A challenging short and tough cyclosportive through the rugged terrain north west of Sheffield. Not one for the faint hearted or for those that like flat roads we promise back to back tough 20% gradient climbs throughout the 39.5/ 63.5 km route with a total of 6014 ft/1833 m of ascent including the classic climbs of Oughtibridge (Jaw Bone), Midhopestones and Bradfield.
Scroll down for all the details and online entries close on the 28/08/22 (maximum of 250 entrants).
The BOB is a British Cycling registered sportive run under BC rules and regulations.
Distance
63.5 km / 39.5 miles
Ascent
1833 m / 6014 ft
Difficulty
Hard
Average Finish Time
3 hrs 50 mins
Route Map
GPS Files
Route Profile
Strava Route
Event Information
Please find all the relevant event information below and please do not hesitate to get in contact with us if you have any queries. Final details will be sent out via email to all competitors in the week prior to the event, which will include additional event details not found below.
COVID-19 Please Be Respectful
Thankfully the worst of the pandemic appears to be behind us, however we do ask that all attending our events are respectful that other participants and event staff/volunteers might be vulnerable to COVID-19. Therefore we politely ask that all participants do the following:
- Maintain good hygiene
- Respect others personal space,
- Keep indoor congregating to a minimum and if possible wear a face mask whilst inside the registration building.
Route Description
Heading due north, the ride begins with a quick descent to the foot of the first of the Battle of Bradfield’s 10 en-route climbs. The first of which heads up to Loxley Common – a nice warm-up with a steady gradient that never gets too steep. From here, the route picks up the 2014 Tour de France stage two (won by that year’s overall winner Vincenzo Nibali) and heads to Oughtibridge for the ascent of Jaw Bone (Cote d’Oughtibridge) – a proper test as you climb up to Grenoside. The route then continues to climb but it’s all very manageable as you pass through the woods of Warncliffe and Greno. Now it is on to the easiest section of the route, with a long gentle downhill with fantastic views to your right across South Yorkshire.
Passing over the River Don for the second time, you start the climb of Green Moor – a relatively easy affair at which point you maybe wondering why the BOB has such a reputation… but fear not, things are about to get significantly harder!
A steep, quick descent brings you down to Midhopestones where you pick up the 2014 Tour de France Stage once again, this time for the ascent of the Cote d’Midhopestones. You are now into the beautiful wild moors of the North Eastern Peak District. The route rollercoasters its way over the rugged terrain with each climb followed immediately by a steep descent to the bottom of the next climb. The Broomhead Moor ascent quickly follows, then you dive down to Broomhead Reservoir where the feed station is situated. An idyllic spot, but one you won’t want to hang around too long, as it is situated at the foot of possibly the hardest climb of the route, Canyards Woods, which is a beautiful climb through the trees up onto the hillside. The reward is the fantastic views North as you contour along Walker Edge. After which you plummet back down to the bottom of the seventh test, the long climb up to the highest point on the route – Edge Mount 375 m / 1230 ft. At the summit there is the option to bail out and follow a signed cut off if you are finding the terrain a little too challenging. Please note that taking the cut off will become compulsory from 11:30 onwards.
From the top, the route rolls its way eastwards and the back to back climbing eases (for now). What follows is a lovely descent past Agden reservoir before beginning the longest climb of Gibraltar Rocks – a lovely climb which never gets too steep but will still challenge tired legs. The summit has magnificent views back over the hills that you have already conquered. Now it is down to Bradfield for the big one, the full on ascent of Bradfield. The Tour de France only took in the upper half of the climb – the full climb as used here is almost twice as long and includes steeper pitches over 20%. Definitely try and save something for this climb as it comes so late on in the ride that if you hit it completely out of puff it will force you to walk! The stone cross marks the top and now all that stands between you and the well-earned tea and cake at the finish is one last quick descent down to Damflask Reservoir and up the final ascent to Dungworth. Not the hardest climb but the hairpins at the bottom include some of the steepest gradients of the whole route – luckily they only last a few hundred metres. And that is the BOB route – a challenging yet fantastic ride in the beautiful Yorkshire countryside!
Entry Fees
Entry Fee: £24
Entry Limit: 250
Entries open on 24/12/21
Entries will close on the 28/8/22 or when the entry limit is reached
Event Venue
Lomas Hall
Church St
Stannington
Sheffield
S6 6DB
Facilities
Covered HQ
Toilets
Post event hot drinks & snacks
Parking
All parking is on the streets around Stannington. There is a small car park here. Please park sensibly i.e. don’t block any driveways.
Please car share wherever possible!
Registration
Opens at 7:30 am
Closes at 9:00 am
Please do not try and register more than 1 hour before your allocated start time – this will help congestion and reduce queuing time.
In order to make sure there is steady stream of participants through registration please do not turn up more than 1 hour before your designated start time. That way the queue will be minimised.
Please ensure you plan your journey to the event so you can register and start on time.
