Event Details
Club: | Lakeland Lanequests |
Event Name: | Lakeland Bike O - Orton |
Date: | 25/06/13 |
Format: | Bike O |
Mapping: | Ordnance Survey |
Time Limit: | 2 hours |
National League: | - |
League: | Lakeland Bike O 2013 (Round 4 of 6) |
Electronic Punch: | No |
Event Report
Lakeland Lanequest 2013 event 4
Tom Gibbs confounded the course planner yet again, by visiting all 30 controls in less than the two-hour time limit.
Jon and Rachael Cooper’s course, based on the George Hotel at Orton, took in, for the higher scoring of the 154 riders, climbs over Tarn Moor and Bank Moor. Competitors faced the choice of climbing Orton Scar at the start, or doing the long climb from Great Asby onto Bank Moor, into the wind, when they were tiring in the second half.
Gibbs scored 304 points, with David Heffernan (290) second Trevor Smith (288) third. They are also the leading three riders in the series, with two events to go. Whilst Gibbs’ lead looks unassailable, if Smith can avoid further time penalties, he could challenge the consistent Heffernan for second.
Helen Jackson won the women’s event with an impressive score of 280, which would have placed her fourth in the men’s event. Rebecca Delbridge (258) was second and Anne Plant (256) third. Jackson has improved her route planning and map reading skills through the series and is now in third place overall, equal with Lisa Whetter. Jo Cleary is second and Anne Plant leads.
Juniors Akiko Smith and Mike Fry tied on 170 points, a commendable score on a course with long climbs, more suited to the stronger adults.
Akiko’s brother and dad, Jack & James Smith (255) continued to dominate the Generation Pairs, with Gary Thomason & George Taylor (240) and Laura Hayton & Andy Beck (240) equal second. The Smiths lead series ahead of Hayton & Beck and then Thomason & Taylor.
Adult pairs Beth Jackson & Will Hall and Mike & Rachel Toyn were equal first on 260, with Andrew & Sarah Crozier (250) third. The Toyns lead the series.
This week, we’ll hear the Organiser’s perspective first. This from Jon Cooper:
“I am so pleased with the way the Orton Lanequest went. It has certainly kept me fit cycling around it, mapping the fingerposts and deciding on the final route. I always wanted it to take in the scenic limestone landscape that surrounds Orton, so it was great to get positive feedback at the end of how much people enjoyed the views and hills (well the downhills). The biggest problem I found was that away from Orton there were few route choices until you got over to Great Asby - but at least the few lanes that were available took in the best scenery and had superb hills.
The route choices that were required were probably quite simple compared to some of the Lanequests, the particular challenge I think was the distance involved. I rode it the day before the event and visited all 30 controls in 2 hours and 9 mins - so too hard for me and I knew the optimum route. I was relieved that Tom Gibbs got all controls and 4 bonus points - so just about on the limit of the best riders. And also really good to see lots of riders in the high 200's. For the record the route I think was optimum was 29,30,1,17,23,4,19,11,2,10,14,20,15,6,16,18,21,27,12,3,24,8,26,5,22,9,28,7,13,25 which on MapMyRide (http://tinyurl.com/q782fbb) gives 35.0 miles and 1525ft ascent - which is 127.9 on the ,anequest formula. It is interesting that Tom did exactly this route but in the opposite direction and his Garmin uploaded to MapMyRide gave 35.1 miles, 1520ft = 131.1 on formula. To keep the Lanequests consistent the recommended value is 125 +/- 2, so I thought I was close enough - but just a subtle change in measurement can make a difference!
My one frustration is that one of the fingerposts was marked slightly wrong (number 1) - 75m out of place. I was aware the OS map was wrong about the position of the footpath, but unfortunately I wasn't pedantic enough to stop the dot matching the map rather than reality - so sorry about that! I think everyone quickly spotted it though.
I really enjoyed watching the event take off on the night and the village quickly fill with cars and bikes. The locals I did speak to thought it was great to have this event in their village. The George Inn was brilliant - they actually chopped down a couple of small trees in the garden to make space for us! Rachael and I ate plenty of their excellent sausage baguettes during the planning of this and it brought loads of trade to the pub - so they were very pleased!
So thanks to everyone who helped make this a successful event - especially Rachael (my wife), Rick Stuart and at the last minute his daughter Meg for running registration so well, and Ray and Dave for taking the pressure off by running the start/finish. We will make sure there is anti-midge equipment at all future events after what was endured at registration and start/finish. Thanks too to Hazel of The George Inn.
One special mention - thanks to Daniel Procter who was doing his first Lanequest and phoned in at 9:15 to say he was fine and just a long way out - this really helped us to know he was safe and I'd give him some bonus points if I could.
I'm rambling now - but we nearly didn't make it to the event at all after we were blocked from getting to our house near Shap after a nasty accident closed the only road at about 4pm - so a huge thanks to our neighbouring farmer who let us rat run through his farm and over the hills - otherwise things would have been very tricky!”
Rod Carter, from the middle of the field, describes his two-hour ride to get a pint of beer:
“It's June and Tuesday so that must mean one thing........Lanequest.
