Silly Commuter Sportives

rolf_f

Did the Evans Ride It at Leeds today. Much the same route as last time but the first half was anticlockwise for a change (which meant a harsher climb at the end but less of a drag).

Really good fun - loads more entered than last time. Mostly I was on my own on that run but this time I set off in a mini peleton. Energy bar escaped after a couple of miles so I had to retrieve it and then chase down the peleton and work my way up to the leading group Fun passing all the carbon exotica on my scaffold poles!

After the split for the long route things went quiet and I probably only passed less than 10 riders on that stretch.

Hard work - the route was rarely flat though, for once, the vicious headwinds that spoiled the long descent to Bolton Abbey did make the long run back from Greenhow Hill a blast - average 28 mph for several miles.

Eventually got back in 5:46 - 5:20 ride time for what Evans reckon is 77 miles and 7000 feet and my computer and Bikecraply reckon as 80 miles and about 5900 feet of ascent. I think I'll go with Bikecrapwhydoesn'titsavemyroutely.

Well worth giving an Evans RideIt a go.

suzyb

I'm guessing something went wrong with your post Rolf and you thought it had failed

But gratz on the sportive.

rolf_f

suzyb wrote:

I'm guessing something went wrong with your post Rolf and you thought it had failed

But gratz on the sportive.

Taa muchly!

Sometimes I am a bit naive. I thought because Bikely kept repeatedly telling me that it had failed to save the route and I should try again, that it had failed to save the route. If you navigate away from an unsaved route to check, you lose your route. However, slow genius that I am, I logged in again on another IE page and got in and discovered 5 copies of the same route in my list

il_principe

roger merriman wrote:

Crocknorth is closed for a few weeks.

Thanks Roger.

lost_in_thought

Hmmmm, I really should enter a sportive. I'm rather late to the party though!

I do have the Essex 100 coming up in September, after I forgot about it last year and went away rowing instead, dammit.

So, who knows of one that's not too scary and doesn't have super-early starts? I considered (and missed) one last year called 'flatout on the fens' which I may try to get into this year...

londonlivvy

lost_in_thought wrote:

Hmmmm, I really should enter a sportive. I'm rather late to the party though!

I do have the Essex 100 coming up in September, after I forgot about it last year and went away rowing instead, dammit.

So, who knows of one that's not too scary and doesn't have super-early starts? I considered (and missed) one last year called 'flatout on the fens' which I may try to get into this year...

Maybe worth doing the Evans Sportive on 11th in Woking? Even long route people can start up to 945am which isn't bad. Doesn't look hellish hilly either but I could be wrong.
http://www.evanscycles.com/ride-it/woki ... -11th-2010

stuaff

lost_in_thought wrote:

Hmmmm, I really should enter a sportive. I'm rather late to the party though!

I do have the Essex 100 coming up in September, after I forgot about it last year and went away rowing instead, dammit.

So, who knows of one that's not too scary and doesn't have super-early starts? I considered (and missed) one last year called 'flatout on the fens' which I may try to get into this year...

+1 for londonlivvy's suggestion of the Evans ride. You could always join myself, DDD, Eau Rouge et al in the New Forest the following week....in my case that'll be if I've got a functioning road bike by then...!

rolf_f

+2 for the Evans Sportive. Aside from excellent organisation, signposting etc, you can turn up and pay on the day so if you don't want to run in the rain, you don't have to!

Clever Pun

10th April??? pfft I'll be doing about 45 miles dressed in full tweed regalia, that'll be harder than 100miler I reckon

Cafewanda

Where's it start from CP? I thought I'd rock up and gaze wistfully at you participants


Beats doing the housework too

Eau Rouge

StuAff wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Hmmmm, I really should enter a sportive. I'm rather late to the party though!

I do have the Essex 100 coming up in September, after I forgot about it last year and went away rowing instead, dammit.

So, who knows of one that's not too scary and doesn't have super-early starts? I considered (and missed) one last year called 'flatout on the fens' which I may try to get into this year...

+1 for londonlivvy's suggestion of the Evans ride. You could always join myself, DDD, Eau Rouge et al in the New Forest the following week....in my case that'll be if I've got a functioning road bike by then...!

