Is anyone doing the Spires and Shires?
MegaCycle
Posts: 236
I am doing the Spires ansd Shires in Northants on Sunday 11th May.
Anyone else? Any idea where I can find a course file for my Edge 705?
Anyone else? Any idea where I can find a course file for my Edge 705?
0
Comments
-
Hi,
I'm doing it too. Have you received anything from the organisers with more details of the route, feed stations, etc as I've had nothing.0 -
I'm going!
Not had anything wither but have printed off the route info from the site. Not the best information, but we will see what we get on the day!
See you there!
Ed0 -
Actually it's called "Spires and Squires" sorry.
I'm "doing the Duchess" fnar fnar (always did have a thing about posh birds)0 -
Yep, I'm in for the 80 miler. Hopefully easier than the 80m Kirkless sportive that I did last week. I have not received anythnig but have seen my name on the list of entries so that should be ok.
DM0 -
We seem to have a similar sportive calendar Mr Millar!
Was it you sheltering under the people carrier boot before the Kirklees having driven up from down south? I think I parked opposite you in my White Eastern European Rot Box!0 -
gumball3000 wrote:We seem to have a similar sportive calendar Mr Millar!
Was it you sheltering under the people carrier boot before the Kirklees having driven up from down south? I think I parked opposite you in my White Eastern European Rot Box!
Possibly, if it was a green Disco and I was wearing a blue jacket with a white waterproof over. Stuffing fig roles down me as if they were going out of fashion (hang on, they ar egoing out of fashion!!!)
I had my blue Trek lent against the fence in the central reservation.
Ringing any bells????
Next you'll be telling me that you're doing Pain in the Pennines !!!
David0 -
I'm doing it - not had anything other than email confirmation either.
Anyone want to get a group together to work for a fast time (as close to 4hrs as poss)???0 -
ok stumpy paul.
I shall be riding a Roubaix and wearing Quick Step team kit. I am staying in Naseby the night before. Let me know0 -
I have just entered this.
I was wondering, is anyone either driving near Coventry or down the M6? if so, could I be super cheeky and grab a ride?
will hard taking long pulls until my legs go (so not very long then given my current form!!) in return and/or petrol money.
Would ride, but shortest route according to G.Maps is 29 miles.
cheers,
Peter0 -
I used the directions on the Just Racing web site to map out the course on Tracklogs and have then uploaded on to my 305 and I tried out part of the route 2 weeks ago with a friiend who's also entered. We were going to do the whole route but decided to cut it short due to the weather. One thing I found out is the 305 was confused in Stanford on Avon when we started to do the loop around Stanford Hall as it told me I was off course when doing the first part of the loop (the route crosses over itself on the way back from Stanford Hall) but all wasy fine when we went back through Stanford on Avon for the second time.
I can email Tthe GPX file Tracklogs can make if anyom'es interested (Tracklogs only makes crs files as it uploads to the Garmin)
As for doing the course in 4 hrs, I'll be very happy doing it in 4 hr 30min. With feed stops and this being my first sportive of the year I'm more likely to do it in about 4hr 40mins0 -
I'm doing it too. If you go to this link you can view the current entry list. It looks as if your "race" numbers, maps, emergency phone numbers etc are all handed to you during the registration process on the morning itself, which all riders have to do between 08.00 and 09.30.
See you all there!
http://www.justracinguk.com/event.asp?EID=29___________________________________________
Titanium Bertoletti0 -
Sounds good megacycle. I shall be driving down in the morning - aiming to get there 0830 - then set off c. 0915 so there will be one or two groups to chase...........
Wearing VC Lincoln kit and riding a (lovely) celeste carbon Bianchi.
Any more takers for the group??0 -
cyclingvet - that would be great if you could email me the .gpx file. thanks
sc_taylor@hotmail.com
Then of course, I have to figure out how toactually load it into my 705 and actually use then damn thing for what it's meant for!0 -
Just put this in bikely myself.
help yourself.
