Cheshire Cat preparation

Higs

Was out and about yesterday and:
1) Ewrin Lane (Dead Man's Hill) has been re-surfaced. Well the worst bit has, anyway. There are still potholes on the bottom bit but there's a clean line unless you're racing up it 8 abreast.
2) I took it very gingerly down to Lamaload where 'Napoleon' crashed.

tim000

i know that road well ,going through macc forest. lots of cars parked along here . be very carefull as people tend to walk put into the road without looking . also if its been raining the road turns into a river .

popette

nerves setting in here as well. I'm not even thinking about everyone else on the course and the possibility of accidents. I'm just not sure about the prospect of 102 miles! It is going to take huge will power to make the turn off for the 102 rather than stay on course for 66. I think I'm going to be a long time cycling on that day so I don't expect many people to be cycling around me by the time I'm at Macc.

I think we need a group hug!

cougie

Blimey - that sounds a nasty break. Sorry to hear about it - and hope you heal well.

I'm sure the organisers will sign the route for the dodgy bits, and I'll be taking it very very easy through there !

McBain_v1

Don't panic Popette, I will almost certainly be at the back of the bunch on the big day. My time for 86 miles was a truly pathetic 6hrs 27mins and so I think it is safe to say that I will be in the 8-10 hour category for the Cheshire Cat :oops:

I'm not liking the information about these descents. I confidently predict that I am going to ablate a massive amount of rubber off my Dura-Ace stoppers :!: If it rains, I will be walking down some of the hills as well as up them :shock:

I'm still a bit fuzzy on whether you can turn up on the Saturday beforehand to collect all your race stuff and pre-register. Do we get given a transponder :?: If so, how does it affix to your bike :?:

howiejmidlands

You could turn up last year on the Saturday for your registration pack of stickers and tansponder. It is dead easy to attach, you just hook it over the front skewer as the front wheel is locked into place.
I imagine they will allow a Saturday registration as there are over 1600 riders this year.
I was going to use my nice and skinny Schwalbe tyres, but i think i will put my training wheels and 25mm tractor tyres on for a bit more grip.
Popette i will be trudging around slowly, and after Sundays escapade i expect you will still be back fed and watered before i finish.

redddraggon

Did we do the descent into Lamaload on the day I crashed?

Anonymous

yes we did that descent, but you crashed on the descent to adlington!

my off looked very similar to beloki's in the tour de france, although the rider was chubbier and wore glasses for mine!

i stood up for the first time today, the first time i've moved since friday lunchtime. i was rather proud of myself

karen, i simply refuse to allow you to do the 66 mile route. you will do the full hit and you will like it!

i agree with what dan says about the state of other people's bikes though, the road traffic act actually makes this an offence for cars. i'd hate to be taken out because of someone's neglige. (oops, sorry, got nurses on the mind!)

i'm very jealous of you all doing it, i look forward to hearing the reports.

if anyone knows anyone who couldn't get on and wants my spot, let me know.

alex

steve_pushbiker

Does anyone know whether it is possible to swap and do the 102 instead of the 60-odd miler? I signed up for the short one thinking that it was too early in the season to be doing a century but am now wishing I was going for the longer route.

singlespeedexplosif

I can't see the point in the 66 mile one anyway, it misses all the 'free' miles at the beginning.

andy_wrx

Alex - when we went out the other Sunday last month, I braked plenty early down that descent to Lamaload cos I'd scared myself on my Winter tyres there a month or so earlier.

Someone shot by me, came over afterwards and said that by the time they got round to braking they had no traction, almost locked-up front and rear, weren't slowing down and that's why they'd flown past me - they'd had to swerve round me and then only just made it around the bend at the bottom.

I can't remember who it was - wasn't you was it, practicing for your off ? :shock:


Swapped to Summer bike and Summer tyres his weekend - what an improvement !

But still I'll be cautious at Lamaload (although perhaps not down Blaze Hill... :twisted: )

ledburyloafer

cougie wrote:

Blimey - that sounds a nasty break. Sorry to hear about it - and hope you heal well.

I'm sure the organisers will sign the route for the dodgy bits, and I'll be taking it very very easy through there !

don't bank on it, one thing that kilotogo have not been good on in the past is signing the route, and that has nothing to do with farmers pinching the signs as happened last year!

lfcquin

Hi Alex,

Sorry to here about your accident. I am truly gutted for you. There you go convincing me to join the Macc Wheelers, I go and do it and now I won't see you for ages! Get well soon mate and I look forward to seeing you on a club run soon.

Anonymous

steve_pushbiker wrote:

Does anyone know whether it is possible to swap and do the 102 instead of the 60-odd miler? I signed up for the short one thinking that it was too early in the season to be doing a century but am now wishing I was going for the longer route.

see if you can have my 102 mile place...

andy, not sure if it was me but sounds likely.

lfcquin - sorry 'bout dat! i'm sure you'll have some good rides anyhoo, try the wednesday night training ride.

alex

McBain_v1

I'm sh*ttin' bricks now

Higs

McBain_v1 wrote:

I'm sh*ttin' bricks now

I hope people aren't getting too worried about this.

Now I'm not doing it but...
of the 102 miles quite a few are 'Cheshire' miles not 'Peak District' miles

and while there are some testing bits (including the bit where Alex crashed and hurt himself) we're not talking about the North face of the Eiger.

