Silly Commuter Sportives

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  • lastant
    lastant Posts: 526
    No worries, it's good to get someone's advice on it!

    I'm twenty eight this Thursday coming; the fitting basically shortened my stem by 10mm, brought the saddle forwards a little bit forwards and slightly higher.

    I've had the bike since January 22nd, and had covered around 900 miles on it up to the point of my fitting - discovered then that my knees were making a V shape as I cycled, and had that corrected to a | | line instead (more 'piston like' is the best description I guess).

    Did my commute last week, days of 25ish miles and it felt much better than pre-fitting, which is why I think maybe I perhaps just pushed myself harder than I should have done - have certainly never averaged over 15mph over a spell before.

    On the plus side, my back doesn't hurt at all this evening - whereas last Sunday after my eleven hour trip back to Peterborough (118 miles) it really ached!
    One Man and LEJOG : End-to-End on Two Wheels in Two Weeks (Buy the book; or Kindle it!)
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    @ITB - go for a bike fitting and physio sharpish, fella.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • Rich158
    Rich158 Posts: 2,348
    cjcp wrote:
    @ITB - go for a bike fitting and physio sharpish, fella.

    +1, get yourself sorted dude, you know it makes sense
    pain is temporary, the glory of beating your mates to the top of the hill lasts forever.....................

    Revised FCN - 2
  • gert_lush
    gert_lush Posts: 634
    I'm pretty tempted to sign up for this Sunday's Wiggle New forest sportive, most probably the Epic route, there was a bit a chat previously about this, just wondered peoples are doing it? A few hills in the first 35 miles but looks reasonably flat after that, and the weather looks dry at the moment :D
    FCN 8 mainly
    FCN 4 sometimes
  • coopster_the_1st
    coopster_the_1st Posts: 5,158
    Roll call for the Wiggle New Forest sportive this Sunday:

    Coopster the 1st - Standard route.
  • iPete
    iPete Posts: 6,076
    Coopster the 1st wrote:
    Roll call for the Wiggle New Forest sportive this Sunday:

    Coopster the 1st - Standard route.
    iPete + mates to draft off - Standard route.
  • stuaff
    stuaff Posts: 1,736
    Coopster the 1st - Standard route.
    StuAff- Standard. No news on the Viner yet, so looks like I'll be on the Jetstream. Rather slower (if I'm round in anything under five hours I'll be more than happy), but should be handy for Blissford Hill....!
    Dahon Speed Pro TT; Trek Portland
    Viner Magnifica '08 ; Condor Squadra
    LeJOG in aid of the Royal British Legion. Please sponsor me at http://www.bmycharity.com/stuaffleck2011
  • amnezia
    amnezia Posts: 590 
    Coopster the 1st - Standard route.
StuAff- Standard. 
amnezia - Epic
  • Jay dubbleU
    Jay dubbleU Posts: 3,159
    amnezia wrote:
    Coopster the 1st - Standard route.
StuAff- Standard. 
amnezia - Epic
Jay Dubbleu - Standard
  • coopster_the_1st
    coopster_the_1st Posts: 5,158
    Adding iPete back in
    Coopster the 1st - Standard route.
iPete + mates to draft off - Standard route
StuAff- Standard. 
amnezia - Epic
Jay Dubbleu - Standard
  • King Donut
    King Donut Posts: 498 
    Coopster the 1st - Standard route.
iPete + mates to draft off - Standard route
StuAff- Standard. 
amnezia - Epic
Jay Dubbleu - Standard 
King Donut - Epic

    I'm down for the epic but it's 50/50 (transport dependant)
  • Eau Rouge
    Eau Rouge Posts: 1,118 
    Coopster the 1st - Standard route.
iPete + mates to draft off - Standard route
StuAff- Standard. 
amnezia - Epic
Jay Dubbleu - Standard 
King Donut - Epic
Eau Rouge - Standard
  • lastant
    lastant Posts: 526
    Oooh, following on from last night's knee pain* tale I've got another to add...

    ...my hand's don't half feel funny today, feeling's just coming back to my left little finger tip and my right hand can't grip as hard as it did yesterday.

    Only dawned on me about an hour ago that my right hand was the one that was doing 'all' the work yesterday poised on the front brake when necessary (first time I've ridden in a crowd at those sort of speeds) and I guess I was a bit more focussed than usual so probably gripped a bit harder than I would normally do.

