Manchester 100 in September - Anyone?

popette

Congratulations on your good news. You must have a fantastically understanding wife.

I really enjoyed the day but agree with you LI300988445 about the last 10 miles. I@m sure that there are better ways of getting home than that last bit. It did cross my mind that I'd come 90 odd miles and was going to get wiped out right at the end. The northenden junction - just where you go under the moterway before entering wythenshaw park again - was pretty bad.

I finished in 6 hours 35 minutes. I was quite pleased with that seeing as it was my first century. I had a bit of a handicap in that my husband was really suffering and I had to go out in front so that he could stay close to my wheel and get a bit of benefit from that. He kept shouting to slow down. I wanted to stick to a steady 18mph but for the last 20 miles he struggled to stay at 15. It could have been a blessing in disguise as I may have gone too fast and burnt out otherwise. I felt really fresh though and all those hours in the saddle really paid off. I quite enjoyed the rain - it made a bit of a refreshing change and definitely much better than wind.

One thing that really spurred me on was overtaking the 100km riders. Having spent the first half of the course being overtaken by packs of club riders, it was quite nice to do a bit of overtaking myself. I was even passing them going up hills, which isn't my forte at all.

Some of the villages were so lovely and we even passed the Boot And Slipper pub which is where my mum and dad used to take me as a child for a play on the swings and a bottle of coke with a paper straw which never managed to stay in tact for the duration of the drink. Awwww

I'm not feeling too sore today but definitely need to stretch lots today.

See you next year. Under 6 hours next year I think.
x

Rich Hcp

davelakers wrote:

Got as far as 10 mile outside the half way stop and my missus rang to say she had gone into labour. Rode like an ars* to get to Nantwich, (apologies to anyone I may have upset in the process) where my mate picked me up to take me back to the start. About to set off and I got the call she had given birth to a baby girl. Gutted I missed it and gutted I didnt finish the race.

But she is beautiful, so it doesnt really matter!!!

Congratulations!!!

McBain_v1

Agree that DaveLakers news is the best by far. Wonderful stuff, hope that you really enjoy those first few weeks which are truly magical.

Popette, I was getting my dad around the 100 mile route (he's 71) and so was not interested in going quickly, I just wanted to get him around - I was his domestique for the day! I was really chuffed that we made it as a team and crossed the line with a time around 6:47:08 (although my 'puter had got a bit wet due to the inclement weather).

Did anyone see the girls who must have been riding the 100km route with the bunny ears on their helmets and the face painting? They were gorgeous looking - almost enough to make me divert routes and follow them

Most people said "hello" on the ride, except for the last 15 miles or so when I think that everyone was cursing the weather. I didn't like the last 10 mile section though, I thought it was a bit poor to route the riders through was what a very busy section of roads around Wythenshaw Park, especially going under the motorway (that marshall had the easiest pitch of the lot).

On the subject of marhsalls, it was a brilliantly controlled course - and agree that those marshalls who sat in their cars didn't really enter into the spirit of things... shame on them!

One final thing, at the 56mile food stop, I was completely taken in by the sign in the school cafe that said "Queue here for hot food" - I was looking forward to some beans or such like, only to find there wasn't any available and had to settle for some tuna, egg and ham sandwiches along with 6 cups of orange juice (better if the cold drinks were served in pub-style plastic pint glasses).

Still, a great day - just got to complete the bike clean up tonight, I reckon that rain will have stripped almost all of the GT85 off the drivechain.

popette

I fell into the hot food trap as well - I would have killed for a pub type lasagne and chips or a steak and kidney pie (shortcrust pastry not puff).

What were you wearing McBain_v1? I wonder if your dad was in yellow? What time did you start? We followed a couple of guys into malbank college doing a really nice pace. That guy was in yellow and had white hair - he must have been past 60yrs. It makes me feel that i've chosen a great sport when there is such a range of ages completing something as significant as 100 miles on a bike.

I was in pink giro top and my husband was in green. Mr and Mrs hulk we are.

popette

I did see the ladies with bunny ears. I also remember one lady who had very long tanned legs and very short shorts with no chamois in.
I also saw a guy on the 100 mile course who was wearing skimpy football shorts and again, no pad. He had a floppy little hat on and looked like he'd just done a bit of painting. He was part of a very speedy group so appearances are very deceptive - one guy in this group was on a focus and I thought that looked nice. I saw a nice Colnago near to the entrance for food and I saw a nice Willier at the Kings lock pub. Some guy on a mountain bike came up to it and had a good feel of the tyres. I think if it were my Willier I might have got a bit overprotective and stopped him.

on the road

I did it in 5:36:45. The last 20 miles was a killer and I was having to stand up on the bike and stretch me legs 2 or 3 times at about the last 10 miles.

