easterly .


It looks like it to me too, but I have never ridden the climb so I don't know for sure. 

Steep climbs into a headwind are not nice!

Good luck to dr_pink.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (10 Oct 2013)

Doesn't it work out at 33% from Colin's profile? 100m x 30m gain in height?


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## Rob3rt (10 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> The difference between dr_pink and you guys is power output, we can put out 400W easily for short climbs and some of us much higher than that, dr_pink weighs 50kg and can't go anywhere near that although she has a very good power to weight ratio which is excellent for longer climbs. She did Monsal Head on 39x25 briefly and I would think then she could do Mow Cop on the same but would probably be more efficient on 39x27. The length of that
> 1 in 4 section is fairly crucial though so it looks as though we will have to ride it a few times on Sat afternoon.
> I think you are correct Rob in that the Rake is very similar in profile, just not as long, but what you definitely don't want on 25% climbs are wet roads, so fingers crossed.



Chris says definatelly make sure to have a 25t, but I think he may be running a compact (edit: confirmed), so 27t in 39t language  His other comment was "I'd also say beware of the kick when the road turns left for the first time, it's blind so easy to unknowingly overgear."

Another clubmate who has a good pair of climbing legs said "last time I did Mow Cop (July), I used my 52/36 Q Rings with an 11-25 cassette. I did the full thing on the 36t ring, using 21t on the first part of the climb and down to the 23t on the ramp. Dont remember using the 25t, but I may have."

Given that Helen used 39:25 on Monsal, I would recommend going with a 27t cassette for the steep bit. I used 39:21 for most of Monsal and would be going up 2 gears for a 25%er, so I'd be in 39:25, unless I was in beast mode that day and could wrestle 39:23


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## Rob3rt (10 Oct 2013)

Just seen the start sheet for Mow Cop. Strong field in the men's event, in the women's event Helen looks like the favourite for the win!

BTW, the start sheet for the Nationals is out  I got in. 18 women riding, all the usual suspects.


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## totallyfixed (10 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Just seen the start sheet for Mow Cop. Strong field in the men's event, in the women's event Helen looks like the favourite for the win!
> 
> BTW, the start sheet for the Nationals is out  I got in. 18 women riding, all the usual suspects.


Very useful information, thanks Rob. Yes, seen the start sheet for the National, Helen doesn't know whether to be scared or excited as they have ranked her very high indeed. Back to Mow Cop, if the wind direction is against I think even 39x27 is going to be tough. The promoting club have requested that all riders when finished should go to the top of the steep section to cheer the others on, great idea.


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## totallyfixed (10 Oct 2013)

bromptonfb said:


> Doesn't it work out at 33% from Colin's profile? 100m x 30m gain in height?


It might look like that but I don't think it can be [I hope].


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## Rob3rt (10 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> Very useful information, thanks Rob. Yes, seen the start sheet for the National, Helen doesn't know whether to be scared or excited as they have ranked her very high indeed. *Back to Mow Cop, if the wind direction is against I think even 39x27 is going to be tough.* The promoting club have requested that all riders when finished should go to the top of the steep section to cheer the others on, great idea.



There comes a point where you have to accept it is going to be super hard and stop trying to make it easier IME, you keep gearing down and the pain doesn't lessen. This is why I pretty much never use my easiest gear. Given the extreme gradient, a head wind might not actually be that bad on the steep bit as you MAY get some shelter from the road.

I noticed Helen is ranked high in the national start sheet, not surprising given her win on Blackstone Edge. I am ranked somewhere in the middle of the field in the National start order. I may have some family coming out to watch on that event, so will make sure they cheer Helen on too! The course should be good for Helen shouldn't it?


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## totallyfixed (10 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> I noticed Helen is ranked high in the national start sheet, not surprising given her win on Blackstone Edge. I am ranked somewhere in the middle of the field in the National start order. I may have some family coming out to watch on that event, so will make sure they cheer Helen on too! The course should be good for Helen shouldn't it?


Yes it should do, now we are looking to beg, steal or borrow some Zipp 202's, or even just a front 202, a deep section front up on the tops in a crosswind is not a good idea if you are a light body weight.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (10 Oct 2013)

bromptonfb said:


> Doesn't it work out at 33% from Colin's profile? 100m x 30m gain in height?


DoH! 100 x 33...sorry typo.


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## Shut Up Legs (10 Oct 2013)

I thought this was the thread about police officers booking people using ride-on mowers!

Nice little hill, by the way .


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## ColinJ (10 Oct 2013)

bromptonfb said:


> Doesn't it work out at 33% from Colin's profile? 100m x 30m gain in height?


TBH, it looks more like 23% to me when I look at the climb in detail on the mapping software, but 1:50,000 OS maps do take minor liberties with road layouts for clarity so you can't be sure that they go exactly where they are shown to go. (I know some local roads that are about 40 m from where the OS map shows them to be. I have logged them on my GPS many times, and overlaid the track log on the map and the result is always the same.)


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## Rob3rt (11 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> Yes it should do, now we are looking to beg, steal or borrow some Zipp 202's, or even just a front 202, a deep section front up on the tops in a crosswind is not a good idea if you are a light body weight.



Good luck with finding something.


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## DiddlyDodds (11 Oct 2013)

The steep part starts at 8.30 into the vid 

View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhItPJpGC_4&list=FLwI0IscYTBedvktVpH2KhJg&index=85


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## fossyant (11 Oct 2013)

God they are slow !


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## Rob3rt (11 Oct 2013)

fossyant said:


> God they are slow !



Sportive tortoises  Many walkers too.


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## fossyant (11 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Sportive tortoises



It was hilarious when I did the Cheshire Cat about 3 years ago. Folk 'resting' at just about every opportunity. They had only ridden a flat 16 miles. Me and a Manchester Wheeler had just hammered it from the start in Crewe, to the climb, picking off a few hundred. What's all this stopping after the steep bit. The climb doesn't finish till after the village and the TV masts, then its downhill.


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## Hacienda71 (11 Oct 2013)

fossyant said:


> It was hilarious when I did the Cheshire Cat about 3 years ago. Folk 'resting' at just about every opportunity. They had only ridden a flat 16 miles. Me and a Manchester Wheeler had just hammered it from the start in Crewe, to the climb, picking off a few hundred. What's all this stopping after the steep bit. The climb doesn't finish till after the village and the TV masts, then its downhill.


Hope you picked up your medal


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## fossyant (11 Oct 2013)

Hacienda71 said:


> Hope you picked up your medal



I did. It was pants.


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## Rob3rt (11 Oct 2013)

These threads often go this way (and it is nice to hear peoples stories at times etc), talking up how hard the climb is and lots of examples from sportives etc. You have to understand though (not talking to @fossyant or @Hacienda71 here), this will not be ridden as part of a longer ride, it will be one single effort, ridden to exhaustion, and I mean, complete exhaustion, they will have 2 marshals at the top to catch you when you finish to help you get off your bike etc so you don't fall off when you are too tired to unclip from your pedals.

