Ruthin Gore Bikewear Sportive

Phil33

Anybody doing this tomorrow? It's my first sportive. Although I've done a bit of touring over the years and I'm a regular commuter, I'm feeling quite nervous. I'm the wrong side of 40 and I've done virtually no training due to stupidity / bravado and the competing demands of job and two young kids. Only one ride over 50 miles all year - although it went over the Horseshoe Pass twice. If anybody will be there, I'm the lanky ginger bloke on a Van Nick Yukon.

Splottboy

I would have loved to have joined you, but injured for last few months and the event is not too far from my home. DOH! Planned to do it, but it'll be next year now.

Good luck, as some riders I used to coach tell me it's a great event.

I'll sacrifice a fatted cow for you, to stop it raining, unless you're a veggie,
then it'll be Tofu...

dewei

I did my first one last week and also just turned 40. Also a regular commuter with trips of up to 35 miles. I did 3 training rides of 55, 67 andd 70 miles in the preceding 2-3 weeks. I was surprised that I finished in good time, with reasonable recovery. I was cycling 2 days later wih an urge to do another one.

Your course is 20 miles shorter but lots more climbing.

My advice at this late stage:
Get the bike and equipment, tools and food ready NOW
Go to bed early
Make sure you are not too cold at the start
Bring enough fuel: energy bars, gels and do not leave it too late to eat
Lots of drinks/food just after finishing to help recovery

Good luck!!!

Phil33

Splottboy and Dewei,

Thanks for the support and advice. If I'm brave enough I'll post about my experience and time tomorrow.

Phil33

I managed to get around in 6 hours, 1 minute and 39 seconds, which was okay - and I feel fine today. I really enjoyed the day and just finishing was a high point. Low point was hitting the Horseshoe Pass at around 70 miles - I really crawled up and was grateful I had a triple.

I thought the route was good, well signed and marshalled but the staff at the rugby club could have been a bit happier, better organised and more informative. Overall though, a great day and I will do it again next year.

Phil

Splottboy

Well done, Boyo! Never done the Horseshoe, but Pen y Pass and Nantgwynant enuff!

Still recovering from injuries, back to work 1st Oct. Turbo's, lt weights, circuits til then.

dewei

Well done!
When is the next one?

Living in the West Midlands, it is difficult to get to any significant hill climbing.

knedlicky

Phil33 wrote:

Low point was hitting the Horseshoe Pass at around 70 miles - I really crawled up and was grateful I had a triple.

I managed the pass okay with a standard low of 39/26 but the stretch either side of the Britannia Inn, about 1/4 way up, I found hard. It wasn’t the slope (although there were two short pretty steep stretches about then, each 200 yards long), rather it was the road surface thereabouts. It was so poorly-surfaced, maybe for a whole mile, that it was like riding over a continuous stream of mini-potholes.

Phil33 wrote:

I thought the route was good, well signed ...

with a surprise addition - the loop around Llyn Celyn wasn't in the original route I printed out from the website. This added 10-11 miles and maybe 400 m climbing.
Signage was good, but in a couple of places, 'dangerous junction ahead' signs wouldn't have been amiss. Or entering Ruthin towards the end, a sign saying ‘a couple of dangerous drivers ahead’.

Phil33 wrote:

the staff at the rugby club could have been a bit ... better organised

Yes. About the time 80% of riders had arrived at the finish, the ride organisers announced the bar in the rugby club was now opening. A while later, some camping near me eagerly went up to the bar to quench their thirst but soon came back, disappointed. Apparently, although bar staff was there, they still hadn't organised themselves enough to open the bar, despite 15-20 mins having passed since the ‘bar open’ announcement.

Overall I enjoyed the event, although not the cheapest to enter, and unfortunately the gift t-shirts seemed all the one size and don't name the event. Also, a little more variety at the feeding stations I would have welcomed - maybe apple quarters and slices of the fruit cake (bara brith?) they had at the finish, and some spring water and iced tea (like the instant variety Lipton’s make, just add powder to cold water).