Mille Pennines 3rd July 2020

[GrahamG]

Good point about riding with others, if you find yourself riding with others whose plan is not too far removed from your own it makes sense to adjust to suit so that you've company on the road. Bit of company often prompts me to reduce faff time and push through any lows on the way to keep pace. I'm definitely looking to maximise sleep time and be on the road by 7 each day at the latest and treat each leg like a day ride rather than an endless slog, at least that's the spin I'm putting on it in my head for a little 'positive mental attitude'🤣🤞
hopefully I can keep close to my usual pace across each day, but it's been too long since I've done multi-day rides to have any real confidence on that front.

[Phil W]

I'm proper bricking it, got to be the hardest thing I've ever entered and haven't done anything more than a 400 so far this year.

A month ago I completed the Highlands 1000 having not completed anything more than a 200 this year. Crashed on Easter Arrow and frame broke on my 300.  So I would not let the lack of longer distances prey on your mind. Just focus on the here and now and keep on top of hydration given the forecast temps.

[Wycombewheeler]

Good point about riding with others, if you find yourself riding with others whose plan is not too far removed from your own it makes sense to adjust to suit so that you've company on the road. Bit of company often prompts me to reduce faff time and push through any lows on the way to keep pace. I'm definitely looking to maximise sleep time and be on the road by 7 each day at the latest and treat each leg like a day ride rather than an endless slog, at least that's the spin I'm putting on it in my head for a little 'positive mental attitude'🤣🤞
hopefully I can keep close to my usual pace across each day, but it's been too long since I've done multi-day rides to have any real confidence on that front.

By 7? Wow. My plan is to be on the road by 5. I know I won't be finished by sunset each night so plan to make use of all the light in the morning.

Toying with thevidea of an overnight in Ripon on Sunday and setting off at dawn, rather than riding into the night 3 days in a row.

[Ajax Bay]

For those who expect to make full use of the 75 hours available, the rider needs to have a plan for the last day. Bispham is only 80k from Sedbergh: 5 hours including a safety margin (hors delai after 1400) so leave no later than 9am (control closes around 8am).
5 hours eating and sleeping means getting back to Sedbergh from RHB by 4am Monday.
So with 336k to do on Day 3, starting at 7am (say) that's 21 hours = 16kph average during the day. Entirely doable.
5 hours eating and sleeping means getting back to Sedbergh from Keilder/Lockerbie by 2am Sunday.
So with 346k to do on Day 2, starting at 5am (say) that's 21 hours = 16.5kph average during the day. Entirely doable.
5 hours eating and sleeping means getting to Sedbergh from the Lakes by midnight Friday - implies a day average of 19kph for that short day (250k). Entirely doable.
YMMV, as may your sleep requirement, and indeed your propensity to plan.
See you there.
HTH

[Wycombewheeler]

For those who expect to make full use of the 75 hours available, the rider needs to have a plan for the last day. Bispham is only 80k from Sedbergh: 5 hours including a safety margin (hors delai after 1400) so leave no later than 9am (control closes around 8am).
5 hours eating and sleeping means getting back to Sedbergh from RHB by 4am Monday.
So with 336k to do on Day 3, starting at 7am (say) that's 21 hours = 16kph average during the day. Entirely doable.
5 hours eating and sleeping means getting back to Sedbergh from Keilder/Lockerbie by 2am Sunday.
So with 346k to do on Day 2, starting at 5am (say) that's 21 hours = 16.5kph average during the day. Entirely doable.
5 hours eating and sleeping means getting to Sedbergh from the Lakes by midnight Friday - implies a day average of 19kph for that short day (250k). Entirely doable.
YMMV, as may your sleep requirement, and indeed your propensity to plan.
See you there.
HTH

my plan is
get to sedbergh by 23:30 day 1
start 5am, return 1am  day 2
start 6am day 3, maybe stop at Ripon by 22:00 or else push on to sedbergh for 01:30 and sleep until 8
start day 3 at 4:30, reach sedburgh by 8, leave sedbergh by 08:30 to reach bispham by noon

so plan for now until friday is to make sure I am not in sleep deficit before the ride

[Chris Radcliffe]

Hi Andy,

I emailed you last week to say that unfortunately I cannot ride  - just wanted to check you'd got it.

Hope everyone has a good ride and the weather is good (not too hot!!)
Chris Radcliffe.

[Wycombewheeler]

.......
Loads of stuff in Kirkby Stephen - a Co Op and newsagents are all that's likely to be open at passing time, though.

Riders will be through Kirkby Stephen before the shops open (at 7). If they aren't through by 6 they will not be completing Day 2 (my prediction).

