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Gears of Pure Peak Grit

Categories and Riders

Into the Hills

Day One

Through the Night

Adam is First Rider Home!

48 Hours

First Female Finisher!

Nearly There...

Adam Bibbey

Matt Seward

Adrian Lai

John Barkman

Michal Durec

Zlatimira Petrova

Emre Leo Feyzi

Andy Callow

Giles Aldridge

Karen McDonald

Joseph Torsney

Jim Armshaw

Richard Lake

Liam Clarke

David Palmer

Kate Baker

Vanessa Lowe

Nadia Kerr

Karen Radband

Mark Agar

Gavin Scott

Andrew Bailey

Andrew Watts

Ben Rickaby

Bruno Marks

David Garner

David Markham

David Ward

Emily Chappell

Laurence Cole

Mark Smith

Matthew James Bower

Nick Allen

Oliver Shaw

Paul Jackman

Paul Mansfield

Pete David

Raymond Cox

Rob Webb

Samm Parker

Tim McInnes

Toby Willis

Will Schrimshaw

William Francis Parker

Becky Arrowsmith

Carl Henrik Ek

Farooq Chaudhry

Nicola Eccles

Philip Wareham

Thomas Hallam-Gravells

Helen Webster

Anton Blackie

Jack Ferguson

Marcus Jackson-Baker

Matt Ryan

Paul Buckley

Shell (Mike Sheldrake)

Cat Archer

Julian Williams

Victoria Stark

Alan Parkinson

Vicki Cook

Kate Hargreaves

John Cooke

Last weekend I found myself riding Bwlch-y-Groes with a club-mate who rode the Milk Race back in the 1970s and he was telling of the riders of the era taking on the climb with a small chainring of 39 or 42 teeth and a largest sprocket of 23 teeth. Hurts my knees just thinking about it...

So I found myself wondering what sort of gearing our riders will have picked for such a hilly event as this. I was secretly hoping for at least one hardcore rider running a 53/39 front chainset. Would there be any clever hacks for really low gearing, to try and get up Bamford Clough without walking?

![double-chainset](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/18jGuGv72KKPqGhS1spdi7/a1a0d685cb778319c725e0d23370f604/image.png)

> 📸 [Wikipedia/Glory Cycles](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SRAM_Force_22_11_Speed_Front_Derailleur_%289436716102%29.jpg)

I make no apologies for the gear-ratio geekery - but if that's not your thing then maybe skip on to the next post!

The most popular setup for my brief poll was 50/34 and 11-34 - offering a nice 1:1 gear at the low end. Almost all of those who running fairly standard compact chainsets said they were expecting to have to walk at some stage. Rider Nadia said she'd even packed cleat covers!

At least two riders are opting for a triple chainset, with experienced Peak District local Mark Agar running 50/39/30 with an 11-30 cassette. Whilst a triple is a very solid idea for a ride like this, this particular configuration still only offers a 1:1 bottom ratio.

![triple-chainset](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/17BBGJHUxF4YwFlPJyN6Ac/ffe9c8e99b93d55ee6f1b0b14376cd03/image.png)

> 📸 [Wikipedia](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:FC5600.jpg)

My personal favourite, and closest to what I would choose, was a 1x setup with 38T chainring and 10-44 cassette. A sub-1:1 gear for those steep gradients after nearly 600km on the road sounds like an excellent choice to me!

The one trend that ran through almost all the responses to my gearing-survey was that almost everybody is expecting to be walking on Bamford Clough which is not at all surprising. Let's see how everybody gets on!

As you may have seen from the Pure Peak Grit site, there are three categories for riders which relate to their targeted times:

 - Sub 48 Hour
 - Sub 72 Hour
 - However Long it Takes

The majority of riders on the roster are attempting to finish in less than 48 hours but there are several riders aiming for 72 and a few just aiming for a finish. I suspect by Monday morning the number of riders whose aim has changed to "just get round" will be significant, bearing in mind that of the inaugural test event only four of the ten riders finished and only two of those within 48 hours, we may see a significant percentage of scratches for this event.

Finishers will be recognised on the [Pure Peak Gritter Wall of Fame](https://www.purepeakgrit.cc/pure-peak-gritter-wall-of-fame/) which currently has two categories of 48h Finishers and Route Completers.

