[Closed] Tour of the black country?

I'll be doing it, sounds good fun.

can you use a 29er?

I didn't see anything in the entry information saying you couldn't!

80km on paved roads might be a bit hard going on wide tyres!

Farm tracks and pinch flats!

Imagine if you have to stop & ask directions - carnage 😯

A mate of mine did it a couple of years ago and enjoyed, it looks good and well organised now it's part of the series too. The rough bits are very rough apparently. Definitly not one for the best bike

definitely up for that - scuttles off to check diary

yeah entered a few weeks back , cross bike with 28mm tyres me thinks
Mates doing it on his 26er MTB

just don't stop, you might find your pedals gone when you start off again

Definitly not one for the best bike

I'll be on my best bike, canyon cf ultimate slx, Bought it to ride my guess it'll be plenty strong enough 😀

I did it last year and will again this year. It's a cracking event, well run, interesting route and local to me too. Perfect.

And I'll be on my alu roadie with 25's, there's too much road work for the crosser imo.

Never heard of this and I live in the Black Country!

I'll have a look, could be fun!

20kms of [s]cobbles[/s]Farm tracks with a few half enders crushed into them

Did it last year when the organisation was a bit lacking, they were locked out of the centre and it threw them really badly but the course is ace, food is good and finishing on the velodrome is a nice touch. The Waltonberg is a bitch.

just don't stop, you might find your pedals gone when you start off again

Feed stops are The Queens in Belbroughton and The Woodman in Clent...pretty sure your pedals will be fine!
I'm in.

And I'll be on my alu roadie with 25's, there's too much road work for the crosser imo.

Erm.. I might see if 28s fit. I'm guessing if its wet I'll have no grip at all anyway.

Isn't the woodman now the French hen?

Isn't the woodman now the French hen?

Not to me I'm still firmly stuck in 1990!

Done it both years, nice route (nowt to do with the black country really) starts in wolves and drops down to the west though Kinver and on towards Stourbridge.
Last years signing on was a shambles- year before was spot on.
Allsorts of bikes, but mostly road bikes with 26-28c tyres. I'm heavy so went for the cross bike with 35c.
You don't need suspension, a 29er with fast tyres would be fine.
The whole event is taken with a little pinch of salt. There's 26% climb that was timed last year up the Walton hill on cobles -The Waltonberg. If I can get up it then so can you:-)
Probably has another go this year.

Isn't the woodman now the French hen?

Not to me I'm still firmly stuck in 1990!

i went on a date there in 1983!

probably give this a bash - might get some wider tyres for the road bike but that's it!

There's 26% climb that was timed last year up the Walton hill on cobles -The Waltonberg. If I can get up it then so can you:-)

I think you'll find I didn't, although it wasn't helped by a couple of staplers in front of me. Did make it past the photographer though and that's all that counts. 😀

It's all my local riding but you have to pay and only 2 pub stops.

I'm oot.

I'd rather do the Bathams 10,much more fun.

Local to me too, I'll show you around for £20 and chuck in a lump of coal and glass of cheap champers at the finish...

The route will be out there on connect or polova if you don't want to pay. we saw people turn up and just follow the signs.

But its a day out, met some nice people and had a nice ride with my son and mates.

I am signed up with a mate and my brother, should be a good day out! Happy to pay the organiser for putting this on! It appeals to me much more than many sportive a I have seen, even if it is a bit tongue in cheek character!

I'm interested - thanks for the info, something to motivate me to get riding - not too expensive compared to some events.

It was a reasonably fun morning out. The sign on was a complete shambles as they couldn't get into the venue. The only cobbles were on Waltonberg, the rest was gravely tracks and the majority on roads.
We might go back for another go, as an opportunity for a weekend away. We'll have done Paris-Roubaix and Tro Bro Léon in the middle of April, so should be acclimatised...

Yes, I'm doing it, it's the first organised ride I've done for 2 years.
I may even get the cross bike out again later this year for the N&D league, I marshalled at one event this year, but kayaking has taken over my life in the last year, so any spare time I'm out on the river. .
I'll be putting semi-slick cross tyres on my road bike for this one.

I'm signed up for the Cheshire Cobbled Classic event with the work gang. I don't think the finisher's prize for this one is going to burn on the fire though. 😀

Also not sure which bike to ride, the steel 'crosser with 32mm tyres is ideal apart from the lack of gears. The geared racer has no clearance for decent size rubber, and won't take mudguards if the weather is cack.

Did this in 2014 on the cross bike. Enjoyed the ride and will do it again this year.

thinking of doing it if i get a suitable bike, think the fat bike might not ne the best one for the job

Re. suitable bikes, there was a huge cross section this year, 29ers, crossers, proper race bikes, the works. Do bear in mind that the majority of the route is road, there is not huge amounts of off road at all so don't get too hung up on it.

I think the perfect bike for this would be a road bike with 28 or 30mm road orientated tyres, think a Paris-Roubaix bike. However, I rode my standard alu roadie with 25mm slicks and it was fine, I took it carefully on the unpaved sections as I didn't want puntures and got knocked about a bit but generally it was no problem at all.

seems like the mighty NWAlpsCC is in! 4 so far

Back in te motherland and just did a quick ride up the waltonberg. It'll be fine as long as its dry. Cool deacent on a road bike with slicks too!
Just like being 13 again and taking the racers up Clent!!

25 seconds quicker than some bloke called Rocket dog according to Strava too!!!!

You are correct, in the dry it's tough but doable, in the wet, on slicks it almost impossible.

I think the route takes it into the hill from the descent, rather than the grind up from Walton Pool side that I did this am. Will make it easier too. Although that will mean rapid speed loss and gear grinding choas. I started it in first gear! Certainly suggest a compact chainset though unless you are a cimbing god

I'm doing it. Never done it before but it sounds like a good laugh. I'll be doing it on my road bike with normal tyres (23) as I'm not buying anything different just for one ride. I expect to amazing on the off-road bits as my garmin seems to love routing me off road when I'm road riding so I'm used to it. It also passes through Wollaston where I live so the family can pop out to spectate.

I have been thinking about entering this but a SI joint issue, three months off the bike followed by a chest infection and pleurisy further two months so far!. I am not sure I will be ready or fit enough but it looks fun.

Andysredmini, I did it last year on a normal road bike with 25mm slicks. Got a bit beaten up on the off road bits but nothing to worry about. Maybe double wrap your bars if you feel the need but you'll be fine.

we've been practicing
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25 seconds quicker than some bloke called Rocket dog according to Strava too!!!

i wouldn't be too smug, I did that on a fatbike 8)

I did mine on a homemade singlespeed fat biked unicycle!

I entered this a while back when looking for something UK based, a bit different and a reasonable entry fee (comparwd to most UK sportives). I did Paris-Roubaix in April last year, when it was driving wind and rain at the start time and the Arenberg was like a trail of icy Hobbs bread loaves. That was on a ti road bike with 28mm semi-slicks. No point using mud guards, cos they'd clatter around too much. I'll be using the same set up for this ToTBC.