Enjoy yourself people - it's supposed to be fun.

Anonymous

indeed - dan (spanielsson) and i were doing all the hills starting from mow cop last friday.

mow cop was tough because it was only 9 miles into the ride but after that the legs woke up nicely. when i crashed we had finished standing stone (which really has been made easier at the very top due to resurfacing) and legs were feeling fine. i was actually feeling a lot more confident at the time.

don't worry, don't go out to fast and it'll be a blast. gutted i'm missing it.

cougie

Yeah - will be fine - just pace yourselves and keep eating ! Sorted !

McBain_v1

Thank you people I'm going to bring about 6 energy bars and some energy powders as well as making sure I fuel up at the mandatory stops. Since I haven't mastered the art of pootling along with no hands on the bars I will be stopping to dig out and consume an energy bar, and then getting back on the bike (gradients permitting of course).

popette

McBain_v1 wrote:

Thank you people I'm going to bring about 6 energy bars and some energy powders as well as making sure I fuel up at the mandatory stops. Since I haven't mastered the art of pootling along with no hands on the bars I will be stopping to dig out and consume an energy bar, and then getting back on the bike (gradients permitting of course).

Mcbain, Joe gave me a tip which I followed to good effect at the weekend. Get your energy bar and cut it up into bite size chunks with a pair of scissors. I have tried it with go bars and clif bars and they both stay in shape without crumbling to a million pieces. Put pieces in a sandwich bag and then dip into the bag when you want a bit. He also recommended one of those tri bags which sit on your top tube - so, I put my cut up bars in that and I can easily get at the food when I need it. I barely need to stop at all now.

I tried a gel again today. God, they are so awful. But I managed my 40 mile circuit into the peaks in a quick time, and felt great at the end so they definitely help. I think I'm going to go to the bike shop this afternoon to see if I can find a variety of gel which is a bit more palatable. I would like a lasagne and chips flavour - that's what I really start craving when I'm about to bonk.

McBain_v1

Top Tip Popette

I dunno about chopping them all up cos that would require quite a big bag but I will have a think about that. Plus with the flavours on offer by Torq it will be more like a pic 'n' mix. However, at least two bars are going to get cubed!

I'm not going near the gels - packets of snot hold more appeal. Going to stick with my energy powders. I've used them without incident so far (PSP22 makes me generate staggering amounts of gas - very embarassing).

Is anyone taking a map just in case the directions / signs / marshalls are cack? I don't have a Garmin gadget so will be relying on the old OS sheets - could lead to some comedic moments at the road side if / when I take a wrong turn :oops:

If I see you or Howie on the ride I'm gonna glue myself to your back wheel :!:

tim000

i have the same wind problem after a long ride . dont know if it,s the drink(sis go) , the bars (sis go) or the gels(yes you guessed it sis go ) . but i find they all work for me . tried the powerbar ride shot today , they came free with cycling weekly last week . just like small jelly sweets, easy to use . with the bars i open them before i start as the are a bu**er to open and keep them in my pockets . when riding in the hills i tend to tuck one in the leg of my shorts between bites to save reaching round and searching for the right one . i use the gels after a long climb ie cat +fiddle to top me up again . also eat bananas for the first feeds while out riding . good luck with the ride everyone . tim .

Higs

It's all trial and error for this kind of stuff.

For example, I find Clif bars give me RAGING heartburn (and I never get heartburn) but I get on well with the Torq stuff. I carry gels on the road and the MTB but (to me) they're a last resort. I tend to end up giving out more than I use myself. Bananas are good, squashed malt loaf is the best though!

Anonymous

I had a nice surprise visitor at hospital today, Geoff who is the organiser of the cheshire cat came to see how I was having heard about my situation, I was quite touched.
We had a good chat about stuff and things and he gave me a kilotogo goodie bag which I'm well chuffed with!

With regards to fuelling a ride I've been using the gels because they seem to work straight away however there is not a lot of calories in them, the other friday i broke into one of Dan's clif bars at the top of macc forest, i have to say i found it bloody lovely and could tell i was going to get a lot more out of it than the gels. shame i never got to finish it!

Anonymous

oh, and malt loaf is food of the gods, can't believe i've never thought to take some on a ride!

tim000

NapolionD , does that mean you fell off a clif?

Anonymous

tim000 wrote:

NapolionD , does that mean you fell off a clif?

nurse?

nurse?!?

help me! i think i'm going a little mad!

popette

Alex, that is really lovely to hear about your visitor bearing gifts. Warms the cockles of ones heart doesn't it?

I love clif bars too....yum. I'm not a fan of gels but I'm going to take some to the Cheshire Cat. I'm testing them in training this week. Which do you use Alex? I tried a powerbar gel today but wasn't keen. Next ride I'm going for Torq.

Anonymous

i use the tropical flavour 'go' gels, i quite like the taste but there just isn't enough in there, you'd need about 10 minimum for a ride over 4 hours!
dan (spanielsson) is the man for the clif bars, i just tried one of his, don't know what flavour it was but it was very nice indeed.
if he doesn't post on here tonight i'll ask him tomorrow, i think he's coming to see me.

howiejmidlands

Popette are you sure your little bag was full of food on Sunday. I am sure i saw some cosmetics sticking out, maybe an eyeliner. Was it your makeup bag?