Registration Process
At registration you will sign on and then event staff will provide you with the following in a sealed plastic bag:
EVENT MAP
NUMBER BOARD AND ZIP TIES
SPORTident TIMING CHIP
You will be required to self-strap your Si Timing Cards (dibber) to your wrist and wear it for the duration of the event. If you require assistance please ask an event staff member for help, but participants are urged to do it themselves.
Participants will be required to use their SPORTident timing chip at the START, FINISH and DOWNLOAD. Details of how to do this will be explained in the EVENT SAFETY BRIEFING VIDEO (released a week before the event).
*The SiTiming Chip is being loaned to you for the day, take care of it, if you lose it you will be charged £30 for a replacement.
****The Golden Rule – if you are unable to complete your course you MUST let the organisers know either in person or telephone that you have retired. If you do not, you will be held responsible if the police is called out to search for you. A central telephone number will be provided on all event route maps.
Rolling Start Times
There will be rolling start windows of a maximum of 40 riders every 10 minutes – choose your allocated start window when entering.
7:50 am – 9:10 am
Choose your start window wisely – choose an earlier start window if you are concerned about the cut off time!!
You will be able to start anytime you wish within your designated 10 minutes start window.
Start Process
ARRIVE AT THE START READY TO RIDE – participants must only arrive at the start line at their allotted time and must arrive ready to go, with all the compulsory equipment.
SELF DIB TO START – participants are required to self dib into that SPORTident START box using their SPORTident timing card (dibber).
Pre-event Video Briefing
Rather than having a start line briefing we will now be recording a video briefing that will be available to watch online before the event. A transcript of the briefing will be available to read and details will be emailed to all entrants in the week beforehand.
You will not be allowed to start without having watched/read the briefing!
Cut Off Time / Finish Time
You must have gone through the cut off point by the designated time. If you fail to reach the cut off point before the prescribed time you must to follow the signed cut off, signs will be removed from the full course from 11:30 onwards.
CUT OFF POINT – SUMMIT OF EDGE MOUNT
38.7 km / 24 MILES – 11:30
The signed cut off removes two tough climbs and 15 .3km / 9.5 miles of route. If you take the cut off please inform a member of the event staff at download.
It will be compulsory for all riders to follow the signed cut off from 11:30 onwards, this is to ensure all riders reach the finish on time.
FINISH CLOSES AT 13:30 PROMPT!!
Compulsory equipment
Roadbike – must be roadworthy and in good working order
Front & rear lights – required only in bad weather / poor visibility (strongly recommend at all times)
Helmet – hard shell helmets conforming to CE standard EN1078 (not caving, climbing or canoeing types)
Waterproof jacket*
Fully Charged Mobile phone
Money (in case you get stranded somewhere!)
Form of ID
Spare inner tubes – minimum of 2
Road pump – capable of inflating to at least 100 psi (CO2 canisters do not count)
Multitool – including a chain tool
Water bottles – 2 x 500 ml (or larger) full water bottles
Sufficient food to last 2-3 hours worth of riding – feed station is not to be solely relied upon
Event map – emergency contact numbers will be printed on the back of the map
Event officials will disqualify anyone who in their opinion does not meet the above compulsory equipment criteria.
*The requirement to carry a waterproof jacket may be relaxed in the event of warm weather but at all other times it is required.
Course Signage
The route will be signed with distinctive blue arrows on a yellow background attached to lampposts/signposts/telegraph poles.
The route will be well signed however on long sections of unbroken road where the route is obviously straight on then it won’t be signed – just keep going straight! At difficult junctions where navigation isn’t easy we will put out confirmation arrows after the junctions.
If at any point you are unsure as to your location or think you may have gone off route, please refer to the map provided. Do not continue on hoping to re-find the route, the Peak District is very easy to get lost in!
Care signs will be placed at the side of the road before dangerous junctions/descents – please adhere to them – they are there for your safety! Some of the descents are steep – please take care and remember it is not a race!
Please respect all other road users at all times!
Code of Conduct
By entering this event you are agree to the following code of conduct – anyone seen to be breaking any of these will be EXCLUDED from the event plus all future events, and in serious cases a full report will be sent to British Cycling.
Observe The Highway Code At All Times
This event is held on open roads and you must obey the highway code at all times – ZERO EXCUSES!
Non Competitive Event – NO RACING
This is a non competitive event and you are forbidden from racing. If you want to race, this event is not for you – please enter a road race or a time trial. We take this extremely seriously!
No Urinating in public
Do not use the side of the road as a toilet – please use the marked public toilets on the map
No Rude or Abusive Behaviour
You must be polite and respectful to all road users (cars, horses, bikes, pedestrians etc.), event staff and marshals and any other members of the general public. This includes riding in a controlled manner and being able to slow down if confronted with ramblers, horses, farmers etc. in the road. You have no more right than they do to be on the road so please be respectful. This also includes being loud or swearing as you pass through villages – something that is regularly complained about by locals regarding cycle events.
No Littering
Litter bags will be provided at the feed-station so there is no excuse!! Keep litter/wrappers/cartons etc in your pockets until you reach the feed station / finish.
No Short cuts
If you aren’t interested in sticking to the route and completing the challenge please do not enter. If you are seen to be taking a short cut you will not be classified as a finisher.