For someone like Dr Pink (i.e. Helen aka @totallyfixed 's other half), a well ranked hill climb and time trial specialist taking part in a race, the perceived difficulty is not really important or interesting as being able to get up the climb is simply not in question (the question is how to get up the hill as fast as possible) and pretty much all climbs feel equally as hard when you are riding at this sort of intensity. In a hill climb race, even if it only lasts a minute or 2, you will experience excruciating burning legs, feeling light-headed, the taste of blood in your mouth, breathing so hard that you cough for days afterwards, veering around on the road because your vision starts to go a bit weird due to oxygen debt or you can't hold your head up to look where you are going any more (thank god for closed roads), your arms and back hurting from pulling on the bars so hard, being so knackered, you can't twist your feet out of your pedals when you hit the finish line. It is just not the same thing as most people know a climb to be, it is utterly brutal, you have to at least watch a hill climb race understand, when you see the state of the riders at the end, you will start to realise


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## fossyant (11 Oct 2013)

Doing a full hill climb circuit at the end of a season of lots of TTs used to kill me. Didn't enjoy it. Good luck rob and Dr Pink


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## Poacher (11 Oct 2013)

Go for it, Dr_Pink! Sorry I won't be there to cheer you on.

@totallyfixed - how about another Rutland ride when all the seasonal hill-climbing madness has subsided. You haven't been introduced to Bertie yet...


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## Rob3rt (11 Oct 2013)

fossyant said:


> Doing a full hill climb circuit at the end of a season of lots of TTs used to kill me. Didn't enjoy it. Good luck rob and Dr Pink



I am enjoying the HC season even more than the TT season, I absolutely love it, the atmosphere is great, the events are well run, good prize money for the fast guys and girls, there is a real respect between riders and everyone stays right until the end to cheer each other on and watch the winners receive their prizes (at TT's everyone does their ride, checks their time then leaves), the spectator turn outs are impressive and it really gives you that extra push when you are pretty much ready to fall off, and the organisational touches such as closed roads, barriers and live commentary over a PA system just make those events where it is feasible something special. To ride Monsal, as @totallyfixed and Helen will attest is just incredible with the spectators, it is the closest a mere mortal like me will get to feeling you you are big time, hah.


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## 400bhp (11 Oct 2013)

Good luck guys, that's a hell of a hill to do a HC on.

@Rob3rt , where does it start & finish? max 1 mile long, would imagine 5 mins of effort.


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## Rob3rt (11 Oct 2013)

400bhp said:


> Good luck guys, that's a hell of a hill to do a HC on.
> 
> @Rob3rt , where does it start & finish? max 1 mile long, would imagine 5 mins of effort.



From Lyme RC (the promoting club) website:



> Start after the level crossing at the bottom of Drumber Lane. Proceed along Drumber Lane to join Station Road. Proceed up Station Road to pass the Cheshire View public house, crest the 1 in 4 section and finish approximately 10 yards after the crest, before the junction with Close Lane. Total distance approximately 0.75 miles.



Last years results: *http://tinyurl.com/LymeRC2012*

BTW, I am not racing Mow Cop, I am racing Ramsbottom Rake that day, I couldn't get from Mow Cop in the morning to The Rake in the afternoon and wanted to do The Rake. The Rake is less well known than Mow Cop but is a similar sort of climb ending in a 25% gradient (The Rake has a rather dramatic looking steep section with a hand rail at the side of the road for pedestrians).

The Rake (although the person who goes up in this video is super slow, lol)


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFrmdTdyTQI


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## 400bhp (11 Oct 2013)

feck-i really need to stop procrastinating and have a bloody go.


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## 400bhp (11 Oct 2013)

If you hit the sweet spot on the 25% bit you should be almost in tears IMO.


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## Hacienda71 (11 Oct 2013)

400bhp said:


> If you hit the sweet spot on the 25% bit you should be almost in tears IMO.


 Or vomiting.......


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## totallyfixed (11 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> These threads often go this way (and it is nice to hear peoples stories at times etc), talking up how hard the climb is and lots of examples from sportives etc. You have to understand though (not talking to @fossyant or @Hacienda71 here), this will not be ridden as part of a longer ride, it will be one single effort, ridden to exhaustion, and I mean, complete exhaustion, they will have 2 marshals at the top to catch you when you finish to help you get off your bike etc so you don't fall off when you are too tired to unclip from your pedals.
> 
> For someone like Dr Pink (i.e. Helen aka @totallyfixed 's other half), a well ranked hill climb and time trial specialist taking part in a race, the perceived difficulty is not really important or interesting as being able to get up the climb is simply not in question (the question is how to get up the hill as fast as possible) and pretty much all climbs feel equally as hard when you are riding at this sort of intensity. In a hill climb race, even if it only lasts a minute or 2, you will experience excruciating burning legs, feeling light-headed, the taste of blood in your mouth, breathing so hard that you cough for days afterwards, veering around on the road because your vision starts to go a bit weird due to oxygen debt or you can't hold your head up to look where you are going any more (thank god for closed roads), your arms and back hurting from pulling on the bars so hard, being so knackered, you can't twist your feet out of your pedals when you hit the finish line. It is just not the same thing as most people know a climb to be, it is utterly brutal, you have to at least watch a hill climb race understand, when you see the state of the riders at the end, you will start to realise


You missed out the vomiting bit.


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## totallyfixed (11 Oct 2013)

Looks as though it's going to be wet, maybe very wet


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## Rob3rt (11 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> Looks as though it's going to be wet, maybe very wet



Light rain from 10am on the Met Office site. Weather is okay here atm, been windy last few days but generally okay.


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## totallyfixed (11 Oct 2013)

Poacher said:


> Go for it, Dr_Pink! Sorry I won't be there to cheer you on.
> 
> @totallyfixed - how about another Rutland ride when all the seasonal hill-climbing madness has subsided. You haven't been introduced to Bertie yet...


That wouldn't by any chance be the pink one would it?


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## Poacher (11 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> That wouldn't by any chance be the pink one would it?


If it was _just_ pink (and maybe a tad smaller), I'd be looking to sell it to Dr_Pink. It's actually pink, black and white with a touch of lavender, as seen here in my garden:





and (toned down by the landscape) on a "my ride today" thread at harvest time: now there's a hill to be reckoned with....







Don't worry, I've bought some dark blue Japlac to transform the frame - maybe even make it a bit lighter for going up-hill once all the "classic" paint's been stripped off. Twenty grams, maybe. Now need to remove 20Kg+ from me!


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## totallyfixed (12 Oct 2013)

Such a pity swearing isn't allowed on here but I made up for it at the top of mow cop. Bikes out the back of the car, no warm up down to the bottom by the railway crossing then straight back up, at the 25% I grunted and grovelled in my smallest gear. The second time up I did in my 42x25 and not a lot left at the top.
This is a mean climb to race, quite surprised at how steep one part of the lower section was. I am sure all the other women will be on a compact, dr pink not happy plus it was windy and wet, lovely.


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## ColinJ (12 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> ... quite surprised at how steep one part of the lower section was.


I _thought_ that the 200 metre section starting about 500 metres into the profile I posted looked as bad as the steep bit at the top!


