[Closed] 3 peaks cyclocross - roll call

Hell yeah! But then, you know that. Have you got sticky handing out bottles?

I'm entered but got lower back issues at the moment so not overly confident; contacted the organiser but was told no transfer of place/no deferment to next year/no refund......they will keep my money and charge someone else £50 to take my place though, that sounds fair.

I'm in.

Has anyone got experience of the cheap camping at the site. Are there any facilities there or nearby or is it just a field?

I think there's a pub...

I'm marshalling as a broken wrist and knackered knee has stopped me doing anything this summer.

There's a toilet, a shower and a pub next door. if you want anything else you might be out of luck!

I'm in. Hoping for sub 4 after 4.18 last year but not sure.

I am in. Got a waiting place list mid August. Hoping to go sub 5 hours after 5hours something less than 20 last year. Always working overseas on site without bikes though. So we shall see. Going to be camping. It is just a field in close proximity to the pub. Cannot remember any facilities, but that is not to say there are not any. Pub has a toilet. Big que for food and seats though last year.

Ernie, yup, the big man will be there, running support for me is his excuse not to ride 🙂

There are shops and pubs in Horton, failing that settle is only a few miles away.

It'll be my 11th.........V50 this year!!

I wish. 🙁

Really fancy this, how fit do you really need to be? not bothered about a super times or owt, would just like to make it round the course

Me!

Never done it before, no idea on what sort of time to aim for. Riding SS, so fully expecting to be annihilated on the initial road stretch.

Really looking forward to it.

I'm back in the game after two years out. Hoping to beat my PB of 4:20. However, working away and no bike has meant most of my training has been road/trail running. Be 'reet I reckon. To all the noobs, resist the temptation to keep pace with the elite in the neutralised start cos 6 miles down the road the hike-a-bike up Simon Fell is going to kill you :/ And by the time you get to Pen Y Ghent and all the elite are racing back down to the finish line will be further demoralisation. 🙂 But keep spinning and plodding and you'll get there. All in all, you'll feel smashed at the end, but its utterly addictive and by Monday afternoon you'll have a date in the diary to sign up for the following years race. Enjoy.

but its utterly addictive and by Monday afternoon you'll have a date in the diary to sign up for the following years race

Exactly! No other race is as addictive.

Really fancy this, how fit do you really need to be?

You don't have to be super fit, obviously you need to be able to ride your bike for a few hours. The peaks is the perfect example of where thinking, pacing and using your head can save/gain you more time than outright fitness.
Being able to descent is also a huge advantage, no point flying up the hills if you loose minutes on the way down.

Did'nt realise the popularity of this, should of done my homework ages ago!
No tickets left this year, suppose it gives me a year to train.
Good luck

I'm doing it but my usual support crew (my sister) has dropped out at the last minute. Can anyone help?

I'll be traveling down from Newcastle and am expecting to do it in 4:30 to 5 hours.

I'm in. It was all going well, but I've been ill for the last 5 days, so I'm really hoping I recover in the next day or two. No last minute training for me.

No support crew, so Camelbak and 3 spare innertubes for me!

The first year I did the race I did it unsupported... Ended up begging food from some walkers! It is do able unsupported but adds to the amount of stuff you have to carry.

Would not mind coming along to spectate any recommendations as to where to watch it from?

1st time this year. Managed to convince my parents to provide support with a waterbottle/food handover at Ingleton.

Hoping to leave a more supplies at Ribblehead, can anyone advise on how feasible it would be to leave it there the night before?

heebyjeeby, If you are going to stick to one location the best place to watch it would be on the lane from Horton in Ribblesdale up to Pen y ghent because the race goes up and down the same way. It has the best atmosphere.

thewilllnton, leaving a bag or box somewhere there with a label saying it is for race day is the best you can do. There are lots of little caves at Ribblehead but personally I wouldn't want to go caving at that stage of the race. A hiding place in the wall on the road to Pen y ghent might be better.

