Circuit of the Cotswolds this Sunday

ClaireV · June 2007

I was a little disappointed not to make it up Cleeve Hill this time around, but apparently cycling up it with about ten miles in your legs (like I did last year) is rather different from cycling up it with 70 miles in your legs and quite a few hills already. Lots of people walking wasn't much help psychologically either! I did ride most of it, just in three goes (some kind people let me use their driveway as a launching ramp to get going again [:)]). That's the first time I haven't made it up a hill on my road bike [:I].

Bry, was that you riding into the third checkpoint about 2pm with a load of others in the traditional orange? I was just on the other side of the road about to set off again.

oldwelshman, I was wearing a light blue top and a blue helmet and dark glasses. I was number 11 if that helps. You almost certainly did pass me, unless you had a very early start time - we got started about 8:30.

Brycp · June 2007

I don't think there was any shame in walking it :-) Especially when you've ridden out from Oxford as well!

The hill that took me by surprise in terms of its nastiness was quite an early one...looking at the profile I think it must've been Lark Stoke (the one with the photographer near the top). I hadn't realised how long it was and it seemed to really kick up about halfway up.

I had a bit of a low spell just after the Cleeve Hill bit, but after some food at the 3rd feed station I felt alright again and the last few miles were nice.

I'm just trying to work out what time we would've been at the third checkpoint...I think it could've been a bit later than that - we finished at about 3.40 (having left at 9am). In my group there were six of us, all in orange except for one who refuses to wear orange. I was the only girl. If that helps?! If the orange you saw was definitely Bicester, then I'm sure it was us - there were various Bicester people scattered about but we were the only group of that size.

And I get over the breaks
And I, I stumble and fall

oldwelshman · June 2007

Was you with the sun tanned welsh guy in white?
One of my teame mates took your photo at the finnish I was the other welsh guy talking to your mate, you would not have missedme i have large tattoos on both legs :-) in blue and white kit.

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

I don't think there was any shame in walking it :-) Especially when you've ridden out from Oxford as well!

The hill that took me by surprise in terms of its nastiness was quite an early one...looking at the profile I think it must've been Lark Stoke (the one with the photographer near the top). I hadn't realised how long it was and it seemed to really kick up about halfway up.

I had a bit of a low spell just after the Cleeve Hill bit, but after some food at the 3rd feed station I felt alright again and the last few miles were nice.

I'm just trying to work out what time we would've been at the third checkpoint...I think it could've been a bit later than that - we finished at about 3.40 (having left at 9am). In my group there were six of us, all in orange except for one who refuses to wear orange. I was the only girl. If that helps?! If the orange you saw was definitely Bicester, then I'm sure it was us - there were various Bicester people scattered about but we were the only group of that size.

And I get over the breaks
And I, I stumble and fall

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

oldwelshman · June 2007

So does anyone know who the group of about 20 were who took wrong route? [:D]
Just before route split, we were doing steady av 19.5mph knowing what was coming later [:D] we were joined by the "lost" group which contained some "fly boys" [8D]
They obviously thought we were going to slow so they went infront of us with one of them saying" lets crank up the pace, it's too slow for us"[:D]
They were on the front all of 2 miles until a decent when most of them did not know how to decend properly so dropped back.
As we were leaving feed station toward THE climb, saw the same guy coming in [:D]next time I saw him was when he was finishing as I was driving away from the car park [:D]
Obviously he peaked too early [:D]Only dissapointment today, poxy garmin did not store route properly. According to my garmin I did 96 miles in 48 minutes 54 secs with an ave speed of 118mph, now thats some ride !!

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

ClaireV · June 2007

Nope, I don't think that was me oldwelshman. I think it was you I saw though, Bry. I wasn't sure enough to yell across the road at the time though!

oldwelshman · June 2007

Ah sorry claire, I meant we took a pic of bry and his orange mates :-)
if you left 8:30 we definately passed you at some point, we left about 09:10, and I gave encouraging yell to several people including a few ladies so if you were shouted at by a passing welsh accent it was probably me [:D]

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

Nope, I don't think that was me oldwelshman. I think it was you I saw though, Bry. I wasn't sure enough to yell across the road at the time though!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

oldwelshman · June 2007

By the way Claire, if you have got up that hill before, even if it was after only 10 miles, is still a good achievement.
Some of me team mates got off today and they are normally better than me on climbs so when I saw them get off, that spurred me on to get up [:D]
Now I can give them stick that a 46 yearold, who started cycling in november got up on 39/27 and they got off on a compact [:D]

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

ClaireV · June 2007

I don't remember any yelling Welshmen! Mind you, you may have gone past us on one of the occasions when we were waiting by the side of the road for one of our group who ignored all warnings not to go hammering it up every hill right from the start and consequently blew up quite spectacularly somewhere around Snowshill. I took it very steady in the early part of the ride, which I'm quite glad about because I ended up stuck on the front of a group of about ten people nearly all the way from the last cake stop to Witney when I was already pretty knackered. None of my usual 'getting off the front' tactics worked at all [:(!]

jimmoffatt · June 2007

What a great event. Very well organised and even with the little things other organisers forget like track pumps at the stops, plenty of scissors at the start for snipping the number ties. (Who wants to ride 100 miles with 6" of cable ties?) Plenty of food and drink and even Lucozade sport at the last feed, which was great for me because that is what I had in my bottles to start. Free tea and cakes at the end.

