Etape Caladonia

12357…12

Comments

  • Stedman
    Stedman Posts: 377
    davelakers wrote:
    Its a brilliant day out, a fantastic atmosphere and a beautiful area. BUT the route is easy.

    The only semi difficult parts are the 1st part of Schehallion (about 16%) and the left turn of the main road at the end (about 20% but very short)

    Apart from that it is just rolling roads with amazing views.

    I have done it for the last 2 years but we were too late this year and missed out.

    I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I have done.

    Davelakers,

    Thanks for that information. I am going to go for a 34 x 23 which will give me a 43 inch lowest gear.
  • screebs
    screebs Posts: 178
    Stedman wrote:
    davelakers wrote:
    Its a brilliant day out, a fantastic atmosphere and a beautiful area. BUT the route is easy.

    The only semi difficult parts are the 1st part of Schehallion (about 16%) and the left turn of the main road at the end (about 20% but very short)

    Apart from that it is just rolling roads with amazing views.

    I have done it for the last 2 years but we were too late this year and missed out.

    I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I have done.

    Davelakers,

    Thanks for that information. I am going to go for a 34 x 23 which will give me a 43 inch lowest gear.

    I'll be doing it with my 50/34 and 25/12 cassette - hopefully drag myself up those 2 climbs
    Me struggling up Mont Ventoux for the first time! Done it 3 times since (each way up) without stopping. This seems like a lifetime ago! http://img208.imageshack.us/i/snapshot2 ... 45552.tif/
  • Stedman
    Stedman Posts: 377
    My advice just before you hit that left hand turn at Logierait is to sweep out to the right hand side of the main road whilst shouting “granny gear”, engage your lightest gear, turn gently in front of the spectators and hit the right hand side of the turn head on. Hopefully you will miss most of those who have stopped or fallen off their bikes on this short hill.

    This is not a hill which you can turn sharply onto in the wrong gear and expect to survive!
  • thecrofter
    thecrofter Posts: 734
    Stedman wrote:
    My advice just before you hit that left hand turn at Logierait is to sweep out to the right hand side of the main road whilst shouting “granny gear”, engage your lightest gear, turn gently in front of the spectators and hit the right hand side of the turn head on. Hopefully you will miss most of those who have stopped or fallen off their bikes on this short hill.

    This is not a hill which you can turn sharply onto in the wrong gear and expect to survive!

    You've definately got to be ready before you turn the corner. Mind you it's less then 100 yards long. But the legs have done 75 miles by then.
    You've no won the Big Cup since 1902!
  • popularname
    popularname Posts: 173
    Greatdivide - gutted for you, man. Best wishes for recovery and new bike
    __________________________________________
    >> Domane Four Series > Ridgeback Voyage
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    cheers for the messages folks.

    released from hospital yesterday with a metal plate, 9 screws and 21 stitches - not to mention the road rash which is the sorest!!! :(

    they've said i'll be off the bike for 6 months but i'll be going hell for leather with the physio and hope to be back on within 4.

    we got the police to come and take a statement and one of my friends owns his own law firm so we'll be on a mission :wink:

    etape have been emailed so hopefully i'll be joining you all next year!

    have a good one guys!

    i'm off to trawl the net dream bike building...
  • Omar Little
    Omar Little Posts: 2,010
    sounds a bad one, hope the recovery is swift.


    starting to get exciting about the etape now, just hope the good weather comes back in time!
  • Pigtail
    Pigtail Posts: 424
    Anyone got any ideas on public transport from Perth to Pitlochry on Friday night?

    There doesn't appear to be any trains or buses. No bike involved so space for it not essential.
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    thegreatdivide wrote:
    cheers for the messages folks.

    released from hospital yesterday with a metal plate, 9 screws and 21 stitches - not to mention the road rash which is the sorest!!! :(

    they've said i'll be off the bike for 6 months but i'll be going hell for leather with the physio and hope to be back on within 4.

    we got the police to come and take a statement and one of my friends owns his own law firm so we'll be on a mission :wink:

    etape have been emailed so hopefully i'll be joining you all next year!

    have a good one guys!

    i'm off to trawl the net dream bike building...

    Commisserations, not the best at all, but at least you are out now and able to tell the tale.

    Don't think I have done as much training as last year, though not too far behind. Just hoping I can justify the 4.30 estimated time (Off in Group "G" @ 6.57) As long as the wind is not too bad then all should be fine.... one last longer run tomorrow then wind down till Sunday.
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • Omar Little
    Omar Little Posts: 2,010
    Pigtail wrote:
    Anyone got any ideas on public transport from Perth to Pitlochry on Friday night?

    There doesn't appear to be any trains or buses. No bike involved so space for it not essential.

    There is a train service, takes about 30 minutes. Not sure what time it will run to at night though probably not that late
  • screebs
    screebs Posts: 178
    Last training run tomorrow - a hilly 17 miles at lunchtime, then it's pretty much feet up until Sunday.

    Nervous excitement kicking in now!
    Me struggling up Mont Ventoux for the first time! Done it 3 times since (each way up) without stopping. This seems like a lifetime ago! http://img208.imageshack.us/i/snapshot2 ... 45552.tif/
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Screebs, what hills do you manage to hit at lunchtime? I might get a Crow Road in on way home.... would be longest commute home ever, at a tad over 50 miles.
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • trailstar
    trailstar Posts: 114
    aye screebs.. where do you work if you can get some hills at lunch!

    I would get out and do a 30miler on the saturday just to get the legs moving before the event.