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Sp ... losportive0 -
I've emailed megacycle the gpx. I've no idea how you can then upload it to the Garmin 705 but I'm fairly certain that there are utilities that convert gpx to crs files and there's loads of stuff on Garmins on the motionbased forums.
http://forums.motionbased.com/smf/index.php0 -
Ok, getting excited now.
Just about to watch a DVD with the family but not sure I'll be able to concentrate.
weather forcast is good, if a little on the hot side !!!!
See you all tomorrow - can't wait - no sleep for me tonight.
David0 -
see y'all tomorrow.
May drop down to the 50 as I'm riding there and not feeling like doing 140 miles..0 -
stumpy paul wrote:Sounds good megacycle. I shall be driving down in the morning - aiming to get there 0830 - then set off c. 0915 so there will be one or two groups to chase...........
Wearing VC Lincoln kit and riding a (lovely) celeste carbon Bianchi.
Any more takers for the group??
ah that sounds a familiar description. I was the guy riding with you for the first 40ish miles.
Was nice chatting to you, sorry my legs just blew on that first non-easy climb trying to keep up with you.. I need to shed some kgs
Did you get 4hrs?
The middle bit was a complete disaster for me, then I got it back together after a sugar injection and started passing people on the last few climbs in the hot sun, it was hard though. Can't remember exactly what time we left but I think I was around 4:40, incl. approx 10-15 mins at the second feed stop. It was a long ride home.
edit: MegaCycle were you other guy to set off at the same time as us?0 -
yep - that was me. On the Roubaix. You guys were too good for me! Managed to finish in 5h tho, which given it was my first sportive I am not toooo unhappy with. The last climb was a bastard!0
-
yep - that was me. On the Roubaix. You guys were too good for me! Managed to finish in 5h tho, which given it was my first sportive I am not toooo unhappy with. The last climb was a bastard!
I think we were probably about the same level, I just got a bit excited at the start and went too hard. Stumpy Paul was the quickest climber I saw all day. When we hit the hills ~10 miles after the first feed stop I was toast. Well done on your first sportive, I reckon 5h - feed stops is a decent average speed, especially for the latter part of the course (and I guess the heat took you by surprise, as it did me). It was my first sportive too (though I've done some mtb enduros) and I'd have been happy with 5h. Whatever my final time, I slightly regret blowing up on the hill though, schoolboy error.
Agreed about the last climb, in the midday sun.
I actually persuaded my parents to pick me up from the end of the M6 in the end.. the "long ride home" wasn't that long really
still got 120 miles in today.[/quote] 0 -
Did the ride today (short version) and was having a really good day. Until I came to a T-junction with no sign and went the wrong way! So ended up adding at least half an hour to my time. Went from 8th place to about 50th.
Otherwise it was a really great day. First ride of the year in the sunshine for me!
ww.action.org.uk/colinlynch0 -
Our group set off at 8.32 and I amazed myself with the best average speed ever (19.2) in a Sportive (this is my 4th) Thinking I would do it in 4.5 to 4.75 hours I did it in 4 hrs 6 minutes.
The last 20 miles were a bit of a grind though--compact chainset and a 11-28 (don't laugh!) cassette helped. Any of you guys in the group I set off with?
I was on an Enigma Titanium bike.
The sign posting was much larger than on the Kilotogo sportives I entered last year so I didn't need the Garmin much at all.
The next one I'm entered in is The Wyre Forest Stinger which looks much more difficult than this one :?0 -
Sounds like you all had a good day, if a little hot.
Just got back from fighting round the Fred Whitton myself, very burnt.
Hopefully theres room for another Sportive in a similar area.
This ones run by me along with Rockingham Forest Wheelers Cycling club so give it a look.
http://www.rockinghamforest.org.uk/rocko_roller.html
Cheers0 -
Will there be a gpx file for the route available?0
-
There sure will, I'm a Garmin edge fan, so all the files will eventually be available GPX, course, history files, all will be covered as required.0
-
Hi Pete - yes that was me. Thanks for the company in the first half, a pleasure to meet you (this is one of the great things about sportives vs races) - and thanks for the compliment!
