Come and watch roadies suffer. It really is bonkers how fast these masochistic lunatics go up a 25% gradient

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFrmdTdyTQI[/video]

Shit gets real about 3 minutes into this. Worth bearing in mind that the record for the whole thing stands at a somewhat implausible 2 mins 14 seconds. I generally winch myself up on the granny ring in about half an hour. Blowing out my arse!

We normally do a ride in the morning to get back to the Rose and Crown for 12, so we can make the place look untidy, covered in mud, on big bouncy bikes, with a pint, in amongst all the lycra and carbon fibre.

I should be up for this binners, subject to the relevant permission from my responsible adult wife.

Bumpity bump

It’s a lot steeper than that look

My favourite spectator event by far

Hoping it’s a bit drier than last time mate. They’ve resurfaced the road, so there’s going to be some silly times hopefully

I’ll be riding over from Bolton and may partake of a few ales whilst heckling the lunatics 😀

Think I’ll pootle over & watch this. Rode up it last Sunday & did the steep bit (the section with the handrail on the wall) in 2:14…the KOM on Strava stands at 46secs… 😯

I’m going to drive over now because I’m still suffering with what I suspect to be the black death but my wife is dismissing as “man-flu” 🙄

See you at the Rose and Crown for a lunch time medicinal one.

Don’t be coming over here if you’ve got Ebola!

And there was I going to pop into the church on my way up and pick up a couple of chilli jam specials too 😉

The winner was about 2 1/2 minutes, I managed it in 4 hours and rather too many ales 😳

Looked tough from where I was sat in the Shoulder, tucking into roast beef and a pint of Landlord.
Good effort to everyone who completed it

hairyscary, were you sat outside the Rose and Crown with the other mtbers?

Aye, I was the one with the most hair, though that may have changed by next year 🙁

The climb up the rake after far too many beers was sooooo hard.

The bloke with the mahoosive Ortlieb backpack? 😀

binners and me were stood just behind where you were sat on the pavement

Ah, I forgot about him. I was the one with the most hair before he arrived. I was one of the four older blokes who were gradually getting pissed.
It’s the first time I’ve been and it was thoroughly disheartening the speed they ride up that hill.

Yep 😈

I was the bloke in the brown hoodie that stopped whoever’s Mega it was from rolling backwards and taking the P7 with it.