Etape Caledonia

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  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Right, that's me signed up for 2011!!!!

    Great excuse to train all winter.... now do i get a super light carbon bike and go for sun 4hr? Nah.... need to get super light me first!! Target is 4.15 (with good weather)
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • SurosaRider
    SurosaRider Posts: 31
    neil² wrote:
    ...but don't they absorb your sweat and then taste rather salty and mush up a bit?!

    Nope. They just got a wee bit softer. Powerbars are quite well stuck together.
  • SurosaRider
    SurosaRider Posts: 31
    ...thinking about it though, it could well have been messy had it rained.
  • doogee
    doogee Posts: 82
    I'll be looking to sign up for next year ASAP, the bar has been set and I intend to do my best to beat this years time.

    My times can seen here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/33479999

    I didn't notice much inconsiderate peeing but did notice a fair few empty gel wrappers and bottles, I put the bottles down as being dropped rather than deliberately thrown away.
  • themightyw
    themightyw Posts: 409
    fenski wrote:
    The local paper is called the Perthshire Advertiser http://www.perthshireadvertiser.co.uk/

    Thanks for that! Letter sent.
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    Full confirmed results are up.

    My time of 4:54:41 was a pleasant result as i was set for 5:30 and hoping for sub 5:00. What made it especially pleasant was that I was baby sitting a club member and I thought we were going slow :shock:

    We made a deal though that I would support him all the way but I would stretch my legs for the KoM and regroup after that.
    21:44:01 for the Kom and in 152st place! :shock: :shock: I am amazed!
    Not bad for an overweight middle aged guy on a steel bike :wink:

    The chase down the descent after he passed me at the feed station was fun though :P

    After that he was grateful for the support as he was just looking to finish and was dreaming of a sub 5:30 time. I was glad of the good company and the good vibes from helping someone.

    To all the people wondering why a guy in black and white on a red Colnago went flying by them just to go slow; it was probably me doing the KoM, Catching my mate up or accidentally dropping him off my wheel and having to wait. I do have an advantage of weight and gravity on my side for the downhill parts :oops:

    Great day out and now for my letter of thanks to the locals in the Perthshire Advertiser....
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • Alain Quay
    Alain Quay Posts: 534
    On the idea of wrapping Power Bars in rice paper, why doesn't anyone
    sell a kind of plastic pocket thingy for carrying food in your back pocket?

    Does anyone know a patent attorney? I might be onto something.
  • themightyw
    themightyw Posts: 409
    Alain Quay wrote:
    On the idea of wrapping Power Bars in rice paper, why doesn't anyone
    sell a kind of plastic pocket thingy for carrying food in your back pocket?

    Does anyone know a patent attorney? I might be onto something.

    Indeed, you could also use it for transporting sandwiches from A to B, and call it a 'sandwich bag' :D

    Davie See - very very impressive on the old KoM there!
  • Cliffter1970
    Cliffter1970 Posts: 18
    As a newbie rider I found the whole food/water thing a big concern before the race. In the end I found myself enjoying my Aldi jelly beans much more than the gels though I didn't mind the bars zipvit were flogging.

    I found the feed stations the hairiest bit with people just randomly stopping on the wrong side of the road or drifting across sharply but slowly. I think it was much easier to carry enough water and grub rather than use the stops. But was I being greedy carrying:

    3 gels, 3 bars and 200g of jelly beans? I guess so as I finished with about a quarter of the beans and one gel.
    Cycle fatboy cycle.
  • Cliffter1970
    Cliffter1970 Posts: 18
    themightyw wrote:
    fenski wrote:
    The local paper is called the Perthshire Advertiser http://www.perthshireadvertiser.co.uk/

    Thanks for that! Letter sent.

    +1
    Cycle fatboy cycle.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    Cliffter1970 wrote:
    I found myself enjoying my Aldi jelly beans much more than the gels
    What??!! Did no-one tell you that real cyclists only eat Assos jelly beans?
  • SurosaRider
    SurosaRider Posts: 31
    Alain Quay wrote:
    On the idea of wrapping Power Bars in rice paper, why doesn't anyone
    sell a kind of plastic pocket thingy for carrying food in your back pocket?

    Does anyone know a patent attorney? I might be onto something.