    It's all a learning curve this cycling lark, in't it?! Got a lovely couple of tan / burn lines too :)

    * - for those that are wondering it's much better after a night's sleep, thank you. The ache has diminished enough for me to work out where it was...it's the 'outside' tendon at the back of the knee. I've had similar on the left leg in the past and been told it's over-use or pushing myself too hard so I'll see if it happens again and until then not push it too hard. Babble over, phew!
    One Man and LEJOG : End-to-End on Two Wheels in Two Weeks (Buy the book; or Kindle it!)
  • jpm5555
    jpm5555 Posts: 56
    Eau Rouge wrote:
    Coopster the 1st - Standard route.
iPete + mates to draft off - Standard route
StuAff- Standard. 
amnezia - Epic
Jay Dubbleu - Standard 
King Donut - Epic
Eau Rouge - Standard
JPM5555 - Epic
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    If the weathers no too British this weekend I'll be in the forest, not doing the sportive just worrying the wildlife ;-)

    oh and I might take the bike :-)
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    itboffin wrote:
    If the weathers no too British this weekend I'll be in the forest, not doing the sportive just worrying the wildlife ;-)

    oh and I might take the bike :-)
    You do like your ponies, you do. :wink:

    How's the knee, old chap*?


    *The Tweed Run has affected me badly
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides
  • stuaff
    stuaff Posts: 1,736
    itboffin wrote:
    If the weathers no too British this weekend I'll be in the forest, not doing the sportive just worrying the wildlife ;-)

    oh and I might take the bike :-)

    No! Keep that blasted lady friend of yours away! :wink:
    Dahon Speed Pro TT; Trek Portland
    Viner Magnifica '08 ; Condor Squadra
    LeJOG in aid of the Royal British Legion. Please sponsor me at http://www.bmycharity.com/stuaffleck2011
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    Looks like I'm out of the Highclere - operation on Monday means another month off the bike, that combined with the months lost since October means that I'm just in no shape to ride a Sportive with any degree of competitiveness. I've worked out that with surgery, weddings and 2 trips abroad I have just 2 weekends of training before Highclere. Not a happy bunny today.

    :(
  • stuaff
    stuaff Posts: 1,736
    Il Principe wrote:
    Looks like I'm out of the Highclere - operation on Monday means another month off the bike, that combined with the months lost since October means that I'm just in no shape to ride a Sportive with any degree of competitiveness. I've worked out that with surgery, weddings and 2 trips abroad I have just 2 weekends of training before Highclere. Not a happy bunny today.

    :(

    It sucks, but there are plenty of others in the next few months...
    Dahon Speed Pro TT; Trek Portland
    Viner Magnifica '08 ; Condor Squadra
    LeJOG in aid of the Royal British Legion. Please sponsor me at http://www.bmycharity.com/stuaffleck2011
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    Not a sportive, but wasn't sure where else to post this (and couldn't be bothered starting a new thread! :) )

    RICHMOND PARK TIME TRIALS BACK FOR THE SUMMER
    After months of negotiation, the Royal Parks have agreed to allow London Dynamo to host three time trials in Richmond Park during the summer.


    The events will be broadly similarly to the pilots held last year but with a few small changes.


    There will now be no fixed gear category, there will be prizes available for female roadies (as last year the prizes went just to TT riders), but most interestingly, the road bike category has been tightened up to exclude aero-bars, -wheels and -helmets.

    The dates have been confirmed as June 13, July 18 and August 8.
    

    To add a little further spice, Scott is offering two complete TT bikes as spot prizes for anyone racing in the series. The draw will take place at the last event in August.

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    Il Principe wrote:
    Looks like I'm out of the Highclere - operation on Monday means another month off the bike, that combined with the months lost since October means that I'm just in no shape to ride a Sportive with any degree of competitiveness. I've worked out that with surgery, weddings and 2 trips abroad I have just 2 weekends of training before Highclere. Not a happy bunny today.

    :(

    Pah! you're dead to me now :roll:

    Good luck with the op, which will it be this time man or woman? :wink:
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • il_principe
    il_principe Posts: 9,155
    itboffin wrote:
    Il Principe wrote:
    Looks like I'm out of the Highclere - operation on Monday means another month off the bike, that combined with the months lost since October means that I'm just in no shape to ride a Sportive with any degree of competitiveness. I've worked out that with surgery, weddings and 2 trips abroad I have just 2 weekends of training before Highclere. Not a happy bunny today.

