Anyone going to Squires and Spires this weekend?

Pokerface
Pokerface Posts: 7,960
edited May 2009 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
Been watching the weather forecast all week before committing to riding this event. Did the short version last year (50 miler) and absolutely flew through it (as it's mostly flat) so planning on the 80 mile route this year.


Looks like a sunny day on Sunday so am going!


Anyone else going? It's an easy ride with only a few hills....

Comments

  • nottscobb
    nottscobb Posts: 147
    I'm doing it this year. My mate did it last year and enjoyed it so I'm tagging along this year. Weather is definitely looking good which always a plus.

    There's a couple more on here doing it too I think, there was a post about it a couple of days back.
  • bs147
    bs147 Posts: 164
    I'm doing the 80 miler - nice and local for me as I'm in Daventry! Weather forecast still looks good!
  • gumball3000
    gumball3000 Posts: 14
    I will be there.

    Should be a good day if the weather holds out!

    Hopefully the new bike will be ready. Fingers crossed and see you there!
  • johnbirkby46213
    johnbirkby46213 Posts: 399
    I'll be there. Am hoping it'll be loads easier than the Brian Robinson Challenge last weekend. Of course it will be harder for me if it's fast
    (cos I'm not :cry: )
    2 minute grovels can sometimes be a lot longer..tho' shorter on a lighter bike :-)

    Ride the Route Ankerdine Hill 2008

    http://peterboroughbigband.webplus.net/index.html
  • Max Weber
    Max Weber Posts: 183
    I'm doing it too. Will be doing the 80 mile route - first 'longer' ride of the year (mainly 50/60 so far). Not quite in peak condition yet so glad it's not too arduous.
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Hrmmmmm - the weather forecast seems to have changed to rain locally on Sunday. I went to enter online yesterday - only to find out it had JUST sold out! Crap. I was/am still planning on showing up anyway and just riding it. I wasn't keen on the free TV shirt anyway... or the food stops!
  • cyclingvet
    cyclingvet Posts: 131
    Yes, the weather is beginning to look a bit iffy. Not too bothered about the odd shower but temperature of 10-13C compared to last year's 20-25 is a bit depressing. Looks like I'll be in my winter kit :(
  • Pokerface
    Pokerface Posts: 7,960
    Ended up going. Took a gamble on the 2 hour drive - but it turned out to be an OK day.


    Lots and lots of wind - but otherwise a pleasant ride. Made some pretty rookie mistakes and burned myself out in the first half and ended up limping home a bit but enjoyed it nevertheless.

    Cheers to all the rode by me while I did what I could to keep going! LOL
  • bs147
    bs147 Posts: 164
    Had a good ride - also went off too quickly at the start! Even so I lost contact with the group I was hanging onto in amongst the VW's around Stanford Hall, so had to put in some extra to re-catch them, which I did after approx 10 mins. The wind was strong and of the 'cyclist seeking' variety! Always in the face regardless of the fact it was a loop course!

    All in, very enjoyable - glad it didn't rain though!!
  • cyclingvet
    cyclingvet Posts: 131
    Yes, I made similar mistakes-- going too fast at the start. I was at the front of the third group when starting f and took off at quite a pace thinking that people would keep up with me, only to find , about two minutes later that apart from one rider , they were nowhere to be seen.

    I managed eventually to catch up with the second group and after about 30 miles caught up with some guys from the first group only to be dropped after about another 10 miles. The rest of the ride was mostly on my own and the wind was relentless. It did appear to be in the face for the last 30miles, which also had the worst of the climbing.

    My time was 30 minutes longer than last year and and I felt a lot more knackered than I did last year, despite a reasonable amount of training, probably due to the wind more than anything and also last year the group I was in stuck together right up until the second feed station. There are quite a few published times considerably under 4 hours!
  • gumball3000
    gumball3000 Posts: 14
    Not a bad day all in all. Seemed to be riding into a headwind at all times though! Went off fast at the start to try and get warm after nearly freezing to death in the most pointless circular queue which was simply mental! Couple of memorable moments with a few triathletes trying to use the big ring everywhere and generally swerving all over the road, but otherwise rather enjoyable. Still training for the etape, so I never pushed too hard apart from on the climbs. Good friendly atmosphere with most of the other riders talkative. Was one of the two Giant Bicycles riders if anyone spotted me! New TCR Advanced SL was simply stunning. Zipp 303s were the perfect choice for the day too. All in all, a good days training and kit testing.

