Silly Commuter Sportives

jonginge

JonGinge wrote:

Just had another look at the photobreton pictures from the ride up Alpe d'Huez Chris and I did on Thursday. The marmotte pictures from saturday will be posted up on tuesday. I'll doubt we'll look so fresh

www.photobreton.com
CJ: AVXC8571
JG: SVXC0055

As I suspected, I don't look quite so easy on the Alpe on race day

Dossards:
JG: 2233
CJ: 2234

ketsbaia

I look I'm finding it way too easy.

rjsterry

JonGinge wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Just had another look at the photobreton pictures from the ride up Alpe d'Huez Chris and I did on Thursday. The marmotte pictures from saturday will be posted up on tuesday. I'll doubt we'll look so fresh

www.photobreton.com
CJ: AVXC8571
JG: SVXC0055

As I suspected, I don't look quite so easy on the Alpe on race day

Dossards:
JG: 2233
CJ: 2234

Interesting how you have managed to strike almost exactly the same pose as your avatar JG.

jonginge

ketsbaia wrote:

I look I'm finding it way too easy.

Aha, you had your armwarmers rolled down too. I got tanlines from doing that :oops:

I think I'm looking a bit like Schleck the younger on the Galibier shots. If only I could ride like him.

jonginge

rjsterry wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Just had another look at the photobreton pictures from the ride up Alpe d'Huez Chris and I did on Thursday. The marmotte pictures from saturday will be posted up on tuesday. I'll doubt we'll look so fresh

www.photobreton.com
CJ: AVXC8571
JG: SVXC0055

As I suspected, I don't look quite so easy on the Alpe on race day

Dossards:
JG: 2233
CJ: 2234

Interesting how you have managed to strike almost exactly the same pose as your avatar JG.

Not really. My avatar was taken at the same spot by the same people

rjsterry

JonGinge wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

JonGinge wrote:

Just had another look at the photobreton pictures from the ride up Alpe d'Huez Chris and I did on Thursday. The marmotte pictures from saturday will be posted up on tuesday. I'll doubt we'll look so fresh

www.photobreton.com
CJ: AVXC8571
JG: SVXC0055

As I suspected, I don't look quite so easy on the Alpe on race day

Dossards:
JG: 2233
CJ: 2234

Interesting how you have managed to strike almost exactly the same pose as your avatar JG.

Not really. My avatar was taken at the same spot by the same people

<slaps forehead> That would explain it, yes.

cjcp

ketsbaia wrote:

How you doing? Must be ruined after posting such a good time.

Ta . They're improving by the day, but still spinning on the commute.

The photos do not lie. Note the difference between the one of me with the hat on, smiling and waving, and the other without the photo, shirt unzipped, looking a little troubled.

One of the corners on the Galibier descent had a sign on it saying, "Photo". Not an ideal place for your brain to suddenly switch from, "Slow the Heck Down! Steep Bl**dy Cliff!" to "Smile, Please!"

Rich158

itboffin wrote:

Rich158 wrote:

Chapeau guys, that's awesome. Reading the report I wish I was there to share the pain, next year then

Have you forgotten about Sept....?

Not at all, but it's not the Mamotte is it. I'm looking forward to a few duels up the Alpe

Is anyone up for the Maratona as well next year?

gabriel959

Canny Jock wrote:

gabriel959 wrote:

Hi guys,

Any of you doing the BikeRadar sportive this saturday? I know it doesn't compare to the Alps but I bet some of you Londoners might be riding it.

I am asking because I have lost my two clubmates for it and would like to ride it with someone else as 106 miles on your own can be painful!!!

Cheers

I am, but only doing the 70 miler. Not sure how the start times work? You probably wouldn't get much help by following me anyway :oops:

And can I add my congrats to the Marmotte crew - after practising up Exedown Hill recently and feeling the pain, I don't know how you do it!

I am happy to ride together for a while (first 30 miles) if you want

Its always nice to ride with someone I think, keeps it interesting. Let me know!

biondino

Jay dubbleU wrote:

Sorry but you have to post time and race number on here afterwards - its the LAW

Oh, okay! Ride to the Horns, Sunday 4th July 2010. 96 miles, 1590m of climbing.

I was no. 44. My rolling time was 6 hours 1 minute (actual time just under 7 hours, largely because I needed to replace a wheel after a spoke disaster, and trying to fix the wheel/waiting for the replacement took quite a while).

