Blenheim Palace Sportive

211dave112
211dave112 Posts: 125
edited October 2009 in Road beginners
Is anyone doing this? I'm thinking of having a go at the 100 mile sportive. Anyone done it before, hows the route?

If I'm honest I think i'm more apprehensive about turning up on my bitsa bike (puch frame, old campag/shimano groupset, random aero forks) and just looking a bit amateur-ish, which of course I am, compared to all the more experienced riders!
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Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,665
    Do not give a stuff what others think mate, just go out and do it. Couple of my mates have ridden that course, said it was very good and challenging.

    Go for it. :D
  • i am considering making it my first Sportive - but I havent done enough miles to be fit yet...
    do these things get booked full early? if not will leave decision late.

    Dont worry about what bike you're on... its all part of the fun of bike meets and chatting about future improvements. If you are at the back of the pack it doesnt matter.

    have fun
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    I was planning a pop at this too. When I last looked there were no route details; anyone able to give us a rough or more detailed outline?

    I've got a nice bike, but a bit of a red wine not beer honestly gut to hang over the crossbar. Doesn't bother me in the slightest what a racing snake who can do it in < 5 hours thinks. We all have opinions; in general no-one else gives much for them. Luckily.

    So - the route?
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Thanks - a lot more info since I last looked [and then forgot about it].

    Cheers.
  • bice
    bice Posts: 772
    Anyone know the start time for this? I can't see it on the website.
  • It's on the page accessed by the "about the event" button

    http://www.bikeblenheimpalace.com/about.php

    It starts at 8AM. I've just signed up with my 2 kids to have a go, hopefully they'll keep me going :D
    "The only absolute statement is that everything is relative" - anon
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    I'm in. Looking fwd to it hugely.
  • I'm signed up. I know the area and it's not flat. Lovely scenery though.

    Anything under 7 hours and I will be well pleased.
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Just plotted it on Bikehike - looks a bit more hilly than I expected, but at least the run in looks to be a little more forgiving.

    My last 100 went through The Peak District back in June, so anything less than those hills will be a bit easier. Still looks like a big effort though to get in under 7 hours. That's my target anyway.

    Ps - the BikeHike route might not be exactly right; it was quick lift from a print of the PDF so some of the routes through & around villages might differ - the detail is a bit lacking on that PDF. This one comes out at 103 miles, so scope for a bit of adjustment I expect.
  • Has anyone managed to get the route into a Garmin? I've tried taking the GPX from the Blenheim Palace links, but mapquest software provided with the Garmin complains that it's not a garmin format. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
    "The only absolute statement is that everything is relative" - anon
  • cjw
    cjw Posts: 1,889
    Google gpx2crs. This little programme converts .gpx to .crs that you can import to Garmin.
    London to Paris Forum
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  • Thanks CJW,
    "The only absolute statement is that everything is relative" - anon
  • A bunch of my dead serious roas cycling mates went in for the Shakespeare 100 today - I can do their distance but not their pace and I've no real clue as to what goes on in/what to take to/how to prepare for a Sportive, so I declined and took the wife and kids and dog out for a walk instead, finishing at a pub that by coincidence is on the route of the Shakespeare. This allowed me to see all sorts of shapes and ages and siizes on all sorts of bikes at all sorts of speeds passing by (hours between the serious ones and not so serious ones) and more importantly, all sorts of participants stopping at said pub for a pint, a coffee and/or a chat. Consequently, now I know, I bitterly regret not doing and I will be (as the first respondent quite rightly said) stuffing what anyone else says and going in for Blenheim. There looks to be a 100 mile and a 100 kilo as well, so if one is worried about distance for the first one, take the shorter. Go to mapmyride.com and do a search on Blenheim, uk and both routes are there to view and dowlnoad. Living round here as I do I can confirm that there are serious hills aplenty, but the route avoids all of them. So this'll be my first - hopefully yours also.
  • Lonzy
    Lonzy Posts: 26
    I'm thinking of doing the 60 miler, as I'm heading back to uni right after - I live 15 miles in so will do about 2/3 of the course tomorrow, if I like it then I'll sign up! (Does anyone want me to take some pictures or anything?) A few questions though, as I'm new to road racing:

    What's the deal with punctures, should we take saddle bags with kit in or can we expect the marshals to be able to help out?

