Scottish Audax Noob Chat!

lmk1

been out with both CTC clubs in glasgow and edinburgh, as i live in lanark half way between both. Both are appeared more of a social event than a bike ride though fun all the same. The edinburgh rike was on road and on cycle paths and almost all had mountain bikes, the glasgow one almost all took raod bikes but otherwise little difference i.e. social ride... lunch... return. Like many others my local club, law wheelers appear super fast from their website so been a little put off. i reckon that at 42 i'd be a decrepit old man in their company!!! i generally average 14mph and they seem to go considerably faster.

Skiddypants

Maybe we should start our own club ???

Crapaud

lmk1 wrote:

been out with both CTC clubs in glasgow and edinburgh, as i live in lanark half way between both. Both are appeared more of a social event than a bike ride though fun all the same. The edinburgh rike was on road and on cycle paths and almost all had mountain bikes, the glasgow one almost all took raod bikes but otherwise little difference i.e. social ride... lunch... return. Like many others my local club, law wheelers appear super fast from their website so been a little put off. i reckon that at 42 i'd be a decrepit old man in their company!!! I generally average 14mph and they seem to go considerably faster.

Glasgow CTC's only recently reformed, so they are wanting to attract more members before offering a range of distances and speeds, women's rides (ooh err missus!) etc.. I've come close to suggesting that I organise some longer, faster rides, but I can't always guarantee I'll be available on any given Sunday.

The way round it, that I found when I went out with Ayrshire CTC, was to either cycle to the meeting point or back from the finish. That way I got to ride some extra distance, at whatever speed suited me, and got a social ride with a cake stop. I do the same with the cycle path tootlers, too.

screebs

Crapaud wrote:

themightyw wrote:

... Have been asking round locally about cycling clubs to try to get out and about with a few local types, but the only ones nearby seem to be full-on racing types.

Have you had a look at the CTC site?

Crapaud

Thanks for the link to the CTc site - looks quite interesting, with some rides just along the road from us! think i might give some of these a spin.

Crapaud

Did this 79 km test run this morning. I was expecting to take around 5 hrs - did it in 3.57 ride time, 4.12 total time, so I'm well chuffed! A rolling average of 19.9 km/hr should give me a buffer for stops at controls and the inevitable slowdown on the next 22 km.

A slightly surreal episode during my warm-up: a bloke, who's obviously just got out of his 4x4, is quite animatedly waving at me to stop. My first thought was that I'd done something to annoy him, but I couldn't think what it was and I mentally geared myself up for a shouting match. When I stopped he took the wind out of my sails, saying, "Sorry to break your rhythm, but where did you get that top?"

lmk1, I also met and rode for a while with a member of the East Kilbride Road Club. I'd had a look at their website a few weeks ago and was considering them for next year. If you go to the 'Events' page you'll see that they do a number of different paced runs that might suit you, and they're not too far away.

AMcD

Crapaud wrote:

Did this 79 km test run this morning. I was expecting to take around 5 hrs - did it in 3.57 ride time, 4.12 total time, so I'm well chuffed! A rolling average of 19.9 km/hr should give me a buffer for stops at controls and the inevitable slowdown on the next 22 km.

Blimey, the first 15miles seems all up hill!! However the last bit looks great . A very good time too, looks like I will be last at Forfar unless you stop for a pub lunch. On Saturday I'm going for about 46miles but doing Loch Glow / Cleish hill both ways on my out and back journey, but going around Loch Leven in between as it's mainly flat . Can't wait - hope the views are clear.

lmk1

is anyone a member of West Lothian Clarion/ been out on them on any of their rides. From their website they look like a friendly bunch who're not all out racers! they even mention 'no one gets left behind' which appeals to me!

Crapaud

lmk1 wrote:

is anyone a member of West Lothian Clarion/ been out on them on any of their rides. From their website they look like a friendly bunch who're not all out racers! they even mention 'no one gets left behind' which appeals to me!

Lmk1, have a look through the West Lothian Roadies thread, plenty of Clarioneers on it. They're a creation of Bikeradar roadies, so if you've got any questions there'd be the place to ask them. First mention is on page 5.

Crapaud

I must have too much time on my hands: I've just spent some time taking screenshots of the Letham and Lunan route on Bikely and stitched them together in Photoshop, added the route profile and controls, as a handy, visual reference.




