If you enjoy watching roadies suffer (and who doesn’t?) while you’re sat outside the pub with a pint and a packet of monster munch, chortling to yourself, then this is right up your street.

As anyone who’s ridden up it will tell you, its truly horrible. A 25% gradient. The record presently stands at 2mins 14 second. Which is frankly absolutely bloody ridiculous! 😯

I can’t seem to find what time it all kicks off. Its not on the posters or t’interweb.

Binners, starts at 12. Our club is organising. It will be the national champs here next year.

We have lots of sponsorship this year and 60 entrants (including a tandem). Always good crowds , barriered off and closed road.

It truly is a horrible climb 😀

Would be nice for some of the STW massive to pop along and cheer the entrants. (pub at the bottom is HQ this year)

It’s run by the Lancashire Road Club, but the website just says ‘Refer to CTT handbook’ for details.

We watched some of it last year – lots of older gents, apparently carved out of teak and riding steel framed specials with gearing higher than that on my car.

One of Terrahawk’s mates (sorry, forgotten your name 😳
) was planning on competing whilst towing his little lad in the trailer behind. That I would really like to see…. 😀

Cheers MW. We were chatting to Peter Graham when he was putting the posters up. Really nice bloke and clearly made of sterner stuff than us mere mortals. Didn’t his record stand for 20 years at 2.17? Probably on a singlespeed made out of girders 😯

We’ll be there as that’s where we live. Just stick my head out of the front door. Which is handy 😀

Pete’s done a lot for that event and is local to Ramsbottom. Like a number of the ‘elder’ people in the club its easy to forget how good they were and they still knock out mileages that would embarress most of us, in all weathers.

Hope the weather’s better next week….

Bump for anyone who’s interested in watching

The weather forecast doesn’t look at all bad. So a good day to get a few miles in in the morning, then stand outside the Rose and Crown with a pint, and watch some proper cyclists torture themselves. The Fools! 😀

I am hoping to organise the Darwen Massive to get over and watch. I’d really like to have a go at it one day. I think it’d be quite funny to see a muddy SS droning up the hill.

I’m in

Fancy riding Sunday morning fella? Couple of hours, finish at the pub in time to see them start the lunacy?

yo adam, i’m in! morning ride would be good too… i’d have to bring the big idiot bike though, the stiffee needs some love (and cash throwing at it, which i can’t spare right now!)

Nice one Andy. Social pace on Sunday. Just a quick doss about really. The big bike might not be too bad actually. I can take you on some suitable stuff.

Will give you a shout later mate. Will give you a shout too Plumber. Might as well start Sunday with a climb up the Rake eh? Then we can fully appreciate the suffering of those we’re watching in the afternoon 😀

Room for an unfit fat knacker? (if I can get it passed the fun prevention officer)

binners – is all this cos you bought a road bike a while back and are now on a secret missionary exercise to convert the STW lancs residents?

I shan’t be there (though give a shout for Sam Mansfield – one of the Manchester Wheelers (my lot) juniors – who’s pretty handy.

I shall be spending an hour suffering round a cross course on Sun, trying not to come last….

Bregante – more the merrier. email me (address in profile) and I’ll sort you out with the details.

If your an unfit fat nacker then you’ll be in good company 😉

bump for tomorrow 🙂

MW what were the times for yesterday? Are they up anywhere?

We lowered the tone of the place by sitting outside the Rose and Crown, covered in mud, with a pint and watched the hyper-fit roadies ride up. xherbivorex was on his mahoooosive Norco, which probably weighed the same as all the road bikes racing, put together 😀

Some of them were so bloody quick it was jaw-dropping! Some guy on a carbon fixie track missile looked like he was faster on that gradient than I can manage on the flat. Amazing!

Some pics here from Sportsunday: http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/portfolio230120.html

binners, i think you’ll find that we improved that corner no end with our arrival.
but yeah, some of those lads and lasses were stupidly quick up that hill. almost inspired me to go to the gym this morning…

Almost inspired me to go to the gym this morning…

You could have come with me for a spin round Gisburn! ’twas spectakliar! 🙂

Not that you’re making us jealous or owt eh Russ? When I’m running the country (and it won’t be long now. – my evil scheme is reaching fruition) every week will begin with a Monday morning blat round Gisburn 😉

Not that you’re making us jealous or owt eh Russ?

Not intentional 😉

Console yourself with the thought that when you’re tucked up in your jim jams, I’ll be heading into work 👿

binners, i’ve been told i need to get photos of che guevara. cats, eh.

This bloke is going to blow his O-ring.

http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/photo13273423.html

I’m not surprised. He did it singlespeed iirc. He looked to be about the quickest.

You can’t actually photograph Che Guevara as this would involve him being still for more than a millisecond. As opposed to biting your feet, launching himself at you, digging his claws into your legs or climbing up the curtains.

Mental, that animal!!

And yes…. that guy on’t singlespeed looked ridiculously quick!

i’m sure the programme for the day said that that fixie/SS dude was last year’s winner. he was v fast.

Here is top 20 :

Pos Rider Club Time
1 Jack Pullar Vanilla Bikes 2-30.7 S
2 Jim Henderson Southport C.C. 2-41.9 S
3 Matthew Pilkington Progressive CCDS 2-42.3 S
4 David Clarke Endura Racing 2-42.4 S
5 Paul Roby Maxgear RT 2-43.5 S
6 Dan Evans Rhos on Sea CC 2-45.7 S
7 Adrian Lawrence Team B.Global 2-53.1 V
8 Carl Helliwell Blackburn & Dist CTC 2-54.6 S
9 Gwyn Lovibond Rhyl C.C. 3-01.4 Juv
10 John Bamford Lancashire Road Club 3-03.1 V
11 John Hartley Rossendale Road Club 3-05.6 V
12 Lee Cairns Sherwood Pine Cycles 3-10.1 S
13 Robert Richardson Bolton Hot Wheels CC 3-14.0 Juv
14 Danny Walmersley Lancashire Road Club 3-16.9 S
15 Steven Horrocks Lancashire Road Club 3-18.7 S
15 William Brown Rossendale Road Club 3-18.7 S
17 Michael Askew Lancaster C.C. 3-19.6 S
18 Ben Treanor Rossendale Road Club 3-19.8 S
19 Lynn Hamel Herbalife/Wheelbase 3-19.9 L
20 Aidan Holgate North Lancs Road Club 3-21.2 J

I was trying to stop traffic at the bottom. 90% of motorists ok , one or two wanted to have their 5p’s worth.

Didnt see what it was like at top but seemed like good crowds.

Dave clark was on the fixi (Elite that rides for Endura) -came 3rd, said later that fixie on the day may not have been the way to go.

Times werent that quick yesterday.(Damp and little bit windy)

Some good times from juveniles and loved the tandems.

Good day I hink….nationals next year up the rake with 150 competitors.

Harry_the_Spider – Member
This bloke is going to blow his O-ring.

http://www.sportsunday.co.uk/photo13273423.html

Dave Clark, v disappointed as twice finished runner up in the Nationals.