Bassjunkieuk

Is anyone considering doing the Evans Ride-It North Downs? I'm considering it (wife and baby dependant!) as it start within a nice rideable distance from my house, only cost £11 to enter and looks to be a very interesting route! Its "only" 65 miles for the long route (everything else would be a walk in the park) and it would be useful as a means to learn a few more nice routes in my "local" area! It takes in some of the nice hills down there including Toys, Crockham and Whites Lane/Titsey Hill (think the ride up the full length of Titsey is get-out option if you don't feel like tackling Whites Lane after 60 odd miles.....)

It's at the tail end of September so plenty of time to plan/beg for a day off etc.....

I'm also rather tempted by the idea of a demo bike to try, no details on what's available road-bike wise yet but I'd love to get my leg over something nice and light and made of carbon fibre :-D

ketsbaia

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Is anyone considering doing the Evans Ride-It North Downs? I'm considering it (wife and baby dependant!) as it start within a nice rideable distance from my house, only cost £11 to enter and looks to be a very interesting route! Its "only" 65 miles for the long route (everything else would be a walk in the park) and it would be useful as a means to learn a few more nice routes in my "local" area! It takes in some of the nice hills down there including Toys, Crockham and Whites Lane/Titsey Hill (think the ride up the full length of Titsey is get-out option if you don't feel like tackling Whites Lane after 60 odd miles.....)

It's at the tail end of September so plenty of time to plan/beg for a day off etc.....

I'm also rather tempted by the idea of a demo bike to try, no details on what's available road-bike wise yet but I'd love to get my leg over something nice and light and made of carbon fibre :-D

I might be up for doing that, although it does strike me as a bit odd to pay £11 to ride a route I do usually anyway. I'll have to see whether my bike will be back from Cannondale by then.

ketsbaia

Heh. Got some helmet camera footage of the Marmotte. I didn't think it was working, so there's lots of film of nothing happening at the top of the Telegraphe while I'm eating/having a breather, so I need to find some free editing software to knock it in to shape.

londonlivvy

ketsbaia wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Is anyone considering doing the Evans Ride-It North Downs? I'm considering it (wife and baby dependant!) as it start within a nice rideable distance from my house, only cost £11 to enter and looks to be a very interesting route! Its "only" 65 miles for the long route (everything else would be a walk in the park) and it would be useful as a means to learn a few more nice routes in my "local" area! It takes in some of the nice hills down there including Toys, Crockham and Whites Lane/Titsey Hill (think the ride up the full length of Titsey is get-out option if you don't feel like tackling Whites Lane after 60 odd miles.....)

It's at the tail end of September so plenty of time to plan/beg for a day off etc.....

I'm also rather tempted by the idea of a demo bike to try, no details on what's available road-bike wise yet but I'd love to get my leg over something nice and light and made of carbon fibre :-D

I might be up for doing that, although it does strike me as a bit odd to pay £11 to ride a route I do usually anyway. I'll have to see whether my bike will be back from Cannondale by then.

I did this one last year in some truly truly foul weather but won't bother doing it again this year. My motivations for sportives are usually new areas / fellow riders to inspire my competitive spirit / organisation etc. I know the Kent Hills routes / places better now so don't need the directions. And whilst the organisation was fine, there weren't many riders on the long route (perhaps due to the aforementioned weather) and so we barely saw anyone all day - which removed the point of it being a sportive, really!

BJUK, do bear in mind that when Evans say the long is 65 miles, that's an approximate figure. Last year the Biggin Hill long route was 69 miles IIRR but I did another Evans sportive earlier this year where the long was 83 miles.

Bassjunkieuk

Cheers for the advice Kets and LL - I know it's a route I could in theory do myself without spending the £11 and I did rather enjoy my "adventure" when I had when I pointed my bike in the general direction of Box HIll (and missed it!) then had to navigate back from somewhere near J9 of the M25....... in the end tho it may can down to if I can get a nice bike to demo, which quite frankly unless my employer signs up for the C2W scheme, could be my only chance to get a ride on a decent go on a carbon bike!

The distance isn't really a worry as 65 miles shouldn't present much of a problem after the Magnificat :-)

Canny Jock

ketsbaia wrote:

Bassjunkieuk wrote:

Is anyone considering doing the Evans Ride-It North Downs? I'm considering it (wife and baby dependant!) as it start within a nice rideable distance from my house, only cost £11 to enter and looks to be a very interesting route! Its "only" 65 miles for the long route (everything else would be a walk in the park) and it would be useful as a means to learn a few more nice routes in my "local" area! It takes in some of the nice hills down there including Toys, Crockham and Whites Lane/Titsey Hill (think the ride up the full length of Titsey is get-out option if you don't feel like tackling Whites Lane after 60 odd miles.....)

