UCI Cheshire Cat cyclospotive
Comments
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Ah the benefit of living locally !
Yes, someone had swiped at least two of the direction arrows, but since I knew the way from Rode to Twemlow I guessed at what the route might be and navigated across.
A few big bunches of people turning back wouldn't trust me, only managed to do the pied-piper act and get one guy to follow me.
The distance was about right, it wasn't the official route but just different back lanes and they're all flat, so 6-o'-one-half-a-dozen-o'-t'other.
Official time on the telly in the sports centre was 6:21:02, bike computer said 5:56:something and 16.0mph, which I guess is about right with three foodstops.
Thanks to the two from London Dynamo & guy from South Pennine (and even the really big guy who just sat on the back !), I enjoyed our little spin along before the second foodstop,
Crabbed my way up Mow Cop easy enough (take it very slow at the botom, monster that last 100m which is the steep bit).
But, as usual, suffered on the run out of Congleton up to the Cloud which the organisers call 'the Bridestones', although to be honest for me the last little bit at the Bridestones is easier than the 2 miles before it ! At least I didn't end-up stuck in top gear when it goes skywards after the old railway bridge this time...
I guess I didn't make things any easier for myself by cycling to and from the start (bit galling as the route then goes back only a couple of miles from my house !).
Was fancying I could do a 200K, but my legs went in the last 10 miles home, and it then started raining so I aborted home at 118m total.
Good day out. A pretty easy sportive in contrast to Fred Whitton, White Rose, Pendle Pedal, etc, but quite enough to test my state of training at the end of March !0 -
I decided to have a go at Mow Cop. Very silly idea but the crowds spurred me on. Looking at my data I managed to accelerate on the steepest part from 7.8kph to 11.3kph with a progressive decline to 8.3kph and a max hr of 192. I have to say it felt a lot lot worse
Managed a total time of 5hr 21min and lost a km and 100metres of climbing after the third checkpoint.. Threw the towel in after that and got hopeless lost with loads of others but picked it up on the run in when two guys declared they had local knowledge and I decided I wasn't going to let them get away!Paul0 -
I had a great day - apart from the missing signs which I'll come to in a minute.
The route was excellent - despite living in Cheshire for much of my life there were plenty of lanes that were new to me; the weather was better than forecast, and I actually felt overdressed for much of the day; I made it up Mow Cop reasonably easily (nothing to do with the triple I had on!); and best of all, I managed to spend a lot of the day in fast moving groups, giving me a better-than-expected overall time. The feedstations were excellently positioned and stocked too - so congratulations to Geoff and the organisers.
Just one thing though - those missing signs. I'm not sure exactly which ones were gone, but I (and about 20 people with me) got lost in North Rode. We ended up going north on the A536, and eventually I took our group left at Gawsworth, through Siddington and picked up the original route in Swettenham. It was a detour of about 3 miles or so I guess, and I got a great few miles behind the wheels of others, as I enjoyed protected status, being the only one who knew where he was going! On my drive home I saw loads of people on the road from Macc to Knutsford - way off route - who must have done the best part of an extra 10 miles, which I guess would have spoiled their day.
Just a question though - it's great that a ride like yesterday's has the NEG outriders, but couldn't one of their functions on the day be to check that all route markings are still in place, and to let the organisers know if they're not? Just a thought. Really good day overall though.0 -
Great event - we took it pretty easy and the missing signs were back in place by then. Mow cop was a git but i made it - lots of fun ! Whats next ? Great organisation.0
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Hi,
Well done everyone...
If anyone has a gps file from yesterdays ride, I would like a copy (if possible) cos I have no idea about the diversion before Alsager
Thanks
Steve
Ps I got lost after coming down from the cloud because of the missing signs. I did 105 miles according to my bike seedosome bikes and sheep and stuff:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/16682367@N00/0 -
I felt rough on the hills around delamere - I couldn't seem to take in a full lungful of air :? a tightness across my chest etc so I just did the short course. Feel a bit crap about that but obviously I hadn't recovered properly from my cold of last week.
I can't help feeling - did I do the right thing? Did I take the easy option too easily?0 -
Hashette - you did the right thing. Mow Cop was sooo much harder than any of the other climbs. No point in possibly making yourself worse ? Next year eh ?0
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Did anyone actually manage to do the route without getting lost? If so what was the official distance with the bit they added on because of the road closure before Mow Cop?
I had problems with my cycling computer so didn't get realistic mileage.0 -
Popette - I was in your position exactly 4 years ago - relatively new to cycling, a few more pounds on board than I really wanted (apologies for being rude, but I read the C+ article!), entered for the Etape, and a bit concerned about it. I say all that as background to answering your question - which I'm not going to do!
