Wiggle Super Series, The Up & Downs, April 25th (Epic)
flix23
Posts: 72
Anyone doing this?
Have just booked my entry, looks pretty tough with 2600m climbing over 161km - particulary as the climb up White Down onto Ranmore comes just before the end!
Have just booked my entry, looks pretty tough with 2600m climbing over 161km - particulary as the climb up White Down onto Ranmore comes just before the end!
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I did that climb during my training ride last Sunday. It's a nasty one to come at the end of a 100mile sportive! Signpost at the bottom said 18% - it has a bit of a false summit about half way up too.
I think your route descends Crocknorth Road too (around 18% too I think). I came down there on Sunday and my god that is a bumpy descent! The T-junction at the bottom combined with a lot of loose gravel meant mucho skiddingo for me. Take care there if you've got a lot of other riders around you!!!0 -
Yep, I'm signing up.
Gold time needs an average of 18mph - pretty punchy speed for me! Would need to get in a decent group.0 -
They've adjusted the medal standards now, you're right 18mph would have been a big ask!
New standards:
Gold is 17mph or 5hrs 59
Silver is 15.5 mph or 6hrs 34
Fingers crossed the fine weather is due to continue.0 -
I filmed the Wiggle Super Series New Forest Spring Sportive last Sunday - have a look!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLSF5ag4n7Q&hd=10 -
I'm doing this, but have opted for the 72 mile version - the extra 30 miles seemed a bit unnecessary at this stage, even though I am training for La Marmotte.
17mph for gold sounds pretty straightforward - does anyone know if those GPX files will work on a Garmin 305?
Also, it looks as though the route takes in Winterfold Hill (21 per cent). Don't think I've done White Down - how does it compare with Winterfold?
Cheers0 -
Abdoujaparov wrote:I'm doing this, but have opted for the 72 mile version - the extra 30 miles seemed a bit unnecessary at this stage, even though I am training for La Marmotte.
Cheers
I'm also Marmotte training, and figured a 100 mile ride is a good one to get under the belt. Flanders at the start of the month was 93 miles, but horrid conditions. I'm hoping the summer bike + nicer weather + a few packs will mean a 17mph average is achievable. It's a confidence booster if anything I suppose.0 -
I'm Etape training, and having done a 71 mile sportive reasonably comfortably at 17.5mph a few weeks ago, decided the longer distanace would be worth a try.
Will be the furthest I've ridden "competitively" as opposed to stopping for a tea break or whatever, so will be quite content to aim for silver on this.
I don't actually know WInterfold, although purely as I understand it we'll be crossing it North to South on the ride which is somewhat preferable to the opposite way.
White Down is pretty steep and goes on for at least 1km - on my standard geared bike it's a grind to keep going on it - but I've never attempted it so far into a long ride - should be interesting...
I'll be on a celeste Bianchi 1885, with a red Specialized helmet - say hello if you see me!0 -
Abdoujaparov wrote:I'm doing this, but have opted for the 72 mile version - the extra 30 miles seemed a bit unnecessary at this stage, even though I am training for La Marmotte.
at this stage? blimey the Marmotte's only 10 weeks away, twice a much climbing in pretty much the same distance - I'd go for the longer ride, or add on the extra 30 once you've finished, time to step up that training ':oops:'0 -
paulcass1 wrote:at this stage? blimey the Marmotte's only 10 weeks away, twice a much climbing in pretty much the same distance - I'd go for the longer ride, or add on the extra 30 once you've finished, time to step up that training ':oops:'
You're right - I should be getting the miles in atm and focusing more on quality as La Marmotte approaches, but I'm not that fussed about a time.
I've got a week's cycling in the Highlands coming up in ten days' time and I'm going to Chamonix in June for some focused training in the mountains so reckon I'll be fine.
I'll also be out in the alps a week before La Marmotte so will be able to get some quality sessions at altitude in on the Sat, Sun and Tues before.
Doing the long Dragon Ride in June too and planning a few non-sportive 120mile+ rides.
Got my schedule sorted and everything!
Now you mention it though - maybe I should throw in an extra 30 this Sunday...0 -
do you have a copy of the route? can't find it on their web site (and have to say the entry price seems really steep given that you have to buy your own food!).
winterfold makes white down seem a piece of cake -- to put in perspective, i can almost sit and spin white down (even at the end of a ride) but i am on the verge of teetering over standing on winterfold.
the first bit is fairly steady but not that steep, although you may want to stand the turn ... then it is a steady up, which feels like it is the steepest bit. after you hit the top, it is a nice long steady down.
be very careful at the junction at the bottom because, unless you are going straight, it is a sharp up either left or right, and the road is a pot holed mess and there are often cars passing at ranmore.
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for the person who hasn't down winterfold, that is best done if you chunk it into three pieces. the first one is long, and a slow steady up to the 22% sign ... then it is a steady up, but not that bad. the worst piece is at the end, and it does plateau at someone's drive way, so you can stop and start if need be. also note at the top after you plateau, you turn left and it is a very short but steep up.0 -
i was supposed to be doing it as it is only a few miles from home. Unfortunately I am stuck several thousand miles away in Tampa waiting for a flight home. Its going to be a month with no cycling - not ideal training for the Etape.0
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The route map is on this PDFhttp://www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk/Ups&DownsSportiveEventInfomation.pdf
It crosses WInterfold north to south, for some reason I'd thought this was easier than the route you're describing BikerGirl?0 -
I'm down to do the epic distance with my brother. We'll start off steady (average 16mph), then ramp it up in the second half and see how we feel before giving it everything in the last 20 miles. Gold would be nice, but unlikely with the next-to-zero training we've been doing.