It's at the tail end of September so plenty of time to plan/beg for a day off etc.....

I'm also rather tempted by the idea of a demo bike to try, no details on what's available road-bike wise yet but I'd love to get my leg over something nice and light and made of carbon fibre :-D

I might be up for doing that, although it does strike me as a bit odd to pay £11 to ride a route I do usually anyway. I'll have to see whether my bike will be back from Cannondale by then.

I could be up for it too, depending on how I get on in my first sportive this weekend (BikeRadar Brands hatch 70 miler).

Demo bike - I recently bought a Cannondale Six Carbon, and I notice Evans are doing a 'special edition' version (2011 105 kit instead of 2010, but Tektro brakes) for £1399 instead of £1699 which is a good price for a bike which won bike of the year in the up to £2500 category. Not mega-light, but it feels really stiff while still having really good ride comfort.

Canny Jock

So, managed to finish my first sportive - but it was hard going, it got really hot and the final climb (Exedown Hill) was a killer. My left leg was starting to cramp going up it and I thought I was going to fall at one point, but managed to keep on going and the feeling when I got to the top made it worthwhile! Not a huge climb compared to many, but for me it was a challenge after 65 miles in today's heat.

It was a well organised event, the route was beautiful, and generally the road surfaces were OK, a few bumpy bits but not bad for the UK. The start around Brands was amazing - the drop down to Paddock and up to Druids was a real buzz, I'd love to do it again. The feed stations were well placed and not too busy, they even had a good cake selection at the last one

I did it in 4.29 something - silver for my category was 4.05, so I was a long way off. I could have realistically cut about 10-15 minutes off at the most, although I might have had a few more problems on the final climb if I had.

Now looking to do my next one in a few months, hopefully I'll be able to do some better training for that and have a crack at getting the silver,

Pics will be posted once they're available!

cjcp

Excellent.

More training definitely helps, as does riding more sportives - you have a better idea of how to pace yourself, eat, drink, getting into groups etc. I struggled to think where I'd get more time from in first Dragon (got bronze, too), but with more riding, the time gaps you mention quickly disappear.

Fwiw, on the training front, I used JG's idea of intensity training over, eg, two hours because I couldn't get any long rides in. Definitely worked for me.

Why do you think you got cramp? Did you drink enough and take on electrolytes? Or was it more down to fatigue?

When's the next one? There are some good ones in Sept and Oct, I think.

Specialized Needs

@Canny Jock

The times are now up on the Bike radar site. First sportive for both me and my wife. We did the 71 miles (plus 2 miles either way to and from the event), and it was also our first time 100+km.

Didn't make it all the way up Exedown :evil: , but the way my heart was thumping when I stopped, it was probably just as well I didn't try the last bit. Made all of the rest of the route, shame about my two inner tube failures making our already slow time slower.

I thought the organisation, bar one thing, was excellent: the motorcycle escort and support (who were excellent, cheery and supportive despite being in full leathers for the duration in that heat); the signage; the route; the weather (though a little hot :shock: - it was a good trial for the P20 we tried after the recommendations on this forum - it works!), the camaraderie.

Just let down by the feed stations. Shame they didn't think to use/organise standpipes rather than bottled water. Not only would it have been more environmentally friendly, it would have prevented them running out of water by 11am at Headcorn, which was criminal on such a hot day; and not to have sufficient gels/energy drink, when you advertise its availability and have a good idea of the numbers riding, was bizarre.

All in all an enjoyable day's ride. My wife seems hooked and will no doubt drag me along to some more in the coming months :roll:

