Mille Pennines 3rd July 2020

[marcusjb]

If anyone does get round an carries a GPS - can you tell us the climb figure?

In metric, a fuckload.

In imperial, based on personal experimentation; 2 kneecaps

A shade under 15000, but I will have to look and see how affected by rain that is when I am on my PC. I have no doubt that the hole for the altimeter got blocked up a few times. Depending on what altitude it blocked at, means that the reading might be under or over.

The start of day 2 was the most savage section over to Barnard castle. I think it rather thinned the field out for sure!

[Chris N]

Paul (and I assume Toby) finished just before 12.

[Andy Corless]

38 riders have finished the inaugural Mille Pennines 1000.

Andy Corless
Organiser
Mille Pennines 1000

[Nelson Longflap]

Wow! Mega-congratulations to all the survivors. In future this event deserves to be prefixed 'The notorious'.

It ended for me in Askrigg after day 1. I didn't arrive until 3am, but following a shower and teeth brushing I felt surprisingly OK given the terrain and the weather. But the writing was on the wall for me as I don't cope with sleep dep and another long day would have finished me. So I did the day 4 ride, diverting back to Preston station. Saturday's head wind was enough to convince me I'd made the right decision. I managed to book the bike space vacated by Bikey Mikey (definitely not in Blackburn, although I guess in Mikey's world they are only a few pedal strokes apart  )

I thoroughly enjoyed my ride round the Lakes and into the Pennines, a big thank you to Andy and helpers for their support and such a well designed route. It's only my second dnf, so unfinished business ...

[mikek]

My climbing figures:

Day 1: 3718
Day 2: 5129 (1500m in first 35 miles or so)
Day 3: 3624 (1000m in first 20 miles after Robin Hoods bay)
Day 4: 692

Total: 13163

My sincere thanks to Andy and the many assistants for staging this wonderful challenge. Well done to all that took part.

Andy says you can still order event jerseys.

[mattc]

38 riders have finished the inaugural Mille Pennines 1000.

Andy Corless
Organiser
Mille Pennines 1000

Out of 90 starters?!!!!!

Wow.

[psyclist]

Chapeau to all who finished. It'll be interesting to hear some stories from those who made it all the way round.

I was not feeling great after day one, and with a lack of anywhere to lie down to sleep (defective air beds I have subsequently heard) I was not fit and able to complete the long day two in the conditions prevailing. This has been my first DNF, but still a learning experience for the next time I plump for a 1000km+ ride.

Huge thanks to Andy and the team for putting this event on. With less wind I'm sure the number of riders completing the ride would have been higher. Given the conditions, I'm hugely impressed by those who did complete the ride, and equally those who gave it their best shot.

[Chris S]

38 riders have finished the inaugural Mille Pennines 1000.

Andy Corless
Organiser
Mille Pennines 1000

Out of 90 starters?!!!!!

Wow.

Not that surprising really - a difficult ride on a good day, the weather on Saturday was a thug. Wind speeds at sea level were gusting to 40mph, so goodness knows what it was reaching in the higher parts; and those were in plentiful supply on the route, it would seem  .

[marcusjb]

It would have been a very tough event in your own personal preferred ideal conditions.

The climbing was savage at times. I can do that 25 and more percent stuff happily for a day, but then the power starts to go from my legs and anything that steep is seriously hard work.

The weather was very difficult. The wind more than the rain. Though the rain was frequently very heavy and cold. It would never last more than 10-15 mins, but I did seek shelter a couple of times.

I think a lot of luck was involved in how wet you were before the sun went down (which was strong when it appeared, even on day 2).

But the wind.

Wow. Quite something.

The climb out of Newcastleton was the worst part of it. And the descent off rosedale chimney was pretty scary for a light rider. I did consider walking.

Hard hard stuff but brilliant.

[hillbilly]

The definition of audacious riding.

And also bat shit crazy.

Well done those who even turned up to ride.  I suspect everyone went into it with their eyes open on how bloody hard it would be.  Even before the weather is allowed for.

I'm certainly glad I was too fat and unfit to have even contemplated this when entries were being touted.  Pies and sanity over this sort of thing, for now.

[Paul D]

Right, I've read enough about light riders and wind, here's an 82 kg riders perspective:

Yes, the wind was bloody tough for long flat sections on day 2. But, every climb on day 1 and day 2 until Newcastleton (that was a bastard I'll grant you) was tailwind assisted! Brilliant!

As for descending, the wind did mean I failed to break 50 mph down The Stang, I had to wait until Sutton Bank for for that (easily!). TBH, my knees were shouting so loudly by the drops before and after Rosedale Chimney Bank I can't even remember a breeze on those.

Its all just British summer conditions to be enjoyed or endured. Light riders remember: some days you'll get blown about some days you won't, but us fat bastards always have to drag our same selves up climbs whatever the weather. 

[doctorafternoon]

I passed a fair few of you lot Saturday night on the stretch from Lockerbie down to Gretna. I was heading north on Lucy McTaggart's Borderlands Roc Trevezal 600. Some crazy wind and rain, especially over Yad Moss. Massive well done to you all sticking that out for three/four days.

