My partner is doing the three peaks CX event this year and I am acting as ‘pit bitch extraordinaire’. I want to try and make it to the bottom of each peak so we can do a bottle swap and deal with any mechanicals / punctures. I am expecting that my best mode of transport will be bike, but am wondering if anyone has done this and has any advice on getting from place to place. Scouring the map I’ll be hard pressed to completely avoid the course route and am wondering whether that would be allowed or if I will be kicked off. I have an eBike (yes, I know… Don’t start 😉 ) hardtail I am intending to use so can cover ground reasonably quickly. Any advice?

It’s all getting a bit silly in terms of driving and riding to the bottom of each hill. I would suggest you team up with someone else and they do the first descent, the other one goes to Ribblehead, then they go straight on to Pen-Y-Gent.

Riders should make it over Ingleton without much problem; grassy descent then on the road.
Whernside is the big puncture fest, as is Pen-Y-Gent.

The support crews are starting to spoil the race by causing traffic chaos and I suspect they will be restricted in years to come.

Plenty of folks support by bike as it’s a bit of a nightmare with a car. I’ve always gone unsupported but friends with support have had hand ups at the bottom of Ingleborough and Ribblehead. It’s easy to get between those 2 points by bike, on road and then be at the finish or the descent off PyG.

There should be no need to be on the course other than on public roads.

As the race starts and goes out of Helwith and north up to Horton, you head out the back door and go to Austwick, Clapham (there’s a little cycle track just to one side of that main road so no issues there) and then out of Clapham and climb up to Cold Cotes on this road

It WILL be chaotic with cars and clueless **** trying to park and then probably the local farmer trying to get his tractor through it all but on a bike it’s OK. You should, just about, be there for the leaders coming over.

Then ride down the course following the race to the Ingleton junction, up the hill and past where the racers turn off for Whernside. If you’re on an e-bike at that road climb out of Ingleton, expect to find a string of CXers slipstreaming you! Again, it gets busy with cars but it depends a bit on whereabouts in the field you are. You carry straight on along the road to the foot of Ribblehead.
HINT: this is even worse as lots of walkers park there, the road is popular with motorcyclists and you get the usual weekend traffic mixed in with the race support so arrange a place to meet because you may not spot each other in the crush.

You then follow your partner down the race route, by the time you arrive at PyG, they should be on the ascent so you just wait somewhere along there and meet them on the way down.

Do NOT attempt to drive, it has become stupid along there now with race traffic, trying to park, trying to U-turn and so on.
I’ve always managed with one bottle hand up at the foot of Ribblehead, riders shouldn’t need to be taking on extra food/water at Cold Cotes as you’ve only been going an hour and none of that hour is remotely suitable for drinking! Either on your hands and knees crawling up Simon Fell or hanging on for grim death bouncing down Ingleborough!

If you need to miss out one hill, then I would say Inglebrough. The decent is relatively straight forward and shouldn’t cause punctures/knackered wheels.

Coming off whernside is the one where you need support or drinks etc and possibly punctures etc.

PyG you don’t need drinks etc but potential for puncture is high

Some Belgian singlespeed team had 2 massive flat front cargo bikes a few years ago. They were cool.

Punishment passes from a cavalcade of support team drivers between Whernside and ingleborough less so. Especially when all these people are clearly cycle fans but have taken their brain out for a day and driven like white van nuggets ‘cos uncle Jim just has to get a gel hand up at penyghent otherwise he might not get under 5h30.

Grrrr.

Unless you’re rob jebb take a camelback a few tubes. It’s only 30 miles. Camelback makes the carry more comfortable anyway.

If your riding yourself not driving then rather than trying to get to the bottom of Ingleborough I’d consider going to the start of Whernside at Chapel-le-dale. It’s quieter there with and a good spot to wait. From there it’s an easy spin for you back to Ribblehead and then onto Penyghent.

Otherwise just remember to bring enough food and clothes for you as well. If the weather’s bad you’ll get cold and hungry standing around waiting. If you can access it the live tracking that shows when riders dib at the summits is really useful, gives you some clue as to when they will appear.

As the race goes on be prepared to shout really loudly and wave madly to attract your riders attention. The not falling over focus and 1000 yard stare of a rider coming of Whernside will make them ride right past you – and don’t expect anything more than grunts by way of communication. Agree what to do if they do have a mechanical issue before the race, you won’t get a sensible decision from them during it, I’ve known people ride of on a soft tyre rather than stop for 30 seconds at Ribblehead and swap a wheel.

The bottom of PyG is a place to be wary, it feels like you’ve survived the descent but there are a couple of water bars that always catch someone. It’s a very annoying place to puncture!

The big danger of supporting someone is of course that you’ll get hooked and next year find yourself lined up at the start. Then you too can find out the mystery of Simon’s Fell…..

Thanks guys, there’s some really helpful advice and tips here. She’s hoping to be in contention in the women’s race so providing decent support is important to me and her.

I can’t see there’s any way I’ll be lining up at the start, rjm, but then I would have thought that about XC MTB racing and somehow I find myself at the start line of those races now :-).