RetroBike National Ride Series - Peaks - 10/09/11

I only have one question - is it single-speed-able?

zigzag":3ha40oz1 said:

I only have one question - is it single-speed-able?

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I have never ridden the first section of this route so can't comment on it. However in general terms there is a lot of the Dark Peak which isn't rideable on any bike, at least not all in one go!!
Saying that, I did go on a ride once around this very area with a bloke on a single speed cross bike with drops - so anything is possible!!! Just depends on your own stamina and skill really.

I guarantee you won't be last on the climbs anyway, that's my job. :-D

The first climb is the stuff of bad dreams and only a few manage to ride the whole way up even with plenty of gears. Rest of it is pretty do-able though if hard going.
Personally I would opt for gears and some walking.

There was a bloke last year who came along with a fellow member on a fixie single speed. He did pretty well on the climbs and even on the tricky descents.
He did however nearly die and had to shortcut back to Hope before the official 'hill-climb challenge'. To be fair to him he did blame some poisoned Guinness from the night before.

If you're feeling fit and strong then you could single-speed it, as long as happy that your second gear will be walking. Some of the hills are pretty steep and long.

Better to ride an SS and pop out your kneecaps than a modern though.

righto- the jocks are coming

Me
Velo
ZigZag

mibee's mare, mibee's naw mare.

Just found this after posting in the other thread.
On the Facebook page it says it's from 10am - 1pm?

A gaggle of Yorkies and MacRetro types will be staying over on saturday. Is anyone planning on camping, and if so, where are you staying?

jonnyboy666":3rzk3qu2 said:

got the time sorted i think, riding buddy sorted aswel, just need to confirm some accomodation as it'll be another jonnyboy roadtrip!

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Room in the van for one more??

Rampage":1unelrwl said:

Just found this after posting in the other thread.
On the Facebook page it says it's from 10am - 1pm?

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I think that could be the limitations of Facebook more than anything else.

To confirm, we'll be meeting at 10am onwards outside the Woodbine Cafe for an 11am ride start.
People are welcome to get there earlier and perhaps have breakfast/second breakfast in the Cafe. I'll probably get there at about 9am to blow up the balloons and oversee the delivery of the bouncy castle.

The pace of the ride is pretty casual with lots of stopping to regroup, chat and fine tune critical bar-end angles etc. There's also a stop at the Penny Pot Cafe in Edale, so bring some euros for a baguette if you anticipate being hungry after about 13 miles of the ride.

In previous years we've normally arrived back in Hope between 4 and 5pm and the evening eating and quizzing starts at about 6pm or so.

Thanks for clarifying.
Got to work at 5pm and it's an hour drive home