    Hello, the point is that with the rice paper, there was nothing to unwrap or open or anything to throw away. I experimented with other containers at first but Powerbars are just really sticky. GO bars are somehow not sticky and the wrapping is easier to open and less flaky but I prefer Powerbars.
  • thecrofter
    thecrofter Posts: 734
    Cliffter1970 wrote:
    Some of the stuff dropped was obviously accidental such as full gel pouches and half full bottles and at least they would blow away into the hills but the loose wrappers were obviously in the main just lazy.

    AT LEAST THEY WOULD BLOW AWAY INTO THE HILLS :shock: :shock:

    Oh well, that's OK, then.
    You've no won the Big Cup since 1902!
  • thecrofter
    thecrofter Posts: 734
    davelakers wrote:
    I had a fantastic day that could have been better if I hadnt had too much ale and a curry the night before.
    7 miles in my mate had a total blow out on a descent and it went with a proper bang, frightened the hell out of all of us around him.

    that can't have been pretty after a night on the ale and curry :lol:
    You've no won the Big Cup since 1902!
  • Cliffter1970
    Cliffter1970 Posts: 18
    edited May 2010
    thecrofter wrote:
    Cliffter1970 wrote:
    Some of the stuff dropped was obviously accidental such as full gel pouches and half full bottles and at least they would blow away into the hills but the loose wrappers were obviously in the main just lazy.

    AT LEAST THEY WOULD BLOW AWAY INTO THE HILLS :shock: :shock:

    Oh well, that's OK, then.

    Should've read 'wouldn't blow away into the hills' unlike the loose/light stuff that would and I wasn't saying it was okay. Merely stating that when you have 3500 people cycling some stuff will be dropped accidently I refuse to believe for instance the water bottles half full were deliberately discarded. Should they stop and retrieve maybe, but I'd like to think the organisers would also carry out a tidy up and therefore heavy objects accidently dropped would be cleaned up.

    NB have editted the original post to include the correction of would to wouldn't and er put in bold a bit you chose to ignore when quoting me.
    Cycle fatboy cycle.
  • Cliffter1970
    Cliffter1970 Posts: 18
    bompington wrote:
    Cliffter1970 wrote:
    I found myself enjoying my Aldi jelly beans much more than the gels
    What??!! Did no-one tell you that real cyclists only eat Assos jelly beans?

    Apparently not, and I can't say I was enjoying the individual flavours of the beans just enjoying the different consistency, gonna copy r'rice paper' suggestions for future rides. I'd got myself half way there as was gonna have all my bars pre opened for my next jaunt the Norwich 100, but the rice paper wrapping sounds brilliantly simple.
    Cycle fatboy cycle.
  • davelakers
    davelakers Posts: 762
    thecrofter wrote:
    davelakers wrote:
    I had a fantastic day that could have been better if I hadnt had too much ale and a curry the night before.
    7 miles in my mate had a total blow out on a descent and it went with a proper bang, frightened the hell out of all of us around him.

    that can't have been pretty after a night on the ale and curry :lol:

    ha ha...

    I suppose I better edit it so its clear that he had a puncture "blow out" not the other ale and curry induced "blow out"!! :D:D
  • daviesee
    daviesee Posts: 6,386
    themightyw wrote:
    Alain Quay wrote:
    On the idea of wrapping Power Bars in rice paper, why doesn't anyone
    sell a kind of plastic pocket thingy for carrying food in your back pocket?

    Does anyone know a patent attorney? I might be onto something.

    Indeed, you could also use it for transporting sandwiches from A to B, and call it a 'sandwich bag' :D

    Davie See - very very impressive on the old KoM there!

    Thanks.
    The best bit is that due to my pacing, I was fresh as a daisy at the end and seriously said I could do it all again :shock:
    Those Zipvit bars should be checked. Are they legal? Something got me round a lot fresher than normal :wink:

    I just unwrapped 2 Zipvit bars, broke them up into manageable pieces and put them in my back pocket along with a couple of bananas and a handful of jelly babies. Saw me through just fine.
    None of the above should be taken seriously, and certainly not personally.
  • Cliffter1970
    Cliffter1970 Posts: 18
    I'm assuming Obree didn't race just started the etape? No sign of him on the race listings, shame. If anyone saw Ben Fogle on TV today he obviously didn't fully enjoy his etape experience, crashed 25mile from home apparently nice shiner and broken finger to boot. Does he ever beat his pal James Cracknell?
    Cycle fatboy cycle.
  • themightyw
    themightyw Posts: 409
    Did anyone get that email from the organisers that included a link to a video of the finish line? I stupidly deleted it...
  • neil²
    neil² Posts: 337
    themightyw wrote:
    Did anyone get that email from the organisers that included a link to a video of the finish line? I stupidly deleted it...

