The Richmond Park, 2007, 3-Lap challenge!
Comments
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Shaved legs - I can relate to that. For me, the second lap is always the toughest mentally. It definitely helps when I've got others to chase as I'm doing the circuit.
I think the area where I could most improve my time is on the back downhill section between Richmond gate and Kingston gate. It's a long downhill stretch with a hump in the road. I don't seem to make much ground up on other cyclists here. Due to my frame size and weight I'm better on the uphill areas. I think I could get a few more seconds per lap off here if I focus.0 -
rolo - tba - Anti -- 75kg - 00:59:35 - Oct
read 'em and weep Billios my old climbing compatriot... under an hour
next stop is 57min... bring it!0 -
Kamoshikasan wrote:I gave it another go this morning, nice and early at 8am so there was not too much traffic on the road to slow me down. I'm pleased to say I beat my previous best by 31 seconds and I'm now down to, 55:30
I'm chuffed to beat my previous best but I think it will be tough for me to beat 55:30 next time as I gave it my all on the last lap.
I would be interested to know what bikes people are riding when they post their lap times as I wonder if some of the top times on here are done on TT bikes.
For your info, my times are recorded on a Time VXRS Ulteam with Mavic Ksyrium SSL wheels (in case you think you might have seen me, I'm the guy with the Cofidis top and extra skinny legs who zips up the hills but is not so quick down them. Feel free to say hello if you see me.
I'm looking forward to trying the ride on some deep section rims that I've just ordered to see if it will make much difference. I hope so!
My time - 53:05 - was done on a standard road bike with no aero bars and no deep section wheels.
I agree that we should own up to certain aero equipment (particularly bars).
I reckon on a TT bike I would be about 3 minutes faster.0 -
well, i think the training is finally taken up residence in my legs and lungs... only half a week later i got another PB...
rolo - tba - Anti -- 75kg - 00:58:44 - Oct
getting ever closer to that 57min barrier! in fact, its round these times now that i feel the luck of traffic is becomming an ever bigger facter in the make or break of my attempts.
excellent account of what it feels like to do an anti-clockwise lap btw Christ-on-a-bike. maybe we should start thinking about making a whole documentry about the RP3Lapper...?0 -
I enjoyed that account above and the thread and wondered if we could work up some advice for a fast 3 lap time (aside from the usual advice on going fast in a TT) ...
here are my suggestions! of course it depends on how fit you are and so on, but i thought it might be fun to share tips...
1. Go anti-clockwise. It's shorter, and the roundabouts are faster. The other way is eccentric and brings bad luck.
2. Use a compact. With a 50tooth big ring the only time you have to get on the petite plate is for Dark Hill.
3. Pick a dry day either with no wind, or with a slight easterly (very few and far between I'm afraid).
4. Best time is probably late evening in mid-summer, when it's still light but the park has closed for traffic. early morning is not bad, but the heart runs at a slightly lower pace earlier in the day...
5. From Roehampton gate you only need to change down a couple of gears to get to the top of sawyer's hill. then go back down a gear or two to accelerate towards richmond gate. Not much braking needed at richmond gate, but be careful of the obvious cars and gravel as you swing the rig into the next stage...
6. hit the first speedbump on the arrow or to the extreme left.
7. go left of the two drains.
8. go left of the cobbles. in the ham dip keep it in a big gear and blast out of the saddle to get up the other side. then work on a nice seated cadence while shouting the name of prominent time trialists towards kingston gate. keep the bike somewhere around the join in the two different road surfaces.
9. swing right out and ... fast through the kingston roundabout. really fast!
10. for dark hill .. you've already changed down onto your 39/36/34 and have dropped a couple of sprockets at the rear as well. you can go up this in a 50 if you are really strong (not me). stay seated until the climb steepens a bit after the car park then out the saddle and blast it. follow it through in the saddle on the flat bit. then increase power to get up the next bit and a quick change into the big ring ... out of the saddle and sprint back up to speed!
11. discipline along the top.
12. hit the speedbump on the arrow.
13. biggest gear and pedal into the broomfield descent. get as aero as possible etc.
