Dartmoor Classic - Nearly Time!

Flambes

Only one week left until the Dartmoor Classic!
Have done the whole course over a few reccy rides, my main worries are:

1) Going off too quickly on the first two big climbs before Princetown.
2) Dying coming back up onto the moor from Moorshop.
3) Heatwave
4) Strong NE'ly winds for the ride across the top of the moor on the way back
5) My wheels break (they did last week on a training ride and now repaired)
6) Alien invasion steals all my Fig Rolls and banana flapjacks.

Weather at the moment looks warm, but dry with light winds. Fingers crossed.

Everyone else prepared?

rjh299

I'll be there. Hopefully at the finish with 3 mates from work. Most they've managed is 26 mile ride once a week but that only lasted 3 weeks. How do you get blood from a stone?!

Flambes

You all doing the 100 or 60?

yogi

You'll find quite a detailed write-up on the route(s) on our website, describing all the climbs etc. We know a lot of the route from our own rides but have also extensively recced the route.

Something of note is the fact that there are a lot of potholes all around the course. The final descent to Steps Bridge is due to be (loose) surface dressed this week - great timing - will be very dangerous. Also there are still temporary traffic lights down the Teign Valley road.

Look out for all the YOGi's on the day. Say hi.

MrChuck

160 for me too- I hope! Training's not been what it could've been the last few weeks... Oh well.
Don't know Dartmoor at all but was down there a couple of weeks ago (not riding) and there are indeed a few hills!

Flambes

The bit around Harford Bridge (IIRC) as you come off the A386 was quite dodgy last time I went. Very narrow and very poor surface, be careful down there.
The last climb of the day out of Mortonhamstead is very enjoyable (if there's anything left in the legs) take a gel just before that and you're home.

ANC

Today I road up from Dunsford to Moretonhampstead. So looking at it the other way (down), as you make the very fast approach to the nasty left hairpin near the bottom, the middle of that bend still has bad potholes, although they are marked out for attention, so maybe that will happen this week, like the Hennock lanes were fixed a few days before last year. Basically, don't swing out too wide on that hairpin, it's tempting to.

Basically the whole descent was clear of chippings, but at the bottom where you zip up over the hump back bridge, the loosely dressed chippings start right on the bridge, so be careful you don't get caught for grip if a car comes the other way over the bridge. The chippings continue on the flat for a mile or so down past the Dunsford turn off, not dangerous then, but just pretty unpleasant for all those road bikes. Maybe Highways plan to clear it all up this week though.

Have a good ride. I'll be at FORCE.

paultrueman

Hi

has anybody had thier pre race pack thru yet?

still waiting for mine!

Paul

rjh299

I signed up for 100 but will be doing the 60 with mates (couldn't persuade them to go all out!). I got my info pack about a week and half ago. If you want, give me your email and i'll send it to you.

Flambes

paultrueman wrote:

Hi

has anybody had thier pre race pack thru yet?

still waiting for mine!

Paul

You can download it here:

http://www.dartmoorclassic.co.uk/DartmoorClassic-InfoPac.pdf

I didn't get mine either.[/url]

paultrueman

thanks fo that

MrChuck

Just to be clear- is the info pack just that email+pdf they sent round a week or 2 back or is there anything else?

rjh299

Yea, tells you when to sign in, where to put your number and all that

paultrueman

anyone else going to sign in on saturday afternoon.

Paul

rjh299

Yea think we'll be signing in on saturday. Then off to campsite to put tent up, hopefully before it gets dark! Any recommendations for a decent meal that evening? Stipulations- cheap, decent and must serve cider! It's the only way I could convince them!

ANC

Newton Abbot or Kingsteignton?

Only know Newton Abbot and the best thing I can suggest on a Saturday night is the 'China Garden' (not the adjacent 'Royal China') on Queen Street, near the railway station. Good price, always good food. Yes it does, as its name implies do Chinese food.

There is only one place to drink Cider in Newton Abbot and that is the 'Cider Bar', and that, as its name implies....... but you will not be fit to ride the D.C. however restrained your drinking. Its the real thing.

Kingsteignton has a few pubs, with varying levels of welcome from the locals. Don't know about food though. maybe the Ten Tors close to Abbrook.

Actually, come to think of it, turn left out of Abbrook and keep left, you come to the Sandygate Inn, which I had heard does good basic fodder of an evening.

Marcw

Some nice pubs on Dartmoor if you're driving eg the Rugglestone in Widecombe or up the Teign Valley.

Where are you camping and were you thinking of cycling to the pub for an early meal Saturday night?

Personally I'm now beginning to panic over lack of training in the last couple of weeks (cycling related bruising has kept me off the bike - ouch!), but still looking forward to Sunday.
Marc

rjh299

Marcw wrote:

Some nice pubs on Dartmoor if you're driving eg the Rugglestone in Widecombe or up the Teign Valley.

Where are you camping and were you thinking of cycling to the pub for an early meal Saturday night?