Did'nt realise the popularity of this, should of done my homework ages ago!
No tickets left this year, suppose it gives me a year to train.

Apologies if your already aware but this is not an anybody can enter sportive and the entry form specifically asks for previous race experience and will be discarded if you have none.

I was in this position so this year consists of a full season of local CX races and fingers crossed for 2015.

Hoping to leave a more supplies at Ribblehead, can anyone advise on how feasible it would be to leave it there the night before?

I've seen wooden poles bashed into the ground with a plastic box nailed to it and filled with bottles. Usually accompanied by a note which says "Billy No-Mates feed station, please leave alone!" 🙂

Yes, I'm in. Missed last year (voluntarily!) but this will be my 6th time. First time on disc brakes too which should be a nice change from my previous white knuckle death grip on ever failing cantis!

Got a B&B over near Cold Cotes so an easy 20 min drive in the morning. Might just leave the gf there to enjoy breakfast in peace and she can then ride up to the Ingleborough descent at her leisure.

Did'nt realise the popularity of this, should of done my homework ages ago!
No tickets left this year, suppose it gives me a year to train.

You don't necessarily need cyclo cross experience. The first year that I got in I put down the long fell races that I had done as experience.

I did it self-supported last year and left a stash behind a lovely big tree about 10m up the PyG track, just on the right. Really, really needed it at that point too!

On the three peaks fell race the organisers will take a carrier bag with bottled water or whatever you want to Ribblehead for you. You just have to mark it with your number. I've no idea if the CX organisers do the same.

I'm doing it but my usual support crew (my sister) has dropped out at the last minute. Can anyone help

I did it last year with no support and did not feel in anyway hampered.

I took a very small pack with a 2 litre hydration bladder and some gels in my back pocket.

I'm doing it but my usual support crew (my sister) has dropped out at the last minute. Can anyone help

Most years I've done it I've managed to blag help (just one bottle handed up at Ribblehead) from friends or relatives of various mates that have also been doing it. Trick is to find someone who will be there at about the time you will.

I mean, it's no good me asking Nick Craig's family for assistance, they'll be on PyG by the time I'm crashing gracelessly down Ribblehead!

Normal for me is a bottle of energy drink (with a second handed up at Ribblehead), combined with a small CamelBak with 1L water, pump, gas can, 2 tubes and a multitool. I've finished every race I've done.

Thanks for the suggestions, I've managed to tag on to a friend of a friend's support team.

Spectating by bike is much easier than in the car, don't have to worry about parking then.

If get to Selside for about 9.30 you can see the riders go off road at Selside, then ride around to the bottom of Whernside at bruntscar to see the leaders go thorough, then onto Ribble head to see them again, then ride down to Horton and PYG Lane where you'll see them coming down whilst the masses are riding up.

Could those that have done it before please give me an idea of what time they'd suggest arriving at Helwith Bridge?

Start is at 9.30, need to be registered by 9am, but is there a lot of queuing/faffing, or if I arrive at 8.45 would that be ok?

I'm driving up from Sheffield so it's gonna be an early start whatever!

Think I got there around 8 last two times and that was plenty.

Can be slow to park, they'll be a queue to sign on and the start is a bit of a scrum as everybody thinks they'll get round in 3.5 hours.

This year I'm camping to avoid the stupidly early start.

I'm a noob this year. Going unsupported, looking forward to it.

Is there some kind of bag drop at the start? I'm thinking I'll want to keep warm in the start queue, but will want to take whatever off just before start.

Go earlier tlr - limited parking.

@blah: nope, if you're on your own your only hope is to find a friend - maybe ask someone parked up near you or take some clothing you don't mind losing. A really old fleece or some cheapo arm warmers that you can just throw to one side and not care about.

Got my bike sorted, the survival bag is taped on, just final packing now then I'll head up there. B&B for us tonight over at Cold Cotes so just a short drive in the morning. See you there, good luck everyone!

