Harp hilly hundered on the 27th Jan

cookiemonster
cookiemonster Posts: 668
edited January 2008 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
Hi

Anyone doing this next weekend: http://www.hemelcycling.org.uk/content.aspx?PageId=79 ?

I havent done a sportive before, and just about killed myself doing 50 miles today in the wind, but if the weathers ok then it would be interesting....

Comments

  • APIII
    APIII Posts: 2,010
    Hi,
    I'm thinking about it!
    If the weather's ok then I'll be up for it.
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    I shall be there again this year...............and remember............it's not called the Harp Hilly for nothing. :wink:

    Get there by 8.15am if you actually want to park in the car park at the club house - gets full pretty quick.

    PS this event is NOT a sportif - it's a reliability ride.......more like an audax - the route is not marked (at least for the Harp event - some others in the same series are though) and you get a map to follow at the start, although if you know the area, it's fairly straight-forward
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • oldwelshman
    oldwelshman Posts: 4,733
    Come on Bronzie, give me a call and ride down with me :D
    Providing the weather is ok I will be there, Jim also and several others from Hemel and Spirit.
    I am going well on the track but pants on the road so will be training ride for me.
    Going out on my hack bike after seeing some of the handling and road skills on show last year :D
    http://s290.photobucket.com/albums/ll245/oldwelshman/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aK5Bfqj5fxY
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    oldwelshman wrote:
    Come on Bronzie, give me a call and ride down with me :D
    That'd be a 120-mile ride for me, so a bit ambitious for January so I'll drive down I think.

    Jim rode on our club run Saturday - great to catch up with him. He also got to meet another guy who rides with us and the last time they met, they were both eating tarmac at Hillingdon last April! Strangely, last time I saw Jim, I was doing the same at the Dragon ride. :roll: I he a jinx? :wink:

    See you down there Welshie and we'll catch up then.
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • cookiemonster
    cookiemonster Posts: 668
    Hi

    I should be there assuming the weather holds - im too much of a wuss to do this in the rain :-)

    Couple of questions though; I assume its open to non-members? (there's nothing about restricted to members on the web site but want to check)

    And second.... How bad is it? Am I going to regret it?

    I'm fairly new to this business - I've done a few 60 miles rides just going to and lapping richmond park six or seven times. I'm reasonably fit (can do 3 laps of the park in under an hour), but the "hilly" in hilly hundred scares me.

    Is it a mistake to use this as a first organized event?

    cheers

    jon
  • Bronzie
    Bronzie Posts: 4,927
    cookiemonster wrote:
    I assume its open to non-members?
    Yes, anyone can ride - just turn up in good time and pay the entry fee. Don't think there is a maximum rider number, but not sure how they'll cope if 200+ riders turn up. Could be a bit of a bunfight.
    cookiemonster wrote:
    And second.... How bad is it? Am I going to regret it?
    The Harp Hilly does use a pretty lumpy route - other events in the series are less hilly (Edgware event is the flattest I think, but I've never ridden it).

    Major climbs on the Harp Hilly:
    Bovingdon - long steady climb
    Chesham - a bit steeper but not too bad
    Northchurch - another long steady one
    Bison Hill - 1 in 5 grind but thankfully short
    Dunstable Downs - another long steady one
    Aston Hill - pretty steep and seems to last forever - hardest climb on the route
    Ivinghoe Beacon - another long steady climb but your legs may be hurting by now!
    Berkhamsted - again, long and steady
    White Hill - the sting in the tail! 25% in places but fairly short.

    There's a route map (of sorts) here:
    http://www.cyclosport.org/article.aspx? ... e=unsecure

    You could always set out to do the 60 miler and do the short cut if your legs don't feel up to it during the ride.

    How hilly is Richmond Park? :wink:
    It's a Lifestyle! -+-+- Coggan Training Levels
  • cookiemonster
    cookiemonster Posts: 668
    Hi Bronzie,

    Thanks for that; yep i'll register for the 60 miles, take it easy and if it comes to it bail out early.

    Richmond park is a funny place. Its entirely flat on the first lap, by the third a couple of hill appear, and by the sixth you're in first with a cadence of 10.... :)

    jon
  • jimmoffatt
    jimmoffatt Posts: 57
    Cookiemonster.

    You had better fit a compact for Aston then :wink:

    Jim
  • cookiemonster
    cookiemonster Posts: 668
    Scary thing is i've got a compact. 34/27 and im still struggling.

    damn, im going to be going home in an ambulance on sunday....

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