Anyone do the gravel sportive out of Helmsley yesterday?
Tried the long and it was a lovely route but fairly challenging. I quit at halfway, completely fried.
If it’s on again next year I might try again, but I need to be fitter, it needs to be cooler and I might need a hardtail not a gravel bike.
the organisers are not responsible for my fitness or the heat though and they had a nice route.
Done Salisbury Plain when I was super fit on a Kona Unit single speed.
Also done Surrey Hills on a hired Ribble gravel bike. It beat me up.
They are pleasant well organised events.
I did the long (just about), on my Croix de Fer.
Man alive that was hot. Have done the medium twice before, and slightly regret not just doing it again. On the medium the climbs were fun and challenging to a degree. But by the time you hit them on the long, they are just blooming hard! If the weather had been like it was most of the week, 13deg C and grey it would have been much easier.
But will do it again, maybe just medium if that hot again.
The organisation is really good with the well stocked stops.
Panda
They had Lotus Biscoff paste and waffles. 👍
I might need a hardtail not a gravel bike.
It's almost as if off road cycling is evolving
😉
Didn't do it but a few of us were out on a ride from Wass on Saturday morning so got caught up in the event near Hawnby. Lots of walking on the climb out past Arden Hall as we spun up on the mountain bikes... looks like anyone on a gravel bike was struggling for grip on the loose, dusty, pebbly climb.
Was very impressed by the route marking & food stops etc. on the Isle of Wight one last weekend, would definitely do more.
There were a couple of descents I'd rather have been on my XC hardtail. Not too technical, it was just very bumpy where all the chalk was baked dry. Good fun though, and overall a good route for drop bar silliness.
Did see/hear a few people that were maybe expecting more like miles of fire roads and 'actual' gravel having a bit of a tizz on some of the sections but I think if you'd been to the IoW before riding you'd know that was unlikely.
Did see/hear a few people that were maybe expecting more like miles of fire roads and ‘actual’ gravel
I've done a number of 'Gravel' events up in Yorkshire and this is now becoming quite common - my nice light Scott Hardtail is definitely a better bike for most of the recent events I've done than my Sonder Camino gravel bike.
Top of the Rock last month was the same - it was definitely a long, XC mountain bike route, with a short bit of easier stuff and tarmac to link the good bits. Lots of people giving it the 'I wish I was on a mountain bike' based on whom I spoke to!
Does anyone remember where all the photos were taken?
I remember one before the first split, and one on the top after the last hard climbs, 10-15km from the end, but the others?
Cheers
Panda