Everything kicks off at 10am and we'll see who is going to set off quickly and who will keep it steady.

Of the notable names on the roster, probably the most recognisable is Emily Chappell who needs no introduction as veteran ultra racer and author. Another ultra veteran on the list is Mike Sheldrake and it's also nice to see the Pan-Celtic organising duo of Mally Ryan and Toby Willis on the list; it'll be interesting to see them on the receiving end of the route for a change!

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After a rider briefing groups started to roll out at 10am this morning heading west towards the Peak District. Probably the most notable thing this morning is just how many riders have dropped out and aren't starting. There doesn't seem to be a primary reason for this, but a variety of challenges from illness and fatigue to possible doubts over the weather for this very tough challenge.

Unfortunately, of the four riders I named in my last post, none of them were starters this morning! Of the 64 named riders, only 21 departed the Heeley Institute this morning, which is fairly dramatic percentage of DNS. Could this be a reflection on just how much of a challenge this route is going to be?

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-03 at 11.14.35 AM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4fU23haXZ1ImeJMTjZ2Y0W/10a982edb4a86b37485488722489c4d4/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-03_at_11.14.35_AM.jpeg)

Of our select group of starters we have a good range of pace so far; Matt Seward is first rider on the road at about the 100km mark, having just tackled Holme Moss. A little further back our 9th place rider Richard Lake is going well; he only finished the TCR a few weeks back so he's definitely been getting the training in, but has his body recovered? He's just finished up the Jackson Bridge climb and will be heading up Holme Moss shortly.

The bulk of our riders are now spread between the bottom of Jackson Bridge and the top of Holme Moss and making good progress. Most importantly, the volunteers and dotwatchers on the ground are reporting good spirits and lots of smiles!

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-03 at 2.21.22 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7D0UY9uIUCsLWwwFACAELi/1e2ec603b6d6ba7b35b53a7c196b098a/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-03_at_2.21.22_PM.jpeg)

Towards the back we have Joseph, Nadia, Kate, Vanessa and Gavin who have all covered the first chunk of the route and are at least 65km in. It doesn't quite feel right to talk about first and last riders because to be quite honest anyone who is taking on this monster of a route deserves an accolade and all of those who finish will be much more determined and hardy bike riders than the majority of us!

Further updates tonight by which time I hope we will have a number of riders out on the western loop taking on the famous Cat and Fiddle amongst the other named climbs that way.

*Update: Just after I first published this I've heard that unfortunately we have our first scratch - Gavin Scott. And then there were 20...*


By now the riders have been out on the road for twelve hours slogging up the steepest climbs the Peak District has to offer. For those aiming for a 48hr finish that's a little short of a quarter of their time goal. More on that later.

Our pack has spread out a little now with riders between 146km and 237km. Matt Seward still leads the charge, pursued by Adam Bibbey. At last report they were both still smiling and enjoying their ride!

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-03 at 4.57.54 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/14JLJIrqtWIIxAQGa8zdjo/3990ff9a1254cc8e9a9a0abbc84c6b4b/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-03_at_4.57.54_PM.jpeg)

 > Matt at the top of Windgather

Further down the pack we have a big group of riders around the Buxton/Axe Edge loop - Adrian, Zlatimira, Michal, Richard, David and Jim all within 15-20km of each other. Andy and Giles look to have just finished off a stop in Macclesfield and are heading up the Cat and Fiddle into the night.

Nadia and Karen are currently showing up at the Shrigley Hall Hotel! Both of them are in the 72hr aim category, so perhaps this is their first overnight stop. If so then I'm sure any riders who end up in a bivvy tonight will be envious!

Speaking of overnight - the Halfway Hall is now open for business with volunteers on hand with rooms for sleeping (but riders have to bring mat/sleeping bag) and some food and drink. This stop is about 272km into the ride and so it won't be long now until the front-runners reach the hall.

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-03 at 7.25.27 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/TgumwaK2ft78HaaqDuO2n/2b6fe2f55a7d0d9477833d2d3e9cf106/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-03_at_7.25.27_PM.jpeg)

 > Well-stocked Halfway Hall

I'm afraid we have two scratches to report so far - Gavin Scott and Mark Agar. By virtue of being in the twenty-one starters they have already outdone many entrants so chapeau to them both for giving the route a good crack!

