I'm going to do this bike up.
Then I'm going to ride it at sportives next year, with the sole aim of beating a rider on an expensive bike up a steep climb.
Make sure it isn't you 🙂
Stay tuned for the restoration…
The Gauntlet
Tue, Nov 01, 2011 12:57
Help us to bring you the best cycling content
If you’ve enjoyed this article, then please consider subscribing to road.cc from as little as £2.49. Our mission is to bring you all the news that’s relevant to you as a cyclist, independent reviews, impartial buying advice and more. Your subscription will help us to do more.
Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He’s won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and likes to ride increasingly long audaxes decreasingly fast as time goes by.
18 Comments
Read more...
Read more...
Read more...
More Opinion
Latest Comments
GravelIsNothingNew 9 minutes ago
Well said. Without better crowd control, there will be a more serious incident. Then, we’ll lose the mountainside crowds altogether.
GravelIsNothingNew 14 minutes ago
…exactly, then the spectator might be dead!
GravelIsNothingNew 18 minutes ago
Good article Ryan. …and….crickets. In pro-cycling, wilful ignorance rules.
GravelIsNothingNew 30 minutes ago
The 2026 TDF was brilliant. No question. …but to the most pertinent question…oh, “It’s too hard to answer, for tomorrow maybe!” This is THE answer given by the vast majority ignoring the climate emergency. ‘Not my problem. Tomorrow…maybe’. Tadej, Remco, et al, as ambassadors for cycling, feigning ignorance just doesn’t wash. The ASO needs to urgently answer this question too - what are they doing to mitigate the climate emergency? Let alone getting their heads out of the sand re start times in the hottest time of the day! As do all the fossil fuel sponsors who think they’re greenwashing their brands via pro cycling. In reality they’re just trading on Tadej, Remco and everyone else’s wilful ignorance. “It’s too hard to answer, for tomorrow maybe!” Really? Great, it’s now tomorrow…Tadej? Over to you.
GravelIsNothingNew 44 minutes ago
Finally some good news in this ridiculous world of junk consumption. Everyone. Just stop buying this crap.
Albionrt 1 hour ago
There is a pressing need for a kitemark type scheme for ebikes, their charging system and their batteries. We are regular users, touring in the UK and abroad and have problems both with transport and accommodation (trains and hotels etc) due to the lack of such a scheme
pockstone 5 hours ago
I have vague recollections of cases not being brought against careless/dangerous road users because..."we haven't received a complaint from the injured/aggrieved/close passed victim..." The police's zeal in seizing upon this minor infraction suggests one thing and one thing only...(over to you, little onion.)
GravelIsNothingNew 6 hours ago
The orchestra of the alpe…nice story Ryan. I reckon the madness is more rock concert than football stadium. Whatever, it’s the best stadium in the world! …more containment would kill it, yet some more effective policing of idiots might prevent someone dying one day. …But as you say it’s the tension that makes it. That’s d’Huez’ rock n roll.
Slartibartfast 6 hours ago
I genuinely don't see how the police can consider this an offence. The rider goes no closer to the parked car than one would when filtering, so is that now an offence? The 1.5m rule is confusing for idiots on Facebook but you would hope the police would understand what it's there for.
GravelIsNothingNew 6 hours ago
What an odd clickbait title - considering that 99.9% focus of all cycling media, product development and marketing is about increasing speed. 🙄 …and the best part - 99.9% of us will never ride anywhere near that fast! 😂 …so it’s a mute point. It’s all for nowt.
18 thoughts on “The Gauntlet”
Can you pubish your calendar
Can you pubish your calendar for 2012 please Dave, so I can avoid you at every opportunity 😀
I know you would beat my lardy arse up a hill, even if you were on a Raleigh folding shopper!
Are those 700c wheels Dave?
Are those 700c wheels Dave? If they’re 27″, that would be the most awkward part of the restoration. Unless you plan to keep them.
