Cheshire Cat 2010

[a_n_t]

Mow cop aint all that if you take it easy at the bottom. The steep bit by the pub is only about 50ft! Killer mile? dont think so!

 

[andy_wrx]

I did the 100 miler on very little training last year

Mow Cop isn't '15 miles in', more like 55 or 60 miles.

I found Macc Forest too be tougher; consequently, I think that I'll be doing the 100km next year - I want to get up Mow Cop next time.

Different route next year, pubrunner.
Start's in Crewe, Mow Cop is at 16miles, Bridestones at 22, Wincle at 29, then it's all flat.
No Macc Forest, no Lamaload, no Swiss Hill

http://www.kilotogo.com/index.php?option=view_route&distance_id=22&event_id=11
http://www.kilotogo.com/media/distance_profile/f944c8bb280d6100b16076733fce29e6.pdf

Go for the 100 again.
Get the hills out of the way and then storm round

 

[pubrunner]

Different route next year, pubrunner.
Start's in Crewe, Mow Cop is at 16miles, Bridestones at 22, Wincle at 29, then it's all flat.
No Macc Forest, no Lamaload, no Swiss Hill

http://www.kilotogo.com/index.php?option=view_route&distance_id=22&event_id=11
http://www.kilotogo.com/media/distance_profile/f944c8bb280d6100b16076733fce29e6.pdf

Go for the 100 again.
Get the hills out of the way and then storm round

I hadn't realised that the course had changed - ta for the links.

I'm not good enough to 'storm' anywhere. This year, I got to 50 miles in just under 3 hours - which I thought was reasonable for me. However, after only 1/4 of a mile, I was dropped by all those with whom I'd started. I was overtaken all the way round. They made me look very slow and very unfit; they were 'proper cyclists - and I'm not.

Blimey! Close to home for me that, it's about three miles from my house to the start!

Yes, we can all park in your driveway.

 

[John the Monkey]

Yes, we can all park in your driveway.

You'll have to beat the neighbours to the punch then!

Irony probably isn't the right word, but as the only one car family on the whole street, we have a HELL of a lot of vehicles outside our house!

I think I might have a potter about the routes over the coming weekends and see what I think.

 

[andy_wrx]

I'm not good enough to 'storm' anywhere. This year, I got to 50 miles in just under 3 hours - which I thought was reasonable for me. However, after only 1/4 of a mile, I was dropped by all those with whom I'd started. I was overtaken all the way round. They made me look very slow and very unfit; they were 'proper cyclists - and I'm not.

50 in 3 is fine, you did the full 100 too - sounds like a 'proper cyclist' to me.

I don't worry too much about the people in the group I set off with - regularly there are people who go off at the clappers and I smile to myself wondering how long they'll keep that up for.

On the way round, some people pass me, I pass other people.

Make sure that you give yourself plenty of time to get to the event and the starting line in a calm & composed manner.

I'm always 'at the last minute' and usually set-off half an hour later than I'd planned to.

Whilst not intentional, it does mean that by setting off later, there are less super-fast whippet types behind me to come by and pass me, more slower people in front of me to pass.
Set off early and there's no-one slower to catch, only lots of faster people behind you...
.

 

[John the Monkey]

I went and had a look at Mow Cop on Sunday.



The approach is steep. The bit by the pub, the 25% bit, that is, is astonishingly steep. I managed to get up *to* the last part (having stopped for a rest twice) - the 25% bit I just couldn't do. Whilst I was there, two other cyclists were out having a look at the climb too, one made it up, one stopped where I did. So, I tihnk I have a cycling goal for next year.

1) Make it up the 25% bit of the climb.
2) Make it up without stopping.

Another thing, if you're planning to have a look, make sure you're not on the last bit of your brake blocks - coming down again will test your nerve *and* brakes

 

[Philip Whiteman]

Call me controversial, but..........

I have never quite understood why this event is so popular. There are a number of better sportives that I can think of.

 

[fossyant]

It's an early season, and you don't have to travel far (for us locals)...not done it myself yet though.

 

[alecstilleyedye]

did the short version a few years ago. it's maybe a bit too local for a lot of folk around my way (paying £30 to ride on roads the club rides every other week is considered steep), but with it starting at mecca this year, i may yet succumb (long version now mind)…

 

[moolarb]

Call me controversial, but..........

