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Etape du Dales, Sunday 18th May
Beautiful scenery and we had great weather, but OMG it was hard
Daniel, Shaun and I got to the 1st feed station and were slightly disappointed to find that they'd run out of food. Undaunted we set off for the next one, only to find that they'd also run out of food! Tan Hill is a bit hard, so this meant there were a few grumpy MAMILS stomping about by now and not a lot of goodwill being felt towards the Dave Rayner Fund
Thankfully Moorcock and Stainforth refreshments were better managed, which was just as well because we were riding into a strong headwind for much of the 2nd half. (Ask Shaun and Daniel how that felt - I just shrunk into the tiniest ball I can manage and clung to the back as if my life depended on it!) Most of all I remember several viciously steep uphill sections ... and that every hill was longer than I'd paced myself for ... and that Buttertubs was every bit as stunning as the 1st time I rode it, last summer on t'Tour
I'm still trying to forget my descent from Garsdale Head, which was eye-poppingly scary (and made worse because my back brake started squealing like a banshee and I convinced myself that it was metal shoe on rim ... or the rim was about to explode ... or worse). In the end, the intrepid three logged a respectable 7hr 50 mins for 110miles with just over 3000m climbing, including the most technically challenging ascents and descents that I've ever done.
'Twas a very big ride indeed
Daniel, Shaun and I got to the 1st feed station and were slightly disappointed to find that they'd run out of food. Undaunted we set off for the next one, only to find that they'd also run out of food! Tan Hill is a bit hard, so this meant there were a few grumpy MAMILS stomping about by now and not a lot of goodwill being felt towards the Dave Rayner Fund
Thankfully Moorcock and Stainforth refreshments were better managed, which was just as well because we were riding into a strong headwind for much of the 2nd half. (Ask Shaun and Daniel how that felt - I just shrunk into the tiniest ball I can manage and clung to the back as if my life depended on it!) Most of all I remember several viciously steep uphill sections ... and that every hill was longer than I'd paced myself for ... and that Buttertubs was every bit as stunning as the 1st time I rode it, last summer on t'Tour
I'm still trying to forget my descent from Garsdale Head, which was eye-poppingly scary (and made worse because my back brake started squealing like a banshee and I convinced myself that it was metal shoe on rim ... or the rim was about to explode ... or worse). In the end, the intrepid three logged a respectable 7hr 50 mins for 110miles with just over 3000m climbing, including the most technically challenging ascents and descents that I've ever done.
'Twas a very big ride indeed
Comments
Maybe we should all get back to the Dales in 2015. There's unfinished business with the Park Rash climb outta Kettlewell from 2013. Stay around Geoff's. Do it a bit gentler than 2013. I'll get my thinking flat cap on.