Kilotogo Cheshire Cat Sportive 2015
May 23rd-24th 2015
78 mile loop from Crewe, taking in the famed Mow Cop climb (25%)
Taken from "Two legs and Two wheels" blog:
"80 miles in rolling hills, in the last weekend in March so the weather should be half-decent, what’s not to like? Well, it turns out that although Cheshire isn’t particularly hilly the organisers found the four largest hills in the county and put them on the route - including the the Mow Cop Mile, a climb up from a valley to a ridge with a 25% gradient and a tough reputation. As I hadn’t cycled that distance on the flat so far this year, as the weekend came closer I was more wondering if I’d be able to keep up! To add to that, the weather forecast became increasingly cold and damp the nearer we came to the date. I drove down to Cheshire on Friday after work, having tuned up my brakes and bearings over the evenings last week. Saturday was grey and rainy, and the forecast for Sunday had only deteriorated, with predicted wind speeds of 25 m/s, 6 C temperatures and an 80 to 100% chance of rain.
The weather didn’t disappoint, and as we parked in the drizzle we were glad to find parking spaces on the concrete, rather than the overflow carpark on playing fields. Judging by the condition of the fields when we arrived, they’ll take a long time to recover. We prepared our bikes and cycled to the start line; unlike normal sportives, the start was staggered, but in the end this seemed more an inconvenience than a necessity, as riders were starting in a trickle rather than a flood. However, I imagine a fair few potential entrants, especially those living closer, had pulled out due to the weather forecast, and we were underway just before 10.
Within a couple of miles, the drizzle turned into the predicted heavy rain, and I’d forgotten to tuck my gloves into my jacket sleeves - consequently rain dripped down my sleeves and into my gloves, ending up collecting in my fingers. By the time we arrived at the first food stop I could literally pour water from my gloves; fortunately I had a spare (dry) pair in my pocket! However, the first food stop was 45km into the ride, and first we had to negotiate the outskirts of Crewe and the Mow Cop Mile. Crewe was particularly uninspiring in the rain, and seems to be full of obnoxious drivers - even on a wet Sunday morning.
Once we left Crewe and turned onto quieter roads the main challenges became avoiding the potholes (difficult but possible) and the rain (impossible). After about 30 km some riders turned off to do a shorter, 80 km loop; we carried on for the longer option and were soon attacking the Mow Cop Mile. After hearing there were medals going just for climbing the whole way without putting a foot down, I was determined to grab one; after all, I’ve grown up cycling in the Yorkshire Dales and I wasn’t going to to let some small southern slopes get the better of me! Nevertheless, at 25% the steepest part of the climb is certainly not to be sniffed at, and unlike many similar gradients elsewhere there are no bends on this one, not for the steepest section: it’s 25% straight up. However, it’s comparatively short, and Tasha and I both made it up without dropping a foot. At the top the wind and rain hit us afresh; fortunately it was only a short descent and we were at the first food stop. The brownie and flapjack were very welcome!
After a bit of faff emptying out and changing gloves we were back in the saddle, eager to start moving again to keep warm. This was the quietest and hilliest part of the ride; unfortunately, with the rain, the road surfaces were covered in gravel and mud. Shortly after setting off again we came to a ford. Neither the ford nor the slippy stone footbridge looked appealing, but another rider coming up just behind us pointed out a short loop of road that bypassed both - I’m glad he did otherwise we might have missed it!
After the busyness of the start and the first hill, we found ourselves riding alone for a spell, pretty much until the second major climb. I think this was the point were many people were starting to struggle - it was about 25 or 30 miles in, and the cold rain and the gradient were taking their toll and we must have passed a couple of dozen riders walking up. All too soon we were approaching the third and final major climb of the day; about halfway up, a group of three riders caught up with us, and promptly sat on our wheels until the summit. The next few miles were probably the most mentally challenging of the ride, as the rain turned from a steady drizzle to a downpour and the wind strengthened. We snatched the briefest of stops for a couple of snacks, and with the peloton stretching out after the descents we were soon riding alone again.
Once down into the valley floor, the rain eased off and eventually stopped; although the cold wind was against us it helped shake off the worst of the dampness! The 80 km route riders rejoined us just before the second of the two food stops; the tea and flapjack were again very welcome. Many people had reached this point and decided to call it a day, sheltering inside in a community centre waiting for transport back to the start. However, we didn’t pause for long, and we rolled out onto the road to see snatches of blue sky. The weather improved and we even saw sun at some points; we might even have called it warm, had we not been cold and wet from earlier in the day. This was a very easy and pleasant few miles, and we made good time. However, all good things come to an end, and as we drew towards Crewe and the finish the cars and rain both returned with greater intensity. I think we saw more other cyclists on this stretch than at any other point on the ride: over the last 5 to 10 miles, 3 large groups caught up with us. We stuck with the first couple for a while, before, travelling faster, they left us behind; but we kept up with the 3rd group all the way in to the finishing arches. After that, all that remained was to collect our Mow Cop Mile medals and to find a suitable establishment in which to replenish our energy levels!"