I thought it was a good, sensible course. None of the silly massive climbs with a couple of miles to go as in some events and the last bit from the feed was great for doing some fast riding.

Well done to the organisers and helpers and everybody else involved.

Couple of dangerous sections including the little bit where we crossed the A40 and rode along it for a 50 metres or so before turning left but, of course, these events are on open roads so we have to be careful.

I rode with Oldwelshman and we finished in 5.33 which I was pleased with. Nice to ride with some others because the Gran Fondo Cymru was like a 100 mile hilly time trial in the rain.
Jim

ClaireV · June 2007

So it was you who ate all the food before we got there! :-)

Even the slightest bump felt like a massive climb to me with only a couple of miles to go! Still, yesterday was my first century and my first metric double all in one day, so that's two more to tick off the 'to do' list.

Brycp · June 2007

Old Welshman, yes that was us (although NB I am a girl!). The Welsh guy in the white lycra is my OCM (Official Cycling Mentor)! The only cycling advice I don't take from him is clothing advice...otherwise I'd be wearing see-through white lycra as well! ;-)

Claire, I know what you mean about the last few 'bumps'. I was feeling a bit better by then but any little hill seemed significantly harder than normal.

First 100m for me too.

And I get over the breaks
And I, I stumble and fall

oldwelshman · June 2007

I certainly enjoyed the tea and cake at the end far more than the climb of Cleeve [:D]
The event waas well organised and the route was also good, and the communication before even was also good.
Bring on the dragon next week [:D] hope my legs have recovered in time !
Jim, send me your hotel details and I will park there next week as no parking allowed in the HQ of Dragon. we can ride to the start from your hotel.

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

jimmoffatt · June 2007

Claire

Well done. That was a hard ride and riding out from home and back is impressive or mad or both [:)]

Talking about massive climbs at the end. You should consider entering the Wild Wales at the end of August. That finishes off by climbing the Bwlch y Groes from Dinas Mawddwy (the highest road pass in Wales) drops down to Vyrnwy and then over the Hirnant Pass before dropping to the finish in Bala. Both climbs will have 90% or more of the riders walking.
Jim

ClaireV · June 2007

Sounds delightful.

I don't mind whether you pick 'impressive' or 'mad' or the probably more boring 'carless' [:)]

oldwelshman · June 2007

I will have to check the dates of this, I might be mad enough to try these climbs agai, maybe without the rain, cold and puncture!!

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

Claire

Well done. That was a hard ride and riding out from home and back is impressive or mad or both [:)]

Talking about massive climbs at the end. You should consider entering the Wild Wales at the end of August. That finishes off by climbing the Bwlch y Groes from Dinas Mawddwy (the highest road pass in Wales) drops down to Vyrnwy and then over the Hirnant Pass before dropping to the finish in Bala. Both climbs will have 90% or more of the riders walking.
Jim
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

terongi · June 2007

Yes this was a great event.

I started off in oldwelshman's fast group. Thanks to oldwelshman for calling out advice to me to stay close on the wheels; it certainly made a difference.

I was feeling very comfortable on the back of that group for the first 20 miles (plain red jersey, black condor bike, rabbit in hieadlights look) but it was my lack of descending skills that let me down. The group sped off down the hill leaving me braking gingerly before each downhill turn.

After the first descent I was able to chase back onto the back of the group, but after the second descent at about 20 miles they were so far ahead I had no chance of catching them.

I did most of the rest of it on my own and finished in 6:36 (including stops), so I probably wouldnt have been able to stay with the fast group all the way anyway, but it was great experience.

The most notable thing about being in an experienced bunch is the rhythm of constant communication (gestures and shouting) and how easy it is to become a part of it.

oldwelshman · June 2007

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

Yes this was a great event.

I started off in oldwelshman's fast group. Thanks to oldwelshman for calling out advice to me to stay close on the wheels; it certainly made a difference.

I was feeling very comfortable on the back of that group for the first 20 miles (plain red jersey, black condor bike, rabbit in hieadlights look) but it was my lack of descending skills that let me down. The group sped off down the hill leaving me braking gingerly before each downhill turn.

After the first descent I was able to chase back onto the back of the group, but after the second descent at about 20 miles they were so far ahead I had no chance of catching them.

I did most of the rest of it on my own and finished in 6:36 (including stops), so I probably wouldnt have been able to stay with the fast group all the way anyway, but it was great experience.