[marcusjb]

Had a look at my elevation figures properly - there was some water-based corruption on day 2 (surprisingly!) and I now get a figure of 13528m from my Edge 510 (calibrated on Friday morning only).  I haven't looked at the data from the 800.

[Bairdy]

Well done to everybody that took part.
It sounded insane.

(Has anybody got a Mille Pennine Jersey size S, that they want to sell?
Not for me, obviously. It's for a friend who completed the ride but doesn't bother with this forum.
If so pm me your details and I'll pass them on.

[aidan.f]

I am interested in  a medium Jersey if anyone has one spare.

[Jonah]

Terra incognita

[Peter]

Well you know now!

[Laid Back Rich]

I was one of the 52 quitters 
I quit on day 2 at Kielder, still had three hours in hand but it had taken ten hours to do 150k and there was still 210k to go finish the day, so it was looking like a 5-6am ETA at Askrigg which would mean a bit of toast and a cuppa then straight out into day 3. I am rubbish without sleep. So I packed.
First AUK ride in 13 years of SRs, PBPs, LELs, Mille Alba & Cymru, Wessex SR etc. which has defeated me.
4 of us got a lovely B&B in Kielder, pub dinner, then finished day 2 yesterday at leisurely pace back to Askrigg, then rode back to Bispham today. 700km. Thoroughly enjoyable weekend but unfinished business.
https://www.strava.com/activities/630181998
I will be back to get the job done properly next time. Specifically:
*set off at 4am on day 2, rather than lying in till 6
*quick breakfast at Barnard Castle rather than lose an hour at Stanhope cafe
*MTFU
Thanks Andy & helpers, and massive kudos to the 38

[DrMekon]

I was one of the 52 quitters 
I quit on day 2 at Kielder, still had three hours in hand but it had taken ten hours to do 150k and there was still 210k to go finish the day, so it was looking like a 5-6am ETA at Askrigg which would mean a bit of toast and a cuppa then straight out into day 3. I am rubbish without sleep. So I packed.
First AUK ride in 13 years of SRs, PBPs, LELs, Mille Alba & Cymru etc. which has defeated me.
4 of us got a lovely B&B in Kielder, pub dinner, then finished day 2 yesterday at leisurely pace back to Askrigg, then rode back to Bispham today. 700km. Thoroughly enjoyable weekend but unfinished business.
https://www.strava.com/activities/630181998
I will be back to get the job done properly next time. Specifically:
*set off at 4am on day 2, rather than lying in till 6
*quick breakfast at Barnard Castle rather than lose an hour at Stanhope cafe
*MTFU
Thanks Andy & helpers, and massive kudos to the 38

My day 2 plan involved leaving just after 4am, but it meant I was in Barnard Castle before anything opened. Costa and Cooplands didn't open until 7.30. I was assuming that I'd need to get an ATM receipt at Stanhope and push on to Hexham to make the early start work.

[Deano]

Well, I'm pleased to report that all VC167 riders finished within time, though Steve's epic lanterne rouge ride, bouncing along at the time limit from Robin Hood's Bay to the finish, was maybe cutting it a bit fine.

I'll have to have a think and sort out the few photos I took (a Mars Bar-lens interface kinda spoilt it), but my planning and preparation all worked, and in the end, local knowledge had a huge effect on our success. I commented that there weren't too many local riders, as most of 'em weren't daft enough to enter or were wise enough to DNS, but on the ride, we knew what to expect and where the good cafes were and so on. And we'd all experienced worse conditions on the same roads!

Many commiserations to those who DNF'd - those showers were a bit grim, and the start of day 2 was an absolute bastard. It took us 7 hours to cover the 90 km to Hexham. It did eventually get better, but only after 50 miles of headwinds from Kielder to Lockerbie.

Many thanks to Mr Corless for putting on a special event. If he does put it on again next year, I'll happily volunteer to help out (and point and laugh).

[Deano]

The weather was cruel over Dunmail Raise this aft.  First half of the field were fine, but the rain came on and gradually increased for the rest.  A few pics:

A cheerful Deano (is there any other kind?) at Sandside, earlier:



Deano, still cheerful, and clubmate, on Dunmail, climbing out from Grasmere:

Thanks, Bill, and it was lovely to see you. I hadn't meant to book my own personal photographer, but I do like to think I audax in style

Excellent photos (as ever). I'll add a few names to faces when I've had some sleep and a much-needed bath.

[ebbson]

I will be back to get the job done properly next time. Specifically:

*MTFU

Thanks Andy & helpers, and massive kudos to the 38

Paraphrasing.

[ebbson]

I took a few snaps on a disposable camera...once I get round to finishing the film then finding somewhere to develop them...then scanning them...I'll upload them.

[Peter]

Dean, well done.  That takes somedetermination (and awareness of your own capabilities) to continue after a 7 hour stint at that pace.  I think I saw Smiling David in Chris's film, so I guess you would encourage each other.  I'd put money on the Brown's tandem finishing, too.  Do you know if they did?

[Jonah]

Yep, they finished