Yeah, come along to the New Forest, it'll be ideal, there are no hills and ponies to look at at, and no traffic or anything, oh and guaranteed sunshine, It'll be brilliant
I think ITBoffin and Linsen had vague notions of maybe being in a pub near the finish that afternoon too.

stuaff

Eau Rouge wrote:

StuAff wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Hmmmm, I really should enter a sportive. I'm rather late to the party though!

I do have the Essex 100 coming up in September, after I forgot about it last year and went away rowing instead, dammit.

So, who knows of one that's not too scary and doesn't have super-early starts? I considered (and missed) one last year called 'flatout on the fens' which I may try to get into this year...

+1 for londonlivvy's suggestion of the Evans ride. You could always join myself, DDD, Eau Rouge et al in the New Forest the following week....in my case that'll be if I've got a functioning road bike by then...!

Yeah, come along to the New Forest, it'll be ideal, there are no hills and ponies to look at at, and no traffic or anything, oh and guaranteed sunshine, It'll be brilliant
I think ITBoffin and Linsen had vague notions of maybe being in a pub near the finish that afternoon too.

Important correction: there are hills. Oh yes, it ain't flat. One shortish 25% climb, Blissford Hill. Doable with a compact and 12-27, I'm sure. But +1 to everything else.

lost_in_thought

Thanks guys!

Alas Livvy et al, I'm busy the weekend of the evans one, but the New Forest may be do-able. Does anyone have a link for the registration?

stuaff

lost_in_thought wrote:

Thanks guys!

Alas Livvy et al, I'm busy the weekend of the evans one, but the New Forest may be do-able. Does anyone have a link for the registration?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Wiggl ... 360048157/ Standard route (56 miles)

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Wiggl ... 360047877/ Epic (83 miles)

And Wiggle discounts apply

Clever Pun

Cafewanda wrote:

Where's it start from CP? I thought I'd rock up and gaze wistfully at you participants


Beats doing the housework too

http://tweedrun.com/

the route gets sent to us (or it's picked up)
Central London is all I know so far, probably somewhere quiet around soho

lost_in_thought

StuAff wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Thanks guys!

Alas Livvy et al, I'm busy the weekend of the evans one, but the New Forest may be do-able. Does anyone have a link for the registration?

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Wiggl ... 360048157/ Standard route (56 miles)

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Wiggl ... 360047877/ Epic (83 miles)

And Wiggle discounts apply

Cool, thanks.

Eau Rouge

StuAff wrote:

Important correction: there are hills. Oh yes, it ain't flat. One shortish 25% climb, Blissford Hill. Doable with a compact and 12-27, I'm sure. But +1 to everything else.

la la la la what? can't hear you la la sorry, not listening la la la la

Jay dubbleU

44 miles and 1023ft of ascent in 3 hours today - looking forward to the New Forest

itboffin

Eau Rouge its pancake flat, in fact i'd go so far as to say it's the flattest sportive in the UK..... unless anyone know's otherwise.

Eau Rouge

itboffin wrote:

Eau Rouge its pancake flat, in fact i'd go so far as to say it's the flattest sportive in the UK..... unless anyone know's otherwise.

Looking at the route details it has 377m of climbing in it's 56 miles. The 27 miles I did today had 482m, which puts it into perspective.
Despite it being near me I've hardly ever cycled there. Must change that.

lastant

Well that's the Essex Spring Lambs out the way, and my first sportive ticked off.

Lovely weather for the ninety three miles. Had said I'd be delighted to clock a time of under seven hours so was delighted to see my final time recorded as six hours and seven minutes (15.25mi./hr average!).

Great day all in, really enjoyed it. One hundred and thirteen miles for the day all in...my right knee does feel like it wants to pop, mind. It's ITB that I need to ask for advice on this isn't it?

lost_in_thought

lastant wrote:

Well that's the Essex Spring Lambs out the way, and my first sportive ticked off.

Lovely weather for the ninety three miles. Had said I'd be delighted to clock a time of under seven hours so was delighted to see my final time recorded as six hours and seven minutes (15.25mi./hr average!).

Great day all in, really enjoyed it. One hundred and thirteen miles for the day all in...my right knee does feel like it wants to pop, mind. It's ITB that I need to ask for advice on this isn't it?

Oh, do you have the route? There were a lot of bikes round 'ere on my road today...

lastant

lost_in_thought wrote:

Oh, do you have the route?

