ginty001

I agree with the guys, this was a very well organised event, in a stunning part of the country on great roads... we stayed in a quaint wee village called Kettlewell in 4 different lodging all within about 100 yrds of each other and had a meal in the local hotel, food was great and for once we went easy on the pints, only 3 or 4 max .. as for the ride itself, no-one has exaggerated how tough this was, easily as tough as anything I've done before including the Fred and the Marmotte Pyrenees, it seemed that every single climb had sections in the high teens or low 20's plus a couple of 25 percents that seemed to go on for ages... as usual the company was great, so despite the pain it was a really enjoyable day in a masochistic kind of way.. Slept like a baby when I got home..
mcginty
 

I agree with the guys, this was a very well organised event, in a stunning part of the country on great roads... we stayed in a quaint wee village called Kettlewell in 4 different lodging all within about 100 yrds of each other and had a meal in the local hotel, food was great and for once we went easy on the pints, only 3 or 4 max .. as for the ride itself, no-one has exaggerated how tough this was, easily as tough as anything I've done before including the Fred and the Marmotte Pyrenees, it seemed that every single climb had sections in the high teens or low 20's plus a couple of 25 percents that seemed to go on for ages... as usual the company was great, so despite the pain it was a really enjoyable day in a masochistic kind of way.. Slept like a baby when I got home..
mcginty
 

I agree with the guys, this was a very well organised event, in a stunning part of the country on great roads... we stayed in a quaint wee village called Kettlewell in 4 different lodging all within about 100 yrds of each other and had a meal in the local hotel, food was great and for once we went easy on the pints, only 3 or 4 max .. as for the ride itself, no-one has exaggerated how tough this was, easily as tough as anything I've done before including the Fred and the Marmotte Pyrenees, it seemed that every single climb had sections in the high teens or low 20's plus a couple of 25 percents that seemed to go on for ages... as usual the company was great, so despite the pain it was a really enjoyable day in a masochistic kind of way.. Slept like a baby when I got home..
mcginty
 

I agree with the guys, this was a very well organised event, in a stunning part of the country on great roads... we stayed in a quaint wee village called Kettlewell in 4 different lodging all within about 100 yrds of each other and had a meal in the local hotel, food was great and for once we went easy on the pints, only 3 or 4 max .. as for the ride itself, no-one has exaggerated how tough this was, easily as tough as anything I've done before including the Fred and the Marmotte Pyrenees, it seemed that every single climb had sections in the high teens or low 20's plus a couple of 25 percents that seemed to go on for ages... as usual the company was great, so despite the pain it was a really enjoyable day in a masochistic kind of way.. Slept like a baby when I got home..
mcginty
 

I agree with the guys, this was a very well organised event, in a stunning part of the country on great roads... we stayed in a quaint wee village called Kettlewell in 4 different lodging all within about 100 yrds of each other and had a meal in the local hotel, food was great and for once we went easy on the pints, only 3 or 4 max .. as for the ride itself, no-one has exaggerated how tough this was, easily as tough as anything I've done before including the Fred and the Marmotte Pyrenees, it seemed that every single climb had sections in the high teens or low 20's plus a couple of 25 percents that seemed to go on for ages... as usual the company was great, so despite the pain it was a really enjoyable day in a masochistic kind of way.. Slept like a baby when I got home..
mcginty
 

I agree with the guys, this was a very well organised event, in a stunning part of the country on great roads... we stayed in a quaint wee village called Kettlewell in 4 different lodging all within about 100 yrds of each other and had a meal in the local hotel, food was great and for once we went easy on the pints, only 3 or 4 max .. as for the ride itself, no-one has exaggerated how tough this was, easily as tough as anything I've done before including the Fred and the Marmotte Pyrenees, it seemed that every single climb had sections in the high teens or low 20's plus a couple of 25 percents that seemed to go on for ages... as usual the company was great, so despite the pain it was a really enjoyable day in a masochistic kind of way.. Slept like a baby when I got home..
mcginty
 

Thanks Gerard - that’s the JWCC bunch at the start of the ride - all looking relatively fresh. It was a different story at the end though!
There were 7 JWCC and two friends - Scott (just back from a weeks training in Majorca) and Glynn who was always going to be good on the hills given can’t have weighed more than 55kg - wet through.
The intention was to ride ‘as a group’ at a very conservative pace. This proved to be a very good decision. Group was intact when after 30 miles or so Linda peeled off to follow the 60 mile route - sterling effort Linda!
After that the fun and games began. I’m sure some of the others will want to add their own experience, but suffice to say that this is a very very hard ride indeed. In a word, brutal. It is every bit as hard as the Fred in my opinion.
Anyway, our policy of keeping the group intact and stopping at the feeds served us well. Everyone was in good spirits with no mechanicals or mishaps (we saw a few which served as a salutary reminder that the course can be dangerous, especially the downhills). 
I’d ridden quite a few of these roads before so I had an idea what to expect, but I kept that to myself to preserve morale , as each climb was as hard or harder than the next, with a few 25% sections thrown in for good measure.
We regrouped in Hawes for the last time and had a welcome coffee before tackling the very last climb - Fleet Moss. I hadn’t ridden this before, but Graham had, just the previous day (yes he cycled down!). He told us with a solemn look on his face that it was just as hard as anything we had already done. He wasn't lying.
Overall a great day out, which will no doubt gain epic status in our memories, once we forget about how hard it was.
It was a long day though, with the drive back to Glasgow. With hindsight, staying another night would have been good.
Thanks to all who participated - JWCC and friends. 
Cheers!
 
