Lingfield Douglas Bader Foundation ride
homercles
Posts: 499
Just wanted to say well done to all of the people who took part in the Douglas Bader Foundation rides at the weekend, be it 16m, 35m or 70m. And well done to the organisers, esp Kiera who was organiser-in-chief.
Douglas Bader Foundation
A cracking day, beautiful weather and a really great route...
70 mile route
This was my first 'sportive' and it was great to see such a friendly bunch of people at the event, from seasoned riders with all the gear through amputees, tri-trainers and fun riders.
I had a crack at the 70 miler, a bit beyond my usual 40-50 mile weekend efforts but well within range I felt. A really enjoyable (and exhausting) day, and a good indicator of where my cycling is at too – I was particularly pleased to get some compliments on my efforts on the bike from some of the more serious riders. I think I was 'King of The Mountains' in our little group of 7/8, so maybe one day a polka dot jersey is not entirely beyond me! 8)
Also great fun to do some proper group riding, taking turns off the front etc here and there.
All felt quite ‘mini-stage’ like, and some good camaraderie which was great. The weather was just a welcome bonus – glad most of the work was done before it got too hot.
I've managed to nearly wear through my tyres in the process (they were on their last legs) so have treated myself to some Pro 3s (from Shavedlegs - great price!) for my forthcoming cracks at Tourmalet, Ventoux and AdH this summer, feeling that bit more confident!
Hopefully the event raised some decent money to help the foundation, and hopefully it'll be even bigger next year.
Douglas Bader Foundation
A cracking day, beautiful weather and a really great route...
70 mile route
This was my first 'sportive' and it was great to see such a friendly bunch of people at the event, from seasoned riders with all the gear through amputees, tri-trainers and fun riders.
I had a crack at the 70 miler, a bit beyond my usual 40-50 mile weekend efforts but well within range I felt. A really enjoyable (and exhausting) day, and a good indicator of where my cycling is at too – I was particularly pleased to get some compliments on my efforts on the bike from some of the more serious riders. I think I was 'King of The Mountains' in our little group of 7/8, so maybe one day a polka dot jersey is not entirely beyond me! 8)
Also great fun to do some proper group riding, taking turns off the front etc here and there.
All felt quite ‘mini-stage’ like, and some good camaraderie which was great. The weather was just a welcome bonus – glad most of the work was done before it got too hot.
I've managed to nearly wear through my tyres in the process (they were on their last legs) so have treated myself to some Pro 3s (from Shavedlegs - great price!) for my forthcoming cracks at Tourmalet, Ventoux and AdH this summer, feeling that bit more confident!
Hopefully the event raised some decent money to help the foundation, and hopefully it'll be even bigger next year.
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