In terms of times and targets, those aiming for 48hrs will need to have covered 150km by now. So I'm pleased to report that at time of writing, all the riders are within this margin. However, this may be a bit misleading since the majority of riders will stop at some stage to rest, and the pace across the board is likely to decrease rather than increase.

![52331804788 49811cc23b c](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6gWa4QPn6XxhiRUBAFnJeQ/6d941ed134377b35e3222ba32b25204d/52331804788_49811cc23b_c.jpg)

 > 📸 Joe Harding

My bet is that Matt isn't going to stop to sleep at the Halfway Hall and if he's able to maintain his current pace and doesn't rest then he'll be done sometime tomorrow afternoon. Matt is no newbie - he was first finisher at TransAtlantic Way 2019 and earlier this year he was second finisher at the Wild West Country. As a similar distance event (~800km), this is a helpful guide - Matt's longest stop for the whole event was only a little over an hour!

It'll be interesting to see how things look in the morning. Hopefully no more scratches but could the rain due tomorrow afternoon/evening be the last straw for some riders? For such a tough and hilly route the riders seem in very good spirits!

![52331766989 13fb99b1cc c](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7gZXBZV7TCTJ0KmxcPtpik/f6295234213af773b864627111274ed2/52331766989_13fb99b1cc_c.jpg)

 > Race Organisers / Authors of Pain - Nicky, Alaina and Jasmijn

More to come tomorrow! Keep an eye on those dots and I'll be back tomorrow for more updates.

A new day and a new leader for our Pure Peak Gritters today. My prediction was solidly wrong and Matt stopped for a couple of hours overnight allowing Adam to take the lead. After a while and courtesy of a stop for Adam, Matt then came back into the lead. However, in the last couple of hours Adam has moved back in front again with Matt showing a slower pace - hopefully it's just a small struggle and he can get the right food in to be able to get back in the game!

![DSC 0043](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3XaCyGsAh4TQ3kGWSw8Ay6/65dd229a770490b416a03b32bf5aa188/DSC_0043.JPG)

 > Night falls over the Cat and Fiddle

The reality of the challenge is setting in and we have lots of tired riders. One poor rider missed the halfway hall completely on the map and only realised 15km down the road. Andy and Giles also made a navigation error and managed to skip the Buxton/Axe Edge loop. After approval from Race HQ they are taking on the loop from a different start point, so they will cover the same (or greater) distance and elevation.

We do have some more scratches to report unfortunately from Nadia and Karen - chapeau, a great ride!

Richard is going well and sent the other riders a picture of his late morning snack!

![20220904 114232](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4lDDKHTAiKBwIXG8jedYG7/9e6e3afe33f9641c1ae9c0976cf2142a/20220904_114232.jpg)

It looks like the pack is going very well overall - there is already discussion over being able to close the Halfway Hall early - it was scheduled to be open until 10am Monday but there are now only two riders still to go and both of them on track to visit this afternoon.

At the back of the pack we have Kate who struggled yesterday with technical problems resulting in some navigation problems. She actually followed the original route and a signposted diversion on Long Hill rather than the revised route up Windgather. She's still pressing on though and should be through the Halfway Hall well before nightfall.

The other rider still to get to the hall is Vanessa; the most striking thing is that in every picture I've seen she has a massive smile on her face despite all the hills!

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-04 at 1.20.57 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3z79JCkoal8quH0eMmEu6A/c534c1399aad7db494025ad6687dcb3e/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-04_at_1.20.57_PM.jpeg)

Back to the front - our leaders have recently taken on Monsal Head and are now making their way through the heart of the Peak District in the direction of the fearsome but beautiful Winnats Pass. It's definitely making my life easier in terms of commentary that the event has a veritable army of volunteers on the ground providing updates and taking photos (and working out the best way to provide decent, *proper*, coffee to riders). Here's one of our leaders Adrian on his way up Curbar Edge.

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-04 at 1.44.32 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4GfQAhpMnhg2uCnK1pOTWL/8844ac3fc510d98f9330bb651e791def/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-04_at_1.44.32_PM.jpeg)

The last thing to mention is the weather. The forecast that I mentioned in my last post is becoming more certain and I'm afraid it looks like we're in for not just rain but thunderstorms over the Peak District tonight. There are some possible this afternoon, but the bigger stormy weather is due between about 6 and 9pm. Will any riders choose to hole up for a couple of hours and avoid the storm? I'll report back later but hopefully all our riders will stay safe!

