Poll: OcUK Manchester(ish) Ride 2015

Please choose between..

  • 20th/21st June

    Votes: 9 75.0%

  • 27th/28th June

    Votes: 3 25.0%
  • Total voters
    12
Vonhelmet said:
So by my count your route has the following categorised climbs:

Adlington to the top of Brickworks - cat 3
Pike Road - cat 4
Pym's Chair - cat 4
Goyt Valley - cat 3
Mam Tor - hilarious looking cat 3
Eccles Pike - cat 4
Whaley Lane - cat 4

By my reckoning we'll climb about 3000 feet in the first 25 miles, then there's about 30 miles of downhill and fairly rolling countryside, then about 15 miles with close to 2000 feet of climbing, and then we pretty much roll downhill back into Stockport.

I'm thinking we - and by we I mean I - will need to conserve energy on that middle 30 mile section, when it will be tempting to go too fast, or there is no way we - and by we I again me I - will enjoy the cat 3 at Mam Tor if we make it up at all!

Also, FWIW, I've plotted the route on ridewithgps and it comes out with 6500 feet compared to your route on Strava at 7500, so who knows!
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Your description of the climbing sounds about right. To be honest I think Pyms is going to be the one that feels really painful (at least in the first 1/3rd of the ride). It's horribly steep right at the end but on the bright side once you get to the top there's a nice place to stop and have a breather before you can freewheel for ages into the Goyt valley. Climbing back up through the Goyt isn't steep at all - it's a long and very gentle climb through really beautiful scenery.

I haven't done Mam Tor since before I started riding seriously so I obviously remember it being incredibly painful but now I imagine both you and I have done tougher climbs.

As ROB75 said above I think a lot of it is down to nutrition. A good portion of it is also down to pacing yourself like you've said. I guess personally I'd say you should make sure you're never red-lining on the climbs and when we're on the flats you don't want to be breathing heavily either. If there's an issue with people going to fast just call it and we'll slow down. I'll have the route on my Garmin and I'm happy to go at a slower pace if a fast group wants to break away (I'd like to hope this doesn't happen though - everyone has said they'll be happy to wait around in general). For the nutrition part, maybe look at the food I listed for the double imperial I just did. I don't know if you already know you way around the kcal intake side of things but I'd plan to eat at least 3000 kcal and you want most of that to be carbs. Better to over-eat on a ride like this (to an extent) then under-eat and bonk.

R0B75 said:
Have a good breakfast and eat/drink properly through the ride and you'll be fine and besides, it's not a race. I like the challenge of hills but I'm too heavy to be quick up them. The Peak District is punishing for a chubster like me. For that amount of climbing I'd be very happy with a 15mph average though I reckon it will be less given that its a meant to be a social ride?
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I'm expecting less than that to be honest. For those that really want to race ahead I'm sure they'll get higher as they'll race off then have their Garmin/Strava pause whilst they wait for everyone else to catch up :p I'd be happier with a faster pace but as you say, it's a social ride so personally I'm going to take it very easy and make the most of the opportunity to put faces to forum names.

R0B75 said:
Yep, assuming I can make it I'm happy with whatever is decided. Except Winnats Pass. Never doing that again on a weekend.
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I really want to do Winnats but if everyone is against it we can re-route :) Alternatively, those that wanted to do it could do it and then meet the rest where the route re-joins the main road?
 
Ah, I got mixed up. The current route doesn't go through Winnats - it avoids it. If people did what I suggested above then whilst we were doing Mam Tor the other group would be doing Winnats :p
 
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Saturday works for me,

done Pym's chair once, lungs were pretty close to exploding on the last section. Winnats done once but stopped 3 times as my legs were dead from riding Manchester > Sheffield the day before, would like to try it again as I think I could make it up with fresh legs but never done Edale and would like to see that road.

Lots of climbing! only reason I feel confident I can finish the route is having done Wiggle Wye Valley Warrior earlier in the month as that was similar distance/climb to this...but was bloody shattered at the end of it!!

Praying for good weather!
 
Theres a segment on Strava from North to South called Pyms Chair, done that lots and its easy, but coming in from the West (and after Blaze Hill which is what we did) was painful haha. Probably worse too becasue it was first climb of the day and hadnt warmed up at all...that did the job though! :D

yup, with you on the weather...
 
R0B75 said:
Have a good breakfast and eat/drink properly through the ride and you'll be fine and besides, it's not a race. I like the challenge of hills but I'm too heavy to be quick up them. The Peak District is punishing for a chubster like me. For that amount of climbing I'd be very happy with a 15mph average though I reckon it will be less given that its a meant to be a social ride?
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Social ride? I've nicked this years Maillot Jaune for the winner :eek:.



:p
 
I thought Stockport Station would be a good general meeting point for everyone :)

There's supposedly a Star Bucks cafe in the station (according to google maps) so perhaps by that? Are we meeting at 9am?
 
R0B75 said:
What's car parking like there? Free or should I bring lube?
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:eek:

I'm not sure if there's any free parking at the station. There's a huge car park near the Grand Central chav staging area and a drop-off point on the other side of the station - you may be able to get away with parking there but I'm not sure to be honest.

You could probably get away with parking at the Decathlon that is nearby:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place...2!3m1!1s0x0000000000000000:0x5267217207f07635
 
There seems to be quite a few on here and the price seems reasonable for most.

What time are people going to be meeting?

Edit: I assume the date is set for the 20th June? I think I'll be there barring injury or horrific weather.
 
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