Hard Day in the Peaks 2023

For context, out on the dogwalk this morning and there was a bloke on skis!

Garden table snow levels this morning

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Ride report in a single photo.

More snow forecast for tomorrow.

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Chinley Churn yesterday, and heading further into the peaks Winnats, Rushup, Long Hill, Cat and Fiddle, Snake were all shut most of the day. Not a day for bike riding in my book though some lunatic had been up here on a mtb

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Lovely report
Still awaiting fam feedback from excursions up from home in Kelham island

Obviously I have this, but fuck knows what that means

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New date set as May 13th. Hoping for more of this

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And less of this.

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In, 6 weeks to get fit, really looking forward to this

This looks fun and is rideable to the start or joinable along the route, very local to me. How strict are the bike rules? Road bike with gears? Geared gravel bike? Single Speed Mtb with gravel wheels on?

Obviously a preference for epic fixed/ss rides but it really doesn't matter; better for you to join on any bike than not at all

Damn, going to be audaxing that day. Enjoy all who can do this

Ironically I will be back in London on that day

Might pop over for this, it's been a while.

One week to go. Proposed route is here.

For anyone thinking of travelling up from London be aware that there is a rail strike on 13th May with EMR services running from 0700 to 1900 and one train per hour between Sheffield and London.

Final call. Not expecting to meet anyone at the station unless notified otherwise.

I am very sorry to miss this :(

Great day out

Po's technical choices: square taper BB, 36h wheels, sensible components everywhere, bike like his composure, just an unstoppable climbing machine (training for 1000km race);

Mine: hill climb (borne out of a fear of the route today); whilst descending winnats I felt a slip whilst backpedalling, with an old calf injury and carbon spider failing at approximately the same time.

I called it at about 70k /1500m climbing. Only then did I find out Joe didn't mention he had done a cool 60k/700m climbing beforehand from derby. Characteristically therefore I can only comment on the half of the ride I did but these fixed rides are lovely and epic and long may they continue.

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^ great pic & great conditions for it today, nice.

HDitP 2023

Due to clashes with train strikes and seemingly every audax ever, just two brave souls ventured out into the peaks this year.

I met @Josh012 in Fulwood, negating in part the slog up out of Sheffield centre. The route, which I will admit I planned months ago and then never looked at again, took us down The Dale to Hathersage and then ascended Leam Lane - a good leg tester early in the day.

Josh, despite claiming to be woefully undertrained, soon found a rhythm and definitely had the legs on me. A rolling middle section taking in Bottomhill/Cressbrook switchback, Tideswell and Peak Forest valley saw the miles start to fall away.

We descended Winnats Pass and it was here that disaster struck (see above). Josh’s weight weenie tendencies proved to be his undoing, with 2 of the bolt holes shearing on his carbon cranks. This was no doubt due to the HUGE watts he had been putting out all day, but also #fucksram right?!

No matter, we were just a few flat miles from Hope, our lunch stop and home of 18 Bikes. Sadly, the mtb-centric shop did not have a pair of 5-bolt GXP road cranks.

We assessed our options and decided on an “easy” route back to Sheffield. This being the Peak District, the easy route consisted of some 700m climbing over 30km. Josh’s remaining 2.5 chainring bolts clung on for another 20km before finally giving way at the foot of Padley Gorge.

Rescue arrangements and goodbyes were made and I was left to climb Padley Gorge for the second time that day (eugh!)

Excellent day all round despite not entirely going to plan.

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this looks amazing. Sorry couldnt be there (audax reasons)

Looks wicked, would love to have joined. Audax commitment is also my excuse but in all honesty I don't have the legs for that kind of fixed climbing 😅... Not yet anyway!

Yeah sounds like a lovely route, sadly I was another one gazumped by the audax calendar.

Sorry the ride had such a mad mechanical. How did the bolt holes shear? Like the bolts sliced through the chainrings?! I am trying to wrap my head around the failure here

Not sure really!

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Ouch