The most notable thing about being in an experienced bunch is the rhythm of constant communication (gestures and shouting) and how easy it is to become a part of it.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
[:D]Glad you enjoyed it I remember you :-)
Our group set off at a steady but fastish space but constant making it ideal for you to ride in.
For the decents you may have found it a bit easier further in front as it is less nerving and you get to chose your line better and see road ahead clearer.
You did well to stay in that long but suspect had you been riding a bit closer earlier on you would have stayed a bit longer but some times going too hard can make you blow up if your not used to the pace over a long distance but your time is still very respectable gien you rode a lot alone.
I got a call eariler from Jm and he told me we were joint second so I just checked the siate and we did 5:33 joint second but they had me down as doing the shorter ride [:D]
So from our initial group it looks like 6 of us were in the fastest 20, not bad for a bunch of oldies [8D]
I just had a mail from justgiving and it looks like you made a very generous donation which I am sure the BLISS charity will appreciate very much [:D]

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

ClaireV · June 2007

OK, so what was everyone's number so we can see the piccies? I was 011 - big smile for the camera at the top of the hill. I think I was saying something for the benefit of the cameraman along the lines of "Oh isn't this easy. Couldn't they have found a harder hill for us to climb?", but you'll notice I'm rather red in the face.

I think my official time was about 7:09, with an actual riding of about 6:15. I took it fairly steady and we had lots of waiting for people in our group after mechanicals and at the top of the bigger hills (and somewhat surprisingly, I wasn't the one being waited for!).

oldwelshman · June 2007

I was 423 and Jim 126, I am the good looking one [:o)]
You must have been going well Claire, smilling as you climb? You should have gone faster [:D]

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

oldwelshman · June 2007

OOOps Jim was 156.

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

ClaireV · June 2007

I just figured I'm looking really miserable on just about every photo I've ever seen of me on a bike (though to be fair they've usually been in TTs or triathlons), so I'd smile for the camera. You guys don't look too impressed though!

Brycp · June 2007

Right, will look you all up now!

I was 348. Managed to smile for the second one but didn't feel very smiley for the first one! Didn't pace myself very well up that hill!

And I get over the breaks
And I, I stumble and fall

ClaireV · June 2007

Yep, it was definitely you I saw at the third stop, Bry.

Brycp · June 2007

Immistakable, eh!

It's a nice pic of you! Good to see that these pics are more reasonably priced than the sportcam blenheim ones...

And I get over the breaks
And I, I stumble and fall

ClaireV · June 2007

Yep, I actually bought this one. I didn't fork out whatever ridiculous amount it was for any of the Blenheim ones though.

oldwelshman · June 2007

Wow œ4.95 and you don't even get a print but a digital file?
I am going to go to one of these sportives and take pics and sell them for œ1 [:D]

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

oldwelshman · June 2007

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

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

Yes this was a great event.

I started off in oldwelshman's fast group. Thanks to oldwelshman for calling out advice to me to stay close on the wheels; it certainly made a difference.

I was feeling very comfortable on the back of that group for the first 20 miles (plain red jersey, black condor bike, rabbit in hieadlights look) but it was my lack of descending skills that let me down. The group sped off down the hill leaving me braking gingerly before each downhill turn.

After the first descent I was able to chase back onto the back of the group, but after the second descent at about 20 miles they were so far ahead I had no chance of catching them.

I did most of the rest of it on my own and finished in 6:36 (including stops), so I probably wouldnt have been able to stay with the fast group all the way anyway, but it was great experience.

The most notable thing about being in an experienced bunch is the rhythm of constant communication (gestures and shouting) and how easy it is to become a part of it.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
[:D]Glad you enjoyed it I remember you :-)
Our group set off at a steady but fastish space but constant making it ideal for you to ride in.
For the decents you may have found it a bit easier further in front as it is less nerving and you get to chose your line better and see road ahead clearer.
You did well to stay in that long but suspect had you been riding a bit closer earlier on you would have stayed a bit longer but some times going too hard can make you blow up if your not used to the pace over a long distance but your time is still very respectable gien you rode a lot alone.
I got a call eariler from Jm and he told me we were joint second so I just checked the siate and we did 5:33 joint second but they had me down as doing the shorter ride [:D]
So from our initial group it looks like 6 of us were in the fastest 20, not bad for a bunch of oldies [8D]
I just had a mail from justgiving and it looks like you made a very generous donation which I am sure the BLISS charity will appreciate very much [:D]

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
By the way terongi I hope you did not put an extra zero on the donation by mistake or you will be skint [8D]

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

Brycp · June 2007

Have you seen these? More pics:

www.photoboxgallery.com:80/stickyfotos/5856276

And I get over the breaks
And I, I stumble and fall

oldwelshman · June 2007

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

Have you seen these? More pics:

www.photoboxgallery.com:80/stickyfotos/5856276

And I get over the breaks
And I, I stumble and fall

<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
Yes I am in 315 , these were not far from the start as our group is still together [:D]
We were in pics 310 to 315

Feel free to browse and donate:
http://www.justgiving.com/davidbethanmills
My winter and summer bike pics

http://oldwelshman.myphotoalbum.com

Circuit of the Cotswolds this Sunday

Comments

Categories