I thought you were already leaving expensive bikes in you wake on our Genesis Equilibrium.
they’re 700cs so shouldn’t be
they’re 700cs so shouldn’t be too bad. i might re-lace them cause the spokes are past their best. the rims and hubs are fine though.
the equilibrium is currently undergoing a transformation into a ‘proper’ audax bike. i did overtake a couple of cervelos on the bwlch last time i did the dragon on it. but it’ll be even more fun on this 🙂
perhaps i should get some retro kit too. or is that taking it too far?
Not much room for a motor in
Not much room for a motor in the bottom bracket dave 😀 Though like othello you’ll probably drop me no matter where 🙁 the retro kit will be a nice touch. Looking forward to following the restoration and bragging 😉
I count the number of carbon
I count the number of carbon bikes I pass on hills during sportives on my Brian Rourke steel frame and then see if I can pass the same amount on the descent as it just fires away downhill given its weight.
Ups and Downs.
Lets say bikes under £1000
Lets say bikes under £1000 don’t count as expensive.
Then, I don’t need to be ashamed when you beat me up the easiest of climbs on every sportive.
Seriously, like Othello, I too would like to know your sportive calendar for next year. Wanna see what the strongman of road.cc is riding 🙂
Nice that it has 700c wheels.
Nice that it has 700c wheels. Gives you so many more options, tyre choice etc…
Only other gotcha I can think of is the threaded headset. When I tried, most decent replacements (with cartridge bearings) had too big a stack height, which wouldn’t leave enough steerer to thread onto at the top. We had to settle for a cheap replacement.
What about cheap carbon
What about cheap carbon bikes? 😉
Quote:Wanna see what the
you’re confusing me with mat 🙂
Mostly I’m going for madones and cervelos, stuff like that. need to drop a few pounds though 🙂
Quote:I too would like to
Dunno for sure. but probs i’ll be at the Lionheart, FoD spring classic and the Dragon. Fred Whitton hopefully, but probably *not* on the BSA 🙂
I’d like to try some ones i’ve not done before too. who has recommendations?
@ Dave – Innishowen, Causeway
@ Dave – Innishowen, Causeway Challenge are two that spring to mind both over in Ireland. The causeway challenge has one climb that will make you weep!! At least I did!! Flat out in the Fens – yes it’s flat but when the temp hits the 30’s and you’re trying to maintain a decent cadance and there’s a brisk wind that always seems to be in your face, well ‘nough said 😉
Dave – Dartmoor Classic
Dave – Dartmoor Classic highly recommended. Any plans for a mayhem timed sportive this year?
yep Dartmoor Classic, easily
yep Dartmoor Classic, easily the best ive done in the last two years (and better than the Dragon i reckon)…mind you the FoD spring classic was tougher, even though it’s got less total meters in climbing the hills are unrelenting (all 18) and all short (ish) and steep-er.
Dunkery Dash audax could be a good ‘warm-up’. 😀
plenty of power climbs on the
plenty of power climbs on the Chiltern 100 – full of home counties carbon
The Dartmoor Classic is not
The Dartmoor Classic is not for the feint hearted have done it three times…only once on a carbon. I am happy to give you a prize from the top shelf if you can beat me up any of the hills next year!! But I do like your bike…makes me think I could dust off my rusty Raleigh and try for a gold medal on that B-) Note the big words with months to go…won’t be so cocky the night before :&
If you’re really serious
If you’re really serious about riding that thing, try L’eroica?
I used to turn out for some of our fast club rides on an old Gios Compact that weighed about 22lbs – ride was predominantly E, first and second cats and we’d go for a 90 mile thrash around the Surrey Hills. Always a degree of satisfaction getting to the top of those hills first.
Is that the VC Meudon monty
Is that the VC Meudon monty dog?
That’s me safe in the Hell of
That’s me safe in the Hell of Ashdown, then – mind, my Ribble doesn’t count as ‘expensive’ 😀