easyish ride in 2009?

feel

Hi can anyone recommend a relatively easy ride to aim for in 2009? Asked a while back and as a result did the cat and fiddle challenge. This time i'm looking for something a little longer - maybe 70 to 100 miles but maybe a bit (read as "a lot") flatter. I'm sure i saw something called the "spires and shires"? or something similar around northants earlier in the year, but although i have done a few searches but i can't find it in 2009. Anyone know this event or anything similar i could go for?

popette

hiya,
The Manchester 100 is largely flat - it's usually in september and is run by bike events but it's not listed on their website yet though
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Ma ... miles37930

shuckburgh

I think this may be the ride you mean.

http://www.justracinguk.com/files/2009% ... tion_3.pdf

I've been down all week with flu so took the opportunity to begin organising my 2009 programme. The route for this looks great - lovely countyside and mostly flat to rolling. I would have liked to do the ride, particularly as it follows roads I regularly ride along (it actually passes my house, but as it's my other halfs birthday I suspect I will have to content myself with simply waving as you all ride past.

attica

You could always give the Bristol to London charity ride a go (Action Medical Research I think).

It's the flatest 100 I've ever done although it's not timed.

feel

shuckburgh wrote:

I think this may be the ride you mean.

http://www.justracinguk.com/files/2009% ... tion_3.pdf

.

I think that is the one i saw.
Only one small doubt is the organiser is just racing -Is it a race? Will a 50+ year old rider working hard to average 15mph be out of place amongst loads of superfit 20 and 30 year olds all racing around at an average 20+mph :oops: ?

thanks for the other suggestions as well folks - keep them coming please

shuckburgh

I think like all Sportives there will be some with a competitive element, but from what I could see it was a well organised Sportive ride - not a race. The junctions were all signed. At about third distance (where I live) there was a large group riding together at the front and then others spread out behind. As with all of these sorts of events there was a real cross section of cyclists - some serious club riders who will have been averaging 18mph+ right through to the real leisure rider just pottering along at their own pace on tourers and mountain bikes. I wouldn't be put off by the use of the term race.

If you are looking for something more gentle try the Cotswold Challange Audax starting from Meriden. More details here.
http://www.southernwheelers.org.uk/inde ... &categid=4

Mettan

feel wrote:

Hi can anyone recommend a relatively easy ride to aim for in 2009? Asked a while back and as a result did the cat and fiddle challenge. This time i'm looking for something a little longer - maybe 70 to 100 miles but maybe a bit (read as "a lot") flatter. I'm sure i saw something called the "spires and shires"? or something similar around northants earlier in the year, but although i have done a few searches but i can't find it in 2009. Anyone know this event or anything similar i could go for?

I'd second the Manchester 100 - it's 102 miles with around 3000 ft of climbing, (spread rather gently throughout the 102......). I did it this year, thoroughly enjoyed it. Good charity, Ok roads, great marshalls and signing, literally thousands of riders, good atmosphere throughout - if you want to do a sub-6 hour 100, then this ride could for you.

feel

Hi Shuckburgh thanks for the extra info and the 2nd link looks interesting too. How cool would that be 78 miles one week and a 100 a fortnight later :shock:

feel

Mettan wrote:

if you want to do a sub-6 hour 100, then this ride could for you.

Sub 7 hour might be closer to the mark, mind if i get the first two done in May who knows what i could do by september

sicrow

Theres also Manchester Blackpool in the summer its 65 ish miles and flat all the way maybe thats an option

Mettan

And there's also the Norwich 100 - again, a charity ride like the Manchester 100 - sounds reasonably comfortable - Here's a review from a couple of Tandem guys:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/ar ... ture.shtml

It'll probably be up on Bike-Events soon - their 2009 calendar's a bit sparse at the mo.

feel

Mettan wrote:

And there's also the Norwich 100 - again, a charity ride like the Manchester 100 - sounds reasonably comfortable - Here's a review from a couple of Tandem guys:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/ar ... ture.shtml

It'll probably be up on Bike-Events soon - their 2009 calendar's a bit sparse at the mo.

Looks good too - i'll be a skinny stick if i do all these

feel

sicrow wrote:

Theres also Manchester Blackpool in the summer its 65 ish miles and flat all the way maybe thats an option

Is that a round trip or a one way?

fluff.

Manchester and Blackpool are around 60 miles apart, so take a wild guess

pneumatic

Etape Caledonia might be an option. Closed roads, mostly flat with one stiff but relatively short climb (Shiehallion) and a few lumps at the end. Also, it has beautiful scenery.