    Kit - Can we leave things in the Palace grounds during the race?

    And the race itself - is it likely to be a tour de france style peloton with separate smaller groups, or more like a time trial with everyone strung out? I'm a bit worried about riding in a pack, especially if there are other beginners out as well!
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Lonzy wrote:
    I'm thinking of doing the 60 miler, as I'm heading back to uni right after - I live 15 miles in so will do about 2/3 of the course tomorrow, if I like it then I'll sign up! (Does anyone want me to take some pictures or anything?) A few questions though, as I'm new to road racing:

    What's the deal with punctures, should we take saddle bags with kit in or can we expect the marshals to be able to help out?

    Kit - Can we leave things in the Palace grounds during the race?

    And the race itself - is it likely to be a tour de france style peloton with separate smaller groups, or more like a time trial with everyone strung out? I'm a bit worried about riding in a pack, especially if there are other beginners out as well!

    Punctures - you're on your own here really. Marshalls will be on the course but it's unlikely that there'll be one handy when you need him most, and carrying a spare tube / repair kit / pump is a pre-requisite for any ride of that length anyway.

    Kit - I don't expect there to be storage at BP, although there may well be. Best option is to arrive by car, and / or leave stuff there and ideally guarded by your wife / gf, or someone else's wife or gf maybe.

    En route I suspect it'll be a long drawn out affair with a wide mix of abilities. Expect the quick boys in teams to disappear into the distance leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves. I'd expect it to be a lot more competitive than an over-crowded charity ride [think London - Brighton] but not as formal or competitive for the main body of riders as a TT would be. But I might be wrong here - if you know better pls shout up.


    My questions:

    The rest halt @ 25 miles and again @ 65 miles, at Stowe. Anyone have a good idea of what's provided at this halt? It suggests food & drink but it'd be useful to know what's provided. Is it one Kellogs cereal bar + bottle of water, or something more? I'm aiming to travel as light as poss but the energy needs have to be met. If we can't rely on the rest halt to be anything more than a rest & a sip of water that's fine but better to know in advance. Who can answer this one? Thx.
  • Hedropsforglory - just a word of friendly warning. If you watched the Shakespeare 100 yesterday, were you aware that there was also a 63 mile and 30 mile charity ride happening on the same route? I was doiig the 63 mile MarRide for Macmillan Cancer Support - an excellent cause - and we shared the route with the 100 mile sportive a lot of the time.

    I suspect many of the odd shapes and sizes you saw yesterday were not doing the sportive, although they were enjoying themselves on bicycles, which is just as valid.

    And wansn't the weather lovely!

    Lycra Man
    FCN7 - 1 for SPDs = FCN6
  • Lonzy
    Lonzy Posts: 26
    Chris, thanks for the info, much appreciated. I'm going on to uni afterwards so might be able to persuade my dad to pick me up from woodstock and drive on - otherwise it's a first night back spent in cycling shorts!

    I did abou thalf the route today, managed about 15 mph average for two hours (sucks I know!) but took some nice pictures and got a good feel for when to attack and when to take it easy. There are some pretty rough roads around cornwell which dislodged my water bottle a fair few times - something to watch out for!

    Right it's gonna take a while to upload some of the pics so might as well keep chatting...

    Something else to say, is that in times it's on very busy roads - particularly in Stow just before the rest stop, being caught in a traffic jam on an A road wasn't how I imagined the race! Also some advice - lay off a bit going into Broadwell and Wyck Rissington, some nasty hills after! (Pictures supplied!)

    Down into Cornwell
    15g5get.jpg

    Hill out of Broadwell
    2vmd9tw.jpg

    Hill out of Wyck Rissington
    2ngvade.jpg

    Half way up, finishing my bottle 15 miles in...
    2h89344.jpg

    10 minutes later, success!
    2crq43a.jpg

    Look out for me on the day - I'll be the slowcoach you overtake at 10mph
    29xyoig.jpg

    Arty shot... after Taynton
    2mwvtp0.jpg
  • Looking forward to this enormously, though I reckon I'm likely to be vying for last place. I'm just hoping my 2 kids don't decide to abandon me half way round. I've never done anything like this previously (barring the L2B which as ChrisinBicester notes is a different kettle of fish) and think, for me at least, it'll be more about finishing rather than racing. So if you see some old geezer wheezing up the hills so slowly you're amazed he hasn't fallen off yet, that'll be me. We should form a forum peloton!!
    "The only absolute statement is that everything is relative" - anon
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    I wrote:
    My questions:

