24 hours of Le Mans

jp1985

http://www.24heuresvelo.fr

Considering doing this solo. Has anyone got any experience of 24 hour events? good bad tips/recommendatioins?

Thanks in advance for any comments

Joe

nwallace

No 24hrs experience, but it's only the Bugatti Circuit :-(

Rad am Ring on the Nordscheilf however...
http://www.nuerburgring.de/Bike-Run-the-Ring.356.0.html

Gavin Gilbert

I was sent the link and mulled it over. It's bloody expensive for a start, add travel and accomodation and unless the exchange rate improves you're looking at £400 for a single event, whereas you can ride the Mersey Roads 24 TT for about £40 and your petrol money

Come to think of it you can amble around a 400km Audax for £5 and your cake money.

The other factor I was worried about was being driven stark raving mad by spending so long lapping a single circuit. When I rode the Mersey 24 in 2006 it was that boredom that got to me long before my knees gave out, and that has 2 circuits.

stage_fright

Race circuits are great to ride tho - very smooth etc - but the Bugatti is a dull one, lots of constant radius corners and huge gravel traps, 4.1 km round. Only climb would be up to the Dunlop bridge once a lap, then down the other side, so pretty flat and quick, but very boring for 24-hours!

The Nurburgring would be much more fun - longer lap (13 miles or longer if you use the F1 circuit?), more variety etc.

nwallace

Had a bike with me at Knockhill's classic speefair last year, took it out on the track, Jeans Polo Shirt, No Lid, Ralleigh Mantis with medium width 26" wheels, no speedo. I think I hit the maximum speed for the tyres about 10m into the dip, didn't need to pedal again until Clarks. Meant to take my road bike up for this years classic speedfair but didn't bother, didn't even stay for the Sunday.

stage_fright

I rode Knockhill many years ago on the Saturday of a BTCC meeting - yup, from Duffus ( is it still called that?) to Clark was pretty much coasting. One of the drivers who was with us commented on how much more information he got on gradient changes on a bike.

Thruxton is good, Brands GP another fun one, while Croft is pretty flat and quick. Oulton park is a fave tho - ride the full circuit and you get lots of elevation changes.

stage_fright

I rode Knockhill many years ago on the Saturday of a BTCC meeting - yup, from Duffus ( is it still called that?) to Clark was pretty much coasting. One of the drivers who was with us commented on how much more information he got on gradient changes on a bike.

Thruxton is good, Brands GP another fun one, while Croft is pretty flat and quick. Oulton park is a fave tho - ride the full circuit and you get lots of elevation changes.