    Mine just said "We recorded the moment every competitor crossed the line and we'll send you an email with the details so you can show if off to your friends and family from Wednesday 19th May!"
    The Riddler
    The GT
  • themightyw
    themightyw Posts: 409
    neil² wrote:
    themightyw wrote:
    Did anyone get that email from the organisers that included a link to a video of the finish line? I stupidly deleted it...

    Mine just said "We recorded the moment every competitor crossed the line and we'll send you an email with the details so you can show if off to your friends and family from Wednesday 19th May!"

    Thanks. Appreciate that.
  • Joycie
    Joycie Posts: 127
    edited May 2010
    I was in one of the last waves 7.38

    I only stopped at one food stop (just before the Shiehallion climb) and they had no food left! Thankfully I'd brought some gel bars with me... :?

    Other than that I agree it was very well organised. I did shout to a few guys peeing right beside the road to "put it away" as I cycled past. The one I couldn't get over was the guy who had decided on this one tree in an entire wood to pee against. Unfortunately he decided to face the tree towards the direction everyone was cycling from. It wasn't a particularly big tree either... :shock:
  • rabk
    rabk Posts: 182
    Cliffter1970 wrote:
    I'm assuming Obree didn't race just started the etape? No sign of him on the race listings, shame. If anyone saw Ben Fogle on TV today he obviously didn't fully enjoy his etape experience, crashed 25mile from home apparently nice shiner and broken finger to boot. Does he ever beat his pal James Cracknell?

    find it strange that Graeme isn't on the listings as he was certainly riding, I was briefly on his tail at the top of Schiehallion.

    Maybe he didn't have a timing chip fitted.
  • dexradio
    dexradio Posts: 54
    I believe Graham spent time on the course mingling with lots of cyclists so spent time encouraging people on and chatting to people, rather then competing for first home. I had the privilege of chatting to him later in the day, a very nice Gent indeed.

    Dex.
  • shane515
    shane515 Posts: 139
    Photos are up :) :

    http://www.sportcam.net/competitorsearc ... ce&RId=246

    Shane
  • Cliffter1970
    Cliffter1970 Posts: 18
    edited May 2010
    shane515 wrote:
    Photos are up :) :

    http://www.sportcam.net/competitorsearc ... ce&RId=246

    Shane

    beat me to it....... laughing at how fat I look(am) and I do mean fat not phat! There is clearly some time to be shaved off by keeping off the pies. So if I managed 4hrs 50 this year next year sub 4hrs 30 has to be achieveable.....

    for anyone else who want to laugh at a fat bloke in lyrca.......

    http://www.sportcam.net/CompetitorDetai ... AL+&Name=X

    Gonna buy that and stick it on my fridge door.
    Cycle fatboy cycle.
  • bompington
    bompington Posts: 7,674
    Cliffter1970 wrote:
    laughing at how fat I look(am)

    +1 :oops:

    http://www.sportcam.net/CompetitorImage.aspx?ID=1227&General=No

    I think I have to confess that I looked at them and thought "I'm sure I could photoshop that a bit"

    BTW you get a higher res proof shot if you click on the info link for the time photos, although still with the watermark
  • Cliffter1970
    Cliffter1970 Posts: 18
    bompington wrote:

    http://www.sportcam.net/CompetitorImage.aspx?ID=1227&General=No

    I think I have to confess that I looked at them and thought "I'm sure I could photoshop that a bit"

    Digging the old school gear levers, when I got my road bike about 4 weeks ago the gear levers were alien to someone who hadn't been on a road bike for about 18 years, went out for my first ride and went to brake whilst on top of the bars reaching for the dual brake levers that I had on my bike as a teenager, thankfully there was no traffic at the T junction!
    Cycle fatboy cycle.
  • thecrofter
    thecrofter Posts: 734
    This is me!

    http://www.sportcam.net/CompetitorImage ... General=No

    Not overly impressed with the quality of the images, one of them has the top of my helmet shaved off!!!!! if you'll pardon the expression. But that's a very basic error when taking a photo. For £13 a go or £38 the lot they aint cheap.
    You've no won the Big Cup since 1902!

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