14. change down towards the roundabout and get a rythmn going then one more change down for the rise towards and back up a gear after it.
repeat twice!
what do you guys do???0 -
Gussio
fun
3laps/Anti
82kg
1:01:40
Oct
Getting ever closer to that 1hr holy grail - hoping to manage it before the weather turns too cruddy over winter. Conditions were great yesterday evening, but erratic car driving was an issue as ever (admittedly the stags that the cars were stopping for did look *very* impressive with their full antlers all hung with bracken).0 -
Collected my new bike during the week so took it out to the park this morning to give it a whirl. Beautiful day but very chilly - might be time to invest in tights and some decent thermal socks! I think that contributed to a not-quite-as-fast-as-expected time, but still knocked a minute off my previous best.
damo_d_b
fun
3laps/Anti
TBC
0:56:48
Oct
Played a bit of cat and mouse with a group of London Dynamo riders who eventually invited me to join their chain gang on the last third of my final lap, just as the calves were beginning to seize up and the snot was streaming from my nose uncontrollably. So I unfortunately had to decline the offer...0 -
Well, the weather has been pretty damn good, so I thought I'd give it another go at the weekend and try and get closer to the bewitching hour. What the ***** going on with the wildlife in the park at the moment??!
Things started ok, and I got a good run at the first half of the first lap, when I think I killed a squirrel. He came shooting out into the road in a squirrel type stop-start fashion, and then sprinted into my bike. To be honest, I was pretty lucky (unlike him) to get away with it, he went in between my wheels, underneath the bottom bracket, and as a crank came round it gave him a pretty solid blow to the head. It made a very loud "crack", and I'm pretty sure I killed him, although of course I can't be sure. Whether or not he was suffering from some sort of life threatening terminal squirrel disease beforehand I can't say. He did look pretty fit to start with...
Anyway, I pressed on, past the golf club and the Cheam roundabout and started on the hill. As my speed dropped, and my specs fogged up, some unholy racket started up from the trees to my left, the sort of noise a bull might make while been b*gg***d by a bison. I nearly jumped off the bike to make a run for it, - through my steamy opaque specs I could see what looked like to be a very big dog with a supermarket trolley strapped to his head, shaping up for racket number two. I can't say I blamed him, I'd get a bit p****d off if someone had duck-taped a piece of sainsburys hardware to my head.
It was with some trepidation that I rounded the Richmond Gate corner and headed towards Kingston, - still a couple of miles to go and many animals to pass. Apart from the odd magpie picking at the remains of weekend cyclists it was uneventful, and with a lap time of nearly 22 minutes, I hung my head and steered straight for home.
I never thought I'd be so glad to see the turbo trainer.0 -
I read that this thread was likely to close in Sep, but very pleased it didn't.
Having discovered it this morning, I have really enjoyed reading of all the motivation, increased fun and, of course, sheer agony, caused by it. Perhaps the best thing is it caters to the whole range of times so everyone has something to aim at.
I've just joined bikeradar so I can post. Now I need to have a go at a timed 3-lapper and repost. On my old bike (12kg Ridgeback) I did 63mins back in June, but I've had my new one for a month and finally started cycling regularly and will be aiming for sub one hour.
Here's to more sunny autumn weekends!0 -
Haven't tried this for a while. Supposed to be going out with urrrrrrsssss in November so might have another crack then.
Shaved Legs - how's the little one? Still posting some good times mind.
In response to some of the other posts, my time was on a plain old road bike, no aero bars or deep sections (I wish).FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
Hi CJ,
He's a real boy, he is only four months old but we've watched 'For a few Dollars More' together and he was transfixed by the rugby. Both children have colds at the moment so sleeping is an interval session, 1 hour sleep as deep as possible, 30mins administer Calpol to eldest, 1 hour sleep hard, 1 hour calpol for baby etc.
I've escaped a couple of times to the park and raced at Chertsey the other weekend. Plan on getting to the park this weekend too if the weather holds. I should be racing the Hillingdon Winter series but we'll see if that happens.
How is it going with you?0 -
Shavedlegs wrote:Hi CJ,
He's a real boy, he is only four months old but we've watched 'For a few Dollars More' together and he was transfixed by the rugby. Both children have colds at the moment so sleeping is an interval session, 1 hour sleep as deep as possible, 30mins administer Calpol to eldest, 1 hour sleep hard, 1 hour calpol for baby etc.
I've escaped a couple of times to the park and raced at Chertsey the other weekend. Plan on getting to the park this weekend too if the weather holds. I should be racing the Hillingdon Winter series but we'll see if that happens.
How is it going with you?
Not so bad. Daughter no. 2 is five months next week. She's great. Sleeps and eats well. Had some colic to start with, but that disappeared after 3 months. The eldest one has been great with her. Wife and kids have been away since Sunday though so it's been peaceful to say the least!