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-04 at 10.55.11 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5VEvKQjK7kwVVKNayE7DDv/e47e9ed841d3771ae4f0dcfdf19f4be9/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-04_at_10.55.11_PM.jpeg)

 > First Finisher - Adam Bibbey

Just over 36 hours after they started and Adam is our first finisher back at the Heeley Institute. At the start of the event he was trailing leader Matt relatively closely, but over the second half of the event he's been putting in a stonking performance and maintained a more consistent pace over the course of the weekend than the others at the front.

It's also worth noting that Adam was originally in the sub-72-hour category so to pull it off in just over half that is amazing!

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-04 at 4.00.41 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/29VDBBEu55RPDWoEsjbfWZ/bfbf6d4b17b67e45fdeb77e9babc43c6/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-04_at_4.00.41_PM.jpeg)

 > Adam on Winnats Pass

Of the other quickest riders neither Matt or Adrian are far from the finish now, with both of them on the final ascent up Burbage Moor at the time of writing. These guys have both put in phenomenally strong rides to get the course done well within the challenge time of 48 hours.

Thankfully they don't appear to have been significantly delayed by the intermittent but heavy showers that have been coming over the Peaks in the last few hours and hopefully the rain won't make the lives of the remaining riders too much more miserable. But then again, how can they be sad with all these beautiful hills to climb?!

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-04 at 7.50.11 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/7IW4Ybvjm4yXqT8TraagDW/e2dfe9533d546bf421cc1777a041543c/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-04_at_7.50.11_PM.jpeg)

 > Scenic refueling for Adrian

Unfortunately but not unexpectedly we have a number of scratches to add to the list. David, Liam, Richard, Jim and Vanessa have all opted to cut the route short and head home - some because they have to get to work and some because their knees just aren't enjoying the ride any more!

We've also got a few riders who have moved from any kind of time-goal to just wanting to get round and finish the route which, to be fair, is a massive achievement in itself! Those riders are Kate, Giles and Andy.

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-04 at 5.06.38 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3ANw2E8RDUDKq8gYQhdsOt/05e948a818110d0832b8faff821d74c9/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-04_at_5.06.38_PM.jpeg)

 > Kate experiences a standard Peak District delay - 📸 Kate Baker

Hopefully we'll see a number more riders getting home before the morning and I'm also hoping that all the remaining riders will complete the route, even if they switch to completing it outside of their intended target time. I'm sure the feeling of satisfaction of taming this beautiful beast will be worthwhile.

We'll have more updates for you tomorrow, but I will leave you with this photo of the welcome sight that riders have had along the route - some of the volunteers took the leftover snacks from the Halfway Hall and have been out meeting the riders along the road.

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-04 at 7.50.15 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/2SAzODMGfz1NnZf4hpPqrz/00e679311e93815032d991dd06ea0cc3/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-04_at_7.50.15_PM.jpeg)

The main challenge time of 48 hours has now elapsed. As of 10am today we have five riders home and dry (ok... apart from those 3am thunderstorms). After last night's update, Matt and Adrian arrived in quick succession back at the Heeley Institute and then John arrived this morning.

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-05 at 8.47.13 AM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/3mykljgmJ6Tw0OqUQQ19Og/e8b6deac73f59f77bcad20ae04fc2116/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-05_at_8.47.13_AM.jpeg)

 > John arrives complete with waterproofs and overshoes

The weather definitely played a part last night - for those riders out without shelter it was a bit of a miserable one. Thunderstorms did eventually arrive during the night and it sounds like there may be some stories to tell - John found shelter in public toilets in Edale. 

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-05 at 10.33.19 AM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5imXAs60UmRjpaHXGQRGLv/ada9a196dd035f0fd89aceee711fe0ef/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-05_at_10.33.19_AM.jpeg)

 > Michal arrives at the Heeley Institute

Most impressively, Michal arrived this morning and scraped within the 48 hour time by a tiny 16 minutes. An exceptionally timed ride, you might say! At 3am he reported that while it wasn't raining where he was, it was extremely windy and so he had to wait before heading up and over Snake Pass. A wise decision and it's great to see that it didn't spoil his shot at the 48h time.