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## totallyfixed (12 Oct 2013)

It a


ColinJ said:


> I _thought_ that the 200 metre section starting about 500 metres into the profile I posted looked as bad as the steep bit at the top!


lt almost is and the road surface could be better, very easy to blow up by hitting this section too hard and having nothing left for the last bit. 
One of the major problems is where to warm up because you can't cross the railway line and you can't warm up on the course. Weather now looking quite bad, if the road turns into a river it will be a non starter for us.


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## Rob3rt (13 Oct 2013)

I already know Helen won the Women's competition but looking forward to a race report from Mow Cop!

Weather was good and bad for a HC race, quite hill climby and gloomy as I like it but not ideal underwheel on the steep stuff, had quite a bit of wheel slippage on the Rake, even straight out of the gate.

Before I set up I decided to risk weaving and riding a slightly easier gear vs straight up and brute forcing it on the steep bit at the top, even though I know it would add distance and that I might be a tiny bit slower, I figured it was worth the risk since there was a high chance of wheel slippage and if I got a bad slip it would mean complete loss of momentum on a 25% steep hill and with the gear I would normally race up that incline on, getting going again would loose 5-10 seconds, hard to say if it paid off because I knew I wasn't on a fast ride (was aiming sub-3 mins) by the 1st corner as I was ~7-8 seconds down on schedule, but stuck it out, recovered a bit on the false flat, but then just before the 25% section I started to really hurt bad as the gradient started to increase and I had to get out of the saddle earlier than I had planned (and practised in training) and thought I was done for, luckily this was where most of the supporters started to line the climb and I could hear the commentator saying my name (although he called me Richard) and talking about my club, I just put my head down, dug in and started to weave my way up the steep bit, there was quite a lot of support and camera flashes which kept me going then as I came to the final few metres I could just hear my own breathing and it sounded like I was crying/whimpering, the commentator was shouting about my wobbling all over the place and then the catcher ran alongside me and caught me! Placed somewhere in the middle with 3:10.5.

Made good use of the catcher at the top, lol! He had to remove my bike from under me. Utterly farked!

Averaged just under 500W, which I think may be a power PB for that duration, its about 6.5 - 6.6 W/kg.


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## HLaB (13 Oct 2013)

Nicee one @dr_pink :-)


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## dr_pink (13 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Placed somewhere in the middle with 3:10.5.
> Made good use of the catcher at the top, lol! He had to remove my bike from under me. Utterly f***ed!


Well done Richard Rob3rt - excellent ride!

Mow Cop was a LOT better than I was expecting. After we rode it yesterday pm I was thinking of pulling out - thinking I had the wrong gearing for the top. Also I totally freaked out cycling downhill (no surprise to Potsy I'm sure!) as it was so wet my brakes weren't working properly... I told TF that I would go and see how bad the weather was and decide then.. But on no account would I ever enter it again.
It was wet, but wasn't actually raining just before I started so thought I should face my fears...decided to play slightly safe and pace it on the bottom section in order to give it everything on the steep bit. Did the steep bit on 39-27 and it was actually absolutely fine (helped by the cheers from spectators and TF running up alongside just like a Vuelta fan (well, without a mankini..)) and dropped into 39-24 for the very last part. I also made good use of the 'catchers' today - but no vomiting or anything so clearly hadn't tried hard enough and now now thinking I could have gone much harder at the bottom..and so much faster. Already wondering what I could do next year


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## ColinJ (13 Oct 2013)

Well done dr_p! 

I think I'll stick to Cragg Vale! (I hope to make an appearance there this year - _*AS A SPECTATOR*_! )


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## potsy (13 Oct 2013)

Great stuff @dr_pink, knew after you narrowly beat me up that hill a while back you'd make a good climber


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## Rob3rt (13 Oct 2013)

Brilliant Helen.

Do you have a start sheet for Cragg Vale yet? I don't have it yet. Wondering which big hitters are going to be riding. Cragg Vale should suit me better than the last few HC's, hoping for a decent position as last 2 races have been pretty disappointing.


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## totallyfixed (13 Oct 2013)

Unfortunately for dr_pink, [and echoed in most of women's cycle racing] I was unable to discover what the women's record was for Mow Cop hill climb, no problems with the men's record, there never is. Not a healthy state of affairs in a country that supposedly defends equality, plus the men's winner gets more money and a framed photo of himself on the climb, dr_pink had to buy hers.
For the record, the previous quickest time by a woman they knew of was 8 min 33 sec, dr_pink's time was 6 min 11 sec, but not quick enough to deserve a mention .


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## Rob3rt (13 Oct 2013)

It is pretty poor. Can't blame the organisers of the event for not knowing the record if there is no prior record keeping within the governing body etc though. The organiser for Mow Cop is a good guy for sure and I am sure he would have tried to find the women's record.

I don't know the way forward with this, if there is no easy to find official record, should they maybe just attribute the record to the fastest time they can find as far back as results can be found (It would have to happen at CTT committee level though, not individual organiser level)? Maybe, but then someone might come out of the woodwork and challenge it. It's a tough one. Same problem with Blackstone Edge. The CTT need to address it in some way.


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## Rob3rt (13 Oct 2013)

Forgot to mention in my Rake HC race report, all riders got a t-shirt. Nice touch! Ironically, the size is large, lol! How many large hill climbers do you know?







Winners of each category got a jersey too.


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## 400bhp (13 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> Unfortunately for dr_pink, [and echoed in most of women's cycle racing] I was unable to discover what the women's record was for Mow Cop hill climb, no problems with the men's record, there never is. Not a healthy state of affairs in a country that supposedly defends equality, plus the men's winner gets more money and a framed photo of himself on the climb, *dr_pink had to buy hers.*
> For the record, the previous quickest time by a woman they knew of was 8 min 33 sec, dr_pink's time was 6 min 11 sec, but not quick enough to deserve a mention .



WTF - that's bollox


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## 400bhp (13 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> It is pretty poor. Can't blame the organisers of the event for not knowing the record if there is no prior record keeping within the governing body etc though. The organiser for Mow Cop is a good guy for sure and I am sure he would have tried to find the women's record.
> 
> I don't know the way forward with this, if there is no easy to find official record, should they maybe just attribute the record to the fastest time they can find as far back as results can be found (It would have to happen at CTT committee level though, not individual organiser level)? Maybe, but then someone might come out of the woodwork and challenge it. It's a tough one. Same problem with Blackstone Edge. The CTT need to address it in some way.



It's not a tough one. Just set the record as far back as records began. That's implicit in the definition of a record!!


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## 400bhp (13 Oct 2013)

Can't some of the top bloke hill climbers take a stand on this?


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## Rob3rt (13 Oct 2013)

400bhp said:


> It's not a tough one. Just set the record as far back as records began. That's implicit in the definition of a record!!



Yes, but the problem is, who has the records, are they complete etc. As I said above, you could set the records simply, but you may find people come out of the woodwork challenging it. Thus there needs to be an executive decision and this needs to come from the CTT committee, not individual race organisers.


