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Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2021 9:29 pm
by fatbikephil
Sounds like a good trip Tony! Nice to meet you at last :-bd

Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2021 9:41 pm
by ton
Sounds like a good trip Tony! Nice to meet you at last :-bd
and you too Phil. well done on getting round. quite a few failed i think.

Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2021 11:25 pm
by Richard G
I suddenly have a horrible feeling that there was a way back to Skipton without going over that bloody hill and that my Garmin was just trying to screw me over.

Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 7:10 am
by whitestone
Richard G wrote: Sun Aug 01, 2021 11:25 pm I suddenly have a horrible feeling that there was a way back to Skipton without going over that bloody hill and that my Garmin was just trying to screw me over.
You just follow the road down the valley to get to Skipton, looking at your Strava you went back over Halton Heights, basically turn right in Grassington rather than go straight on.

Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:14 am
by Richard G
whitestone wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 7:10 am You just follow the road down the valley to get to Skipton, looking at your Strava you went back over Halton Heights, basically turn right in Grassington rather than go straight on.
Sigh. Thanks Garmin.

Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:52 am
by slarge
Richard G wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:14 am
whitestone wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 7:10 am You just follow the road down the valley to get to Skipton, looking at your Strava you went back over Halton Heights, basically turn right in Grassington rather than go straight on.
Sigh. Thanks Garmin.
You probably went the shortest route and avoided motorways. Bonus hill miles!!


That's only the 2nd time I have ridden the YD300 - and I forgot how brutal a route it is. The scenery is fantastic, the remoteness of some sections brilliant. Lots of relics of our industrial heritage (mining everywhere) incredibly interesting. But blimey - it's either up, down or flat and rough. Every time you think "I'll just spin along here now and get some easy miles" the route turns off onto a rough boulder strewn or uphill grassy track. 300km is a really difficult distance to judge - it can be done in 1 go but only really if you fully commit, and then there are some big and tricky sections to ride at night. A bivvy option is OK but means you carry more so are slower. Maybe a 3 day option is the best, but then you have less predicable weather. It really is a top route, and one that I can recommend to show off Yorkshire's best, but not one to be underestimated (and I think that out of 21 starters only 7 or 8 finished - and Richy Rothwell nearly came unstuck with his no bivvy option).

Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 12:02 pm
by Richard G
I think next time I'll attempt it in one. I have better luck to just committing to riding until I'm barely turning the pedals.

Making some life changes to sort out this lack of sleep / masses of stress in the week before an event too. Old me could turn up and muscle through pretty much any event, new me just isn't strong enough to mess around on prep.

Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 4:49 pm
by In Reverse
The road route is fantastic. :-bd really glad I did it.

If I do it again, and I probably will, then I'd take a lighter bike and no sleeping gear - it's very do-able in a one-er. I'd probaby set off a bit earlier too. :roll:

Having said that I stopped at pretty much every cafe and tea room I passed yesterday, ate my own body weight in cakes and bacon butties, and it was absolutely glorious. It's perfect for a leisurely tour if you don't mind the hills.

Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 7:21 pm
by whitestone
slarge wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:52 am That's only the 2nd time I have ridden the YD300 - and I forgot how brutal a route it is. The scenery is fantastic, the remoteness of some sections brilliant. Lots of relics of our industrial heritage (mining everywhere) incredibly interesting. But blimey - it's either up, down or flat and rough. Every time you think "I'll just spin along here now and get some easy miles" the route turns off onto a rough boulder strewn or uphill grassy track.
With them being local trails we tend to forget this, "it's just that track between X & Y", etc. After the tech descent down Gunnerside you think "Ah, road" but that road includes going over Buttertubs Pass with a nice little bit of 25% :shock:

Saturday night/ Sunday morning was quite chilly.

The attrition rate does tend to be 50% or higher, tells its own tale methinks.

Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 8:51 pm
by Richard G
In Reverse wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 4:49 pm The road route is fantastic. :-bd really glad I did it.
I actually really enjoyed the route I took back to Skipton, aside from the big bastard hill at the end. :lol:

The back lanes are lovely around there.

Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 10:16 pm
by In Reverse
Richard G wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 8:51 pm the big bastard hill at the end. :lol:
Yeah, that was my last climb and I was thinking I'd probably had enough by that point. :grin:

Good to see you btw. :-bd

Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2021 11:22 pm
by Richard G
In Reverse wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 10:16 pm Good to see you btw. :-bd
...and you, improved my mood somewhat. I wasn't overly happy at that point. :???:

Re: YD300 2021

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2021 12:01 am
by In Reverse
tbf I saw another 6 or 7 300 riders after I saw you and they all looked significantly unhappier...