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Hell of the North no. 2

By Joe Hall • 11th April 2011 08:16am • Posted in Rides

Photos: Kieran Young

Hell, so to speak, on a bicycle in blissful sunshine is actually a lot of fun. Blazing (or just lollygagging) along terrain consisting of gravel, potholes and hard dirt on tracks more akin to horseshoes than 21mm slicks, a crowd of over 250 riders turned out on Sunday morning to ride the second edition of Rapha's very own Hell of the North.

An homage to the true Hell of the North, Paris-Roubaix, this ride sets off from Highgate and heads up into Hertfordshire to tackle off road sectors amongst farmland, nature reserves and quaint English villages. The ride finishes at the Black Horse pub where all rouleurs convene to watch Paris-Roubaix and sink a beer.

There were bumps, punctures, ex-pros, angry farmers, more punctures, single speeds, beer, rattling carbon, a T. Rex, piratical mountain bikers, lots of bananas and plenty of smiles. Chapeaux to all who rode it.

More photography, words and a short film will follow later this week.

Read a report on the ride at Road.cc

Comments

carl Keen

11th April 2011 03:56pm

Another good day, better than last years I'd say. And so good to meet so many riders letting their guard down and chilling out.
Call me perverse, but I think we need a wet n muddy one next.

Ian Parkinson

11th April 2011 04:10pm

Great day out - good atmosphere and a route that's just challenging enough to make it feel like a serious event. According to roadcc, I won a prize for riding in full Mapei kit - but unfortunately family duties prevented me from hanging about in the pub afterwards. My vote would have gone to the young lady in the Brooklyn top, who was channelling Roger De Vlaeminck in a very stylish way. But happy to accept the prize if it's still on offer.

Michael Edwards

11th April 2011 05:04pm

Thanks to all from Rapha for a top day…great signage, the beer and frite queue working a treat, and sunshine for the second year in a row. When we have our first muddy one it will be carnage. Reckon the best bike should have gone/should go to the ex-Mercury team rider riding the team bike he did the real Hell of the North ten years before….that had to be unique. Mind you, that Alan was special…I felt the weight and came to the conclusion they were rods not tubes…

William Cookson

11th April 2011 10:06pm

Three of us did the ride yesterday. We met loads of great people on the way, had a few incidents and a mechanical. All good!

I took a few videos of our day, which I've put together here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RENuJvpMU8k

Jeremy Chandler-Smith

12th April 2011 08:57am

Thanks for the comments about my ALAN, I used to think it was light, before carbon arrived…did someone say I won a prize? Fantastic day. I rode last year, the signage and organization was great this year..well done!Amazing when you think it is all free..a great effort.

Cliff Rice

12th April 2011 12:38pm

Well done to Rapha for such a well organised event. It's a great route, testing enough to launch my Bidon from the bottle cage three times!

The atmosphere was great and what better way to finish, on the lawn with beer and frites and like-minded people.

The Guvnor and I had splendid time :-)

Cheers

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