.....
Stanhope - there's a Co Op and a cafe next to it, but the cafe at the Dales Tourist Centre is much better (opens at 9).

Above Stanhope there's Parkhead Station Cafe on the Waskerley Way: http://www.parkheadstation.co.uk/tea-rooms.php - just follow the gravelly track out to it. I'm not sure of the opening times, but you could give them a call and just get a receipt in Stanhope before riding up Crawleyside to the cafe - it says 3 miles from Stanhope, and there's a board at the cafe for writing your time up Crawleyside. Don't expect this to be a quick 3 miles.

Immediately after Stanhope, above Crawleyside, Parkhead Station Cafe - used last year (on Deano's recommendation) opens at 9am. Bacon and egg bap, and coffee iirc: tasty and pretty quick. Worth ringing them (01388 526434) from Stanhope if a group of riders planning to stop. And as a bonus, you're not doing the Crawleyside climb on a full stomach.

30 miles from Kirkby Stephen to Stanhope, it occurs to me that anyone through the former by 6, will be too early for cafes at the latter. Any cafe open for a decent breakfast in Stanhope at 8?

[Deano]

Nowt AFAIK - go to the Co Op for a receipt and carry on to Parkhead or Blanchland.

ETA -Kirkby Stephen  to Stanhope in two hours would be... impressive.

[Kev Sp8]

Looks like I'll be taking the earbuds for a couple of hours distraction on Saturday then...

[Wycombewheeler]

Nowt AFAIK - go to the Co Op for a receipt and carry on to Parkhead or Blanchland.

ETA -Kirkby Stephen  to Stanhope in two hours would be... impressive.

It would be

I was thinking depart Sedbergh  04:30 with the dawn, reach KS at 05:30 and maybe get to stanhope 2.5 hours later. I plan to use as much of the daylight as possible. if its 3.5 hours then chances of completion are tiny, as moving speed of 15kmh does not allow enough buffer for stops

[Wycombewheeler]

Fired the route into weatherbagel with average speed 15kmh.

Friday max 23, Friday night min 13.
Saturday max 25 Saturday night min 15
Sunday max 27 Sunday night min 17

No sign of precipitation

Toughest bits for heat and hills will be approaching kielder and leaving robin hood's bay.

Not many of the control towns have 24 hour facilities as far as I can tell so going nocturnal to avoid the heat is not an option.

Must remember to top up water at every opportunity in the day.

[Ajax Bay]

Toughest bits for heat and hills will be approaching kielder and leaving robin hood's bay.
Not many of the control towns have 24 hour facilities as far as I can tell so going nocturnal to avoid the heat is not an option.

I'd add the NYM Eskdale roller coaster from Kildale across to where you join the A171.
Stanhope(323) ATM 3 doors down from Coop
(Parkhead Station cafe opens at 9am Saturday - recommended, and they know some may stop there) It's 4km and 235m up Crawleyside, above Stanhope. Food there in 2016 was a darn sight faster than the cafe in Stanhope. They cook to order.
Kielder(417) - if you're not going to make Kielder by 1700 (village shop closing time) then . . . 'Kielder' Tower Knowe Visitor Centre is 13km earlier, on the right, overlooking Kielder Water (well signed and has cafe - closes at 5pm)
Lockerbie(480) ATM and see Andy's info
Penrith(550) ATMs. Shell Garage is open 24 hours (on the A6 road going south after the centre of town)
Yarm(692) 24 hour garage
Robin Hood's Bay(755) ATM down in village - Fish Box closes at 6pm on Sunday (NB 260k to go)
Ripon(853) 24 hour garage
As an aside, in 2016, two of us ended up in the 'Cross Keys' in Canonbie (01387 371010, 40km from Kielder). Excellent food, fantastic beds and the best 11 hours sleep I've had this century.

[D.A.L.E.]

Kielder(417) - if you're not going to make Kielder by 1700 (village shop closing time) then . . . 'Kielder' Tower Knowe Visitor Centre is 13km earlier, on the right, overlooking Kielder Water (well signed and has cafe - closes at 5pm)

There's a pub in Kielder too which does food.

Or Falstone, bottom end of Kielder water, has a fantastic tea rooms which serves proper food (Last time I was there I had a huge plate of lasagne and chips for about 8 quid).

[Wycombewheeler]

Toughest bits for heat and hills will be approaching kielder and leaving robin hood's bay.
Not many of the control towns have 24 hour facilities as far as I can tell so going nocturnal to avoid the heat is not an option.