I have never quite understood why this event is so popular. There are a number of better sportives that I can think of.

so what are the better sportives in this area then?

and what makes them better?

 

[andy_wrx]

so what are the better sportives in this area then?

and what makes them better?

And how many are in March/April ?


I'll agree that the Cheshire Cat is not the best sportive in the world.

It's popular because it's hyped in Cycling Weekly, Cycling Plus and on Cyclosport website.

It's a competent sportive and it's a very newbie-friendly.


On KiloToGo's website they say they are

the UK's foremost cyclosportive organiser, we can get you on your bike in an unparalleled range of challenging cyclosportive rides in beautiful places around Britain.

No, sorry, that's just hyperbole.
KiltoToGo are not dreadful, are not a fly-by-night rip-off, but they're just not as brilliant as that.

My gripe was that the foodstops on the Cheshire Cat the last two years were very poor (Tesco Value apple pie, sausage rolls and doughnuts !) and there was no food available at the finish (did manage to get a cup of tea this year).

A friend however had his rear mech shear off and he was very pleased with the mobile mechanic trying to fix his bike into a single-speed, then when it was taking too long giving him a lift back to the start in his van.

To me, the Cheshire Cat 'old' route which they did the first two years made sense as a start-of-season warm-up event.
Not the hardest sportive, but it was in March and we have been know to have snow then even in Cheshire.
It allowed for the weather, allowed for people being undertrained through Winter, allowed for relative newbies out for their first sportive.

This year they ramped the route up to be a much harder event, I thought it perhaps too much if we'd had a blizzard and people were up in Macc Forest or Lamaload.

Looks like they have decided now to switch to Crewe rather than Knutsford Leisure Centre (hopefully Crewe will have better facilities, like food at the finish) and have made it a relatively-easy event again.

For a 'hardened sportiver', I agree it might be seen as 'too easy', but for anyone relatively new, to do a Century in March (rather than in August when they've had a Summer of training) will be an achievemnt to be proud of.


I'll be doing it because there are a group of people from my club who are keen, I'll either go round with them or storm round for a fast time.

 

[I am Spartacus]

We'd all prefer to be doin' this one, I daresay.. it includes the Mortirolo
http://www.granfondomarcopantani.com/index.php?p=2_3

but reality check...
Cheshire.. March .. a few hills.. affable locals who drive 4x4s with utmost courtesy...
nuff said

 

[moolarb]

I went and had a look at Mow Cop on Sunday.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/john_the_monkey/4088550171/
The approach is steep. The bit by the pub, the 25% bit, that is, is astonishingly steep. I managed to get up *to* the last part (having stopped for a rest twice) - the 25% bit I just couldn't do. Whilst I was there, two other cyclists were out having a look at the climb too, one made it up, one stopped where I did. So, I tihnk I have a cycling goal for next year.

1) Make it up the 25% bit of the climb.
2) Make it up without stopping.

Another thing, if you're planning to have a look, make sure you're not on the last bit of your brake blocks - coming down again will test your nerve *and* brakes

I also had a go at Mow Cop yesterday. It was a 25 mile flatish ride to get there but I still felt OK at the bottom. The majority of the climb wasn't as bad as I was expecting, though there was a steep bit about a 1/3 of the way up but then the gradient eases off a bit. I managed to get all the way up to the pub and had a go at the really short steep bit, but there was no way I was gonna get up that. I just lost all my speed in an instant and just managed to unclip before I toppled over.

There is no way I'll ever make it up that on my current bike (lowest gear is 38x26) - maybe with a compact or triple - but hats off to anyone who can do it with normal gears.

You would have to hit it at speed to keep your momentum going, and that's tough after you've been climbing for a while.

 

[I am Spartacus]

but hats off to anyone who can do it with normal gears.

You would have to hit it at speed to keep your momentum going, and that's tough after you've been climbing for a while.

Using a compact gearing for hilly profiles in my book is 'normal'.

'hit it at speed' is completely the wrong tactic.
You need before you hit the ramp, a reserve in your HR, strength in your legs, as you will have to increase the power significantly... hopefully I am not the only one who just before it eases off a bit has hit red zone massively.
I spend the rest of the road recovering up to the turn, then giving the run up to the mast as good as I can give it.

 

[John the Monkey]

Sounds like a better plan than mine of rushing at it and hoping for the best...