Highclere June 10

JWSurrey · June 2007

So who's doing this?
In a fit of madness I signed up for the 72 - before realising the Tour de Vale 50 is the same day.

Now feeling a bit foolish as the furthest I've travelled to date is 62 miles (though my regular training run is 5,000ft 50 miler).

currieinahurry · June 2007

im in it and sos demongrinder he did it last year and said its a good ride.
tikka

hi my name is adam... and i have a problem with posting on cycling forums.

dave davenport · June 2007

We've got 12 from our club(Sotonia)doing the 115 including me and mrs d.

Unknown · June 2007

Yip Im doing it. Fantastic ride. Think theres about 7 or 8 from the club at the last count.

"People setting the pace too fast on the front are abused to slow down. Riders that do not share the work are abused. Riders that need abuse get abused and the abuse is done in every language so they get the message"

Unknown · June 2007

I'm doing the 115 ride. My folks live about 2 miles from Highclere so it's an easy event to sort the logistics out for.

currieinahurry · June 2007

yea 115 miles for demon and i.
tikka

hi my name is adam... and i have a problem with posting on cycling forums.

bahzob · June 2007

I shall be there along with some others from Newbury RC

hevipedal · June 2007

I'm in, it's the second sportif weekend on the trot - and the second of a series of 5 ending with the London Etape.
Anyone know a good psychiatrist.

 Hevipedal 
Phrase of the week - I've got a bike. You can ride it if you like.
It's got a basket, a bell that rings and
Things to make it look good.
I'd give it to you if I could, but I borrowed it.
 
51yrs old and Proud of it - Made it to 87kg 2 more to go for the target.
Pedal to Paris Sept 2007

richa · June 2007

I'll be there too...

Rich
Etape2007.Blogspot.Com

JWSurrey · June 2007

Cool - will look out for you.
Seems like I'll be bringing up the rear!
Hoping to keep my average above the 11mph broom wagon time.

Do they let the 72 milers go early, or are they quite rigid on start times?

Will be wearing grey Foska baggies, my black/orange Conti. top and riding either a red Condor winter trainer complete with baggage rack [:)], or my spanking new white Condor - not sure this is a wise way to run-in a new bike!

PRose · June 2007

I'll be doing the 115 miler. Quite a few from the LBS are going as well, but most seem to be doing the 72 miles. The 72 milers start leaving at 9am just after the 115 get away. Forecast looks pretty good at the moment, with very little wind, but that could all change.

combat_wombat · June 2007

Im on the 115 too (along with 444 others) (there are 115 on the 72)

JWSurrey · June 2007

PRose - which is your LBS? The on in Fleet perchance?

Just taken delivery of my new white Squadra - Awesome - although unfortunately ergonomically different to the Fratello which might cause me muscle-group issues. It's so fast, I think i'll take it anyway.

PRose · June 2007

JWSurrey - No, it's I-Bike in Crowthorne.

dsoutar · June 2007

Me too although according to the route sheet it's 117 miles (188km)

Weather looks fab too ! Don't forget the sunscreen

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/day ... ster&day=4

Would like to do it in about 6.5 hours

Are there any standard (gold / silver / bronze) times ?

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live." ~ Mark Twain, "Taming the Bicycle"

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dsoutar

Are there any standard (gold / silver / bronze) times ?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">Yes they are on the web site - see this link.

dsoutar · June 2007

Cheers Andyp...might sneak my first Gold then ! Missed out by about 10 mins three times this year

"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live." ~ Mark Twain, "Taming the Bicycle"

Timeless · June 2007

I'm in too, for the 115 - part of the Kingston Wheeler crowd (about 8 of us I think, including currie and demongrinder).

JWSurrey · June 2007

Timeless and Currie - Good to put a face to the alias!
Had a good day? I gather one of your guys had knee trouble? Hope he finished OK.
Awesome - Hugely fast start - lots of pain!
My speed tailed right off for the last 10.
I was dreading the final hills, however they turned out to be a little easier than I expected.
What an awesome final descent from the last hydration station.
Gutted to have missed silver by 9 minutes (partially spent backtracing my ride with "i've got lost" paranoia, only to discover I had been travelling the right way), then tossing the computer in to the bushes in my dazed attempt at honking for the finish line!

Pleased with my first split though - was nice to ride in a group.

Timeless · June 2007

Hi JW, it was a great day and a lovely route with many fast sections. Good to meet you.

For me, the last section was just a case of hanging on, counting down the miles and trying to dig out any last reserves of power without triggering another attack of cramps.

At 60 miles I thought I'd blown it and would not have enough energy to sustain the early pace, but although the second half was slower, it did get better and I just squeezed a Gold (by 1 minute, 13 seconds!!)

I probably spent too long out on my own in the middle section and should have slowed and let a group catch up with me to allow me to save energy. But I felt like I did a lot of work in various groups overall and so it is pleasing to know that I earned my ride.

A couple of our guys had some mechanicals (Currie and Demongrinder) but I think most finished ok. Haven't heard of anyone with knee trouble.

See you there next year!

Timeless · June 2007

by the way, does anyone know how hot it got yesterday?