If you'd carried on yesterday, you'd almost certainly have got round - but you'd also have been suffering like a dog today, which probably would have resulted in your confidence and training taking a knock for a few days. On that basis you did the right thing - even the short option was a decent training run. However, on top of your regular training (which is obviously to adapt you physiologically to the Etape), I'd say that you will need to get a ride from Hell in before the Etape - to train you mentally. It doesn't need to be an organised event - a windy and rainy Saturday morning doing 100+ hilly miles in the Peak District will do nicely - just something that will really test your mental strength! I did a few of those, and then the Etape - with the decent weather and the cheering crowds - turned out to be a fabuluous experience.0 -
I didnt get lost - but I dont bother with a computer either..0
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We did 105 miles - got lost three times and ended up just asking directions back to knutsford and riding along the most direct A roads to get there - enjoyed the day but not as much as other sportives I've done. If they had signs stolen then I suppose that's not their fault - but the route itself seemed so contrived with far too many turns and junctions - it wasn't just at the end that people were getting lost.
Popette - you did absolutely the right thing - pushing yourself if you don't feel right can be dangerous - I had a bit of a scare a few years ago which after many tests the doctors put down to a virus possibly affecting the heart muscle - anyway it was 3 months off the bike and another 6 til I felt fully recovered though luckily no lasting damage - far better to cut short your ride than risk something serious.
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
I thought the route was brilliant in that I hardly saw any cars all day. I wonder who nicked the signs. Whoever it was nicked loads of them.0
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Popette, I think you did the right thing if you were under the weather. When you're recovering from a nasty cold, you won't feel your normal self on the bike (I was like that over the Easter weekend, but fortunately had recovered in time for yesterday).
Last year I ended up doing the shorter route of The Legbreaker Challenge, and my mates (who did the longer one) really took the mickey out of me (and still mention it now!). But I know that for me it was the right thing to do on the day, because (for whatever reasons) I didn't feel up for it.
It's true what Skinsey said about the mental side of these long rides though. I'm hardly an expert (last year was the first year I did any sportives and I'd only been cycling a year at that point), but I know that the more I do, the more confident I feel. In the first few that I did, I always had a psychological panic mid-way that I would not be able to make it or keep up with my friends. I'm getting over that now because I've done enough to know I can make it and that even if it hurts early on (or midway, or whenever) as long as I don't go mad and overdo it, I can sustain it to the end.
So don't beat yourself up for not over-doing it when you were ill. Just look forward to the next one and do plenty of them before the etape so that you are confident in your abilities on the day.0 -
How did you do on the shorter route Poppette? It's still a long ride the short route.0
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trio25 wrote:How did you do on the shorter route Poppette? It's still a long ride the short route.
4.31
Why do big rides make me lose my flipping brain? I did quite a few things different to my normal training rides - I chose a new clothing combo which had me either too hot or too cold (I must have stopped about 6 times to change my jacket), I didn't make sandwiches expecting them to be at the food stop and then had to make do with the cup cakes (very nice but would have prefered a sandwich), I usually take small bites and sips along the way but didn't do either until over an hour in, I wore a new helmet too. Why don't I bloody learn? I once raised my saddle height quite radically before an event and suffered for weeks afterwards. What is it that makes me lose my head before a sportive?
I guess it's all part of the learning experience - I won't do it next time. :?0 -
I didn't overtake one single person, apart from the dad with his little girl and a few old people on their shopping bikes (not part of the event of course). That was the highest standard of event I've ever been on - you lot were flying along
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I think you were riding faster than me! From your finishing time.
I overtook the guy with the little girl as well, I was very impressed! I couldn't have cycled that far at that age!
Anyone know when the official results will be up, I know how long I was riding for but not my actual time.
Don't know what it is Poppette, I learnt the lesson about changing things at a mountain bike event last year, so yesterday I brought my usal foods etc.0 -
Results are up:
http://www.kilotogo.com/cat08results.htm
Not overly conclusive though given how many went off course on the long route!0 -
The route uses a lot of the Cheshire Cycleway.
I guess this makes sense, someone else has already done the legwork and the hazard assessment will be easier.
The Cycleway is intended as a meandering, quiet-road touring route, it will have a lot of twists and turns.
It avoids major roads but has to cross a lot of them - but this is a sportive in Cheshire/Staffs in March, it shouldn't be compared to one in rural Wales or Cumberland in the height of Summer - the March weather here is less likely to kill you from exposure, but the downside is there's a lot more towns, a lot more traffic, and the route will have to handle that
Being a local from flat&leafy Cheshire myself, I think it's a pretty decent route.
It's not brilliant around Newcastle, but they have to get to Mow Cop somehow.
But I was very disappointed with the warning signs for traffic, seemed just to be one 'Cycle Event' sign each way, about 50yds from the junction, on the A556 and similar on the A49.
Need double or triple signs, a bigger distance out, for drivers doing 80 on a dual carriageway, I think...
