Viewing 34 posts - 1 through 34 (of 34 total)
  • Hilly sportives in the UK.
  • michaelmcc
    Free Member

    Looking for a hilly sportive or two to do over the summer, just to use as training really and to take advantage of not having to stop at traffic lights or junctions etc. Can anyone recommend any? Preferably with lots of hills. Wales would suit best.

    Ta!

    wonnyj
    Free Member

    Merlin Ride
    Sarn Helan
    Dragon Ride
    Tour of Pembs (was 2 weeks ago)
    Giro de Gower (more of a race, very tough and hilly)

    beej
    Full Member

    Every UK sportive I’ve done you have to stop at traffic lights and junctions.

    There are a couple of closed road ones – Etape “blank” generally.

    I’ve done multi day ones in Europe that were open road but controlled junctions/lights – so we didn’t ever have to stop. That was neat.

    wonnyj
    Free Member

    not many tl’s on the merlin or sarn helan!

    MoreCashThanDash
    Full Member

    Look on the Audax UK website for their events – anything with “AAA” points will be lumpy.

    Cheaper than a sportive, but you will probably have to stop at traffic lights, junctions, and CTC approved cafes.

    carlos
    Free Member

    Depends what you call hilly

    http://bradwellhillbilly.co.uk. 78km and 2334 m ascent, billed as The Peak District version of The Fred Whitton

    michaelmcc
    Free Member

    Giro de Gower

    😆

    muddydwarf
    Free Member

    Doing an Audax on the 18th, 2.25 AAA points so 2180+m of ascent (7150+ft)

    euain
    Full Member

    3-pistes – 102 miles, 2690m climbing

    Bit of a hike to get there but should deliver on the hills.. 🙂

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    Chilterns 100 is on June 1. Not the biggest hills but just ride them faster.

    barrykellett
    Free Member

    Officially its in the UK
    http://www.dromaracc.co.uk/mourne-sportive/

    And you won’t be disappointed!

    STATO
    Free Member

    advantage of not having to stop at traffic lights or junctions etc. Can anyone recommend any? Preferably with lots of hills. Wales would suit best.

    They have traffic lights in wales! who knew. Having just ridden some lovely welsh back roads id suggest you just go out and ride anything B road or less, I cant imagine youd find anything else on the road forcing you to stop at junctions, other than sheep, but they dont obey closed roads signs usually, or fences either for that matter.

    therag
    Free Member

    I’ve only just got into road cycling so I’ve got nothing to compare it with, but I’ve just entered my lbs’s event.
    http://www.thebicycledoctor.com/pages/valleys-velo-sportive-2014

    BristolPablo
    Free Member

    The Wiggle Mendips sportive in August has 3 good climbs, you have Burrington Combe, Cheddar Gorge and then a hill near Wookey Hole (Priddy?) which is a real slog. There are about 40 miles of flat between Cheddar and Priddy which offer some respite but its a good route.

    http://www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk/events/wiggle-mendips-sportive/

    mtbmatt
    Free Member

    Are you around on August 30th?

    jameso
    Full Member

    Evans King of the Downs has a fair amount of climbing, more than the Chiltern 100 that is a local loop for me. 2nd June, 110 miles around the Surrey hills.

    stevio
    Full Member

    Isle of Man Lighthouse Challenge http://www.sasevents.im/event/microgaming-lighthouses-challenge-2014/ has lots of hills and it’s hard to get lost as you do a 100.3 mile circuit…

    ransos
    Free Member

    Le Terrier. 100 miles, 3800 metres of climbing and not a single traffic light.

    crashtestmonkey
    Free Member

    Youve missed Ronde Van Calderdale, 77 miles and 3300m of climbing, most of it 20%+ gradient cobbled streets around Halifax.

    http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/sportives/article/sp20131010-Exclusive–The-roads-of-the-Ronde-Van-Calderdale-0

    GPX’s for it will be easy enough to get hold of though and as training goes its pretty bloody intense!

    flippinheckler
    Free Member

    Wild Wales
    Etape Eryri
    Tour de Mon Hillier than you think and the head wind will get you too!

    flannol
    Free Member

    +1 Chiltern 100

    I found it tougher than the marmotte; relentless, brutal climbs

    Macavity
    Free Member

    http://www.kenlaidlawsportive.co.uk/intro.html
    this one includes a Tibetan monastery

    kedmun
    Free Member

    Not done it, but heard about it through friends, the Forest of Dean Classic sportive on 13th July.

    http://www.wheelsinwheels.com/FOD/forest_of_dean_spring_classic_cycling_sportive.html

    The long route is 90 miles with close to 9200ft of climbing – some of the hills are pretty challenging!

    Dickyboy
    Full Member

    +1 Chiltern 100

    I found it tougher than the marmotte; relentless, brutal climbs

    It’s usually full by now but maybe the £40 entry fee has kept people at bay this year, wouldn’t exactly say relentless brutal climbs – unless you are rocking up from the flatlands of eastern anglia that is 😉

    ceepers
    Full Member
    ceepers
    Full Member

    Or the smuggler sportive

    http://www.thesmugglersportive.co.uk/2014/03/view-all-routes-for-the-smuggler/

    Looks like this one could be a great but challenging day out!

    robidoo
    Free Member

    I’m doing this on the 1st of June

    http://darkwhitecycling.co.uk/peak-epic/

    103 miles 4000 m of climbing,with me at over 15 stone its going to be a struggle 😀

    dunmail
    Free Member

    Evans King of the Pennines

    ransos
    Free Member

    Here’s the gps track for Le Terrier: 3,835 metres over 165km. Hardest sportive I’ve done in the UK, and I’ve done quite a few considered to be hilly. Not a patch on La Marmotte though!

    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/323885398

    ir_bandito
    Free Member

    Cyclone goes around the cheviots. They’re big hills.
    North pennines etape is hilly but expensive.

    jam-bo
    Full Member

    Dartmoor classic. 106miles, ~10,000ft.

    Sold out but people are always selling entries nearer the time.

    crazy-legs
    Full Member

    The long route option of this is proper tough:

    http://www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk/events/wiggle-peak-district-punisher-sportive/

    100 miles, fraction under 10,000ft (3000m) climbing.

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