I'd add the NYM Eskdale roller coaster from Kildale across to where you join the A171.
Stanhope(323) ATM 3 doors down from Coop
(Parkhead Station cafe opens at 9am Saturday - recommended, and they know some may stop there) It's 4km and 235m up Crawleyside, above Stanhope. Food there in 2016 was a darn sight faster than the cafe in Stanhope. They cook to order.
Kielder(417) - if you're not going to make Kielder by 1700 (village shop closing time) then . . . 'Kielder' Tower Knowe Visitor Centre is 13km earlier, on the right, overlooking Kielder Water (well signed and has cafe - closes at 5pm)
Lockerbie(480) ATM and see Andy's info
Penrith(550) ATMs. Shell Garage is open 24 hours (on the A6 road going south after the centre of town)
Yarm(692) 24 hour garage
Robin Hood's Bay(755) ATM down in village - Fish Box closes at 6pm on Sunday (NB 260k to go)
Ripon(853) 24 hour garage
As an aside, in 2016, two of us ended up in the 'Cross Keys' in Canonbie (01387 371010, 40km from Kielder). Excellent food, fantastic beds and the best 11 hours sleep I've had this century.

I was thinking more about food and water than the ability to control. Theres only so much that can be carried.
As for not making fielder by 5, that would leave 189km to get back to sedbergh, probably 10-12 hours completing the ride from that position would be impressive.

[Ajax Bay]

Kielder(417) - if you're not going to make Kielder by 1700 (village shop closing time) then . . .

As for not making Kielder by 5, that would leave 189km to get back to sedbergh, probably 10-12 hours completing the ride from that position would be impressive.

Jon B and another left Kielder around 5 in 2016 heading for Lockerbie and then SE (while we eventually found beds in Canonbie). AIUI they made it to the 'sleep' control 12+ hours later, took 2 hours and then set off for RHB at about 8am Sunday. They completed before 1pm - as the lanterne rouge group, I think. Amazing performance. Possibly relevant that they'd ridden 'within themselves' for the first 450k.

[smuttiesmith]

I have used The Rocky Road cafe in Bellingham before and found it really nice. Planning on using that and just grabbing water/snacks at Kielder to see me through to Langholm and will see how things are panning out there.

Also mulling over taking a musette with me to enable more water to be carried if needed. Can be folded up really small so no great shakes to carry it in my pocket.

Actually now I think about it I am 99% sure there are public WC on the Langholm Moor road out of Newcastleton where bottles can be re filled prior to the climb.
Its on the left hand side immediately after the Fire Station.
https://www.google.com/maps/@55.1796853,-2.8145089,3a,75y,223.43h,79.13t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s99ZHEYBRExMi_3UMI9UixA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

[Deano]

The public toilets in Newcastleton have a 30p charge.

A couple of pages up, there's a fair attempt at listing all food options on the route.

[Andy Corless]

Thanks to all those that have sent us good wishes for the event. 67 riders started from Bispham at 11:00 am this morning.

Andy Corless

[Andy Corless]

Midnight update:

17 riders have packed so there's 50 still going. 27 riders have passed through the Sedbergh control for the 2nd time.

Andy Corless

[GrahamG]

I've had to abandon after destroying my rear mech and taking out a spoke, hanger and a big chunk of carbon with it. My single speed codge then failed spectacularly (lesson learned on that) so got a taxi back 50k to sedburgh for a little kip and to try and make myself useful.

First rider through left about half an hour ago and all being well will probably have the ride wrapped up somewhere between 9 and 9.30 this evening!

[Andy Corless]

46 riders were still going at midnight Sunday, with 20 passing through Sedbergh (934 km).

Andy Corless

[ramchip]

How many actually started and how many finished?

[Wycombewheeler]

How many actually started and how many finished?

67 started I suspect all the 46 still out at midnight finished.

[GrahamG]

All bar one had been through Sedbergh by 9am if I remember right. It'll be another day or two before anyone is recovered enough to fill us in I suspect.

[Rumps]

I now have regained sufficient  strength to type. In describing the event hard would cover it. Quite wonderful cycling country -some of it superb. I will post some further thoughts later but at this stage just wanted to express my thanks to Andy and his team of Gail and John. They did a wonderful job especially having regard to it being just the 3 of them . Running and helping on an event like this requires significant commitment , in terms of time, effort and maintaining a sense of humour at all times  even when the three of them were also very tired themselves. That they all did this in spades is enormously appreciated.
The train journey back from Preston to London , after the 90 minutes delay , was one of the shortest I have ever taken. Only two minutes from sitting down to arriving at Euston.....

Thanks also to those people I had the pleasure to ride and chat with ( I am one of the SWRC guys , the slower pair who enjoyed some of the hospitality that local hostleries could offer )