We'll be aiming to leave at about 8.30, feel free to make yourself known - I'll be on a red/black/white Cervelo Soloist and wearing a white Cervelo short sleeve jersey.
Should be a good day.0 -
flix23 wrote:The route map is on this PDFhttp://www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk/Ups&DownsSportiveEventInfomation.pdf
It crosses WInterfold north to south, for some reason I'd thought this was easier than the route you're describing BikerGirl?
By the look of things, it climbs Barhatch lane and then turns lft at the top. Nice and steep at the top of that hill and narrow too with plenty of cars going too fast! Along the top of Winterfold is nice and then when you do the descent, watch the hairpins halfway down the hill again! The harder way to cross it IMHO. I bet there will be a fair few of thier bikes and pushing at the top of Barhatch Lane.0 -
flix23 wrote:The route map is on this PDFhttp://www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk/Ups&DownsSportiveEventInfomation.pdf
It crosses WInterfold north to south, for some reason I'd thought this was easier than the route you're describing BikerGirl?
Having a somewhat hard time following the map here -- so this is a tentative read:
-- i actually can't tell on winterfold as can't remember if it is where you go N from Cranleigh or when you turn towards Rowly but think you may be right ...
-- looks like you take the supposed 20% grade towards polesden lacy (it says 20%, it def seems way easier) but it means you skip the ranmore common climb
-- looks like the easy way on white down (it is a bit up, but nothing like the reverse)
-- have a bit of climb from Shere to Peaslake, then it is a fast downhill to Ewhurst; unfortunately it is up on the way back w that bit through Pitch HIll, Holsmbury and Leith but it is actually the 'easier' way, in my view
-- am not familiar with the loop through the low weald
the times do seem somewhat aggressive, which suggests you do take the 'easier' routes on many of the 'passes' (i doubt i could even eek out bronze) ... if it weren't £23 given the number of cheaper surrey sportives and/or ones that go to charity i would consider doing it.0 -
You're right, it is a little pricey for a non-charitable event, but the timing of it happened to suit my training needs for a long ride with a slightly competitive edge.
White Down is definitely the hard way and after about 90-95 miles its definitely going to hurt! Glad I just got a compact chainset on my bike this week
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yep you're right on white down ... have been avoiding that and all the major hills this year ... may consider day of if i can get to dorking without getting up at the crack of dawn to catch the train down.0
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hhmm - well that was a tough one, perhaps shouldn't have had the cider saturday night. Pouring with rain meant put off starting.....as long as possible (9:10) for the 100. one puncture and going off courses added a mile or two. It dried out though and was a nice day. the road surfaces were in the most case shocking - other than a strip of newly laid tarmac 100 metres long A couple of tasty hills there - and plenty of" pretend farms" nice villages. Seemed on pub was the centre of the universe for MTB's on teh North Downs - maust have been 50 of them. Didn't find a single group to ride (perhaps they all set of in the rain) so the two of us churned around. Garmin cocked up - so recon maybe 6 hours 10 minutes or similar.
Oh yes - screaming down a hill to find see a left turn at the last moment (V small signs) - breaking both hands - shouted by a women waiting to leave the junction - Thats typical - no hand signals as usual :roll:0 -
nice ride, agree the road surfaces weren't great but managed to get through without a puncture. unfortunately computer turned off last night when i was charging my garmin so it conked out after 3hrs. anyone got a garmin gps file of the epic route? the one on the website seems a bit odd as when you zoom in it doesn't actually follow the roads...0
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Yep was a tough day out. With one missed turn in Cranleigh, I ended up doing 165km in 6hrs08
I found the flatter, middle section on the Epic started to drag a bit, but big thanks to Leo, my road buddy for the day, for doing a lot of the work and dragging me round.
Definitely less climbing than the published profile suggested - two major climbs weren't there, so came in about 2000 metres total.
Thought overall was a well organised event, feed stations were well stocked, but perhaps a little pricey at £23...0 -
this was my 4th sportive of the year and while the route was a good one, the day was ruined by poor signage - I was in the second group out and both the first group and ourselves managed to set off in the wrong direction on the very first roundabout, I added an additional 10 miles by missing a solitary sign in Cranleigh, hidden by a line of traffic and then found a junction with no signs at all - of course there were no marshalls - as a commercially run event it was very disappointing and I wont be entering another Wiggle event.0
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I really enjoyed the Epic route. Good choice of terrain and climbs, well organised cakestops, well organised registration and facilities.
The only things to let it down were occasional poor signage, no free refreshments at the end, and the shocking state of the potholed roads (but that's not the organiser's fault).
Whitedown was a doddle
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I remember the junction you were referring to with the missing sign. I think someone had actually removed the sign, as there were still zipties, (same type as being used all along the route), around the post.
The preceeeding post in the same vaillage was also ziptied but signless, so I'd suspect it was a local 'comedian'/ NIMBY at work, rather than the organiser's fault.
The Cranleigh turn was poorly signed though.0 -
Video is up on YouTube - have a look and see if you're in it!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpX0E-wjnrQ&hd=10 -
Here's that same video on the Wiggle site... http://www.wiggle.co.uk/h/option/cycling-videos#upanddown0
