Etape Caladonia

thecrofter

Wouldn't fancy standing around freezing my b******s off for an hour. Last year I got there with about 15mins to spare. That was just perfect enough time to suss out what was going on and be ready when my wave was called but not so long as to get too cold. Looking at the weather, it will be cold and I think we'll get a mixture of showers and dry. At least the wind is relatively light and in the right direction.

Stedman

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.

If you are arriving by car, there is usually quite a queue to get into the car park and the high street is seriously packed with cyclist, loved ones and spectators.

Getting to you allotted time start is quite interesting, however if you miss it don’t worry as you are only timed from the line.

30 min from the high street is OK.

PS. Wear something warm which you can leave behind with a loved one as it can be quite cold waiting at that time of the morning in the wet!

suzyb

Wont have any loved ones so anything warm will have to come with me

Will try and time it so I'm getting to Pitlochry with an hour before start. Hopefully that will give me enough time to get parked, organised and to the start.

Looks like it's going to be an early morning :?

thecrofter

suzyb wrote:

Wont have any loved ones so anything warm will have to come with me

We could try sharing bodily warmth





I'll get my coat :oops:

bompington

thecrofter wrote:

suzyb wrote:

Wont have any loved ones so anything warm will have to come with me

We could try sharing bodily warmth



I'll get my coat :oops:

Noble to offer his coat to you suzyb, much better than his previous offer I'm sure

...actually it is surprisingly warm in the crowd, I've managed OK the last couple of years dressed in jersey & shorts at the start as well all the way round, but then I'm quite well insulated anyway :oops:

suzyb

bompington wrote:

thecrofter wrote:

suzyb wrote:

Wont have any loved ones so anything warm will have to come with me

We could try sharing bodily warmth



I'll get my coat :oops:

Noble to offer his coat to you suzyb, much better than his previous offer I'm sure

...actually it is surprisingly warm in the crowd, I've managed OK the last couple of years dressed in jersey & shorts at the start as well all the way round, but then I'm quite well insulated anyway :oops:

As am I. So thecrofter's coat better be size large :oops:

Gazzetta67

Weather on BBC 5 day forecast is Sunny Intervals.

Yahoo Weather says light rain 30% chance of showers - Supposed to rain today and it didnt i mangaged 30 miles at lunchtime in and around Falkirk-West Lothian and NO rain and it was quite sunny. So i wouldnt trust the weather at all.

Just hope for the best and prepare for the worst - bring your wet gear.

screebs

Gazzetta67 wrote:

Weather on BBC 5 day forecast is Sunny Intervals.

Yahoo Weather says light rain 30% chance of showers - Supposed to rain today and it didnt i mangaged 30 miles at lunchtime in and around Falkirk-West Lothian and NO rain and it was quite sunny. So i wouldnt trust the weather at all.

Just hope for the best and prepare for the worst - bring your wet gear.

Accuweather has it as occasional rain and winds of only 14kph - i would take that they way the weather has been in Scotland for the last week.

Should have more certainty by about Friday - fingers crossed for a dry calm day.

suzyb

screebs wrote:

Gazzetta67 wrote:

Weather on BBC 5 day forecast is Sunny Intervals.

Yahoo Weather says light rain 30% chance of showers - Supposed to rain today and it didnt i mangaged 30 miles at lunchtime in and around Falkirk-West Lothian and NO rain and it was quite sunny. So i wouldnt trust the weather at all.

Just hope for the best and prepare for the worst - bring your wet gear.

Accuweather has it as occasional rain and winds of only 14kph - i would take that they way the weather has been in Scotland for the last week.

Should have more certainty by about Friday - fingers crossed for a dry calm day.

Everything crossed for a dry calm day (doesn't need to be sunny or warm, just dry)

thecrofter

Can't see us getting round completely dry, but it should just be a few light showers. It will be chilly however, and the 8-12mph winds will be generally westerly. (which is good).

Could be a lot worse.

Omar Little

And so the eternal Scottish cycling decision

a) take a chance and go without waterproofs and get wet and cold when a shower starts just after the ride starts

b) take the packable waterproof in a back pocket to put on when the shower starts. Shower starts and by the time the decision has been made to stop and wrestle the waterproof on you will already be wet and the shower will have finished.

c) wear proper rain gear and get roasting and not see a spot of rain all day.

brin

PS. Wear something warm which you can leave behind with a loved one as it can be quite cold waiting at that time of the morning in the wet!

I'm surprised organisers of such big events as this one don't allocate for riders to wear 'old clothing' which can be discarded at the start, then collected and handed to charity, similar as to what they do at marathons etc?

screebs

Omar Little wrote:

And so the eternal Scottish cycling decision

a) take a chance and go without waterproofs and get wet and cold when a shower starts just after the ride starts

b) take the packable waterproof in a back pocket to put on when the shower starts. Shower starts and by the time the decision has been made to stop and wrestle the waterproof on you will already be wet and the shower will have finished.

c) wear proper rain gear and get roasting and not see a spot of rain all day.

Think it'll be Option B

d4evr

brin wrote:

PS. Wear something warm which you can leave behind with a loved one as it can be quite cold waiting at that time of the morning in the wet!

I'm surprised organisers of such big events as this one don't allocate for riders to wear 'old clothing' which can be discarded at the start, then collected and handed to charity, similar as to what they do at marathons etc?

Good point, well made!

Uggi

Did my last big ride sunday (Suffolk 100 i did the 100 Km). Have only covered 150 miles so far this year. Now officially crapping it, this is my first real sportive. So if you see a big guy (really big) on a Van Nic Euros in ared jersey give me a shout, although youll all be way ahead. Im setting of at 7:15 number 3111. Shitttttttttttttttttttttttt what am i doing.

bompington

brin wrote:

PS. Wear something warm which you can leave behind with a loved one as it can be quite cold waiting at that time of the morning in the wet!

