Pork Pies and Potholes

cartesr

Hi

anybody riding the above on the 4/7 or have ridden it in the past I would welcome any thoughts regarding pothole sections;-)

Mike67

I'm riding it, I'm doing the 180km option :roll:

I've never ridden it before though so have only heard what the tracks are like.
I'm told they are not too horrendous with a few rocky bits here and there.

I see the organisers offer an alternative route around the worst bits to avoid shaking your bike (and teeth) to pieces.
I may take the road options towards the end if I get really knackered.

Out of interest, what kind of training have you got in for it.
I've managed to get up to 75miles around the hills in Derbyshire. I'm hoping to hang on for the extra 30 miles on the day as it should be a bit flatter than here.

cartesr

Hi
not had such a great mid season so Im doing the 100k option, I was wondering about tyres etc im riding conti 23's I take it they should be ok

Mike67

It may depend on your puncture protection...which contis are they?

I've played it a bit safe and gone for Conti Gatorskins in a 25mm, a bit hardier than my 4000s. They should be a bit more comfy than the 23s too, especially on the bumpier bits.

If there is the odd rock about then your tyre sidewalls might get the odd scrape too.

It's all a bit of an unknown quantity really though. There's always the option of trying the first one or two off road bits. If it's mad rough then you can detour around the later ones.

One thing for sure is to take plenty of inner tubes and patches

ashbyalien

I see that rain has been forcast, if it really chucks it down tomorrow or saturday I think i'll use the mtb. otherwise the roadbike will be fine.

the offroad bits arent that gnarly, just rough. Judging by the amount of puncture victims i passed the other year there were some lightweight tyre choices.

fwiw, i'm using evo cg's (24mm), i did manage to rip a hole in a tubular version the other year but i think its a case of luck to be honest. having said that, foul weather will bring out the mountainbike.

Mike67

I see the first feed station is over 50miles in on Sunday.
Seems a long way to me if it turns out hot.

Is that normal for a sportive or am I just being a bit wussy, need to man up, tough it out etc etc

chipperleenie

Yep you need to man up! What do you do when you go on a training ride that is longer than 50 miles?

Answer - you take two bottles and some food with you. So you just need to do the same on a sportive then fill up at the feed at 50. Lots of people actually miss the first feeds out as they are often only 30 miles in to a sportive so there is no need unless its 40 degrees or something.

It will probably be pork pies at the feeds anyway.

ashbyalien

i have reliable info that says the feed zone will be serving porkpies, dolmio sauces and stilton.

:shock:


note, this might not be totally accurate

chipperleenie

At the last feed there was indeed some Melton pork pies!

There were tiny pots of pasta with dolmio sauce at the finish.

It was a fun and different event with the off road sections setting it apart from all the other sportives. A sign missing right at the end sorted a few people out who didnt recognise where they were, fortunately we realised where we were and looked at the map.

The offroad parts were easily rideable on a road bike with 23mm tyres. 10 of us rode and only one puncture between us and that was after one mile!

Mike67

DOh...guess I took too long to get to the last feed station then..no pork pies for me

It was indeed a good course...more up and down than I expected...it seemed to be one or the other with no real flat bits.

I enjoyed the off road bits and glad i did all of them.
I was going to go around the Stromberg section from all the stories I'd heard about it but in the end it didn't seem any worse than the other off road bits.

I think there are more parts of me that ache/are numb than are not...i have tomorrow off to recover though...lie in...lovely

How did you all do?
I got around in 7hrs8mins ride time (7hrs41min total timw) on the 180km which I'm quite pleased with.

It was my first sportive and first 100+ ride all in one day.

cartesr

bit of a cock up on my part along with a few others. took a wrong turn after the somerburg ended up on the long route. 10 miles later realised.
ran out of fluid manged to blag some water at a pub. and decided to take the direct route back to Melton still road 66 miles.

gutted I missed the pies as the thimble full of pasta didnt really cut it at the end thankfully I had my own food.

Plus points
good changing
good parking
challenging route
no punctures

Negatives
signs could have been better, perhaps different for each ride as once we have got onto the long ride we didnt realise as we followed the same signs. We did check the map but it was too late

all in alll enjoyed it and if the two guys I rode with are reading this I hope you got back ok. I was the one in the brooklyn jersey not really doing it justice ;-)

Mike67

I think it was easily done...I had to double check the map a few times as the wind had bent a few signs around...at least you realised before you got to the coast

Did anyone see the photographer on the course...I think he got me a couple of times.
I was wondering if these are going to be available to view anywhere. There's nothing like a pictorial reminder of your suffering to bring back happy memories.

cartesr

HI

yeah I think this is the site
http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/libraryhome.tlx

if not check the back of your number (if you still have it) there was a website on it. Ive just forgotten it so did a google search and found the above

Mike67

Cheers for that.

I thought I'd seen it somewhere but couldn't remember....I was only staring at it all day after all

cartesr

pictures are now up on the site mentioned earlier