I was on for a few mins over 4hrs until the last 10 miles when the effect of doing so much work / timetrialling on my own took their toll and I just couldn't keep any momentum into the wind which seemed to have risen. The climbing was still fine on those last hills - but I struggle into the wind anyway and at the end of all that I ended up with 4.23 (4.15 on my computer so the rest was junctions / refills I suppose). See other posters but the answer is to get into a bigger group to do less overall work. Next time..........
I thought you did really well with not much road riding, a bit more experience of longer rides and you'll be flying - hopefully you'll be around at a few more sportives (the Wyre Forest one might be near for you). Good luck with the Trans Rockies race.
Paul0 -
Hi cyclingvet,
I was in your group - I was the one going backwards on the hills on the Giant TCR and wearing a red jersey. Really enjoyed the event and will definitely do it again next year.0 -
Hi sward29 or is it Scott Ward , who got a time of 4 hrs and 9 minutes? Yes, it was a good group we set of with (not too fast or too slow) although after about 55 miles it started to split up a bit. Three of us from that group somehow managed to get ahead from the main group up a hill (I can thank my compact and choice of cassette- which I orginally got to help up some really steep hills in the Wyre Forest Stinger and The Ryedale Rumble later this summer) and I unwittingly got ahead of those two on the last climb before the finish
I found that I was often getting to the tops of hills first ( I probably try a lot harder as I'm shit scared of being left behind!) ony to have a whole mass of people wizz past me after 100 yards or so after the top!
It was a fantastic day and was very well run by JustRacing. I hope they do it again next year.
Cyclingvet (David Bentley)0 -
stumpy paul wrote:Hi Pete - yes that was me. Thanks for the company in the first half, a pleasure to meet you (this is one of the great things about sportives vs races) - and thanks for the compliment!
I was on for a few mins over 4hrs until the last 10 miles when the effect of doing so much work / timetrialling on my own took their toll and I just couldn't keep any momentum into the wind which seemed to have risen. The climbing was still fine on those last hills - but I struggle into the wind anyway and at the end of all that I ended up with 4.23 (4.15 on my computer so the rest was junctions / refills I suppose). See other posters but the answer is to get into a bigger group to do less overall work. Next time..........
I thought you did really well with not much road riding, a bit more experience of longer rides and you'll be flying - hopefully you'll be around at a few more sportives (the Wyre Forest one might be near for you). Good luck with the Trans Rockies race.
Paul
cheers Paul, thanks for the encouragement and wishing me luck in the TR... I need it! Or, rather I need to keep up the semi-serious riding as my partner in crime is quite a bit quicker than me. I'll keep an eye out for sportifs and look forward to running into you again, perhaps I can keep up for the whole ride and even do my fair share of the work
Yep overall it was a good learning experience.
I can't make the Wyre Forest stinger unfortunately - the up side is that I'm at a series of lectures in St-Flour, Massif Central. Annoyingly, the logistics of getting to Bourg-d'Oisans with bike mean I can't have a bash at La Marmotte, but I've got some pretty epic rides planned (I didn't realise it was such a diverse area; volcanoes, gorges etc, I should get some good photos).
Cyclingvet: that isn't hanging around... I'm not laughing about the 11-28 cassette - good choice. I had 12-25 and 36-50 chain rings, though could have done with a bit more at the end.
Numplumz: 3950m for the Fred puts things in perspective!0 -
cheers Paul, thanks for the encouragement and wishing me luck in the TR... I need it! Or, rather I need to keep up the semi-serious riding as my partner in crime is quite a bit quicker than me.
Numplumz: 3950m for the Fred puts things in perspective!
Did the TransRockies two years ago, you'll need all the climbing training you can get before going there, I'd recommend doing the Dragon or as many very hilly rides as you can fit in.
And suprisingly Sundays weather would have been good training for the Rockies too.0