If you think it'll be of some use to you, clicking on the pics'll take you to the larger size which you can download and print out (you will have to set your printer to 'reduce to fit print area' or something similar).

Joycie

Me and my mate have signed up to it now too.

It's my first ever event so I'm hoping a bit of local knowledge (I was born in Forfar) will help me get round it! You may not be slowest since I'll be doing it on a hybrid and another guy I know is going to be on his mountain bike.

Sounds like fun but given the training you guys are putting in I think I may have to get my finger out! :shock:

Crapaud

Joycie wrote:

Me and my mate have signed up to it now too. ...

Good on ya Joycie!

So, who's all going now? I make it 9:

screebs tyax themightyw AMcD lmk1 + friend (?) Joycie + friend Crapaud

themightyw

Crapaud wrote:

I must have too much time on my hands: I've just spent some time taking screenshots of the Letham and Lunan route on Bikely and stitched them together in Photoshop, added the route profile and controls, as a handy, visual reference.

What a legend!

Crapaud

themightyw wrote:

Crapaud wrote:

I must have too much time on my hands: I've just spent some time taking screenshots of the Letham and Lunan route on Bikely and stitched them together in Photoshop, added the route profile and controls, as a handy, visual reference.

What a legend!

Awwww... shucks.

*bats eyelids*
:oops:

AMcD

Crapaud wrote:

So, who's all going now? I make it 9:

screebs tyax themightyw AMcD lmk1 + friend (?) Joycie + friend Crapaud

I hope they're expecting even more newbies - don't want them running out of tea and cakes in the scout hut .

BTW thanks for the maps Crapaud!

AMcD

Joycie wrote:

Me and my mate have signed up to it now too.

It's my first ever event so I'm hoping a bit of local knowledge (I was born in Forfar) will help me get round it! You may not be slowest since I'll be doing it on a hybrid and another guy I know is going to be on his mountain bike.

Sounds like fun but given the training you guys are putting in I think I may have to get my finger out! :shock:

You should be worried Joycie - on Sunday morning I rode 100km in under 3 hours - I was going at such a speed as if the wind was behind me all the way, I was passing other struggling cyclists, even uphil and I was barely breathing ........................ and then I woke up and realised it was just a dream :roll: . I was SO disappointed.

screebs

Crapaud wrote:

Joycie wrote:

Me and my mate have signed up to it now too. ...

Good on ya Joycie!

So, who's all going now? I make it 9:

screebs tyax themightyw AMcD lmk1 + friend (?) Joycie + friend Crapaud

Themightyw and myself tried to convince some of the other cyclists in our office to do it but without success, so that looks like the full list from on here unless we can convince others.

Crapaud - I'll be driving up from the southside of Glasgow on the day - dont know what your plans are, but you're free to cadge a lift if you want.

SCREEBS

themightyw

Given how many of us there will be from these forums we really should form our own cycle team

The Radar Randonneurs?

Best not to leave me to come up with the team kit, though. Pink lycra catsuits all round?

AMcD

themightyw wrote:

Given how many of us there will be from these forums we really should form our own cycle team

The Radar Randonneurs?

Best not to leave me to come up with the team kit, though. Pink lycra catsuits all round?

I think you've talked yourself into arranging team kit - I'm sure there's a firm that will provide team jerseys in XXL sizes (and I'm referring to me, not anyone else ). I'd love to join the Radar Randonneurs . They seem a friendly bunch.

Crapaud

themightyw wrote:

... Best not to leave me to come up with the team kit, though. Pink lycra catsuits all round?

You are George Galloway and ICM £5.

screebs wrote:

Crapaud - I'll be driving up from the southside of Glasgow on the day - dont know what your plans are, but you're free to cadge a lift if you want.

Provided that's not you in the blue catsuit! :shock:

I was thinking something similar, but I don't have a bike rack. It'd make sense to cut the fuel bill. Best to sort it out via PM.

Satans Budgie

Noodley wrote:

The last 100 I rode (Potter for Tea) had 12 riders. One went off the front, 9 of us stuck together for most of the way until the final climb which stretched us out a bit, but we all finished within 5 minutes of one another. The other two were together (husband and wife) and wanted to take it easy.

