Sunday 23 June 2013

Peak Epic Sportive, 4,000m / 12,800ft, 3rd

Starting / Finishing Bakewell (bottom right) anticlockwise encompassing most peak district climbs!
I entered this one as I enjoy climbing on my bike. At 4,000m of climb, Peak Epic is up there with the hilliest 100 milers in the country. No specific training and probably 6 years since I did my only other sportive so I was unsure of how fast people would be riding. At the start I was mindful that getting in with a group would be good both for motivation and pace.

Gloomy skies, rain for the first 5 hours and almost dangerous gusts of wind up on the Cat n Fiddle road, this ride could have been a complete nightmare. Thankfully, my legs were going very well all day, thanks mainly due to the very well stocked food points - stocking Torq gels and bars which I love. Rode most of the rise solo really and felt strong at the finish finishing in 7h35.

Having done both the Fred Whitton and this, I think Fred Whitton has got the harder climbs (well, Hard Knott really!) but this is just constant climbing - virtually all on small unclassified roads so the road surfaces here are poorer and slower.

A great event that I'd recommend - well signed and great food stops!

Results here
Strava link here

2 comments:

Nitya Siddhas Knowledge base said...

I did the Fred Whitton in 2005 and yes it does have one or two harder climbs but the Peak Epic had a lot of short steep climbs as well as some harder catergorised hills. The weather was the worst I have ever ridden in the other being the BCF Yorkshire Tour in 2005 when just about everyone was forced off their bikes going up Holme Moss in almost hurricane force wind,but it was'nt raining that day. Overall it was a very tough challenge even for the fittest of riders. I will be back next year for more punishment. Kevin Astle (medium route).

Alan Billington said...

Good effort turning out on Sunday Kev. I must admit, I run and MTB in all sorts of sh*t weather, but I've never gone out on my road bike on a day ride in the rain. The £25 entry fee certainly helped me get out of bed - and also that it was a really good notch in the training belt.