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## 400bhp (13 Oct 2013)

You draw a line in the sand.

You ask for others to provide evidence if anyone believes someone has been quicker.

It aint that hard.


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## Rob3rt (13 Oct 2013)

http://www.velouk.net/2013/10/13/reportresult-lyme-racing-club-hillclimb-mow-cop-cheshire/

Pic of Helen in the above VeloUK race report.

A LOT of Lyme RC riders, looks like the organiser did a good job of getting his own club to get entries in (quick tally, 26/54 riders) 

I was 6 seconds slower on the Rake than the guy who came 5th on Mow Cop (he came 15th on the Rake), mad man riding both!


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## totallyfixed (13 Oct 2013)

User13710 said:


> Very well done Helen! If I'd known there was a possibility of a mankini I might have come along to watch.


Not a chance in hell! In any case I would never subject a nice person like you to nightmares.


400bhp said:


> WTF - that's bollox





400bhp said:


> Can't some of the top bloke hill climbers take a stand on this?


Yes, it most assuredly is bollox, to give another example, the week before on Monsal Head the winning man got £200, the winning woman £50. The thought process, ingrained over generations, is that the overall winner deserves to get the top prize, you may be surprised to learn somewhat amazingly, that it somehow always seems to be a man. How incredible is that? It is almost as though men [and I know this is a ridiculous concept]] are naturally endowed with a stronger physiology than women. When I am angry my sarcasm increases proportionally.
On the Time Trialling Forum on which dr_pink, myself and Rob are members I dare not stick my head above the parapet any more on this subject which is almost universally ignored [very much a testosterone fuelled man's world] because I fear the fallout for dr_pink.
It is 2013 yet in the world of CTT [Cycling Time Trials] it might as well be 1913, I am fairly sure that the Equality Act 2010 is being abused usually without malicious intent or even realisation but nevertheless it is wrong yet I feel powerless to take action.
It is so much a man's world, controlled by mainly old men [on the CTT committee there are 14 members of which just 2 are women, one being the Chairperson who should be ashamed] and has been this way for so long it is entirely resistant to change. The top men are just following in the blueprint footsteps of those before them and I think that the women who are in a minority feel intimidated,
There is much more I could say but for now rant over, I will just post the preview as written by the CTT of this weekend's events, women took part in them all and at least three hill records were taken by women:
*Peview 12/13 October*


































Plenty of action on the hill climb front as the RTTC National Championship approaches. Former champions Matt Clinton (Mike Vaughan Cycles) and James Dobin (Arctic SRAM RT) are in entered for the Holme Valley Wheelers at Holmfirth along with Tejvan Pettinger (Sri Chinmoy RT), Richard Handley (Rapha Condor JTL) and Josh Teasdale (In Gear Quickvit Trainsharp). Clinton, Pettinger and Teasdale remain in the area to ride the Huddersfield Star Wheelers event where the time to beat is 3-49.9, the course record set by Jeff Wright when he won the National Championship back in 1994. Event headquarters are at the Red Lion Pub (what a good idea) .

Dobin goes for Sunday's Lancashire RC promotion on Ramsbottom Rake where James Gullen (Team Hope Factory Racing), Samuel Jackson (Cleveleys RC) and Lynn Hamel (Herbalife) are also listed. Clinton and Pettinger also compete in the Lyme RC event as does Lee Baldwin (Buxton CC), who rides Saturday's Rutland CC hill climb with team mate Chris Baines.



Drighlington BC provide most of the field for their own event on Sunday with Greg Kershaw one of their representatives. The club's Carl Saint also rides. The South Pennine RC's event at Crick Stand includes Chris Myhill (Peak RC) and Team Zenith Buzzcycles Lucas Manning and Adam Kenway while in Essex the Eastern Counties CA event is headed by Ciclos Uno duo Martin Meads and Dean Lubin.

The biggest field of the weekend is for the classic Catford CC hill climb. The 150 riders include Robert Gough and Michael Broadwith (Arctic SRAM RT), James Coleman (VC Walcot), Peter Tadros (In Gear Quickvit Trainsharp), Glyndwr Griffiths (Bristol South CC) while the women include Bronwen Ewing (Trainsharp RT).


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## Rob3rt (14 Oct 2013)

So @ColinJ are you watching on Sunday? Make sure to shout (and take some pics or video), whatever you shout doesn't need to be encouraging, you can call me all the names under the sun if you like, I'll only hear my name so it won't matter  BTW, bring water, wind and cold proof clothing as I am praying for bad weather.

@totallyfixed can you tell if they have seeded it like a TT rather than a HC here? Looks like the fast riders are all on zero's and 5's rather than all the big hitters packed into the last few as per usual. I'm of second to last and I have got Richard Handley of Rapha Condor JTL chasing me... O.o That is going to be great having a pro fly past a couple of minutes into my ride as if I am stood still, lol!


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## totallyfixed (14 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> So @ColinJ are you watching on Sunday? Make sure to shout (and take some pics or video), whatever you shout doesn't need to be encouraging, you can call me all the names under the sun if you like, I'll only hear my name so it won't matter  BTW, bring water, wind and cold proof clothing as I am praying for bad weather.
> 
> @totallyfixed can you tell if they have seeded it like a TT rather than a HC here? Looks like the fast riders are all on zero's and 5's rather than all the big hitters packed into the last few as per usual. I'm of second to last and I have got Richard Handley of Rapha Condor JTL chasing me... O.o That is going to be great having a pro fly past a couple of minutes into my ride as if I am stood still, lol!


Nah, you will be at least two thirds of the way up before he gets a sniff of you, and when he does get you that will be a great target to hang on to and get you a quick time. I have a feeling there will be a few TT machines riding this not to mention the odd disc wheel.


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## Rob3rt (14 Oct 2013)

I am undecided on bike/wheel choice yet. If riding a TT bike, you may as well ride a disc, I'd be tempted to ride a road bike but with a deep rear wheel or disc wheel and a set of lightweight clip-on aero bars if I had that option. Helen won't want too deep of a front wheel though if it is windy at all, it gets exposed up the top (you know what Blackstone Edge was like, Cragg Vale ascends the same terrain but from the other side) and she will get blown all over.


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## fossyant (14 Oct 2013)

We'll done Helen. And a big dent into the whole field as well, excellent.


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## ColinJ (14 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> So @ColinJ are you watching on Sunday? Make sure to shout (and take some pics or video), whatever you shout doesn't need to be encouraging, you can call me all the names under the sun if you like, I'll only hear my name so it won't matter  BTW, bring water, wind and cold proof clothing as I am praying for bad weather.


I'll try and make the effort to turn out unless the weather is really disgusting!

The usual wind direction up there is from the SW, so most days you get a cross headwind coming from your right, but the last couple of times I rode up the climb I got a significant NW wind which was assisting me - trust me, that is rare!

At the moment, the forecasters seem to think that there will be a stiff SSE wind which would be a cross headwind from your left for the exposed top section. It's a bit far out off to trust the forecast though.

Do you have a link to the start list?