Unknown · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Timeless

by the way, does anyone know how hot it got yesterday?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">[:I]

hotter than july.

Was a great day out, two punctures ( 45 Mins lost) and I did an extra 14Km thanks to a wrong turn somewhere around Mugdean ( I think thats what its called).[:o)]

"People setting the pace too fast on the front are abused to slow down. Riders that do not share the work are abused. Riders that need abuse get abused and the abuse is done in every language so they get the message"

dave davenport · June 2007

My first sportive, very impressed with the organisation etc. and thought it was a nice varied route.
Did 6.34.58 (30.02 gain) which I was very pleased with and mrs d did 8.27.38 for a silver.
Was very glad to see the finish as I was starting to suffer.

We had a good team result (Sotonia) finishing in second.

Unknown · June 2007

I also thought it was a great day out - I especially liked the organisers arranging a tailwind from the last feed to home. Nice touch. [:)] The signage was excellent too (although a friend of mine managed to go off course!).

I did it in 6:34:04 so ducked under gold by nearly 14 minutes for my age category.

richa · June 2007

Yup. Great ride.

Thought the first section was a really fast pace (32kph). I felt good but probably paid for it a little later.

Second section was hillier, tougher & slower. There seemed to be very few groups in this section so spent much of the time on my todd.

Third section was a little flatter, but by now my legs had gone. Found a group with some stronger riders and dug deep to hold with them for as long as possible.

Came home in 6:42 (6 mins under gold). My first sportive gold!!

Rich
Etape2007.Blogspot.Com

currieinahurry · June 2007

yea was really good fun just a shame me and demon didnt have a group to ride with after the punctures. but was cool just wanna find out who this jimmy fella was and his girlfriend as he was very strong rode the whole thing in the 53 without sweating!!
tikka

hi my name is adam... and i have a problem with posting on cycling forums.

JWSurrey · June 2007

24C according to Motionbased/Met. Office at midnight the night before
28C according to the car when I fired it up for home.
There was a noticable humidity increase too.

I knew I'd dug deep because when I hit the sack that night, I was still radiating heat!

Davedavenport: The ride organisation was a well oiled machine - The Tour of Wessex chaps could pick up some good tips. How do you arrange to ride with your wife? Do you ride out together then negative-split at halfway?

Computer showed that although the first half was fast, the middle-distance (flat bit on the profile up to about the 50 mile mark) was actually faster for me. This may have been more because we settled in to a good group.

Timeless/RichA: Yeah, I suffered for the last 10. One of the army cadets manning the exit gate came over to ask if I was alright, when I had to put a foot down and take a breather there!
Timeless - Congrats on your gold - that must have been punishing. Living up to your alias!

Is it OK to stop on your way round to catch your breath, or do you all just grind on?

Currie - Sorry to hear you had punctures - any other mech. issues? What tyres and pressures?

The guy with the hi-viz. green odd shaped TT frame had his seatpost snap on him, which was really unfortunate as he's doing the Etape and seemed to be pulling a very good split before being broom wagoned off having ridden carrying his saddle for about 5 miles!
Another chap tank-slapped and landed on his face, though seemed to escape with bruising.

I rode alone for the entire second split, seemingly in the no-mans land between two groups. I think I passed one chap, and was passed by an annoyingly relaxed looking father and daughter riding Audax machines with full guards! I think that was the all time low, as I then anticipated a bunch of ladies with wicker baskets to come hammering past on their way home with the shopping!

Anyone see that cool looking Rapha Condor that was left propped up by the Ice Cream wagon? Very nearly forgot which bike I was taking home [;)] I noticed it was running Bonty wheels! oops!

Must find my mug-shot on the dgs photography site, when they get published.

Dsoutar - which club do you ride with/ Charlotteville?
What's next, everyone?

PRose · June 2007

Had a great day out. Loads of groups to latch onto as they blew me out the back on the hills. Finally managed to get back onto my group at the second control only to find that one of them was suffering from serious cramp. We all took it steady on the last leg (because the guy with cramp was driving us all home[:D])My next booked ride is the Southern Sportive in September, but I'm sure I'll book a few more in before then.

dave davenport · June 2007

Davedavenport: The ride organisation was a well oiled machine - The Tour of Wessex chaps could pick up some good tips. How do you arrange to ride with your wife? Do you ride out together then negative-split at halfway?

Wished her luck and kissed her goodby at the start, then clapped her in at the finish!

currieinahurry · June 2007

well i didnt puncture but demon did twice and im not the kind of fela to leave a friend over a few mins,
tikka

hi my name is adam... and i have a problem with posting on cycling forums.

JWSurrey · June 2007

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by dave davenport

Wished her luck and kissed her goodby at the start, then clapped her in at the finish!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Cripes - you lucky man, getting away with that! Has she got a sister[:D]
Currie: Good man - I bought a VAR tool to speed up the puncture repairs.

Mug shots on-line from tomorrow, according to dgs-photos. Hoping for a nice one of me honking past a Dynamo dude (What they didn't get was me lying in a pile on the bank shortly before the shot was taken [:D] )

Highclere June 10

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