This week's helping of cycling came in the form of a spin around the lanes to the east of Orton courtesy of Jon and Rachael Cooper. As I pedalled around I ask myself if I would ever make the effort to come and enjoy these wonderful places if it wasn't for Lanequest? Probably not.
So here we are on another beautiful summer eve, wondering when I will find time to bottle my elderflower champagne, looking at the event map. As the sort of cyclist who doesn't do too much training, or winter cycling, weighing 92kg and now being in my third age, one appreciates ones limitations. Now we have a formula, which sort of standardises the difficulty and thus the scores on these events, I recognise it's about which controls to miss out. So for me it was to be clockwise (like most competitors) missing #25 first of all. The climb from Orton was later rewarded with an eye watering descent down from the cattle grid #9 to Great Asby. Looking at Strava (app) it's interesting to see my max speed here was 65.2 kph with Andy Gill doing 65.5, Ogs on the Brompton a creditable 63.7. Helen Jackson had a max of 61.9 but surprisingly not at this point. Anyone else on Strava?
I made it to #21 in an hour but was now turning into the wind so decided not to attempt the southern loop in favour of the in/out around Orton towards the end.
I had a little hairy moment on some gravel turning into Little Asby for #6. All that remained was a few final dashes up narrow lanes to arrive at F with 30 seconds spare. Main reward for the effort was some excellent bitter at the George and some good craic.
With four results under my belt it's at this point that I'm at my most favourable position in the results but after this, as usual, I start to plummet down as people with odd bad results or no shows start to overhaul me. Maybe it should become best 5/6 to qualify. Food for thought. See you at Foxfield.”
Winner Tom Gibbs foiled all the organiser’s attempts to stop him getting all the controls:
“Decided to ride Clockwise as it seemed to get height quickly and then have steadier descents and also thought the wind would die later and that way would give me the best tailwind benefit, being open moorland for longer earlier.
A sneaky handicap system was employed by the organiser, getting his start marshal to chat to me so I missed my start time, then I proceeded to cycle off towards Shap, so after a minute I had already lost a minute!
Back on track I slogged up to 13 & 25, once up it was fast through to Great Asby. There was a bit of choice on the north-eastern controls, but I think my wife, Astrid, spotted the best way doing 3 after 24 then down to 12. Loop seemed to go pretty quickly. At an hour in I was just onto the open moor before 20 and though I’d clear it. Did 15 as an out and back then down to 14, this was the best bit of the ride – lovely scenery and roads. It was pretty fast roads along the bottom of the map and back up to Raisbeck. Picked up the final 6 controls near Orton and finished with just over 2 mins to spare.
Didn’t feel 100% tonight but had a pretty good ride nonetheless. Could have been a minute or 2 quicker with the start and some over shoots – Map wasn’t brilliant for some controls – no1 being an example.
Route was 13-25-7-28-9-22-5-26-8-24-3-12-27-21-18-16-6-20-15-14-10-2-11-19-4-23-17-1-29-30. Totals on my Garmin was 56.2km and approx. 750m of climb. On mapmyride it was 35.1miles with 1520ft, the formula giving 131mins which seems a little high (Dave will confirm if this is right). Be interested to see if people had a better route.
Great ride by Helen Jackson to finish 4= overall!”
David Heffernan went the other way round:
“I went anti-clockwise so that I could make the decision on 25 as late as possible. I wasn't feeling great, but I managed to get all the controls spot on which made up for that. I did 29 30 1 17 23 4 19, then the obvious loop south. I elected to drop 15. Then the NE loop 3 16 18 21 27 12 24 8 26. I think the route connected 3 and 12 is probably a bit shorter. I didn't spot it. I was way ahead on time and regretting having dropped 15. But then the rest of the course took ages. So much so that I thought I would not have time for 25. When I got to 13 (what a slog into that wind) I had 9 minutes left. I calculated 6 minutes for 25 and back, leaving 3 to drop into Orton. The 6 proved accurate and I managed to do that stretch into Orton in just 2 1/2 minutes!! Chevrons working in my favour for once!
I really enjoyed the event. It was great to ride a whole load of roads that were new to me. It was really beautiful up on the scar. If it hadn't been for all those dratted controls we had to find I would have enjoyed the views a bit more!
I was a bit hesitant at 1 but had not realised the map was a little off.
Very tight between Trevor and myself for the series now......
Ride of the night was Helen Jackson. What a stunning performance.”
Trevor Smith was only two points behind David, taking the clockwise route, like Tom:
“I had the same strategy as tom, with the hills and wind and did the same course except the NE loop which I did as 24, 16, 18, 21, 27, 12 and then 3; I don't think there was much advantage either way. I had just past No. 6 when the hour was up and thought I could get all 30, but as Tom has said he wasn't feeling good, my legs were also feeling well below par from a busy weekend, so with tiring legs I missed No. 19 on the way back, knowing I would have been well over time. I finished 59 seconds down, which I was pleased with considering how I felt on the ride. In terms of stat's my Garmin showed 33.1 miles. Another great route with plenty of options and challenges.
A big thanks to Dave and Ray for their perseverance at the finish line while slowly being devoured by midges!”
Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this report. All contributions are welcome. Email to me: chris.stevens@clearystevens.co.uk. It would be good to hear from juniors, women and pairs.