Doing a duathlon on Sunday and I'll be relying solely on the commuting by bike to get me through. Hardly get out to the Park these days except on the commute and I've managed to get to the Surrey hills just three times this year. Just bought one of those bike trailers so I might take the eldest little monster out in the Park over the winter and use it as training.
Wouldn't mind having a crack at some of the Hillingdon winter races if I get my winter bike built in time - that's the project for November.FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
i've been away for a months now, but i am back and back with a vengeance,in my disapperance i have joined a club :evil: Kingston Wheelers to be precise and have done club runs,rides out during the week etc,and they have given me no end of advice etc,and if i get a place the e'tape next year :shock:
but as this thread is about RP 3 lap challenge i though i 'd tell you that since my last effort at the end of july i did 3 laps
anti clockwise in 1hr 23 mins 7 secs
and this morning with the help of a VERY FAST member :shock:
anti clockwise 1hr 10 mins 19 secs
i was then subjected to a lap clockwise,which perversely found it alright !!!!
my weight ,i havent checked on but the last time it was 119kg sha;ll go to tescos on monday and weigh myself
8th March 2010,Spain ,Here I come !!!!!!0 -
Well done URRRRRRRRRS - next stop the Etape eh? I haven't wobbled round Richmond for some time now...just commuting to NW5, some of it along pothole alley - the A315. Makes your butt ache...(Hounslow Council that is, not the roads!)
Raceblades on URRRRRRRRRS - I'm looking forward to your 58minute post next!
m106kg - kg361 255characters have read this so far...I believe0 -
Is anyone going to the park this Sunday?
Thought I might sneak out since we've been having some nice weather. It would be nice to meet up for a cofee and muffin afterwards.0 -
I ilve in Ealing so I thought I'd head off to Richmond Park last week. It was my first trip out on my new bike, other than the return home from the shop.
As I mentioned in my first post - http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtop ... t=12549486 - I am new to road cycling and have no fitness level at all. I am basically a fat guy trapped in a normal guy's body.
I got there and just dedcided to head straight round on a clockwise route. To be honest I didn't even know there were hills in RP. Things were going great until I got the short sharp shock that I think is Broomfield Hill?
My new Polar FRM started beeping at me furiously as my pulse hit 200. I ground up in granny gear and thought for a while that I wasn't going to manage it.
So right now, just managing three laps will be an achievement for me. I'll be trying it, hopefully, this weekend and look forward to posting a time. I don't want to be the first DNF. My weight loss diet is extreme and I only eat 500 calories a day, so basically I bonk as soon as the going gets tough.
Oh, and I'll be going anti-clockwise...0 -
Shavedlegs wrote:Is anyone going to the park this Sunday?
Thought I might sneak out since we've been having some nice weather. It would be nice to meet up for a cofee and muffin afterwards.
Unfortunately not. Coffee and muffin sounds great. Pants.FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
That is a shame CP, the whole Shavedlegs clan, wife and both children are going to be there plus the rest of the team.
It is to be the Shavedlegs handicap race, the 3 members racing round for 3 laps separated by 5 minutes. Gives us a shout (of encouragement) if any of you pass us.0 -
Went out for three anti-clockwise laps at lunchtime today. Boy was it windy! No records set, other than perhaps the number of cars passed when the wind was (infrequently) at my back. Always nice to see how many other cyclists there are in the park mid-week.0
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guinea wrote:My weight loss diet is extreme and I only eat 500 calories a day,quote]
please tell me you are joking??0 -
No, I am not joking. I am following a programme recomended and approved by my GP.
It's called Lighterlife. You can see how I've got on at my blog - http://guineasblog.blogspot.com/ This diary goes right back to the start and explains a bit about how the diet works.
It is extreme. However, by BP has dropped from 152/120 to 120/82. My resting heartrate was 87bpm, it was 54 this morning. I am far healthier than I've been in over a decade.0 -
Holy Sh*t Guinea!, 500 calories a DAY! Sweet Mary on a moped!!
First off, well done on the weight loss and hats off to you mate for having the mental strength to stick with the diet. A tremendous effort.
But please, if you're now cycling regularly and starting training for an Alpine Sportiv then for gods sake start eating. You're at a pretty good starting weight now, and I'd say you're probably burning (or you soon will be) about 8-900 calories an hour on the bike. With your current calorie intake then at best you're not going to be able to train very much and you'll feel pretty miserable, at worst you could be waking up in A&E after flaking out on the bike.