 
 

Great stuff from Darryl, an epic Wheelers day out in some stunning scenery.  Very glad of my decision take each hill as steady as possible for such a long route with a couple of steep climbs.  I am a rubbish climber but based on how I fine feel today it has paid off.  Many thanks to everyone there, it was a memorable weekend.  When do start planning the next one...?

First of all, Thank you Darryl for suggesting/organising this Sportive & all the Wheelers & friends for another very memorable day indeed on the bike!
I wouldn't have thought about doing this if it wasn't for Darryl's idea, since all I do these days are flat & cobblily :-) ............. but I'm glad I did this even though as everyone have said - it's brutal  !
It's been a long time since I've done a "local sportive", probably have to go back to 2012 now, so it was a great reminder that there are still some brilliant events to be ridden without crossing the Channel.
It might not have the glitz & glamour of bigger, more internationally recognised foreign events, but what it lacks is made up for by the warm reception (everyone I met, locals/marshalls helpers etc all had a smile on their faces) friendly atmosphere ........ & less riders to elbow out the way at feed stations 
In my opinion, this was an extremely well organised event with some lovely scenery & some of the hardest climbs I've ever done 
I've lost count of the times 20/21% gradient reading shown on my Garmin & these were always at the end of some long constant 10,12, 14, 16% slopes. Every time I ask Darryl, how many more climbs, he just said "........... only 1 more"  ........ I know full well that it was not true ........ but somehow want it to be so!
What also pleasantly surprised me was the conditions of the roads we drove & rode on, it was actually quite good without too much pot holes or broken surfaces, that was very welcome indeed, especially the brilliant & long but fairly technical descents. Which was great because after everyone climbs, the long down hills would munch away the km's, bringing us closer back to the finish!
It goes without saying that I had a great time - thanks also to Gerard for pick-up & drop off & to my travel companions .............
P.S We were lucky with the weather, because I dare to think what it would be like if it was windy & wet 
Cheers

Glorious night for the Frank Lauder, 9 riders and check out the brilliant times all round...  all very tight except for the 5 times in a row Champ
1st.  and JWCC 10 Mile TT Champion : Richard Montague - 20.50 (pd)
2nd. Stuart Tennant - 23.05
3rd. Colin McPhee - 23.09 (PB) (pd+1)
4th. Gerrard Deeley - 23.16 (PB)(pd)
5th Scott McIntosh - 23.18 (PB)
6th James Snodgrass - 23.28(pd)
7th Colin Sales - 23.34 (PB)
8th Alan Thomson - 23.37 (PB)(pd)
9th Joseph McIntosh - 26.35 (Jet)
Well done all the riders... a lot of very good testers this year ..
Alan T collected a few quid for the coffers, but I don't know how much..
Cheers
McGinty
 
 

Good to see everyone again... was a struggle though. Burst

Good luck guys/girls

Glorious night for the Frank Lauder, 9 riders and check out the brilliant times all round...  all very tight except for the 5 times in a row Champ
1st.  and JWCC 10 Mile TT Champion : Richard Montague - 20.50 (pd)
2nd. Stuart Tennant - 23.05
3rd. Colin McPhee - 23.09 (PB) (pd+1)
4th. Gerrard Deeley - 23.16 (PB)(pd)
5th Scott McIntosh - 23.18 (PB)
6th James Snodgrass - 23.28(pd)
7th Colin Sales - 23.34 (PB)
8th Alan Thomson - 23.37 (PB)(pd)
9th Joseph McIntosh - 26.35 (Jet)
Well done all the riders... a lot of very good testers this year ..
Alan T collected a few quid for the coffers, but I don't know how much..
Cheers
McGinty
 
 

Glorious night for the Frank Lauder, 9 riders and check out the brilliant times all round...  all very tight except for the 5 times in a row Champ
1st.  and JWCC 10 Mile TT Champion : Richard Montague - 20.50 (pd)
2nd. Stuart Tennant - 23.05
3rd. Colin McPhee - 23.09 (PB) (pd+1)
4th. Gerrard Deeley - 23.16 (PB)(pd)
5th Scott McIntosh - 23.18 (PB)
6th James Snodgrass - 23.28(pd)
7th Colin Sales - 23.34 (PB)
8th Alan Thomson - 23.37 (PB)(pd)
9th Joseph McIntosh - 26.35 (Jet)
Well done all the riders... a lot of very good testers this year ..
Alan T collected a few quid for the coffers, but I don't know how much..
Cheers
McGinty
 
 

