Pendle 600 - Anyone know any details?

[MikeH]

I really want to hear whether the Eliptigo made it back in time.  I do know he made it to the sleep stop with a bit of time in hand (but not enough to enable a sleep).  That is a serious achievement.   

[Exit Stage Left]

The Elliptigo was out of time at Carnforth about 35 miles from the end, where he abandoned. He had a lot of trouble with his V brakes, which hindered him on the descents. He described coming down from Hartside, putting on the anchors, and not much happening. He had one spare set, which he put on the front. It's a ride that doesn't pay back much downhill in exchange for the uphill effort, especially in the wet.

[marcusjb]

Massive respect to all finishers and a fair old chunk of respect to anyone that even turns up at the start of this ride.

Certainly the hardest traditional 600 I've ever done and I doubt there are many tougher weekends out on a bike, especially with weather issues to contend with as well.

Well done.

Who got badgered?

[Brakeless]

I finished just after 7 last night. Only one word to sum up the weekend - hard!

[Revellinho]

Yes, well done to all who even started, let alone finished.  The only harder thing I've ever tried is the 10A.  I almost felt guilty, trundling round the Bowland Forest 100k, knowing that the field would be heading through that area in the final 2 hours of an epic ride.

[The Bonk]

I finished just after 7 last night. Only one word to sum up the weekend - hard!

I'd say there are two words.

I finished with 45 minutes to spare. Slept in the Hotel Del Kebab Shop too. Saw a lone cow walking over the A590 and I killed a rabbit on the way to Hexam.

Gutted my longest and hardest ride is in bits on the etrex 30 and I am too stupid and tired to be able to put it together and have a look at what horror I went through over the weekend.
But other than that, Andy, thanks. It was tremendous.

[Ivan]

I finished with 20 mins to spare, followed by the Hackney bunch

Yes, I got to claim the coveted Lanterne Rouge, finishing around 2150, but we were the only 3 on fixed I believe. Something like 38 started, 27 finished, with pretty much one going at every control & a couple out of time.

Nursing a few blisters on the hands from gripping the hoods so tightly for 40 hours - that probably says it all.

[Brakeless]

I finished with 20 mins to spare, followed by the Hackney bunch

Yes, I got to claim the coveted Lanterne Rouge, finishing around 2150, but we were the only 3 on fixed I believe. Something like 38 started, 27 finished, with pretty much one going at every control & a couple out of time.

Nursing a few blisters on the hands from gripping the hoods so tightly for 40 hours - that probably says it all.

Massive respect to getting round on fixed 

[postie]

What a ride,most rides have a couple hard stages this has 9!!!!! The kebab shop in hexham really save my mate and me, making us tea even for free, they don't sell hot drinks.
I have never been so cold in all my life. Got 2 hours sleep and dry kit at the night stop making Sunday seem like a new day

Thanks Andy for a amazing ride.

9pm last night sat outside my tent with a beer and bag of chips, the way to end a amazing 2 days cycling.

[Exit Stage Left]

A video using some of the material I shot of the Pendle 600.

https://youtu.be/zlKcMG52iC4

[Kev Dennett]

I echo Postie's comments, what an amazing weekend.

The route, accompanied by some very testing night section weather, posed cycling challenge after challenge which left me with a huge sense of achievement when we returned to the final control at Pendleton. And all to a backdrop of some of the most stunning scenery the UK has to offer. The bar has certainly been lifted for me in terms of knowing how deep I can dig when the situation requires it.

Thanks very much Andy for an event that will live long in the memory 

[aidan.f]

As  everyone said, a hard  ride, for  me added interest  was the badger interaction just before Hexham. The badger was fine  but  I hit the deck. Feeling  a bit sore an bruised I went to A&E in Hexham knowing it was just nearby. A helpful member of staff  put my  bike in a secure area and I got into triage in minutes. Was already feeling  better and the leaking blood was starting to slow.  Pleasant nurse gave me some painkillers, and I then asked if  she could dress the gravel rash. 'not possible until seen by a doctor' and left me in triage. So I took off  my wet kit, hung it up to dry had a  half hour lie down scrubbed off the dirt with some towels, considered self applying  some dressings that were handy  but could not find any large enough so discharged myself.

[GraemeMcC]

Good video clips, ESL.

I don't know how you could capture this on film though, but for me, one of the more surreal moments of this ride was the stage from Barnard Castle to Hexham, with heavy hilly fog and rain north of Stanhope. Add darkness: the light loss/spread due to the moisture meant that road visibility was next to nil. Thank God for snow poles! This was another of these, "got to get out of this, alive" moments. (Takes me back to the "Not So Delightful Dales" hail storm then blizzard - how do you get such climatic episodes, Andy?)