Eat well, train well, and the weight will continue to come off, honest!
(I'll keep an eye out for that blue top in RP, so prepare to receive a Mars Bar from a passing cyclist...)0 -
yes, I thought you might be talking 'Lighter Life'!! Congratulations on your weightloss, and your willpower to stick with it for 6 mths!! I'm sure you are well aware of the pitfalls of this type of diet and i wish you luck with keeping the weight off if/when you return to normal eating habits.
However, as suggested by christ-on-a-bike you seriously need to up your calorie intake if you plan to start cycling more, and also look at doing some form of resistance training to build strength and muscle mass to help your metabolism recover.0 -
Well, I did my first effort at three laps this morning. I was slowed a few times by cars, but not enough that would have made any significant difference.
Guinea----fitness----anti----91kg----01:25:17----17th Nov
Ok, I'm no Cancellara, but to be honest I was pleased just to do the three laps plus the 5 miles there and 5 miles home.
I'd like to get that time down to 1.15 by the end of the winter so I'll be upping my mileage.
If anyone was around RP this morning and passed a lumbering cyclist whose HRM was almost constantly beeping (still not worked out how to stop it), that was me.0 -
Finally had a chance to get to RP and time 3 laps. Reasonably quick from Roehampton to Richmond Gates, but discovered why when fighting the wind all the way back from Dark Hill. With first lap over 20mins morale flagged, and I missed the 1 hour target. Significantly better than on old bike, with the help of a few Surrey rides.
RedGreenBaron
fitness
anti----70kg----01:00:15
13-Nov
I'm going to suggest that windy days affect we lower strength, skinny cyclists more than the power monsters, but happy to be shot down......
Grabbed the brief sunshine yesterday and did a couple of laps close to 19 mins with a better wind (southerly), so confident of improvements to come. Would love to go out again today given the weather, but really ought to do some work!
Does a winter training regime for the more serious amongst you mean it's not worth timing 3 laps til spring? I'm still stunned by the 50 minuters. Not sure if it inspires me or engenders despair.0 -
First 3 lapper for over a year and found it tough. Started at Roehampton gate, loads of cars in the way on the back straight then hit the wind at the top of dark hill, so conditions generally pretty bad. Also got stopped by deer a couple of times which cost me 2 or 3 minutes. On the plus side, felt strongest on the 3rd lap and my climbing was OK, so starting to move in the right direction.
MatHammond
fitness
anti----85kg----01:06:15
23-Nov
Aiming to get below the hour mark by the end of the year, then really go for it in spring!0 -
I was out again this morning. I got there a few minutes quicker than I did last week and felt good about the run. I stretched off, had a drink and started off anti-clockwise from the Richmond Gate. I started off tentatively but soon found myself pinning quite nicely and feeling good. By the time I got to Roehampton Gate I was doing great, but as soon as I turned left onto Sawyer's Hill I was straight into a headwind and my speed died. No matter what I did I couldn't get my pace up. Laps 2 and 3 went the same way, although the hills got a lot harder on the last lap. My average speed was murdered by that headwind on the home straight for me and I started to dread it every time round.
As it happens my time was pretty much exactly the same as last week which was disappointing but at least I am consistent.0 -
Better conditions today, managed to avoid deer except on the last lap, and wind not nearly as bad, so....
MatHammond
fitness
anti----85kg----01:02.20
23-Nov0 -
No chance to do the weekend runs, so grabbing RP on dry days. Pretty lonely there during the week, so only really have the clock to compete with.
Did the timed 3 lapper, including 1 lap clockwise to avoid police surveillance.
Wind still an issue, but a minute quicker.
RedGreenBaron
fitness
mostly anti----70kg----59:20
28-Nov
If anyone else is doing daylight weekday RP and feels like company.......0 -
Guinea----fitness----anti----84kg----01:22:30----15th Dev
Yay. Today was my 3rd time trying against the clock. The first two times were almost identical, but today I managed to take nearly three minutes off my previous times.
THe wind was much more favourable today, and my new overshoes made a huge difference to my comfort. I also jammed on the ipod and pushed a good bit harder. My pulse rate was between 155-185 the whole journey. I have to learn how to pace myself better, I have too much left in the tank when I finish.
I also didn't need to go on to the small gear on the front, normally I am reaching for lower and lower gears. I am not sure I have got any fitter since my last time out due to the weather and work commitments stopping me getting out. The reason my time would be getting better is probably down to the fact that I am a stone lighter than last time out.
Definite progress!0