I hope you do not mind me crashing this thread which I have read interest. I will be signing up of the Lethnot and Lunan as my second event having been shepherded around the Potter for Tea event by Noodley and others. Blew on the last climb but still managed to finish within 5 – 10 minutes of the others. Instantly hooked.
Given that I am an independent living and training in Fife could I add my name to the group of BR participants, riding with a group and trying is not to be shelled out the back by the first crossroads is a great incentive and more fun than chasing specks in the distance.

Regards

Andy

themightyw

Welcome! Where do you cycle in Fife, out of curiosity?

Satans Budgie

Live in Cupar, I am the slow one on the Tricross in case you have seen me riding into a ditch exhausted.

Crapaud

Welcome, Budgie.

Satans Budgie wrote:

Live in Cupar, I am the slow one

We're going to have a bit of difficulty picking you out then!

I've got family in Fife and done a bit of cycling there. That's a wicked hill at Cupar! I've only ever gone down it though - great fun it was too. I like Fife, it's a good area to cycle in and loads of good cafe stops and restaurants.

That's us into double figures now, then. Rubber duck, I do believe we've got ourselves a convoy!!!

lmk1

attention all those heading for forfar did anyone clock up some miles over the weekend???

Crapaud

lmk1 wrote:

attention all those heading for forfar did anyone clock up some miles over the weekend???

80 km last Wed and 50 km today - it's all I had time for. The 80 km felt fine at the end despite a good wind, so I've planned a 105 km route for this Wed. The weather'll dictate whether or not I attempt it or do something shorter. I'm planning the 80 for next weekend / early the week after and a couple of 50s as a wind down to the big event.

I'll need to schedule in time to give the bike a clean up and a check over to make sure everything's OK, too.

themightyw

Crapaud wrote:

That's a wicked hill at Cupar! I've only ever gone down it though - great fun it was too.

Which one are you thinking of Crapuad? I have to say, that part of Fife is pretty good for cycling. If I want to head out and do some flat miles I can shoot off in one direction, but also there are a number of decent 8-10% hills around that will get your lungs working. Maybe after the Forfar audax I can set up an unofficial Radar Randonneurs 100k for the end of the summer around these parts.

themightyw

lmk1 wrote:

attention all those heading for forfar did anyone clock up some miles over the weekend???

Very little to be honest :oops:

Did a short circuit from St Andrews to Ceres on Saturday (20miles or so) but have been suffering with a sore throat and regretted setting off after 5 miles.

The only cycling I did today was hauling the two smallest MightyWs a couple of miles into town on a trailer behind my rubbish steel hybrid. They seemed to enjoy it a lot more than I did...

Crapaud

themightyw wrote:

Crapaud wrote:

That's a wicked hill at Cupar! I've only ever gone down it though - great fun it was too.

Which one are you thinking of Crapuad? ...

It's the A916 from Craigrothie. It's a longish climb the you drop down into Cupar. Wheeeeeeeee....!

AMcD

Only 34.5 miles this weekend but into a head wind in parts and plenty of hills including Loch Glow the hard way . Got a bit worried about the Audax as was quite saddle sore, shifting around all the time like I had ants in me pants. Also the gears were jumping around on all three rings - need to spend some time on it today.

The views on the route were spectacular - looking back to the right as I went up Cleish Hill; the views to the sea as I headed towards Auchtertool; Loch Gelly shimmering in the heat (yes!). I'm loving cycling around Fife - can pick hills or yesterday, had I had the energy, could have added a 13 mile flat loop around Loch Leven.

PS Welcome to Satan's Budgie
PPS Hope your sore throat clears up MightyW
PPPS Crapaud should get the medal for time in the saddle

Satans Budgie

themightyw wrote:

Crapaud wrote:

That's a wicked hill at Cupar! I've only ever gone down it though - great fun it was too.

Which one are you thinking of Crapuad? I have to say, that part of Fife is pretty good for cycling. If I want to head out and do some flat miles I can shoot off in one direction, but also there are a number of decent 8-10% hills around that will get your lungs working. Maybe after the Forfar audax I can set up an unofficial Radar Randonneurs 100k for the end of the summer around these parts.

Would you like some help with this? I think a challenging 100 km route taking in some of our more interesting lumps and coffee stops could be designed for all to enjoy.

And for anyone who may be interested FCRC run Reliability Trials out of Falkland in early Feb. http://www.gkcarratt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/rel.html Excellent event which allow groups of riders get together pick route and meet afterwards for cake.