When leaving the half way point I seen a group of riders coming in, they weren’t paying attention to the road and one of them very nearly got wiped out.

Akuma

Another awesome ride!

Those last few miles were a real killer for me.
(I must buy a better seat)

Can't say I said hello more than once as I was too tired to look,
at least I finished the 100k route though. 4:50~ ;o

de_sisti

I was angry at the bloke in a blue top that stayed on my rear wheel for the last 10 miles or so.
At the finish in Wythenshaw Park he didn't even thank me for towing him home. If that had
happened earlier in the ride I wouldn't have let it stay there, that's for sure. Apart from that
I enjoyed the ride.

#1

McBain_v1

Hiya Popette - I was wearing my black long-sleeve "On One" top, my dad was wearing his commerative jersey from doing the Leige Bastogne ride in France that the French cyclists presented him with for being one of only 3 English blokes to do the ride.

It was great to see a few of the "old school cycling" brigade going around in their canvas shorts, floppy sun hats etc. Just goes to show you don't need the latest Assos™ gear to do the ride

I think that oggling other people's bikes at the stops was one of the main reasons for going. On the whole ride I didn't see another Enigma bike, so I took pride in thinking that I was the only one riding such a bike. If anyone came sniffing around it I didn't see, because I was too busy filling my cakehole with ... cake!

Didn't seen any crashes but there were plenty of punctures to be had

popette

Aw, it wasn't you I saw then. I think I do remember seeing an enigma bike though - are they the ones made from titanium? I remember thinking that at the time.

I did see a crash - a lady skidded off going round a wet corner in Mobberley just a bit after the frozen mop pub. I also saw, what appeared to be, a cyclist and motorist exchanging details. That was at the top of the hill coming out of Styal.

andywgg

My second Manc 100 and enjoyed it lots. managed to average just over 18mph that i'm very pleased with - dropped both of my mates at various stages, which is a novelty as I'm usually the one who gets left!

Only got passed by 2 people all day, which is also a novelty!

Lif30057840

wow guys ur mph's amazes me. cg
when i finished (7.5 hours) there were few ppl about but luckily (it was the only thing keeping me going ovr the last bit) the "Curry Cabin" was still open and a nice cup of tea was my reward Many thx to them.
i remember the first year i did the ride it was sponsored by Soreen and evry1 got a Malt loaf at the finish line
i was passed by 1 (only 1 Phil? ahem) particular guy who made a point of shouting out "Hello! to rider 524" who was that hehe (and ty)

Lif30057840

popette wrote:

I really enjoyed the day but agree with you LI300988445 about the last 10 miles. x

Bah! u just hit random no. keys there Popette :P ill have u know those numbers have special significance - those of an aquatic nature may know

McBain_v1

Yep Popette, my Enigma Esprit is all titanium, shod with Dura-Ace, Fulcrum R3 wheels, Thompson Elite seat post, Selle Italia SLK saddle (with Ti rails naturally). I was gutted that it got wet - but then I remembered that Ti doesn't rust (unlike me).

Most annoying bit for me was getting changed in the Park after the ride, damn lycra shorts are tough to get off once they are wet through - very clingy. Also, why did they have to have cut the grass right beforehand? Every where I went I was leaving a trail of grassy footprints.

popette

Lif30057840 sorry about your number. Yes, I did randomly press keys. What does it mean? I tried searching for it but couldn't find anything. Do you have a gpx file from the ride from the weekend? I'm trying to plot it in memory map but just can't remember it all. My husband is going to buy me a garmin for christmas. There are some new ones coming out in December http://www.i4u.com/article11172.html
gadgets are cool. 8)

Mcbain_v1 sounds like a very very nice bike

McBain_v1

It's luurrrvvely

ColinJ

popette wrote:

Lif30057840 sorry about your number. Yes, I did randomly press keys. What does it mean? I tried searching for it but couldn't find anything. Do you have a gpx file from the ride from the weekend? I'm trying to plot it in memory map but just can't remember it all. My husband is going to buy me a garmin for christmas. There are some new ones coming out in December http://www.i4u.com/article11172.html
gadgets are cool. 8)

Mcbain_v1 sounds like a very very nice bike

You probably missed this thread which has a lot of info on the route including a map and a link to a gpx file (from last year's event).

popette

thanks for that - just what I needed.

Lif30057840

popette wrote:

thanks for that - just what I needed.

ahh glad ur sorted cause my gpx file shows my average spd, time and numerous stops so its classified hehe.

The new garmins (705?) arent faring so well on the forums (bikeforums.net) as far as proposed features and price goes. Ofc it depends if u want the all singing all dancing 305 with cadence and HR and the possibility to sinc with power meter but as iv already got cad and hr i settled for the 205 - for something like £100 less - its the mapping features which i love as im a map colourer and collecter of hills and obscure lanes heading off into the wilds