And if I remember correctly, there were complaints of signs going missing and many riders getting lost, having to ask for directions, etc last year too.
There were just too few direction signs for me - they only seemed to put them out if you were meant to turn off the straight route, which meant that sometimes you'd sail on past several straight-on junctions, hoping you were on the right route, until eventually you hit one where you were supposed to turn and it was signed again.
Most other events I've done have been better signed, signs before, at, and after junctions
And no food at the finish, just a queue waiting for the tea urn to heat up ? Can't say I was too impressed with that.0 -
I couldnt fault the direction signs really - there were plenty of them and we didnt go off course at all.0
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I really wasn't impressed with the signing, as said above there were several stretches with no signs for ages. I've only done two other events but they were better signed and had more marshalls.0
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The thing I noticed when passing people is how much kit they were wearing. I saw people fully Assos"ed" up and I was comfortable in a ss jersey / arm warmers (well bib shorts as well with knee warmers).
Way too much kit!Paul0 -
PJM - I'd prepared for the worst after the weather we'd had lately - so Rapha jacket and longs for me. Whilst I was riding the hail was bouncing down just 35 miles or so away.
After decades of cycling I know its better to be too warm rather than too cold.0 -
pjm-84 wrote:The thing I noticed when passing people is how much kit they were wearing. I saw people fully Assos"ed" up and I was comfortable in a ss jersey / arm warmers (well bib shorts as well with knee warmers).
Way too much kit!
did you do the short course? Someone with arm warmers and jersey passed me on the short course - I shivvered for them.....brrrrrrrrrrr0 -
popette wrote:I didn't overtake one single person, apart from the dad with his little girl and a few old people on their shopping bikes (not part of the event of course). That was the highest standard of event I've ever been on - you lot were flying along
Wife and I got around the short route in 4.26 so must have been at about the same pace as you and found that we were faster than all people on touring bikes but couldn't hold onto the serious people, So we spend most of the day on our own. Good fun though and it helped that we knew all the hills around Delemere and Kelsall too.
Given the number of people who got lost we were both amused by all the people who clearly have a serious amount of money to spend on their hobby, and would rather spend £800 (or whatever) on a pair of Zipps so they get around 30 seconds faster than £150 on a cheap Garmin so they don't get lost. While I'd love a pair of Zipps or a full set of Assos kit or whatever, I think not ending up in Macclesfield by mistake would make my day nicer than either of those two things.0 -
So who of you lot made it into the video nasty then?
http://www.cyclosport.org/video.aspx0 -
That was my first ever sportive, and it will NOT be my last. I enjoyed it once i had finished the short route. I thought my training was OK, but my group shot off up the road and i was blown off the back after two miles. 6 miles in the group 2 minutes behind me caught me, and i couldnt get on the back of those guys either. So i rode my own ride.
I was never ever built as a climber, even in my youth, and the hills clobbered me. I had to walk up the last part of the hill coming out of Delamere Forest. I have only ever trained up to 50 miles before, and the last ten miles i had nothing in my tank. I shoved all my gells down, drinks, cup cakes, bananas, just nothing left.
Finished in 4:43, so was quite pleased.
Next deed is the Lakeland Loop on the new Felt bike from C+, so that should be an experience and baptism of fire for the red devil.
The short route signs were thankfully all in place, and i thought it was well managed, but then i havent anything to compare to.Just a fat bloke on a bike0 -
OllyBianchi wrote:Given the number of people who got lost we were both amused by all the people who clearly have a serious amount of money to spend on their hobby, and would rather spend £800 (or whatever) on a pair of Zipps so they get around 30 seconds faster than £150 on a cheap Garmin so they don't get lost. While I'd love a pair of Zipps or a full set of Assos kit or whatever, I think not ending up in Macclesfield by mistake would make my day nicer than either of those two things.
Alternatively they could have entered an audax for a fiver if they had known they'd need to navigate their own way back !
it's a hard life if you don't weaken.0 -
In fairness to the organisers, some joker had removed the signs. They were trying to put new ones on as I passed. Otherwise, a great day.
I went with shorts. Good choice in the end.
Only made it as far as the pub on Mow Cop (way too steep), but was happy with 6:39 overall.0 -
I too enjoyed the ride. I thought the route worked well given the terrain / location and missing signs aside (I think I may have been with Skinsey's group that added 3 miles), I thought the event was pretty well organised. I would prefer the before / at / after junction policy for signage though...there were a few reminders after the split that you were on the long route which were useful.
Some more options for post ride snacks would be welcome as well.
Pretty pleased with the way I went given the time of year - made it up Mow Cop and enjoyed a fast run back from the last feed. Eventually come in 15 mins below my target time, which I am happy with
I went fully "Assos'd" up and it worked for me - I hate beeing too cold. Each to their own.
Same for nice bikes / expensive wheels - its their money, their choice.
I would do it again next year at this time of year
Rich0