    I'll be heading over the queens view to to drymen and back after work tonight i think. Tomorrow i'll have a ride out eaglesham way.. weds off, thurs an easy ride.. fri off.. sat an easy ride then the event on Sunday.

    can't wait.. getting nervous though
  • AndyD2574
    AndyD2574 Posts: 1,034
    Not a bad training run yesterday in preperation for the Etape.......The Fred Whitton Challenge!!

    Got to get the legs working again for sunday!!

    Looking forward to this as never done it before.

    :D
    Specialized S Works Venge
    Argon18 E114
    Specialized Langster Single Speed
    Scott Spark Expert 29'er
    GT Avalanche
    http://www.glasgowgreencycleclub.co.uk
  • screebs
    screebs Posts: 178
    Wallace1492 wrote:
    Screebs, what hills do you manage to hit at lunchtime? I might get a Crow Road in on way home.... would be longest commute home ever, at a tad over 50 miles.

    The one benefit of working in Stirling - within a couple of miles of my office is one of the steepest climbs in Central Scotland. From Bridge of Allan to Sheriffmuir - I will post up a link from my Garmin.

    http://connect.garmin.com/activity/83825683
    Me struggling up Mont Ventoux for the first time! Done it 3 times since (each way up) without stopping. This seems like a lifetime ago! http://img208.imageshack.us/i/snapshot2 ... 45552.tif/
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    Holy crap that's a lump :shock:
    Whippet
  • screebs
    screebs Posts: 178
    suzyb wrote:
    Holy crap that's a lump :shock:

    Yes - it is a lump! LOL

    Certainly gets the legs and heart pumping at lunchtime - strangely, I quite enjoy that route now! :o
    Me struggling up Mont Ventoux for the first time! Done it 3 times since (each way up) without stopping. This seems like a lifetime ago! http://img208.imageshack.us/i/snapshot2 ... 45552.tif/
  • thegreatdivide
    thegreatdivide Posts: 5,807
    I think you're going to need to get your wet weather gear out as a precaution. The friends I was training with did some sections of the course yesterday and they experienced three seasons in one day :shock:

    Not looking good for the rest of the week in Pitlochry either

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/weather/forecast/ ... =Pitlochry

    It's been grim up here for days :cry:

    IMO I'd skip the racing slicks and put on some treads. Even if it's dry, a weeks worth of heavy rain coming off the hills with leave some serious wet sections.
  • Omar Little
    Omar Little Posts: 2,010
    Never done a sportive in the rain before...whats the situation with mudguards if it is really wet (rather than just a shower)? Are you supposed to fit them or can you go without?
  • trailstar
    trailstar Posts: 114
    aw jeez. Need to get my waterproofs looked out.

    omar - no idea, but i cant imagine they'd demand mudguards for thousands of cyclists.
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    I hope Aldi still have some of those waterproofs left :(
    Whippet
  • d4evr
    d4evr Posts: 293
    Wouldn't panic yet ! Long range forecasts are very unpredictable, although the weather around here has been WET for days now!!
  • Wallace1492
    Wallace1492 Posts: 3,707
    Ah well.... It looks like a wet one. Maybe kiss goodbye to a decent time. Still, should be an experience, just hope to out of the way of the many riders that will be falling down, and of course hope that I am not one on them!

    Best of luck everyone!!
    "Encyclopaedia is a fetish for very small bicycles"
  • pedylan
    pedylan Posts: 768
    I wonder how bad the weather can be. Anyone do the first one? I did and it chucked it down pretty well most of the nearly five hours i was out on the course. That was in 2007 when it was held in late June and half the country was flooded.

    I bet there were still a lot fewer punctures that year than in 2009!

    I did not have mudguards, just a very wet a*rse and ran on normal slicks.

    So whatever the eather, I'm looking forward to Sunday.
    Where the neon madmen climb
  • screebs
    screebs Posts: 178
    Just went out for my last lunchtime ride before Sunday - god, it's wet out there!

    I was hoping the Overshoes had been put away until later in the year, but looking at the forecast for Pitlochry, i might need to dig them out again.

    Whatever the weather, i'm looking forward to it - bring it on! :lol:
    Me struggling up Mont Ventoux for the first time! Done it 3 times since (each way up) without stopping. This seems like a lifetime ago! http://img208.imageshack.us/i/snapshot2 ... 45552.tif/
  • bianchimoon
    bianchimoon Posts: 3,942
    as d4evr said, met office struggle to get next days forecast right so wouldn't take any notice of what they have to say till at least friday afternoon, anyway we ca all snuggle together in a pack can't we :)
    All lies and jest..still a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest....
  • d4evr
    d4evr Posts: 293
    bianchimoon wrote:
    as d4evr said, met office struggle to get next days forecast right so wouldn't take any notice of what they have to say till at least friday afternoon, anyway we ca all snuggle together in a pack can't we :)

    The best forecaster I use for my hillwalking is MWIS- Mountain Weather Information Service have a look on there on Friday and select the correct area, I bet they will have it just about right, they are pretty good!!

    www.mwis.org.uk/
  • Stedman
    Stedman Posts: 377
    The weather does't look quite so bad on http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/7da ... =pitlochry however with a feels like -1oC, it looks as though I shall need to get out my winter gloves! :roll:
  • suzyb
    suzyb Posts: 3,449
    How long before your start time do you typically have to get to the start. The info booklet says you shoulr arrive an hour before you start, is that really necessary.
    Whippet
  • glasgowbhoy
    glasgowbhoy Posts: 1,341
    suzyb wrote:
    How long before your start time do you typically have to get to the start. The info booklet says you shoulr arrive an hour before you start, is that really necessary.

    :D I'm off at 6.45 in the 1st Pen. I'll not be out my bed till just before 6am and on the start line about 10 mins before the gun. It does get busy on the road though and I'd say give yourself 30mins before you are due to start to get into position.

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