Live at a farm 1km from the start just above Wharfe (on the road towards Austwick). Might decide to walk our sheep down the road and stop all those mad cars that race to Cold Cotes to level out the feild between those who ride it properly and those that need helpers and supporters to even get round the route.

MTFU you people and ride it on your own.......

C

So how did people get on? Very good conditions, maybe a bit warm. Knocked a chunk out of my time from last year to finish in 3h46m.

Nice ride jonba!
Yep, my best ever time too, 3.51.23. Pretty much perfect conditions although I could have done with a tiny bit of breeze to cool me off on Whernside.

The .23 is very important cos my work colleage beat me by 13 seconds at the end - he passed me on the PyG descent, we'd been more or less together the whole way round; me with an advantage on the climbs, him on the descents. Then I just couldn't close the gap on the road, ran out of tarmac although I'd pulled him back significantly. Still, can't complain, comfortably under 4hrs for the first time ever!

Must have been that new bike, I should buy new bikes more often.

Good times.

3.58 for me, first attempt so hopefully know more and do better next time.

Certainly a brutal race.

3.51 - 1st attempt - Felt horrible for the 1st climb, then got into the swing of it. Managed to avoid punctures till the descent off PyG. Feeling very achey now, going to have some odd shoulder bruises tomorrow!

MTFU you people and ride it on your own.......

Its in the rules of the cyclocross racing that you can have support. Its a hard race and its nice to have a word of encouragement at some point. For what its worth my support cycled between check points this year.

A really old fleece or some cheapo arm warmers that you can just throw to one side and not care about

I did 4:38 this year but had to stop with cramp on Pen y ghent.

I was the handsome guy with a orange jacket and a beard dibbing your chip finish time - had a great time. Riders who finish are hard as nails imho.

Chris

I was was the ugly guy marshalling at Cold Cotes where the track joined the road. Great to see all you competitors in action and the speed some of you were carrying off that track was impressive.

ChriSE

I saw you blocking the road with your sheep. I'm not convinced it was that clever, I was marshalling just up the road.

Personally I don't think you should be able to change kit that you are not able to carry on you. It basically means bike skill becomes less important.

Its nothing like a cyclocross race apart from the bikes being the same.

Actually you didn't see me. I was round about at home doing jobs til I got my bike out at 2pm and had a good fast ride around including Long Lane , Old Ing and Penyghent. C

4.09 for me, first go at it, riding my SS, no support. Loved every demented minute of it. Started waaaay too far back, but had no clue about what sort of time I could do. I'll be faster next year.

Marshalls, spectators and other riders were all top class, wonderful event.

Everyone knows they have a sheep-blocking rota round Crummackdale way. 🙂

ChrisE apologies if it wasn't you, but there was a farmer moving sheep from one field to the next one along 😆

Should be a time penalty for tech support. It was nice getting shouts of encouragement but for those of us who don't have multiple Cx bikes and people willing to stand/drive around all day it means we are are at a disadvantage as we need to ensure our bikes and tyres survive the race 😉

Yeah, I've said before that tech support (especially spare bikes) should be banned. Difficult to enforce but it'd level the playing field and also stop a good deal of the insane driving you get as support crews rush around loading and unloading bikes.

Handing up food, drink, spare wheels. Fair enough. New bikes every section is not in the spirit of the event.

After a no hassle 1st time last year but unremarkable time of 5h09, this year... well this year I had an epic and my name is Dan. Rear mech mangled between Simonside and Ingleborough (slipped on Simonside which might have bent it), front puncture just after the control on Ingleborough, by then I was way back. Flat rear on Whernside summit. Wasted time just pumping up. had to change it lower down, then punctured again. No tubes. ROde on the rim 5km to Ribblehead, met mate and his lovely hard wheels, then carried on and no more problems. 5h40. Which I guess is not too shabby given the epic. Ride time acc. to computer was 4h30. Completley hooked. Got to do it again next year!