Castle 100
ChrisFilter
Posts: 50
Anyone else do this today? My first century and a pretty brutal one at that. Non-stop hills!
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yep ... i thought the hills were ok, all things considering -- and my longest ride ever as well (had another 7 miles, incl a lovely 1/2 mile drag averaging 8% or so as train was out and had to get to sevenoaks).
wee issue on the first half, as bypassed food station 1 as wasn't hungry and figured would hit a small store at some pt as forgot energy gels. and we never did, so it was 53 miles on a bowl of cereal and one bottle of water. couldn't make up the calorie deficit after that, even after snarfing down a pan of flap jacks at lunch.
thought was very well organized and, should one actually eat, a ton of food compared to other sportives. had expected a *real* medal, not a dog tag, so that was the only disappointing bit.
also, how long was it? i thought it was was 103 miles. my garmin said 100 or so, but i forgot to turn it on after lunch, and but thought i only lost 3 miles. but someone said it was 115. i wonder if that was the detour, but i got to the road before it was fully closed off -- we had to walk off road a bit but that was it i though.0 -
i had it down as 104.17 miles, which is more or less spot on with last years distance - i overtook someone struggling up a hill as i drove out of tonbridge on way home and thought they were brave to do ride and then cycle home0
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If the person had a huge orange knapsack that was me. My plan initially was the cycle home, but I would never have made it up star hill.0
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No - this rider was really going for it - i slowed to check that they had a tag, as I wasn't sure where they had the energy...my garmin had 2,275m of climbing, so grand effort to do more after finish0
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Gutted I had to miss after smashing my car windscreen on Saturday :oops:
Did the weather hold out? What were the feed stations like? Worth the £25 entry?0 -
I finished before 4, and nothing too bad before then - morning was fine, a bit colder and drizzle after luncj - I dont' know about those finishing later but it seemed to get worse later.
There were stops at 25, 56 (lunch), 70 ish, and 90. All well stocked.
Goody bag not as good as last year - fairly rubbish medal and no t shirt - but bar that small gripe, top ride, really well organised and signed0 -
i got a little over 7,000 feet -- and thought i was way over as google maps had about 5,000 when i plotted the route. now i feel much better, as i didn't find the climbing that hard -- it was that i was so mentally shot due to the stupid mis-eating and couldn't muster the energy to ride faster than a leisurely pace.
i detoured a few times for castle pics (actually *went* to bodiam with my national trust card in hand ... i think the guard at the parking lot thought i was a bit loopy which, at that point, i likely was).
at the last feed station, they told me folks had literally just *left* headcorn, which means they were out for 14 hours by my estimates (assuming a 7 am start). am impressed by the folks who actually did this for charity -- those guys slogging along on rusty mt bikes who clearly hadn't cycled in 5 years. and the somewhat older gentleman on the fixed gear, who was attacking the climbs.0 -
I've not done a sportive before yesterday, but I thought it was extremely well organised and a heap of praise should go to those staffing the stops as they were so friendly and helpful, as well as those running around in cars / motorbikes keeping an eye on the field.
I really felt for some of the riders, I saw all sorts of bikes on the route, especially going past a pink tandem on Hollingbourne hill that looked like it must have weighed half a tonne! I hope they made it around the course.Neil Pryde Bura SL
Cannondale CAAD80 -
I did the course in 10hrs 15mins with a total cycling time of 8hrs 22mins. Started at 7:45am.
Wasn't a great time, I was happy just to finish!
Thought it was very well organised, apart from a single signpost in East End, I missed the left turn and it took me a couple of miles to clock it - when trying to get back on track it transpired that several other people missed it as well, and we used my Garmin to get us back on course. That aside, I was impressed!
King of the Downs next week. Phew!0 -
This was my 2nd time of doing the Castle 100. Last year I did it on a MTB with a friend who clearly hadn't prepared for the ride and averaged 6mph before they dropped out at Detling. This meant I started at 8am and didn't finish until 7pm!!!...I didn't get to 'lunch' until 3pm...Never again.
This year I returned to do it on my own, on a carbon road bike. So last year I was comfortable but slow, this year I was faster but my body went numb from all the vibration and pot holes!
Thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, Thought the organisation, marshalling & food stops were brilliant. Thought the dog tag idea was very funny. Better that they spent the T-Shirt money on the energy powder at the food stops. See you all again next year!
btw, A friend of mine is a local paramedic and told me the women cyclist who had the collision with the car at Cobham / Shorne causing the road closure was taken to hospital with serious head & leg injuries. She apparently clipped another bike whilst passing them and fell into the path of the car. I hope she makes a full recovery.0 -
Tomcat56 wrote:This was my 2nd time of doing the Castle 100. Last year I did it on a MTB with a friend who clearly hadn't prepared for the ride and averaged 6mph before they dropped out at Detling. This meant I started at 8am and didn't finish until 7pm!!!...I didn't get to 'lunch' until 3pm...Never again.
This year I returned to do it on my own, on a carbon road bike. So last year I was comfortable but slow, this year I was faster but my body went numb from all the vibration and pot holes!
Thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience, Thought the organisation, marshalling & food stops were brilliant. Thought the dog tag idea was very funny. Better that they spent the T-Shirt money on the energy powder at the food stops. See you all again next year!
btw, A friend of mine is a local paramedic and told me the women cyclist who had the collision with the car at Cobham / Shorne causing the road closure was taken to hospital with serious head & leg injuries. She apparently clipped another bike whilst passing them and fell into the path of the car. I hope she makes a full recovery.
Yeah, I was gonna mention that. Head-on collision, apparently - I chatted to a guy who saw it. Horrible
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Glad you all seemed to enjoy it - It was my wife running the Goudhurst food stop with me as understudy/marshal - we've both done the ride in previous years. She was cooking for days before the event, but we were cleaned out of the home-cooked stuff in only a few hours. More next year... Last through Goudhurst were at about 18:30 - the couple on the pink tandem didn't make it as one of them had knee trouble - the "sweepers" took them back to the start.
The lady who had the accident has been moved to a general ward - she was taken to a London specialist hospital with leg & head injuries - the senior organiser accompanied her in the air ambulance.
Please let us know what improvements you'd like to see.
Cheers
Nick0 -
nickds1 wrote:Glad you all seemed to enjoy it - It was my wife running the Goudhurst food stop with me as understudy/marshal - we've both done the ride in previous years. She was cooking for days before the event, but we were cleaned out of the home-cooked stuff in only a few hours. More next year... Last through were at about 18:30 - the couple on the pink tandem didn't make it as one of them had knee trouble - the "sweepers" took them back to the start.
Please let us know what improvements you'd like to see.
Cheers
Nick
6:30pm at the finish, or at the foodstop? I was driving past people still finishing at 7:30pm!
It was a great event, Nick. Thank you. Great food as well!
I literally couldn't fault it. I mentioned the missed sign above, but perhaps that could be put down to a lack of observance on the riders' part. A lot were missing it though.0 -
Thanks Nick, and for all your help
One of the things which kept me going this year was looking forward to that Goudhurst stop as the flapjacks are ace (albeit last year I wasn't too happy with her as I thought I only had 10 miles to go and she cheerily told me that there were another 4 past the century - i could have cried).0 -
Last one left Goudhurst at 18:30. The "sweepers", the motorcyclists, the medics and the Raynet team all check each section before closing a station and sweeping to the next one on the route - we also note the numbers of each leaver so we make sure we don't lose anyone. We finally closed the Goudhurst stop at about 19:00 after those that needed transport back to Tonbridge had been accounted for.ChrisFilter wrote:6:30pm at the finish, or at the foodstop? I was driving past people still finishing at 7:30pm!
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I mentioned the missed sign above, but perhaps that could be put down to a lack of observance on the riders' part. A lot were missing it though.
Several people commented to me about the signs in Beneden - we've already noted that one. I signposted the bit from Newenden to Goudhurst, so whinge to me about that bit!
Cheers
Nick0 -
As I said before, a great event Nick. Especially loved the home cooked flapjacks which empowered me the last 12 miles from Goudhurst.
I noticed the event motorcyclists patrolling the roads in the early stages to help people with punctures etc. But can't say I saw much of them after seeing one of them giving an arm out push to a bloke going up Hollingbourne Hill
did he pay extra for that service!!!
Can't think of anything else. I thought that alot of the road traffic was very understanding and careful to the cyclist along some of the country lanes. To the point that they would just follow without trying to overtake, even when the road was clear. It's a shame that some other car drivers weren't more understanding (Mr Audi Driver) at Beneden who just sounded his horn as a group of riders waited to cross the road and turn right.0 -
nickds1 wrote:
Last one left Goudhurst at 18:30. The "sweepers", the motorcyclists, the medics and the Raynet team all check each section before closing a station and sweeping to the next one on the route - we also note the numbers of each leaver so we make sure we don't lose anyone. We finally closed the Goudhurst stop at about 19:00 after those that needed transport back to Tonbridge had been accounted for.ChrisFilter wrote:6:30pm at the finish, or at the foodstop? I was driving past people still finishing at 7:30pm!
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I mentioned the missed sign above, but perhaps that could be put down to a lack of observance on the riders' part. A lot were missing it though.
Several people commented to me about the signs in Beneden - we've already noted that one. I signposted the bit from Newenden to Goudhurst, so whinge to me about that bit!
Cheers
Nick
That was the only one I didn't clock, so consider yourself an expert signposter!0 -
props to your wife; the baked goods were delicious.
all in the best meal i have ever had on a sportive, and you guys certainly gave us our money's worth when it was a charity ride, so had every right to cut corners (puts the regular rides to shame, particularly those run by the bike stores that must be making money hand over fist).
the only 'improvements' would be
1. have the first feed stop about another 10 miles (or mile 35 or so)
2. give more of a medal medal (like one with a red ribbon!)
3. have signage announcing when the castles or a major scenic site is coming up. i picked this ride (and sponsored myself) because i wanted to see the castles -- and i managed to miss three of them!
4. potentially have a later start for the 100 mile. the train from london doesn't get in til 9, so i had to stay over the night before. i much rather have had a later start and given that money to the charity.0 -
All the points raised have been passed back to AMR and will be discussed at the debrief.
The lady who had the bad accident left hospital pretty quickly and will have to have some minor surgery, but luckily no permanent damage...
Until next year!
Cheers
Nick0