    :(

    Pah! you're dead to me now :roll:

    Good luck with the op, which will it be this time man or woman? :wink:

    Well I might be persuaded if you don't mind a slowcoach!
  • DonDaddyD
    DonDaddyD Posts: 12,689
    MatHammond wrote:
    Not a sportive, but wasn't sure where else to post this (and couldn't be bothered starting a new thread! :) )

    RICHMOND PARK TIME TRIALS BACK FOR THE SUMMER
    After months of negotiation, the Royal Parks have agreed to allow London Dynamo to host three time trials in Richmond Park during the summer.


    The events will be broadly similarly to the pilots held last year but with a few small changes.


    There will now be no fixed gear category, there will be prizes available for female roadies (as last year the prizes went just to TT riders), but most interestingly, the road bike category has been tightened up to exclude aero-bars, -wheels and -helmets.

    The dates have been confirmed as June 13, July 18 and August 8.
    

    To add a little further spice, Scott is offering two complete TT bikes as spot prizes for anyone racing in the series. The draw will take place at the last event in August.


    :D

    I'm going to be taking my girlfriend out on a date!
    Food Chain number = 4

    A true scalp is not only overtaking someone but leaving them stopped at a set of lights. As you, who have clearly beaten the lights, pummels nothing but the open air ahead. ~ 'DondaddyD'. Player of the Unspoken Game
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    DonDaddyD wrote:
    MatHammond wrote:
    Not a sportive, but wasn't sure where else to post this (and couldn't be bothered starting a new thread! :) )

    RICHMOND PARK TIME TRIALS BACK FOR THE SUMMER
    After months of negotiation, the Royal Parks have agreed to allow London Dynamo to host three time trials in Richmond Park during the summer.


    The events will be broadly similarly to the pilots held last year but with a few small changes.


    There will now be no fixed gear category, there will be prizes available for female roadies (as last year the prizes went just to TT riders), but most interestingly, the road bike category has been tightened up to exclude aero-bars, -wheels and -helmets.

    The dates have been confirmed as June 13, July 18 and August 8.
    

    To add a little further spice, Scott is offering two complete TT bikes as spot prizes for anyone racing in the series. The draw will take place at the last event in August.


    :D

    I'm going to be taking my girlfriend out on a date!

    I thought this was the other sportive you'd signed up to?
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • amnezia
    amnezia Posts: 590 
    Coopster the 1st - Standard route.
iPete + mates to draft off - Standard route
StuAff- Standard. 
amnezia - Epic
Jay Dubbleu - Standard 
King Donut - Epic
Eau Rouge - Standard
JPM5555 - Epic

    Just had a look at the time grades.

    19mph+ average over 83.5 miles to achieve a gold time on the Epic route. Thats gonna be hard work unless you can get in with a decent group.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    amnezia wrote:
    Coopster the 1st - Standard route.
iPete + mates to draft off - Standard route
StuAff- Standard. 
amnezia - Epic
Jay Dubbleu - Standard 
King Donut - Epic
Eau Rouge - Standard
JPM5555 - Epic

    Just had a look at the time grades.

    19mph+ average over 83.5 miles to achieve a gold time on the Epic route. Thats gonna be hard work unless you can get in with a decent group.

    Tiz very very flat so 19mph avg is doable esp. in a good group.
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • tgotb
    tgotb Posts: 4,714
    MatHammond wrote:
    Not a sportive, but wasn't sure where else to post this (and couldn't be bothered starting a new thread! :) )

    RICHMOND PARK TIME TRIALS BACK FOR THE SUMMER
    After months of negotiation, the Royal Parks have agreed to allow London Dynamo to host three time trials in Richmond Park during the summer.


    The events will be broadly similarly to the pilots held last year but with a few small changes.


    There will now be no fixed gear category, there will be prizes available for female roadies (as last year the prizes went just to TT riders), but most interestingly, the road bike category has been tightened up to exclude aero-bars, -wheels and -helmets.

    The dates have been confirmed as June 13, July 18 and August 8.
    