We organise our events because we want to showcase the fantastic yet challenging riding the Peak District has to offer and we want them to be friendly, enjoyable rides for everybody involved.
Please help us clamp down on anyone breaking the code of conduct by reporting any incidents of poor behaviour to any of the event marshals or officials.
Course Hazards
The BOB is held principally on small, steep, country lanes – whilst relatively traffic free, they are very narrow and in places can be covered in a small layer of mud and/or gravel, which will require caution from all riders to descend safely and courteously. All riders must be ready and able to stop at any point as there may be livestock, walkers, horse riders, cyclists or cars on the roads. We will ensure that adequate caution/care signs are placed to warn you but riders must take care when descending at all times.
CARE signs are there for a reason – PLEASE ADHERE TO THEM
Please show respect to all riders and all other road users – the event roads are open to all traffic. Whilst riding on the smaller lanes or where traffic is busy please ride in single file. Please also be particularly careful of horses & riders and warn them of your approach and then pass quietly and carefully.
PLEASE RIDE IN SINGLE FILE ON NARROW COUNTRY LANES
Abandoning
If for any reason you are unable to continue but still able to ride please return to the HQ using your map as navigation.
All riders who decide to abandon MUST return to HQ to return your ‘dibber’ and inform us of your abandonment. We don’t want to be out searching for anyone after the event has finished!
GOLDEN RULE: All riders must report to HQ/registration to return your Si dibber and let us know you are safe. NO EXCUSES!
Emergency Numbers
We hope you don’t need these but they can be found on the back of your route map handed out at registration.
If you are in need of immediate medical attention please do not hesitate to phone the emergency services directly. (Please can you let someone at Event HQ know as well.)
Local Accident and Emergency Hospital
Hopefully no one will need it but the local A&E is at: Northern General Hospital, Herries Road, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S5 7AU. 0114 243 4343
Self sufficient
You are expected to be self sufficient and able to cope with punctures and minor mechanicals, etc.
This event is a challenge ride, not a race. It is you against the relentless terrain of the Peak District and you are required to carry adequate food and drink, along with tools required to fix normal everyday mechanicals such as broken chains, slipping gears and punctures.
In the event of a major mechanical there is an emergency support vehicle available. If you do have any major problems please contact HQ (emergency numbers are on the reverse of the map handed out at registration).
Please be warned that any medical emergencies will always take priority and it therefore may take some time for the emergency support vehicle to reach you. You may wish to arrange your own lift back to event HQ either by friends / family or a taxi – that is fine but please check in at the event HQ once you return as you must let us know you are safe and hand in your timing chip.
**Show some camaraderie and help out fellow riders in need!**
Feed Station
Feed Station – Broomhead Reservoir – Remote
31 km / 19.3 miles – Closes at 11:00 am
Before self filling your water bottles or taking any food please sanitise your hands using the provided sanitiser.
You may fill your own water bottles but no plastic cups will be provided.
For hygiene reasons we will only providing individually wrapped food, this will primarily consist of OTE sports nutrition.
This feed station is remote and there are no toilets – the closest public toilet is a short 10 min ride away in Bolsterstone – click to see on map.
FEED STATION SUPPLIES ARE NOT UNLIMITED i.e. they are not all you can eat buffets! All efforts have been made to provide all riders with sufficient sustenance, however, stock cannot be guaranteed. Please take responsibly and consider your fellow riders who have yet to visit the feed station.
Please note that feed station supplies are not suitable for allergen suffers.
Timing Awards
Men
GOLD – Sub 3hr 05 SILVER – Sub 3hr 30 BRONZE – 3hr 30+
Women
GOLD – Sub 3hr 40 SILVER – Sub 4hr 05 BRONZE – 4hr 05+
All finishers will receive a GOLD, SILVER or BRONZE finishing certificate. We also believe women should have separate timing awards to make gold certificates more achievable.
At the finish
You must stop at the finish line and self dib into SPORTident finish box. Failure to stop and dib will result in a non-finish.
After finishing please head to download.
Download
All participants must return to the event registration building to download their time, hand back their SPORTident timing chip and collect their certificate.
When you reach the download table you must:
SELF DIB
Self dib into the download SPORTident box.
REMOVE DIBBER
Remove the dibber using the provided scissors and place the dibber into the ‘dibber return’ plastic box and the used strap into the bin.
COLLECT CERTIFICATE AND RESULT PRINT OUT
You will be provided with your timing award certificate and ride time print out.
MINIMISE INDOOR CONGREGATING
Once you have downloaded and collected your post event refreshments, please leave the venue building as soon as possible. This will help reduced the number of people congregating indoors.
Take-away post ride refreshments
At download we will provide take away refreshments which will include Tea, Coffee, Juice, Cake and Biscuits. These will be take away only and you will not be allowed to stay inside the registration building to eat and drink. This will minimise the amount of indoor congregating.
Please help us reduce the waste at our events by bringing your own reusable cup!
Finish, Download and Refreshments close at 13:30 PROMPT!
Event Photography
Colin from Respice Photography will be on hand to capture you hard efforts.
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