Yep, yep, yep! (.pdf)

londonlivvy

Congrats on your first sportive lastant. Sounds like quite a bullish first go too!

Did the Evans sportive today and overall enjoyed the day and did ok (5h30 for the 84 miles) but had a bit of a bonk moment as hadn't twigged that Evans no longer provide energy bars and so I didn't have enough food with me. And all the shops were shut. Gah. Eventually found an open one but by that point I had spent 10 miles staring into the mid distance and feeling rather pathetic. I shall bring PLENTY of food with me next time.

I am now utterly broken and debating going to bed already. too early??

lost_in_thought

lastant wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

Oh, do you have the route?

Yep, yep, yep! (.pdf)

Aha! That's what all those cyclists were doing!

Congrats, hope you enjoyed it...

rolf_f

londonlivvy wrote:

Did the Evans sportive today and overall enjoyed the day and did ok (5h30 for the 84 miles) but had a bit of a bonk moment as hadn't twigged that Evans no longer provide energy bars and so I didn't have enough food with me.

Odd - they did a couple of weeks back at the Leeds one. One freebie plus stuff to buy.

itboffin

lastant wrote:

Well that's the Essex Spring Lambs out the way, and my first sportive ticked off.

Lovely weather for the ninety three miles. Had said I'd be delighted to clock a time of under seven hours so was delighted to see my final time recorded as six hours and seven minutes (15.25mi./hr average!).

Great day all in, really enjoyed it. One hundred and thirteen miles for the day all in...my right knee does feel like it wants to pop, mind. It's ITB that I need to ask for advice on this isn't it?

where abouts on your knee? DO NOT ignore knee pains, trust me it will spoil your cycling perhaps forever.

I was actually considering binning cycling as a hobby today because of the pain alas im not at the point that 1-2mm of adjustment is the difference between lots of pain and unbearable agony

Big Wib

itboffin wrote:

Eau Rouge its pancake flat, in fact i'd go so far as to say it's the flattest sportive in the UK..... unless anyone know's otherwise.

one for next year then, in fact something I'd rather be doing than this stupid marathon. no, must be more positive - I will enjoy it

there's a sportive in Norfolk which I assume must be fairly flat, but 377m is pretty pancake like by anyone's standards

lastant

itboffin wrote:

where abouts on your knee? DO NOT ignore knee pains, trust me it will spoil your cycling perhaps forever.

I was actually considering binning cycling as a hobby today because of the pain alas im not at the point that 1-2mm of adjustment is the difference between lots of pain and unbearable agony

It's pretty much the front of my right knee. When I cycled with my toes pointing down it didn't hurt really. I'm quite happy climbing stairs and generally walking round this evening though.

I had my bike fitting last week so I know I'm nicely set up so I think I've just pushed it too hard today having basically done 100+ miles at 15.5ish mph - I know it's not the best performance ever, but it's far quicker than I've done before.

Going to give it a rest tomorrow and see how it is on Tuesday. Definitely not going to go that fast / heavy until I've built up to it.

itboffin

lastant wrote:

itboffin wrote:

where abouts on your knee? DO NOT ignore knee pains, trust me it will spoil your cycling perhaps forever.

I was actually considering binning cycling as a hobby today because of the pain alas im not at the point that 1-2mm of adjustment is the difference between lots of pain and unbearable agony

It's pretty much the front of my right knee. When I cycled with my toes pointing down it didn't hurt really. I'm quite happy climbing stairs and generally walking round this evening though.

I had my bike fitting last week so I know I'm nicely set up so I think I've just pushed it too hard today having basically done 100+ miles at 15.5ish mph - I know it's not the best performance ever, but it's far quicker than I've done before.

Going to give it a rest tomorrow and see how it is on Tuesday. Definitely not going to go that fast / heavy until I've built up to it.

mmmm if you've had a fitting recently then how different is your new fitted position from your old setup? and if it's not to rude how old are you?

I ask because any sudden change in position particularly a large change will have an effect, the longer you'd been riding in one position right or wrongly setup the more socking it will be for your body when you change setup and then to go and do a sportive distance on top, some pain is too be expected.

If you're more travelled like myself then more so in the pain division, I understand the best way is small and often until you hit the sweet spot. that said I've not had a fitting and as a result suffer with various pains which have nothing to done with being old :roll:

'cause i'm AWESOME! ouch :?