Sometimes get something, but it's hit and miss. I usually bring some croissants etc just in case.

Richard G wrote:Sometimes get something, but it's hit and miss. I usually bring some croissants etc just in case.

I'm sure I've a musette that I can lend to you.

I could go for a cheese baguette.

Confirmation email out! Let's hope for good weather! Are you guys aiming to bivvi or do it in one shot?

If my shoulder is fixed (it's been five weeks, I'm not hopeful) then one shot. If not, I'll be chilling with whoever I find doing a reasonable pace.

rich.mike wrote:Confirmation email out! Let's hope for good weather! Are you guys aiming to bivvi or do it in one shot?

my rough plan is.....
* stop around midnight
* 200km (ribblehead pub)
* when-I-fall-off-the-bike-asleep
(whichever comes first)

get up around 5 ish am

started plotting the various pubs (for water) onto basecamp

I've just looked at the route, all the tracks seem fairly rideable so I'm aiming to do it in one go, really want sub 30 hours although my BB200 time end of last year has left me worried!

General strategy will be to ride until I'm knackered or begin making mistakes then see where I am and either bivy or ride through. Might also depend on weather.

I now know that I can ride through, even after four days of riding, so that might be the preferred option. Be interesting to see how that knowledge affects how I ride. On the two previous editions I've bivvied around Cam Head, this was about 160Km on the original route but 175Km on last year's route (same as this year). The locations were actually only a Km or so apart. Both times it was around midnight when I got there.

For those bivvying: the cafe at Feizor (220Km) opens at 9am There's a cafe at the caravan park at Stainforth (227Km) as well, the next one is in Malham at 252Km.

I was actually looking at your ride from last year to try and get an idea of what I might be able to do when I'm not stuck with people far slower than me.

On the subject of breakfast, I remember being properly disappointed last year that one cafe wouldn't serve me because it was half hour before their opening time (they were in there, the door was open, and they were cooking). Was probably a good thing at the end as there was a massive climb right after it.

I had about 6 1/2hrs stopping time last year but that will include gates. I didn't feel like I wasted much time. Stopped at the garage in Pateley Bridge to restock with water; mechanical in Buckden - another ten minutes; five minutes chatting to a farmer in Wensleydale; 30mins at the Dales Bike Centre; 15mins at pub in Gunnerside; 4hrs20 at the bivy; 40mins at Feizor cafe.

Assuming no mechanicals I can cut a lot of that down. I'll take a camera (maybe the iPhone camera come to think of it) but being local I'll be less inclined to keep going "ooh!" and only take shots that are unusual or whatever.

The only really technical bit is this Strava segment - https://www.strava.com/segments/6189412 , it's only 300 metres but it's way, way harder than anything else on the route. It's a bit unusual for the Dales in that it's technical and steep for a long way, most techy bits round here are over in a couple of bike lengths. I walked it and lost about 2 minutes on the fastest rider on the YD300.

Unless you feel the need for company, just stick at your own pace.

Edit: Just in case anyone wonders what Richard is looking at - here's my Strava file from last year https://www.strava.com/activities/621749093

I walked every bit of that descent. Unusually sensible for me.

I'll be doing exactly the same thing this year. Screw my Strava times.

Ian Barrington - 4:45
Stuart Cowperthwaite - 5:16
Bob Wightman - 6:45
Alan Goldsmith - 8:31
R G - 10:28

Filled with shame.

Richard G wrote: Ian Barrington - 4:45
Stuart Cowperthwaite - 5:16
Bob Wightman - 6:45
Alan Goldsmith - 8:31
R G - 10:28

Filled with shame.

Fastest bloke, 1min 21seconds

I can only imagine they literally fell off it at that speed.

A couple of shots of yours on this posting http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.ph ... ount=11242 while it's both steep and rocky, due to how it's been formed (a hush is an old mining technique) those rocks are quite sharp edged

I might have to take some photos if it's light when I get there. Definitely a bunch of rib breakers in there.

Looking at Richard's pictures I think I mark the top of that as an alert on my Garmin to warn me it's coming up Don't think I'll be challenging for a top place on the leader-board on Strava down there It could be worse, could be pushing a loaded bike up it.

sean_iow wrote:Looking at Richard's pictures I think I mark the top of that as an alert on my Garmin to warn me it's coming up Don't think I'll be challenging for a top place on the leader-board on Strava down there It could be worse, could be pushing a loaded bike up it.

if stu had done the route he'd take us down a road just to be able to take us up, then down somewhere else

so count ourselves lucky

I went past the cafe at Feizor at about 7am last year. The door was open and the lady was baking bread. I stuck my head round the door and humbly asked if she could do me a breakfast - answer = yes! Lifesaver....

I properly minced down the descent off Merry field into Gunnerside (after I spent 5 minutes trying to find the effing way in!) but rode it from top to bottom on an unladen Ice Cream Truck on Boxing day last year

Is DEET likely needed for the weekend? I got eaten to death last night in the Midlands...

rich.mike wrote:Is DEET likely needed for the weekend? I got eaten to death last night in the Midlands...

Not many around at the moment as it's been pretty dry. It's also been windy enough so the b***ers can't fly. Could all change in the next nine days though.

Weather looking properly grim. Just for that added challenge.

Richard G wrote:Weather looking properly grim. Just for that added challenge.

I feel some man flu coming on

Richard G wrote:Weather looking properly grim. Just for that added challenge.

By Friday night it will be something different Not sure how much the forecast rain will affect things - it's really dry at the moment, might get some water in the becks. With luck all the holes from cow hooves will have softened up

Looking better now :D

I rode home via a cheeky detour over one of the local moors just to check on conditions.

There's a lot of surface water around as you'd expect after the deluge of the past 36hrs but apart from one or two obvious places it's not actually very muddy and a lot of the time I wasn't even leaving tyre marks. Since tomorrow's meant to be fine and with a breeze I think conditions will be good for the weekend.