But well done to all those who, like me, snucked in with moments to spare. This was the first time in ~100 events that I've ever been wary of being close to being "out of time". That said, the 2 hours kip and the hot shower in Langwathyby were truly welcome.

And, despite running out of time at Carnforth, I'm well in awe of our southern Elliptigo rider: to get through the N Yorks Moors, haul over Hartside, deal with the heat on Cold Fell and the headwind on Hardknott, all stood up, is a major effort. Chapeau my man...

[Exit Stage Left]

Catseyes were invented to cope with moorland fog, so snow poles perform a dual function.
I thought the Elliptigo might have problems with the potholes on the Lakes passes, but I realise that braking is a problem, the little wheels must heat up faster, and burn out the pads in such extreme conditions. Disc brakes might help I suppose, but that would mean the wheels taking more of a hammering from the potholes.

[Peter]

ESL, thanks for the video.  That was an exceptional display on the tandem by Cathy and Ashley.  Did I see a quick glimpse of Shaun Townley, too?  Impressed, as ever, by Graeme McCulloch, who had done the Pair of Kirtons 600 only the week before.  He's going to breeze PBP.

[Exit Stage Left]

C&A had signposted their intentions to try to get up Hardknott at the Langwathby control, and Ashley was clearly pleased to see me at the cattle grid. I'd already been over Hardknott and Wrynose once on the BMW, so I was reasonably confident. The main problem is finding a stopping place which will support a heavy motorbike on a sidestand, but not obstruct traffic. The last thing I want to do is to is to impede a rider.

The C&A sequence is assembled from my shots from four positions on the pass, two cameras operated by Dave Robinson, and three shots I took from next to the Three Shires Stone at the top of Wrynose. That's what made me think about how the story you get differs from what we saw on the day.

Cathy and Ashley look good enough on the bike to justify some planning to capture poetry in motion, but Hardknott is an odd place, tourists stop to take photos in the passing places, and it's difficult to get up it in one if you don't know how people behave.

I'm particularly pleased with the airbed inflation sequence. I've got a new wide angle camera with does good sound, and time lapses, which can convey these important duties succinctly.

[Aunt Maud]

That was interesting coming over to Hexam, it felt very remote. I managed to suss out a few good camping spots and a superb Audax hotel for next time.....It'll be nice weather next time, won't it Andy?

Good to see that so many finished. I'm particularly impressed with the tandem duo styling up Hardknott and the hard nuts who rode through the night on bikes with no gears.

Next time I'll try not to be half an hour late for the start, cheers for a great event.

[Peter]

@ ESL.  Yes, appreciated the air-bed sequence, having taken slightly longer to inflate them for Pair of Kirtons!

[Deano]

As  everyone said, a hard  ride, for  me added interest  was the badger interaction just before Hexham. The badger was fine  but  I hit the deck. Feeling  a bit sore an bruised I went to A&E in Hexham knowing it was just nearby. A helpful member of staff  put my  bike in a secure area and I got into triage in minutes. Was already feeling  better and the leaking blood was starting to slow.  Pleasant nurse gave me some painkillers, and I then asked if  she could dress the gravel rash. 'not possible until seen by a doctor' and left me in triage. So I took off  my wet kit, hung it up to dry had a  half hour lie down scrubbed off the dirt with some towels, considered self applying  some dressings that were handy  but could not find any large enough so discharged myself.

Yes, but how's the badger bike?

[john jackson]

Results:- http://www.aukweb.net/results/detail/this/listevent/?Ride=15-312

[Peter]

That's Jonah with consecutive 600s, too.  Hard men - but nice with it!

[321up]

We found the perfect isotonic rehydration...



Great ride Andy, this years ultimate test of man, woman and machine.  Well done everyone.  So what will be the next challange?

Awesome effort by the Elliptigo rider, as others have said small wheels and rim brakes on such steep descents probably resulted in overheating. 

Excellent film Damon, our families really appreciate these.

 

[Jonah]

Don't worry, it looks like the rain will wash away the Pendleberries on Saturday.

Mmmmm, soggy Pendleberries

[Edit]  Mmmmm, liquidized and diluted Pendleberries

[Peter]

We all ride for our own reasons.

[Aunt Maud]

Some dirtbag left a large Pendleberry swirling around the plug hole in the shower at Langwathby.