    The rest halt @ 25 miles and again @ 65 miles, at Stowe. Anyone have a good idea of what's provided at this halt? It suggests food & drink but it'd be useful to know what's provided. Is it one Kellogs cereal bar + bottle of water, or something more? I'm aiming to travel as light as poss but the energy needs have to be met. If we can't rely on the rest halt to be anything more than a rest & a sip of water that's fine but better to know in advance. Who can answer this one? Thx.
    The organisers have...
    Lower Swell food stop on the way out will be soup & bread roll plus bacon roll, tea coffee and flapjack. On the way back you shouldn't count on much more than a hot drink and banana.

    Water will obviously be available plus there is a further drink station doing water only on the long route.
    Thanks to them for responding.

    Who's up for this then? I reckon at least 3 from here are signed up.
  • Lonzy
    Lonzy Posts: 26
    Cheers for the info Chris. I had assumed it would be energy drinks, bananas, etc... not a picnic!

    Have you received your information pack yet? I got the email yesterday but no post... do you know when we need to be there by to register?

    Hoping to complete the second half of the course tomorrow - got a fancy Heart Rate Monitor now... but NO idea what to do with it :D I've spent most of the day seeing how calm I can be - got to 40 bpm!

    Cheers
  • Who's up for this then? I reckon at least 3 from here are signed up.

    I'm signed up for it too and looking forward to it.

    Oh wait, you won't see me though as I'm a girl so clearly I'll be guarding a mans property at the car. :wink:
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Oh wait, you won't see me though as I'm a girl so clearly I'll be guarding a mans property at the car. :wink:

    That's handy - a girl to look after stuff. My lot won't be there until later. I'll dump all my stuff with you then if that's ok.

    Bloke.
    :wink:
  • cjw
    cjw Posts: 1,889
    I'm signed up for it as well :shock:
    London to Paris Forum
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  • Lonzy
    Lonzy Posts: 26
    Oh wait, you won't see me though as I'm a girl so clearly I'll be guarding a mans property at the car. :wink:

    Can you put up a big helium balloon on your car so I can find you? I've got looooads of stuff to leave, if it's ok. Oh and can you follow me in the race with a spare bike on the roof and supplies in the car too?

    Cheers
  • Lonzy wrote:
    Oh wait, you won't see me though as I'm a girl so clearly I'll be guarding a mans property at the car. :wink:

    Can you put up a big helium balloon on your car so I can find you? I've got looooads of stuff to leave, if it's ok. Oh and can you follow me in the race with a spare bike on the roof and supplies in the car too?

    Cheers

    Sure, no problem. Obviously I couldn't help with any puncture repairs or bike maintenance as I wouldn't want to break a nail or get my hands dirty. Would you like me to cook tea afterwards?
  • CiB
    CiB Posts: 6,098
    Lonzy wrote:
    Oh wait, you won't see me though as I'm a girl so clearly I'll be guarding a mans property at the car. :wink:

    Can you put up a big helium balloon on your car so I can find you? I've got looooads of stuff to leave, if it's ok. Oh and can you follow me in the race with a spare bike on the roof and supplies in the car too?

    Cheers

    Sure, no problem. Obviously I couldn't help with any puncture repairs or bike maintenance as I wouldn't want to break a nail or get my hands dirty. Would you like me to cook tea afterwards?
    Careful. I can see where this going to end up...

    :)
  • Lonzy
    Lonzy Posts: 26
    Well hopefully I'll be back in time for lunch... any chance you can fit an aga in the car to make a nice sunday roast?
  • cjw
    cjw Posts: 1,889
    And after we all get back, your username would be the most appropriate thing to say...

    Don't forget the fridge though as I'm really not that keen on warm beer after a long ride :lol:
    London to Paris Forum
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  • I'll avoid taking the bait set by our armchair resident and ask has anyone actually received anything barring the initial confirmation email? When I chased a few days ago I got a boilerplate email telling me something would be coming through the post. Anyone had a letter drop on their welcome mat recently??
    "The only absolute statement is that everything is relative" - anon