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## Rob3rt (14 Oct 2013)

It's not on the CTT site yet, only riders will have email copies. Give it a day or so and it will go up on the CTT site. Or PM your email address and I'll forward it to you.


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## ColinJ (14 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> It's not on the CTT site yet, only riders will have email copies. Give it a day or so and it will go up on the CTT site. Or PM your email address and I'll forward it to you.


I'll check it the night before!


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## dr_pink (14 Oct 2013)

ColinJ said:


> I'll try and make the effort to turn out unless the weather is really disgusting!


Excellent! Will be fab to see you..
..what colour mankini will you be sporting?


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## ColinJ (14 Oct 2013)

dr_pink said:


> Excellent! Will be fab to see you..
> ..what colour mankini will you be sporting?


My mankini days were over before anybody invented the mankini! 

I will either be wearing a pair of 3/4 length bib knicks, or a pair of Bikesters over shorts.


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## potsy (15 Oct 2013)

Looks like she wasn't even trying either, too busy showing off trackstanding


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## totallyfixed (16 Oct 2013)

Just found these 









Now if this much effort is shown in the National............


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## ColinJ (17 Oct 2013)

@totallyfixed, @dr_pink, @Rob3rt 

**** Cragg Vale News! ****

I rode up the Cragg Vale climb today and discovered that there are 2 significant sets of roadworks in the first half of the climb, controlled by traffic lights. I stopped and asked the workmen how long they would be there and they said that "_the work should be finished tomorrow, unless there are any major problems with the job_".

It might be a good idea to get the TT event organiser to check with Calderdale Highways Dept. tomorrow afternoon!

************

There was the usual SW cross-headwind today, wind speed about 8 mph with gusts up to about 12 mph. It looks like Sunday might be a bit windier than that, with the wind swinging round more to the S.


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (17 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> Just found these
> 
> 
> 
> ...


She'll have at least 20% left in tank....


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## Rohloff_Brompton_Rider (17 Oct 2013)

ColinJ said:


> @totallyfixed, @dr_pink, @Rob3rt
> 
> **** Cragg Vale News! ****
> 
> ...


Hmmmm...just what me n Martin don't want!


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## Rob3rt (18 Oct 2013)

ColinJ said:


> @totallyfixed, @dr_pink, @Rob3rt
> 
> **** Cragg Vale News! ****
> 
> ...



Emailed the organiser, awaiting response!  Thanks for the heads up.


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## Rob3rt (18 Oct 2013)

Organiser said it is the same every year and that he is aware of it. Someone on twitter told me they had started filling in the road and were working in opposite directions to meet in the middle. Hopefully all should be clear on the day.


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## Rob3rt (19 Oct 2013)

Seen the headwind that is forecast FFS! Wrap up warm Colin, looks like it is going to be proper HC weather, grizzly! I'll be rolling in via Littlebrough and up over Blackstone Edge and down into Mytholmroyd most likely.


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## ColinJ (19 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Seen the headwind that is forecast FFS! Wrap up warm Colin, looks like it is going to be proper HC weather, grizzly! I'll be rolling in via Littlebrough and up over Blackstone Edge and down into Mytholmroyd most likely.


It is looking grim - the forecasters are even saying there might be thunderstorms when you guys are riding. I might just come along and say hello at HQ and head home to the warm and dry if things are that bad!

I'm heading up CV again today, so I'll see what has happened to the roadworks and will post the news here later.


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## Rob3rt (19 Oct 2013)

ColinJ said:


> It is looking grim - the forecasters are even saying there might be thunderstorms when you guys are riding. I might just come along and say hello at HQ and head home to the warm and dry if things are that bad!
> 
> I'm heading up CV again today, so I'll see what has happened to the roadworks and will post the news here later.



Great cheers! If you want a gentle pootle for a couple of miles to the HQ, I can go via Hebden Bridge to get to Mytholmroyd instead of over Blackstone Edge and meet you on the way if you wanted. Although it really would be about a mile, lol!


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## ColinJ (19 Oct 2013)

Yikes - I hope you don't experience tomorrow what I just did! 

The good news is - the roadworks have been completed, and all was clear.

I am having second thoughts about riding in the wet again tomorrow, so I might just walk to the community centre instead and say hello there. I don't fancy standing around in the open for 90-odd minutes in crappy conditions.


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## ColinJ (20 Oct 2013)

I met @totallyfixed and @dr_pink for coffee in Hebden Bridge this morning. I had been thinking of not going to watch the HC because of the grim forecast, but conditions improved so I walked over there and met up with them again at event HQ which was Mytholmroyd Community Centre. I also saw @Rob3rt there. 

TF drove me up to the open moor where we waited for dr_p to go by. Conditions were getting worse, but were still nowhere near as bad as they had been yesterday. Some riders were going well, but course records were never going to be broken with a stiff headwind up there.

We waited to give dr_p a jacket to wear for the descent, and drove back down to the start where we spotted Rob3rt waiting to set off.

We all eventually got together at HQ for the results.

Rob3rt had done a pretty good time in blustery conditions, especially since it was raining on the moor by the time he got up there. I think he did 19:14 and came 6th out of a start list in the 60s.

Dr_pink was a bit knackered after an awful night trying to sleep at a noisy Premier Inn so she wasn't on top form, but was still second woman in 21:xx (I forget the exact figure), which I think was a good result.

The winner did a phenomenal ride in the conditions - 16:xx. where xx was pretty low, 14 was it?

I will check my photos later and post a few if they turned out.


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## Svendo (20 Oct 2013)

ColinJ said:


> I met @totallyfixed and @dr_pink for coffee in Hebden Bridge this morning. I had been thinking of not going to watch the HC because of the grim forecast, but conditions improved so I walked over there and met up with them again at event HQ which was Mytholmroyd Community Centre. I also saw @Rob3rt there.
> 
> TF drove me up to the open moor where we waited for dr_p to go by. Conditions were getting worse, but were still nowhere near as bad as they had been yesterday. Some riders were going well, but course records were never going to be broken with a stiff headwind up there.
> 
> ...



I went for a ride today and on the off chance came up Cragg Vale, riders in the late 30s were on the way up at the time. I think I saw Dr. Pink on her way down, but called out too late for her to hear.
That's a good time by Dr. Pink, the head wind on the top half was pretty fierce. And a really impressive winning time. Best I've managed was 22 mins (over the full 8.83kms) albeit within a longer ride.
I did keep an eye out for you Colin, but mostly relied on my resplendent Cycle Chat kit to enable me to be recognised.
Chapeau to No.29, who I passed. A lady on a mountain bike who looked like merely getting to the top was a challenge in itself.


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## Rob3rt (20 Oct 2013)

Nice to meet you @ColinJ and thanks for coming along!