Glorious night for the Frank Lauder, 9 riders and check out the brilliant times all round...  all very tight except for the 5 times in a row Champ
1st.  and JWCC 10 Mile TT Champion : Richard Montague - 20.50 (pd)
2nd. Stuart Tennant - 23.05
3rd. Colin McPhee - 23.09 (PB) (pd+1)
4th. Gerrard Deeley - 23.16 (PB)(pd)
5th Scott McIntosh - 23.18 (PB)
6th James Snodgrass - 23.28(pd)
7th Colin Sales - 23.34 (PB)
8th Alan Thomson - 23.37 (PB)(pd)
9th Joseph McIntosh - 26.35 (Jet)
Well done all the riders... a lot of very good testers this year ..
Alan T collected a few quid for the coffers, but I don't know how much..
Cheers
McGinty
 
 

Glorious night for the Frank Lauder, 9 riders and check out the brilliant times all round...  all very tight except for the 5 times in a row Champ
1st.  and JWCC 10 Mile TT Champion : Richard Montague - 20.50 (pd)
2nd. Stuart Tennant - 23.05
3rd. Colin McPhee - 23.09 (PB) (pd+1)
4th. Gerrard Deeley - 23.16 (PB)(pd)
5th Scott McIntosh - 23.18 (PB)
6th James Snodgrass - 23.28(pd)
7th Colin Sales - 23.34 (PB)
8th Alan Thomson - 23.37 (PB)(pd)
9th Joseph McIntosh - 26.35 (Jet)
Well done all the riders... a lot of very good testers this year ..
Alan T collected a few quid for the coffers, but I don't know how much..
Cheers
McGinty
 
 

Glorious night for the Frank Lauder, 9 riders and check out the brilliant times all round...  all very tight except for the 5 times in a row Champ
1st.  and JWCC 10 Mile TT Champion : Richard Montague - 20.50 (pd)
2nd. Stuart Tennant - 23.05
3rd. Colin McPhee - 23.09 (PB) (pd+1)
4th. Gerrard Deeley - 23.16 (PB)(pd)
5th Scott McIntosh - 23.18 (PB)
6th James Snodgrass - 23.28(pd)
7th Colin Sales - 23.34 (PB)
8th Alan Thomson - 23.37 (PB)(pd)
9th Joseph McIntosh - 26.35 (Jet)
Well done all the riders... a lot of very good testers this year ..
Alan T collected a few quid for the coffers, but I don't know how much..
Cheers
McGinty
 
 

Glorious night for the Frank Lauder, 9 riders and check out the brilliant times all round...  all very tight except for the 5 times in a row Champ
1st.  and JWCC 10 Mile TT Champion : Richard Montague - 20.50 (pd)
2nd. Stuart Tennant - 23.05
3rd. Colin McPhee - 23.09 (PB) (pd+1)
4th. Gerrard Deeley - 23.16 (PB)(pd)
5th Scott McIntosh - 23.18 (PB)
6th James Snodgrass - 23.28(pd)
7th Colin Sales - 23.34 (PB)
8th Alan Thomson - 23.37 (PB)(pd)
9th Joseph McIntosh - 26.35 (Jet)
Well done all the riders... a lot of very good testers this year ..
Alan T collected a few quid for the coffers, but I don't know how much..
Cheers
McGinty
 
 

Glorious night for the Frank Lauder, 9 riders and check out the brilliant times all round...  all very tight except for the 5 times in a row Champ
1st.  and JWCC 10 Mile TT Champion : Richard Montague - 20.50 (pd)
2nd. Stuart Tennant - 23.05
3rd. Colin McPhee - 23.09 (PB) (pd+1)
4th. Gerrard Deeley - 23.16 (PB)(pd)
5th Scott McIntosh - 23.18 (PB)
6th James Snodgrass - 23.28(pd)
7th Colin Sales - 23.34 (PB)
8th Alan Thomson - 23.37 (PB)(pd)
9th Joseph McIntosh - 26.35 (Jet)
Well done all the riders... a lot of very good testers this year ..
Alan T collected a few quid for the coffers, but I don't know how much..
Cheers
McGinty
 
 

Just not meant to be.
bad accident at St James. 20 mins to get from St Mirren Park to St James roundabout. Got there only for the police to have coned off access to motorway & road to Barnsford. Diverted to Linwood which was also nose to tail. 
Sacked it and jumped into B&M to buy swedgers. 
Good luck to all those that make it!

i'm a possible timekeeper/hawder upper … working in Edinburgh so hopefully be back in time … i'll post up if it looks like i'm going to struggle

i'm a possible timekeeper/hawder upper … working in Edinburgh so hopefully be back in time … i'll post up if it looks like i'm going to struggle

i'm a possible timekeeper/hawder upper … working in Edinburgh so hopefully be back in time … i'll post up if it looks like i'm going to struggle

i'm a possible timekeeper/hawder upper … working in Edinburgh so hopefully be back in time … i'll post up if it looks like i'm going to struggle

yes , i'll join youse... groundhog day for me, will be my 3rd in 4 weeks on this route.... think Davie Cathcart will be joining too..see youse at the bridge
i would suggest the old road up the Rest, the main road has been really busy the past few weeks