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-05 at 10.03.07 AM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/G6ypY1gaAIi9AHyF6nDvD/85b9e26b11598b4cdb5547de4e3a3866/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-05_at_10.03.07_AM.jpeg)

 > Monsal Head views

Whilst the first time challenge has now passed, there is also a category for riders aiming for a 72-hour finish. We have Zlatimira, Emre, Giles, Andy, Karen and Joseph still out on the road and many of those stand a very good chance of making it within 72 hours. Unfortunately Kate has had to scratch due to knee issues but it sounds like a very wise decision to avoid long-term injury.

Coverage continues until at least tomorrow, so check back later for more news!

![DSC 0098](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/4YW2bUBYqb2V3KhbS30UJT/f59bcce1a060ced793e8d53619e404c7/DSC_0098.JPG)

A quick update to report that Zlatimira is our first female finisher, barely four hours over the magic number of 48 hours. She had been riding as a pair with Michal until Sunday evening but Michal opted to pressed on into the night to try and get home within the time goal. Zlatimira looks to have rested in Tideswell overnight before polishing off the rest of the route this morning.

As our first finisher not to come in wearing waterproofs and overshoes I think she made an excellent decision to wait out the storm!

Chapeau Zlatimira!

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-05 at 2.22.28 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/6VPojreIoaFmkeqATLuaVO/576da37da5f6f036cfb843767bba7587/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-05_at_2.22.28_PM.jpeg)

As we close out the third day we are very near to the finish of Pure Peak Grit 2022. Giles and Andy have reached the Heeley Institute this evening and completed the route. As we already reported, Zlatimira arrived as first female this afternoon and then a bit later on Emre also finished. Unfortunately Joseph had to scratch this afternoon despite having put in a great effort and managed 540km of the route.

Only Karen is out on the road now. She looked likely to push into the night and finish in the early hours but another thunderstorm with torrential rain has arrived and it looks like she is holed up for now. Whether she'll resume when the rain passes or in the morning I don't know; she only has 30km left to ride and one major climb to tackle - Burbage Moor. It seems unlikely that she won't make the 72-hour goal of 10am tomorrow morning. Go Karen!

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-05 at 8.12.35 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/5UFRiIbygLajYbT413xdZx/bd57c1f14cd53c02c4db35572cc1ec66/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-05_at_8.12.35_PM.jpeg)

 > Karen conquers Bamford Clough

In other news, today has had some extra unexpected drama! Earlier this evening an alert went out on the riders WhatsApp group - Emre's bike was stolen from outside the Heeley Institute just after he finished!

Emre had an AirTag on the bike that reported a vague location up the road, but he couldn't find it on initial search. It's been reported that Emre's heart rate in the hunt for the bike was higher than his heart rate while ascending Bamford Clough!

There was frantic action to try and ascertain what CCTV might be available and trying to get the word out for people to be on the lookout. In the meantime the volunteers at the finish did some brief local searching.

Within an hour the news came back that one of the volunteers had located the bike up the road, dumped outside a kebab shop, likely by the local ne'er-do-well youths, and without anything missing but bags rummaged through. What a result!

![WhatsApp Image 2022-09-05 at 7.47.50 PM](//images.ctfassets.net/6hyijb95boju/J6o0jZvOzsiCkq0Yr6DiT/c062f6e43536de57f25cb3f9d29fedc1/WhatsApp_Image_2022-09-05_at_7.47.50_PM.jpeg)

 > Relief for Emre!

I wasn't sure if tonight's would be the last post, but with Karen taking shelter from the rain it looks like that will come in the morning!

Steve Haskew

PURE PEAK GRIT TRACKING: One for the climbers. A formidable road route linking together every categorised climb in the Peak District National Park, and the 'Greatest 100 Cycling Climbs' around it.

PURE PEAK GRIT TRACKING: One for the climbers. A formidable road route linking together every categorised climb in the Peak District National Park, and the 'Greatest 100 Cycling Climbs' around it. Riders will face endless hills and spectacular vistas, all while battling the inner torment of Déjà vu. For the hardy, a sub-48 hour completion is the goal.  

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