That weather was amazing, lol! The headwind not so nice, but the rain, just wow! It felt like hail and I could barely see anything (very glad I took my glasses off, you might have noticed my panic just before setting off, quickly taking them off and pocketing them with only a few seconds to spare) so pretty much just relied on road markings and my ears! Just emptied my shoes out, all my kit is completely water logged 

The climb was quite fun, I saw the dragon part way up, which I had forgotten was there, which gave me a bit of a laugh. For my ride I pretty much just tried to remain as aero as possible for the whole climb on account of the headwind so sat in a crouched psudeo-TT position. I was off second last and expected to be last one to finish as pro rider Richard Handley of Rapha Condor JTL was last man off, 1 minute behind me, he caught me even quicker than expected which was not good for morale, he absolutely flew past, I could hear his aero wheels rumbling along and he was riding on aero bars, I could see him get out of the saddle and honk up some of the steeper bits briefly before he disappeared into the distance. But I slowly reeled in number 71, 69 and another rider.

At one point I could see someone going slowly up the hill, it looked (remember I had taken off my glasses) like they had a cigarette held down by their side as some people do but as I approached, I realised it was a friend who had ridden earlier and last I knew was the current race leader and what he was holding was not a cigarette but a small video camera, he was riding along filming me approaching from the rear and then passed him. Hopefully he will send me the footage.

When it was all over I turned round and descended back down with an East Lancs RC rider chatting. Got to the foot of the descent and went to collect the drink I had stashed, only to find the guy who's garden I stashed it in was holding it and chatting to a couple, I approached them and he asked is this yours? He then laughed and said, "oops, I've just emptied it out and was about to put it in the bin, I thought everyone had gone", I told him it was fine and thanked him for handing it back and carried on back to HQ where Dr Pink shouted that my time was good, I proceeded indoors and treat everyone to the guns show (stripped off my wet clothes).

Not sure what to make of it tbh, position is good (esp considering at least 2 of the riders above me were pro's and I beat a local rider that would normally put a fair chunk of time into me on a long climb like that, I didn't look at the result board so not sure who else was up there), looking at my data, looks like I rode reasonably well, pretty much a constant 380W from the bottom to the top. But I didn't feel like I got it all out tbh, could have and should have ramped it up for the last mile or so, I am certain I could have gone harder, especially if I had known for certain where the finish was. I was almost immediately able to speak to another rider up the top (very nice guy from East Lancs RC) as we descended back down to HQ, usually takes me 5+ mins after an effort of that length to be able to speak properly.

BTW, did I mention, I got stung on the forehead while warming up, lol! Never been stung in my life until this year and then twice in 1 year I get stung while racing.

Also met a team mate (Alice, who placed 3rd in the women's competition) for the 1st time, didn't realise she was riding since she was down as a Macc wheeler... she kindly gave me a lift home too, which saved the hassle of the train and finite bike space.



ColinJ said:


> The winner did a phenomenal ride in the conditions - 16:xx. where xx was pretty low, 14 was it?



Yup, he is a beast, he won the Rake last week too, he is a pro rider for Hope.


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## ColinJ (20 Oct 2013)

Svendo said:


> I went for a ride today and on the off chance came up Cragg Vale, riders in the late 30s were on the way up at the time. I think I saw Dr. Pink on her way down, but called out too late for her to hear.
> That's a good time by Dr. Pink, the head wind on the top half was pretty fierce. And a really impressive winning time. Best I've managed was 22 mins (over the full 8.83kms) albeit within a longer ride.
> I did keep an eye out for you Colin, but mostly relied on my resplendent Cycle Chat kit to enable me to be recognised.
> Chapeau to No.29, who I passed. A lady on a mountain bike who looked like merely getting to the top was a challenge in itself.


I spotted you as we drove back down the hill!

I'm amazed that you haven't gone quicker than 22 mins - I managed 23.5 minutes (for the full hill) in 2006 or 2007 and you are fitter than I was then. Mind you, I did go there specifically to time myself and did it after just an easy warm-up.

I saw the woman on the MTB lining up at the start. I think she did it in 39:xx. I agree - chapeau!

I enjoyed seeing what a HC event is like and have decided that I will have a go at that one myself some day if I am able to do a respectable time on training rides. I can't see me ever winning even my own age category, but if I could get close to 20 mins then I'd be happy with that.

Here are some pictures. (I managed to miss the picture I tried to take of dr_pink in action - I clicked the wrong button and shut my camera app down!)


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## ColinJ (20 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Nice to meet you @ColinJ and thanks for coming along!


Nice to meet you too, Rob.


Rob3rt said:


> The climb was quite fun, I saw the dragon part way up, which I had forgotten was there, which gave me a bit of a laugh.


Ah, the famous Cragg Vale Dragon! (Photographed eating my bike a few winters ago.)


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## Rob3rt (20 Oct 2013)

Here's one of me:






Photo credit: Bhima, the person with the video camera that I thought was smoking.


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## dr_pink (20 Oct 2013)

ColinJ said:


> Rob3rt had done a pretty good time in blustery conditions, especially since it was raining on the moor by the time he got up there. I think he did 19:14 and came 6th out of a start list in the 60s.
> 
> Dr_pink was a bit knackered after an awful night trying to sleep at a noisy Premier Inn so she wasn't on top form, but was still second woman in 21:xx (I forget the exact figure), which I think was a good result.
> 
> The winner did a phenomenal ride in the conditions - 16:xx. where xx was pretty low, 14 was it?


 
Thanks for coming Colin - lovely to see you!
Rob3rt's 19:14.9 was fantastic - took some good scalps there coming in at 6th!
Yes James Gullen's winning time of 16:18.4 was just amazing in those conditions!
I did 21:28.1 - mixed feelings really - on Fri/Sat I thought I'd be too ill to ride so really pleased I managed it. I enjoyed the first few miles - the steeper part - and felt I was going well, but then I just couldn't combat that brutal headwind on the second half - I was getting blown all over the place... lots of work still to do!
(PS I really only turned up for the FREE beer)


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## Rob3rt (20 Oct 2013)

dr_pink said:


> Thanks for coming Colin - lovely to see you!
> *Rob3rt's 19:14.9 was fantastic - took some good scalps there coming in at 6th!*
> Yes James Gullen's winning time of 16:18.4 was just amazing in those conditions!
> I did 21:28.1 - mixed feelings really - on Fri/Sat I thought I'd be too ill to ride so really pleased I managed it. I enjoyed the first few miles - the steeper part - and felt I was going well, but then I just couldn't combat that brutal headwind on the second half - I was getting blown all over the place... lots of work still to do!
> (PS I really only turned up for the FREE beer)



I recognise very few names on the start sheet and not sure who DNS'd, will have to see the results when they come through as I didn't look at the board in the HQ. Good boost of confidence the week before the nationals though


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## Hacienda71 (20 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Here's one of me:
> 
> View attachment 31148
> 
> ...


Mr Bowdens type of climb. Said he liked the longer ones after I did the Westmead one he won up the Cat.


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## 400bhp (20 Oct 2013)

Gawd I'd be bobbins up that

Great effort guys - nice to see the CAAD9 out there


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## Rob3rt (20 Oct 2013)

Results:







That's a bloody good ride @dr_pink, I didn't know your time until now, especially given that headwind which will have really affected you a lot being so light.