Personally I'm now beginning to panic over lack of training in the last couple of weeks (cycling related bruising has kept me off the bike - ouch!), but still looking forward to Sunday.
Marc

Camping at twelve Oaks farm. Looking for a place for evening meal. Won't cycle to pub/restaraunt, don't want any accidents with the bikes.
What distance you doing? Were doing the 100k. My mate has just got new shoes, new shorts and first time with clip-in pedals. He's done little or no training and insists on wearing baggy camo shorts! If anyone sees him, a bit of encouragement please, he means well!

rjh299

ANC wrote:

Newton Abbot or Kingsteignton?

Only know Newton Abbot and the best thing I can suggest on a Saturday night is the 'China Garden' (not the adjacent 'Royal China') on Queen Street, near the railway station. Good price, always good food. Yes it does, as its name implies do Chinese food.

There is only one place to drink Cider in Newton Abbot and that is the 'Cider Bar', and that, as its name implies....... but you will not be fit to ride the D.C. however restrained your drinking. Its the real thing.

Don't know if it's wise risking Chinese the night before
I'm not a big drinker so the smell will probably put me out, but one of my mates drinks Scrumpy like it's water. Better not mention this place!

Marcw

I'm doing the 100k also. Seems far enough to me...

I wouldn't want to eat chinese before a big ride either - isn't pasta supposed to be the thing? I live near Newton Abbot but can't think of a good italian there. i know there's a couple in Teignmouth (the 'Coloseum' comes to mind). Anyway most pubs do something pasta.

Never been to the Sandygate but it's walking distance-ish (maybe a mile and a half from the campsite).

Good luck!

Flambes

Dry! Hooray!
Very light winds to start, but an increasing SE'ly during the afternoon, so a bit of a crosswind across the moor on the way back, and headwind to finish. Nothing too bad though.
Could be warm, temperatures maybe 22 C on the moor maybe 24C in the sunshine off the moor, the sunshine becoming hazy in the afternoon as upper cloud increases.
Suntan lotion recommended though.

felgen

rjh299 wrote:

My mate has just got new shoes, new shorts and first time with clip-in pedals. He's done little or no training and insists on wearing baggy camo shorts! If anyone sees him, a bit of encouragement please, he means well!

Ooh... thats gotta be painful. I wanted new shoes but wouldnt have dared wearing them this soon.

Looking forward to good weather, but still got to sort out transport - I will be in Spain on the saturday :shock:

MrChuck

I've still got to pick my bike up from the shop!

Gald to see the forecast improving, the prospect of another summer event done in the rain was starting to depress me a bit.

rjh299

felgen wrote:

Ooh... thats gotta be painful. I wanted new shoes but wouldnt have dared wearing them this soon

It gets worse... he might be borrowing bike off another guy that he's never ridden before! aaaagggghhh!!!!
I originally signed up for the 100mile so I might do that and leave them do the 64. The weathers meant to be good so should be a nice day.
Who's going for what times/medals/ability to walk after finishing?
If I do 100 I MIGHT on a good day scrape gold. Would be nice, but it's close, especially as it's now 105mile not 100. That's nearly another 16-20minutes.

pbracing

Hope everyone has a good ride. Weather looks great, not too hot. FWIW I've trained for the 100 mile ride (my first event) since Xmas as best I could in all weathers - and got'flu yesterday!!! Proper 'flu, so dizzy I can't really see or stand up properly. Great. Was my birthday yesterday too - you couldn't make this stuff up.

Was going to feel sorry for myself, but decided I'll just do the ride by myself in a few weeks instead. Won't be the same, but hey-ho.

Good luck one and all.

yogi

Lot of it going around at the moment. We've got a few riders down with it at the moment. I was ill a few days before The Dragon but fortunately recovered enough to take part. It is very frustrating when you've spent most of the year training.

Flambes

Latest forecast brings some showers across the area early-mid afternoon, but means a bit more cloud and a break from the sun. I'm not carrying a mac though.

Nervous now. At registration today, lots of serious looking people around with shaved legs, and that leathery skin you only get with mega miles.
Suddenly feeling very under-trained.

Hope you all have a great ride.

yogi

Local Spotlight TV forecast reckons we'll miss the rain. They are usually more accurate.

Flambes

Well, that wasn't dry was it?

How did you all get on?

I'm chuffed with my 6h21 (for the 100 miles obviously ). 6.09 total cycling time. Some very low points today, worst was coming back onto the moor back to the feed stop for the second time. Grinding out my 39x25, I wished I had 25x39.
Had a second wind at 80 miles which had turned into a slight breeze by 90, but a great and fast run-in nevertheless with 3 others in a chain gang.

Hope the accident I passed coming down off the moor toward Moretonhamstead (ambulance in attendance) wasn't anything serious.

Full fat curry for me this evening.

rjh299

Was a bit wet and cold up on the moor when the wind and rain came in. Some of the hills were near impossible, for me anyway. But some of the descents were awesome, beat my top speed 50.1mph. I also had 6hr21 for the 100. No gold medals left when I went up but was just glad to finish in the end. If the rider wearing Fife Accident Repair Centre jersey is on here, thanks for the last 15 miles bud. I might still be out there without your tow!

Pip13

Loved every minute of it (even the rain did not put me off) First sportive and hope to be back next year. I also passed the accident and really hope the guy is ok, does anyone know?