Results
Distance: 78 miles
Climbing: 1404 m
Time: 6:44
Pace: 11.6 mph
78 mile loop from Crewe, taking in the famed Mow Cop climb (25%)
Taken from "Two legs and Two wheels" blog:
"80 miles in rolling hills, in the last weekend in March so the weather should be half-decent, what’s not to like? Well, it turns out that although Cheshire isn’t particularly hilly the organisers found the four largest hills in the county and put them on the route - including the the Mow Cop Mile, a climb up from a valley to a ridge with a 25% gradient and a tough reputation. As I hadn’t cycled that distance on the flat so far this year, as the weekend came closer I was more wondering if I’d be able to keep up! To add to that, the weather forecast became increasingly cold and damp the nearer we came to the date. I drove down to Cheshire on Friday after work, having tuned up my brakes and bearings over the evenings last week. Saturday was grey and rainy, and the forecast for Sunday had only deteriorated, with predicted wind speeds of 25 m/s, 6 C temperatures and an 80 to 100% chance of rain.
The weather didn’t disappoint, and as we parked in the drizzle we were glad to find parking spaces on the concrete, rather than the overflow carpark on playing fields. Judging by the condition of the fields when we arrived, they’ll take a long time to recover. We prepared our bikes and cycled to the start line; unlike normal sportives, the start was staggered, but in the end this seemed more an inconvenience than a necessity, as riders were starting in a trickle rather than a flood. However, I imagine a fair few potential entrants, especially those living closer, had pulled out due to the weather forecast, and we were underway just before 10.
Within a couple of miles, the drizzle turned into the predicted heavy rain, and I’d forgotten to tuck my gloves into my jacket sleeves - consequently rain dripped down my sleeves and into my gloves, ending up collecting in my fingers. By the time we arrived at the first food stop I could literally pour water from my gloves; fortunately I had a spare (dry) pair in my pocket! However, the first food stop was 45km into the ride, and first we had to negotiate the outskirts of Crewe and the Mow Cop Mile. Crewe was particularly uninspiring in the rain, and seems to be full of obnoxious drivers - even on a wet Sunday morning.
Once we left Crewe and turned onto quieter roads the main challenges became avoiding the potholes (difficult but possible) and the rain (impossible). After about 30 km some riders turned off to do a shorter, 80 km loop; we carried on for the longer option and were soon attacking the Mow Cop Mile. After hearing there were medals going just for climbing the whole way without putting a foot down, I was determined to grab one; after all, I’ve grown up cycling in the Yorkshire Dales and I wasn’t going to to let some small southern slopes get the better of me! Nevertheless, at 25% the steepest part of the climb is certainly not to be sniffed at, and unlike many similar gradients elsewhere there are no bends on this one, not for the steepest section: it’s 25% straight up. However, it’s comparatively short, and Tasha and I both made it up without dropping a foot. At the top the wind and rain hit us afresh; fortunately it was only a short descent and we were at the first food stop. The brownie and flapjack were very welcome!
After a bit of faff emptying out and changing gloves we were back in the saddle, eager to start moving again to keep warm. This was the quietest and hilliest part of the ride; unfortunately, with the rain, the road surfaces were covered in gravel and mud. Shortly after setting off again we came to a ford. Neither the ford nor the slippy stone footbridge looked appealing, but another rider coming up just behind us pointed out a short loop of road that bypassed both - I’m glad he did otherwise we might have missed it!
After the busyness of the start and the first hill, we found ourselves riding alone for a spell, pretty much until the second major climb. I think this was the point were many people were starting to struggle - it was about 25 or 30 miles in, and the cold rain and the gradient were taking their toll and we must have passed a couple of dozen riders walking up. All too soon we were approaching the third and final major climb of the day; about halfway up, a group of three riders caught up with us, and promptly sat on our wheels until the summit. The next few miles were probably the most mentally challenging of the ride, as the rain turned from a steady drizzle to a downpour and the wind strengthened. We snatched the briefest of stops for a couple of snacks, and with the peloton stretching out after the descents we were soon riding alone again.
Once down into the valley floor, the rain eased off and eventually stopped; although the cold wind was against us it helped shake off the worst of the dampness! The 80 km route riders rejoined us just before the second of the two food stops; the tea and flapjack were again very welcome. Many people had reached this point and decided to call it a day, sheltering inside in a community centre waiting for transport back to the start. However, we didn’t pause for long, and we rolled out onto the road to see snatches of blue sky. The weather improved and we even saw sun at some points; we might even have called it warm, had we not been cold and wet from earlier in the day. This was a very easy and pleasant few miles, and we made good time. However, all good things come to an end, and as we drew towards Crewe and the finish the cars and rain both returned with greater intensity. I think we saw more other cyclists on this stretch than at any other point on the ride: over the last 5 to 10 miles, 3 large groups caught up with us. We stuck with the first couple for a while, before, travelling faster, they left us behind; but we kept up with the 3rd group all the way in to the finishing arches. After that, all that remained was to collect our Mow Cop Mile medals and to find a suitable establishment in which to replenish our energy levels!"
Results
Distance: 78 miles
Climbing: 1404 m
Time: 6:44
Pace: 11.6 mph
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