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## totallyfixed (20 Oct 2013)

dr_pink actually a bit disappointed with that, but she shouldn't be, working very long hours, not feeling great and then the icing on the cake, we were booked into the Premier Inn by the M62 at Huddersfield with a room facing the motorway. The next bit you couldn't make it up, the highways folk decided to rip up the inside lane nearest to us, the noise was horrendous and this went on until 6am so very little sleep.
Here is a photo I took at the same time as Colin [only I must have pressed the right button ] dr_pink had just gone past the rider in the background.




Great to see you again Colin, your new lighter weight definitely suits you. Once again hats off to Rob, stonking ride.


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## 400bhp (20 Oct 2013)

Any more hill climb's you lot are doing this year?


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## totallyfixed (20 Oct 2013)

I have obviously drunk too much coffee, but to answer your question, the big one is next week,
here, then dr_pink has the final one of the season in Suffolk of all places .


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## totallyfixed (27 Oct 2013)

To almost finish off the thread by saying to Rob3rt who finished just outside the top 50 in the National Hill Climb Championships which is a fantastic result, he probably will not think so, but that field of 160 hill climbers was pure class, and it is his first season. The weather was atrocious, warming up was damn difficult without being soaked to the bone before you started. The women also had a class field with nowhere to hide with only 18 entered, unfortunately for the last 4 or 5 the weather turned really nasty so congrats to them for doing it, dr_pink came 5th, taking some very good scalps along the way and is now curled up on the sofa with a glass of port, chapeau! 
When I get a link to some pictures I will post it on here.


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## VamP (28 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> To almost finish off the thread by saying to Rob3rt who finished just outside the top 50 in the National Hill Climb Championships which is a fantastic result, he probably will not think so, but that field of 160 hill climbers was pure class, and it is his first season. The weather was atrocious, warming up was damn difficult without being soaked to the bone before you started. The women also had a class field with nowhere to hide with only 18 entered, unfortunately for the last 4 or 5 the weather turned really nasty so congrats to them for doing it, dr_pink came 5th, taking some very good scalps along the way and is now curled up on the sofa with a glass of port, chapeau!
> When I get a link to some pictures I will post it on here.




Well done to both.

I've dipped my toe in the waters of hill climbing this year with a couple of local races, and really enjoyed them. Unfortunately, there's a full on clash with the cross season, but I do want to do a few more next year. Great fun and a friendly scene.


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## ColinJ (28 Oct 2013)

Congratulations Rob3rt and dr_pink on your results in the Nationals!

As for Cragg Vale ... You will be impressed to know that I did my own unofficial HC up there at the weekend over the official route and took ...






... a mightily underwhelming 35 mins 15 secs! 

Conditions were not as windy as when you did the HC the previous weekend. I guess the wind was only about half as strong. There were some traffic lights which cost me about 20 seconds, and I was talking to someone for half the climb which cost me about another 40 seconds. I wasn't able to make any real effort because my breathing has been problematic again for the past week. It looks as if I won't be threatening your times in the foreseeable future!


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## 4F (28 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> I have obviously drunk too much coffee, but to answer your question, the big one is next week,
> here, then dr_pink has the final one of the season in Suffolk of all places .



Is that the one in Suffolk this Sunday in Semer ? If so I may take a gander over


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## totallyfixed (28 Oct 2013)

4F said:


> Is the one in Suffolk this Sunday in Semer ? If so I may take a gander over


It is indeed, details http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=83054
It would be great to see you, it is actually Helen's birthday that day so she might do something a bit left of centre on the climb. She is actually ranked as the quickest woman but as she has zero fast twitch muscles in her body a 500m not so steep hill is not really her thing [likes 18 - 25%, certifiable] so she is going to have a bit of fun with this one .


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## totallyfixed (28 Oct 2013)

These are the best photos I could find of the National Hill Climb, Rob3rt on page three [where else!] and dr_pink [Helen] on page eight. http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/gall...h-hill-climb-national-championships-2013.html.


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## Rob3rt (28 Oct 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> To almost finish off the thread by saying
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks for the nice comments mate. I don't know how pleased I am with that result tbh. At the end of the day it is a top 3rd of the field placing, but it is just outside the top 50, irritating, lol. That said, if I had been in the top 50, I would have been obsessing about being top 40 or top 25% etc as I always feel that I want more, to do better, I suppose that is what keeps me interested and wanting to compete! I managed to beat a few riders I thought would beat me too so that is something! Let's consider it a statement of intent for next year (although Pea Royd is not going to play to my strengths at all)!

The conditions were awful yes, I warmed up on the turbo, but by the time I got off of it and swapped to my race rear wheel, I was frozen solid, utterly futile. I do love a nasty weather climb though, so going up, I didn't mind so much (I figured everyone would be struggling equally with warming up), coming down though, I felt awful, it took me longer to get down the hill than to go up.

Well done to Helen, sounds like a great ride, I had actually intended to come early and watch the women's and cheer Helen on and also to see Sam from Buxton and wish him luck before he set off in the juniors event, but with the weather, it was just too much and I stayed in the car.



totallyfixed said:


> These are the best photos I could find of the National Hill Climb, *Rob3rt on page three [where else!]* and dr_pink [Helen] on page eight. http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/gall...h-hill-climb-national-championships-2013.html.



Thanks for that link, I had not seen those ones. Page 3 is rather fitting, I am becoming quite regular in my baring all but the money shot following a race  There is a pretty epic picture of me on page 2 as well and another on page 11 

Check out VeloUK's pictures too, he got some good ones. He was placed near the foot of the climb on the steep section when he snapped me.


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## Rob3rt (29 Oct 2013)

Video, Helen is on here, as are you @totallyfixed, sneaking on on the action descending back down with Helen, hehe  They didn't catch me on camera, my team mate Chris was caught though. 


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WfiHx9mi4E


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## HLaB (29 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Video, Helen is on here, as are you @totallyfixed, sneaking on on the action descending back down with Helen, hehe  They didn't catch me on camera, my team mate Chris was caught though.
> 
> 
> View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WfiHx9mi4E



Sounds good, I'll have to check it out when I get home :-)


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## totallyfixed (29 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Video, Helen is on here, as are you @totallyfixed, sneaking on on the action descending back down with Helen, hehe  They didn't catch me on camera, my team mate Chris was caught though.
> 
> 
> View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WfiHx9mi4E



Yep, saw that on the TT forum, good thing they didn't film Helen a couple of hundred meters further down, she was off the bike hacking the mess out that had been on her chest, if only she had been recovered I think she could have had a shot at the podium, oh well always next year.................maybe.


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## ColinJ (29 Oct 2013)

I think I would definitely have gone for the arm and leg warmers option in those conditions!


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## 400bhp (29 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> .
> 
> View attachment 31641



Fack-where's the rest of ya? Sep12, you were slightly larger than that


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## 400bhp (29 Oct 2013)

You bods are motivating me to do some stuff next year. Thanks, I think.


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## Rob3rt (30 Oct 2013)

400bhp said:


> You bods are motivating me to do some stuff next year. Thanks, I think.



You should jump in, I think you would enjoy it and if you pick your events to suit your strengths, you could do well.