    To add a little further spice, Scott is offering two complete TT bikes as spot prizes for anyone racing in the series. The draw will take place at the last event in August.


    Hmmm, this is very tempting, especially as I live a couple of minutes from the park.

    Any TT experts who can comment on whether this event would be appropriate for a complete novice?
    Pannier, 120rpm.
  • cjcp
    cjcp Posts: 13,345
    TGOTB wrote:
    MatHammond wrote:
    Not a sportive, but wasn't sure where else to post this (and couldn't be bothered starting a new thread! :) )

    RICHMOND PARK TIME TRIALS BACK FOR THE SUMMER
    After months of negotiation, the Royal Parks have agreed to allow London Dynamo to host three time trials in Richmond Park during the summer.


    The events will be broadly similarly to the pilots held last year but with a few small changes.


    There will now be no fixed gear category, there will be prizes available for female roadies (as last year the prizes went just to TT riders), but most interestingly, the road bike category has been tightened up to exclude aero-bars, -wheels and -helmets.

    The dates have been confirmed as June 13, July 18 and August 8.
    

    To add a little further spice, Scott is offering two complete TT bikes as spot prizes for anyone racing in the series. The draw will take place at the last event in August.


    Hmmm, this is very tempting, especially as I live a couple of minutes from the park.

    Any TT experts who can comment on whether this event would be appropriate for a complete novice?

    Closed roads = big win. Plus: it's Richmond Park and minutes from your house.

    There's a ballot system in operation, mind.
    FCN 2-4.

    "What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
    "It stays down, Daddy."
    "Exactly."
  • bigmat
    bigmat Posts: 5,134
    cjcp wrote:
    TGOTB wrote:
    MatHammond wrote:
    Not a sportive, but wasn't sure where else to post this (and couldn't be bothered starting a new thread! :) )

    RICHMOND PARK TIME TRIALS BACK FOR THE SUMMER
    After months of negotiation, the Royal Parks have agreed to allow London Dynamo to host three time trials in Richmond Park during the summer.


    The events will be broadly similarly to the pilots held last year but with a few small changes.


    There will now be no fixed gear category, there will be prizes available for female roadies (as last year the prizes went just to TT riders), but most interestingly, the road bike category has been tightened up to exclude aero-bars, -wheels and -helmets.

    The dates have been confirmed as June 13, July 18 and August 8.
    

    To add a little further spice, Scott is offering two complete TT bikes as spot prizes for anyone racing in the series. The draw will take place at the last event in August.


    Hmmm, this is very tempting, especially as I live a couple of minutes from the park.

    Any TT experts who can comment on whether this event would be appropriate for a complete novice?

    Closed roads = big win. Plus: it's Richmond Park and minutes from your house.

    There's a ballot system in operation, mind.

    Also there's a category for standard road bikes so no disadvantage if you don't have all the aero gear. I would say its the perfect event for a novice.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/41991871@N ... otostream/
  • jonginge
    jonginge Posts: 5,945
    TGOTB wrote:
    MatHammond wrote:
    Not a sportive, but wasn't sure where else to post this (and couldn't be bothered starting a new thread! :) )

    RICHMOND PARK TIME TRIALS BACK FOR THE SUMMER
    After months of negotiation, the Royal Parks have agreed to allow London Dynamo to host three time trials in Richmond Park during the summer.


    The events will be broadly similarly to the pilots held last year but with a few small changes.


    There will now be no fixed gear category, there will be prizes available for female roadies (as last year the prizes went just to TT riders), but most interestingly, the road bike category has been tightened up to exclude aero-bars, -wheels and -helmets.

    The dates have been confirmed as June 13, July 18 and August 8.
    

    To add a little further spice, Scott is offering two complete TT bikes as spot prizes for anyone racing in the series. The draw will take place at the last event in August.


    Hmmm, this is very tempting, especially as I live a couple of minutes from the park.

    Any TT experts who can comment on whether this event would be appropriate for a complete novice?
    IMO a short TT is the perfect event for a novice. You're riding against yourself more than anything. The only real thing to worry about is getting the pacing right...

    I'm thinking of doing the Crystal Palace crits again. I'm fully expecting to be handed a whole can of whupass
    FCN 2-4 "Shut up legs", Jens Voigt
    Planet-x Scott
    Rides

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