Anyone done the 3peaks cyclocross race?

Yes, Craig. Lots of people… 😀

I’ve done it 4 times now, hopefully 5 this year. Do you want to know owt about it? Best race ever, imho.

Yes, last 2 years. It’s not like anything else you’ll have done before.
The worst bit is the appalling group riding skills demonstrated in the road sprint to the foot of Ingleborough.

I’m seriously thinking about it! (watched every video & read loads of blogs etc)

my wise head says go and marshell this year and race it the year after

These things always seem like good ideas behind your desk though 🙄

yes

I did it. Not in a hurry to do it again though. Can’t say I realy enjoyed the hours of carrying the bike up the mnts, or riding the completly wrong bike down. Saying that glad I did it and ticked the box. Maybe you’ll be one of those that love it. Only one way to find out.

Been there,done that.
It’ll be a while before the memory fades enough to do it again though.

Done it 3 times, its a great race, do it.

Best race ever and also possibly the hardest ride/race you’ll ever do. I’ve never *quite* managed to get sub 4hrs which is annoying and means I’ll keep doing it til I break that barrier. The fact that Nick Craig, Rob Jebb et al have all showered, changed and been in the pub for an hour by the time I get back is just one of those little things I have to put up with…

I went 4.04…..and promptly cried.

training – lots of long days out on mtb trails on the cross bike & carrying?

I went 4.04…..and promptly cried.

I did 4.03 2 years ago and promptly cried! Buried myself on the way home but watched the clock on the bike computer roll over past 4hrs.

Last year was a disaster for me, worst one ever. I need to come back and overcome the ghosts of Three Peaks past. 😐

Just go out fell running…..a lot.It’s where the time is to be had.

training – lots of long days out on mtb trails on the cross bike & carrying?

Find the steepest set of steps you can, place CX bikle on shoulder, run up steps.

Repeat.

Lots.

what did you do with regards to gearing?

Done 3:45 in the cyclocross and in the fell race. I’d rather be on the bike, it spreads the pain…

http://3pcx.blogspot.co.uk/2009/09/gears-and-gear.html

“what did you do with regards to gearing?”

44:17

I’d love to do it, but I’m not fit, don’t have a bike and I’m not old enough. I’ve also heard vicious rumours this may be the last one, so don’t miss your chance.

Craig, maybe sort a bit of a ride out on the ‘crossers sometime and we’ll have a chat about it if you like.

Of all the races that I regularly enter, this is the one that I’m least likely to well in. Just cracking the top 100 or getting under 4 hours would be an achievement.

…but it’s the race that I’d be most gutted if I didn’t get in.

Amazing race and a brilliant spectacle if you’re watching.

Just cracking the top 100 or getting under 4 hours would be an achievement.

Well I managed the first bit (just) once upon a time… ;0)

http://www.ukresults.net/2006/3peaks.html 100th place! My best ever performance on 3P’s
So far…

You’re all jessies (with the possible exception of Nick3216) and you all know why. 😉

Oh, you mean the lycra thing dontcha…

Craig, maybe sort a bit of a ride out on the ‘crossers sometime and we’ll have a chat about it if you like.

yeah sounds good (think I’ve still got your e-mail)

Sorry Samuri, I used a freewheel.

It’s the race I aspire to do… if anyone’s doing any training in the Calder Valley area I’d love to tag along.

I did it and it was brutal. The misleading bit of the course description is “14km unsurfaced” or something like it. Basically means great big craggy rocks and slippy slate interspersed with the odd bog.

Trained by running up and down the North Downs and the usual long rides so was fairly well prepared.

When it came down to it I just wasn’t up to the mark. I was languishing with the back markers as one by one they dropped out, I kept going and got a (forty!) second wind as I saw the Ribblehead Viaduct. Hammered the road setion but missed the cut off at the bottom of Pen y Ghent by 1 min 30. Pretty gutted but gave it a go.

Great scenery, great race, great people, but as suggested above, lots of fell running would be by far the best training.

if anyone’s doing any training in the Calder Valley area I’d love to tag along.[/quote

How about we just organize a long day out on the CX’ers?

3 towers – darwen Jubilee tower – peel tower – rivington pike

or we get over to the Dales?

In the old days the 3 towers ride was one of the preparation events for the 3 peaks; it was run off as a ‘reliability ride’, basically an almost-race so it could use the tracks, trails, bridleways and roads without being naughty.

There were a number of others, including one that went over Doctors gate, then over into Edale, then over Jacobs Ladder.

YEY! That sounds really exciting. I am around Sunday.

I haven’t done the three towers and google maps is not being helpful. How far? How gnarly?

Anyone about Sunday? Am I just going to have to do the Mary Towneley on my own? 🙁

Best race in the UK – no question. having ridden all sorts of MTB, Road and cross events this is the one that beats them all. If i could only ride one race a year it would be this.

Get it entered.

What sort of nick are you in now Sefton? It’s a proper race, but not everyone in it is proper fast. Do you run at all? I don’t ride an awful lot but fell running fitness will get you a lot of the way round. Bonkers event, unique and bonkers.

not around Sunday Clover. I’ll try to get something organised though soon.

What sort of nick are you in now Sefton

errr ok I think? 31, 11st, used to fell run & race, did 4laps HTN on my cx (13mins off 5), been doing regular 25mile/4-6 hours on the bikes each week, kept fitness over winter on my rollers. but I’ve not really race on bikes before and nothing like this so its hard to say.

Horwich CC run a ‘training’ ride from Rivi to Rammy and back in Sept. Can I suggest doing some of the Yorks mtb challenge rides on cx as a bit of prep? The Colne Valley one is next month: http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/colne-valley-mtb-challenge-2012

Doing the fell race next week 😯

Oh, that’s easy… 😀

Can I suggest doing some of the Yorks mtb challenge rides on cx as a bit of prep? The Colne Valley one is next month:

hmmm…

are they cool with people racing on cx bikes then?

(hey that was me beeping last night Simon if your wondering)!

love it, done it twice, would love to do it every year but from west cornwall its a stunningly expensive days ride. there’s a great feature by chips in the dec 2005 (or sometime around then, someone will correct me) issue that really sums it up. worth buying the pdf for the read.