    Ed
  • bs147
    bs147 Posts: 164
    I was in the second group until it all split up at the first feed station - after that I was with a few others on the run to Culworth but found myself on my own from then on too! Also ended up wearing too much as it was freezing at the start and chose not to ditch my leggings and jacket! I wonder how many actually did the loop around Stanford Hall? I heard from others that they saw a few turn left and miss the loop rather than turn right and do it! I'm sure it was only a few though! There were plenty of people who were flying along so I'm sure they were the ones who did the quick times. I was thinking 5hr 15 but ended up with 4.55 (4.45 riding).
  • gumball3000
    gumball3000 Posts: 14
    cyclingvet wrote:
    There are quite a few published times considerably under 4 hours!

    I saw those! Not entirely certain that some of them are quite right. 19.5 average to get round in 4 hours. I came back with an 18.1 and I know of 2 that passed me. Granted, there were some that will have started ahead or well behind, but I reckon a few may have missed that top loop where the VW parade was. Not that I get irritated by things like this! I know it isn't a race, but some times are definitely questionable!
  • Max Weber
    Max Weber Posts: 183
    Very enjoyable ride. I made the opposite mistake to some of those above and probably took it a bit too easy at some points as I was worried about blowing up. At least it meant I finished pretty strongly and passed a lot of people on the final climbs.

    Also, I was in one of the last groups to go off and it was hard to get into a bunch. Didn't feel quick enough to stick with the really fast guys. Rode much of it with a nice guy of similar speed on the flat, but we couldn't find anyone else to form a mini-peloton for long. Good atmosphere throughout. Will definitely do it again next year.

    Traffic from VW parade wasted a lot of time!
  • johnbirkby46213
    johnbirkby46213 Posts: 399
    well you can ignore my time in the list. My mate had an aero spoke go majortwang but was able to limp his bike back to the start from Stanford Hall.I waited for his wife to catch up and then bimbled my way round the 50mile with her. I forgot to tell the martials back at HQ.
    on bike time: 3 hrs 48 and a very leisurely 21.7kph whist chatting away and enjoying the scenery and what turned ut to be a very nice day (wind excepted).
    Froze my nuts off waiting a stupid amount of time at the start. Did not enjoy that. The massed start on closed road organised on the Brian Robinson Challenge last week was sooooooooooooo much better.
    AND
    Had another frame wobble on the first decent from the HQ! This is becoming a bit of a habit that I do not enjoy! :evil:
    2 minute grovels can sometimes be a lot longer..tho' shorter on a lighter bike :-)

    Ride the Route Ankerdine Hill 2008

    http://peterboroughbigband.webplus.net/index.html
  • formerlyknownasbonj
    formerlyknownasbonj Posts: 483
    I rode this, enjoyed it :D despite missing the left turn at flore. was bombing along the A45 at a good rate and then realised on reaching junction 19 I think it was of the M1 where there were no signs i knew i'd gone wrong. But carried on and turned left and rejoined the route before althorp.
    I also had a semi-flat front tyre, but didn't seem to getting any worse so put it down to a malfunctioning valve rather than a puncture - but thanks to whoever it was who lent me a pump. :)
  • chipperleenie
    chipperleenie Posts: 217
    The sub 4 hour times are totally believable - 4 of them are guys that I know and ride these with. You get allsorts of riders in sportives from the total novices to the ex internationals who cannot get it out of their system and still want to finish first no matter what sort of event it is.
    They are challenge events not races so you ride them however you like, hang on to the fast boys if you can or want to or have a more leisurely sociable ride round. The times are for your own benefit not everyone elses in my opinion.
    the riders that 'race' them will set off near the back so they have lots of people to catch, will not stop at feeds and will attack each other in the last 10 miles. Trust me they will be just as knackered as everyone else at the end.

    I rode it in a more leisurely 4.21 (riding time) in a group but we stopped at feeds chatted to others we used to race with and enjoyed it, until the last 2 climbs near the finish.
    Must say it was a very well run event, signs were great, feeds good and sat nav download before the event meant this was possibly one of the few sportives I have not gone off course on.

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