I love the HC scene. I was looking forward to a break after the National HC but quite frankly, once it was over, I felt sad, the whole drive home I felt kind of shell shocked and was just thinking, what now? It is not just the racing that I like, but the people, the atmosphere all that stuff. I still feel a little sad that there won't be any more for near a year now, the people I have got used to chatting to weekly at events and during the build up, @totallyfixed & @dr_pink and many more etc, I'll miss all that. You don't get that camaraderie at other kinds of races, I probably get to chat to more people at a single HC than I did in a full season of TT'ing.

I am waiting for @Polocini, i.e. @fossyant 's lot to announce their Autumn funtime HC, I will have a punt at that to keep something on the horizon to look forward too.

I am organising a HC series next year for the club (assuming it gets through the AGM, which it should as my proposed rule change has committee support), so you should definitely come along and ride some, I will probably keep the Cat and Fiddle HC going, but there will be at least 2 more, a short and savage hill and a 9-12 minute climb. Will try to create a mix of traditional HC's of varying length and something a little different if possible (MAYBE some uphill match sprints, if this can be done legitimately)  I am scoping out potential courses atm, but have some existing courses to fall back on if it proves too time consuming with my current business level, which is high! You lot should come along, as I would like good numbers so it can be declared a success and so I don't waste a load of effort.


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## fossyant (30 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> I am waiting for @Polocini, i.e. @fossyant 's lot to announce their Autumn funtime HC, I will have a punt at that to keep something on the horizon to look forward too.



Not heard yet. ! Will keep you posted.


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## Rob3rt (30 Oct 2013)

fossyant said:


> Not heard yet. ! Will keep you posted.



Aye, Al will probably let me know too. Was chatting to him yesterday on twitter and he said there is no date yet. He is busy working on something else atm.


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## fossyant (30 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Aye, Al will probably let me know too. Was chatting to him yesterday on twitter and he said there is no date yet. He is busy working on something else atm.



Probably cakes ! 

I went in the cafe other day (midweek) and he'd buggered off riding his bike, and not serving customers. Pah. - He's been getting ribbed for not riding though !


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## Rob3rt (30 Oct 2013)

haha, he is organising some trips to Belgium or something.


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## HLaB (30 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Video, Helen is on here, as are you @totallyfixed, sneaking on on the action descending back down with Helen, hehe  They didn't catch me on camera, my team mate Chris was caught though.
> 
> 
> View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WfiHx9mi4E



Wouldn't have fancied that cattle grid


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## Rob3rt (30 Oct 2013)

I sat down and went over it straight on and it was fine. Wouldn't have fancied honking over it though, I nearly had an off right at the start from wheel slippage just from standing up on the pedals for the 1st part of the climb. Not a chance I would have tried to go over that cattle grid honking like that!


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## 400bhp (30 Oct 2013)

Where's next year's HC Rob?


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## Rob3rt (30 Oct 2013)

400bhp said:


> Where's next year's HC Rob?



The National next year is on Pea Royd Lane. It's a short steep affair.


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## ColinJ (31 Oct 2013)

There is a good photo of @Rob3rt in action on page 67 of today's edition of Cycling Weekly, along with a caption saying ...


> Robert Hayes rides the storm en route to a creditable 53rd overall.


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## Rob3rt (31 Oct 2013)

I'm also on Page 66 

I don't buy magazines usually, but vanity and sentiment meant this one was a no brainer


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## ColinJ (31 Oct 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> I'm also on Page 66
> 
> I don't buy magazines usually, but vanity and sentiment meant this one was a no brainer


Ha ha - I didn't spot that one ... boy, those conditions looked grim!


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## totallyfixed (2 Nov 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> I'm also on Page 66
> 
> I don't buy magazines usually, but vanity and sentiment meant this one was a no brainer


Lucky dog, Helen has never featured in any photo ever, and is often the only woman to miss out on a write up for some odd reason, she is very envious Rob. 
Last hill climb tomorrow and looks like a screaming head wind


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## Rob3rt (2 Nov 2013)

I saw on twitter Helen and Nicola are going to go in fancy dress? Good luck!

I guess I got lucky with the pictures, being snapped in the worst of the weather, looks dramatic I suppose.

I cycled for the 1st time since Sunday this morning, been busy doing nothing and eating biscuits all week, probably packed on a couple of pounds, hah. Rode up Skye Rd and Holme Moss at a "comfortable" pace (power was well below my limit for those kind of climbs), yet still nearly puked on Skye Rd, lol. Chris my clubmate who does the Hill Climbs was out too on his single speed, 44:16 up Holme Moss, mentalist!


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## potsy (3 Nov 2013)

totallyfixed said:


> Last hill climb tomorrow and looks like a screaming head wind


I see @dr_pink got another podium spot today, and on her birthday too


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## dr_pink (3 Nov 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> I saw on twitter Helen and Nicola are going to go in fancy dress? Good luck!


Didn't bother with fancy dress in the end - packed in a rush and couldn't find anything (un)suitable...



potsy said:


> I see @dr_pink got another podium spot today, and on her birthday too


The organisers had made a birthday cake for one of their riders and me 

It just occurred to me that the winning girl was half my age....

Feeling quite sad that the hill climb season is over


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## Rob3rt (3 Nov 2013)

dr_pink said:


> Didn't bother with fancy dress in the end - packed in a rush and couldn't find anything (un)suitable...
> 
> 
> The organisers had made a birthday cake for one of their riders and me
> ...



Same.


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## dr_pink (3 Nov 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Same.


We missed you today Rob3rt - it was a bit odd being at a HC without you there!


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## Rob3rt (3 Nov 2013)

dr_pink said:


> We missed you today Rob3rt - it was a bit odd being at a HC without you there!



Aw, thanks.

What's next for you then?

I should be organising a HC series to take place over a few weeks (3 climbs with distinct profiles and the shortest overall time wins) for the club next year, which may or may not interest you, as it will be a 'club' event series not an 'open'. It will probably also run slightly earlier than the normal HC season. The hills are not yet choosen, but I am thinking along the lines of, Pym's Chair, Windgather and Cat and Fiddle.

If you and @totallyfixed are up this way and have your bikes and fancy a ride out somewhere, you will have to give me a shout


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## Rob3rt (27 Dec 2013)

Sorry to resurrect the thread but @totallyfixed and @dr_pink might like to know a pic of Helen appears to have been added to the Cycling Weekly web gallery from the National HC! Noticed it just now as girlfriend retweeted a string of images from 2013 tweets by Cycling Weekly. I managed to get hold of the photographer recently, so if you want his details for prints drop me a message (he might have more images too, you never know).


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## dr_pink (29 Dec 2013)

Rob3rt said:


> Sorry to resurrect the thread but @totallyfixed and @dr_pink might like to know a pic of Helen appears to have been added to the Cycling Weekly web gallery from the National HC! Noticed it just now as girlfriend retweeted a string of images from 2013 tweets by Cycling Weekly. I managed to get hold of the photographer recently, so if you want his details for prints drop me a message (he might have more images too, you never know).


Cool! Thanks Rob3rt, nice to re live this again! Yes please send me the contact details


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