Edit: Nuun triberry = mmmmmmmmmm + no cramp

stuaff

Did the Wiggle-sponsored Mega Meon Sportive today (start/finish handily located five miles or so from this 'ere sofa). Not as quick as I would have liked/expected (12.1mph overall average- Garmin set to run continuously, so includes all stops- 14.0 rolling). However, I was more interested in getting round the course than trying to get a fast time (not that I could!), it was too hot for my liking, I took my time at feeding stations & made quite a few other stops for a drink and some food. Not the weather to skimp on hydration. If I felt like walking up a hill, I did. As it was, I nearly beat the virtual partner time, I just made the turn for the ride centre when it finished, so only five minutes if that in it. And he didn't get any flapjack or swiss roll
It was a lumpy course in more than one sense. I've ridden on quite a few of the roads before- part is on a regular weekend ride, for one thing- and they contain some of the worst tarmac anywhere in southern England. Evenly uneven surfaces that send vibrations right through the frame, potholes, loads of gravel in the middle of tracks, and plenty of climbs. Total 4,000 or so feet of climbing- nothing too bad in terms of height, but lots of short but steep ones, which I hate. Hence the odd bit of walking. And I had an argument with some of the aforementioned gravel. On a downhill about half way round, skidded on some of it, went into a bank. According to the couple who were behind and asked how I was, I controlled it well. Luck rather than skill, frankly. A few cuts and scratches on the legs & left arm, the odd ache...I naturally MTFUd and got back on. Realised later I'd lost a bottle, which was annoying, but I had the bladder and a couple more, and both me and the bike were fine, which was the main thing. Fortunately, the second half was a little easier than the the first. I told the aches and pains to shut up and got on with it. As with the Wiggle New Forest sportive a while back, excellent organisation etc- well stocked feeding stations, turns etc well signposted for the most part, and useful freebies. They're running a loyalty card scheme, there'll be some more stamps on my card I'm sure.
Garmin data here

verloren

I did the Meon today as well (think I just made it into Bronze for the standard route, plus 12 miles each way to get there from Stubbington. Found it to be very choppy, particularly the first half; every downhill seemed to have a blind corner to slow down for, or a roundabout at the bottom, or something else that meant the slog up a hill wasn't rewarded with a fast downhill.

Aside from that pretty enjoyable, although the two hills close to 20% were almost enough to kill me - I set a new Max HR record! Not sure I'll be back next year, though I guess the memory of the pain will fade with time...

stuaff

verloren wrote:

I did the Meon today as well (think I just made it into Bronze for the standard route, plus 12 miles each way to get there from Stubbington. Found it to be very choppy, particularly the first half; every downhill seemed to have a blind corner to slow down for, or a roundabout at the bottom, or something else that meant the slog up a hill wasn't rewarded with a fast downhill.

Aside from that pretty enjoyable, although the two hills close to 20% were almost enough to kill me - I set a new Max HR record! Not sure I'll be back next year, though I guess the memory of the pain will fade with time...

'Just made it into Bronze'? Do you mean 'just missed out on silver'? Know what you mean about the lack of payback for the climbing. I just wish they'd sort the gravel out...why is that c**p on the roads, it's dangerous!

verloren

Looking at my time I'm going to stick with "Just made it into Bronze"

cjcp

Finally got round to sifting through the shots of the Alps trip. Here's a selection:

1. a view from the Col de Sarenne - we'd just driven up that twisting road. It's a bit rough in parts - more suited to a cross bike or mtb



2. another view from the C de S, just facing out this time:



3. Looking up the Galibier during a reccie in the car the day before the Marmotte (the summit is 3km or so further up, I think):



4. And looking down the descent off the Galibier towards the Lautaret:

jonginge

Nice work. Some random shots from the trip are on here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34408680@N06/

Bit of a shame the vid uploaded rotated through 90degrees. I'm fairly sure I wasn't cycling that way

amnezia

not really a sportive but is anyone doing dunwich dynamo this weekend?

Jay dubbleU

Anyone signed up for the Evans Cotswold sportive ? I have to as its on my doorstep. Went to watch bits of the Grimpiers de Wolds last week - man that's tough - anyone done it ?

WesternWay

amnezia wrote:

not really a sportive but is anyone doing dunwich dynamo this weekend?

Yes, I will be the fat man in a red top on a RIdgeback hybrid.

I am excited and petrified in equal measure at the moment.

amnezia

WesternWay wrote:

amnezia wrote:

not really a sportive but is anyone doing dunwich dynamo this weekend?

Yes, I will be the fat man in a red top on a RIdgeback hybrid.

I am excited and petrified in equal measure at the moment.

Should be fun, 120 miles is easily doable if you stick to a reasonable pace. I'll be on my commuter bike - Blue Giant SCR, good luck.

ketsbaia

cjcp wrote:

Finally got round to sifting through the shots of the Alps trip. Here's a selection:

1. a view from the Col de Sarenne - we'd just driven up that twisting road. It's a bit rough in parts - more suited to a cross bike or mtb



2. another view from the C de S, just facing out this time:



3. Looking up the Galibier during a reccie in the car the day before the Marmotte (the summit is 3km or so further up, I think):



4. And looking down the descent off the Galibier towards the Lautaret:

*flashback*

*twitches*

Some good shots there.

I rode up to the Col de Sarenne from Alpe d'Huez on Friday for a bit of a leg-turner. Never thought I'd come across worse road surfaces than on the Magnificat, but that pass made the heavy roads of Hampshire feel shirt-front smooth in comparison.