I'm surprised organisers of such big events as this one don't allocate for riders to wear 'old clothing' which can be discarded at the start, then collected and handed to charity, similar as to what they do at marathons etc?

I did something like that in 08, when it was actually frosty first thing - I abandoned the stuff in a bin.
Haven't done it since because:
1. I didn't have anything suitable I wanted to chuck out
2. Weather didn't seem to justify it
3. It's not really on for all x thousand participants to do it as there aren't that many bins on Pitlochry high street.

But it would indeed be a good idea for the organisers to do something like that.

Omar L has nailed the dilemma nicely; I'm always inclined to go for a) as I always reckon I can warm up OK in the first few minutes, but I have suffered for this approach on occasions when the warming-up hasn't happened.

If you look at the met office charts for midnight saturday:

and midday sunday:


then it really doesn't look too bad - looks dry with slighly stiff WNW breeze at first, wind backing and dropping through the morning, rain in the afternoon.

Of course the forecast may yet change...

Wallace1492

It will be fine.... may not be as good weatherwise as last year, but at least i know what to expect out on the road.

My downfall was the climb last year, really struggled on it, hopefully be a bit better this year.

Bompington, Crofter see you at the Ranch... what time you be there at? Might leave command post there and cycle into Pit to register.

suzyb

Uggi wrote:

Did my last big ride sunday (Suffolk 100 i did the 100 Km). Have only covered 150 miles so far this year. Now officially crapping it, this is my first real sportive. So if you see a big guy (really big) on a Van Nic Euros in ared jersey give me a shout, although youll all be way ahead. Im setting of at 7:15 number 3111. Shitttttttttttttttttttttttt what am i doing.

If I manage to catch you (leaving 7:19 #3573) we could drag each other around

I was just going to take some arm warmers with me but if it's going to be cold and showery I may take my overshoes as well. Got caught in a thunderstorm on Saturday and found I was OK with the drenching bar the cold/wet feet.

thecrofter

Wallace1492 wrote:

It will be fine.... may not be as good weatherwise as last year, but at least i know what to expect out on the road.

My downfall was the climb last year, really struggled on it, hopefully be a bit better this year.

Bompington, Crofter see you at the Ranch... what time you be there at? Might leave command post there and cycle into Pit to register.

Hoping to be there about half five then cycle in to register, maybe a swift half in McKay's on the way back to size up the competition/ marvel at the Italian exotica that will be on show.

eggyh73

My wet weather gear is the sum total of an accient old rubbish top, so I'll be taking the get soaked route if it rains.

Getting nervous about the climbs. I can still run up hills faster than I can pedal up them!

EDIT:And now my names missing off that start list excel sheet! I'm starting to think I'm jinxed for this one!

thecrofter

eggyh73 wrote:

My wet weather gear is the sum total of an accient old rubbish top, so I'll be taking the get soaked route if it rains.

Getting nervous about the climbs. I can still run up hills faster than I can pedal up them!

EDIT:And now my names missing off that start list excel sheet! I'm starting to think I'm jinxed for this one!

Seriously, DO NOT SWEAT ABOUT THE CLIMBS. If you'll pardon the pun.

eggyh73

I'm alright on slight gradients, but anything steep kills me. There's a minor bump in the road on one of the backroads I trained on and I swear someday I'm going to have a heart attack on it.

My plan is just to go out and enjoy the day. Doing this as a change from my normal activities.

domhnall_dearg

thecrofter wrote:

eggyh73 wrote:

My wet weather gear is the sum total of an accient old rubbish top, so I'll be taking the get soaked route if it rains.

Getting nervous about the climbs. I can still run up hills faster than I can pedal up them!

EDIT:And now my names missing off that start list excel sheet! I'm starting to think I'm jinxed for this one!

Seriously, DO NOT SWEAT ABOUT THE CLIMBS. If you'll pardon the pun.

What he said. Most of the climbs are of the "was that it?" variety. There's nothing particularly steep bar the little climb at Logierait near the end.

It looks like I'll be just in front of a couple of you (7:13 #2804). so if (actually after the last couple of training rides that should read "when") you pass a hippy on a pink Giant say hello!

d4evr

Its the distance between the start, the big climb and the finish that is worrying me! :shock:

bompington

eggyh73 wrote:

I'm alright on slight gradients, but anything steep kills me. There's a minor bump in the road on one of the backroads I trained on and I swear someday I'm going to have a heart attack on it.

My plan is just to go out and enjoy the day. Doing this as a change from my normal activities.

You can actually walk up any steep bits and still get round in a quite respectable time - I have seen more than a few people overtake me, then I've overtaken them on the Schiehallion climb as they've been wlaking up it, then they've overtaken me again later. And I'm better on the flat than uphill by quite some way.

suzyb

It's getting up so early and getting through the crowd to the start that's worrying me. I tend to worry about the stupid details and am chilled about the main event though.

bianchimoon

eggyh73 wrote:

I'm alright on slight gradients, but anything steep kills me. There's a minor bump in the road on one of the backroads I trained on and I swear someday I'm going to have a heart attack on it.

My plan is just to go out and enjoy the day. Doing this as a change from my normal activities.

there's a group of 10 of us doing this for the first time, one guy on a mtb with 'fat' tyres, max distance he's ever done is 25 miles, have any of you ever done something like this in a group with 'slower' mates? Do you stick together or do people tend to naturally split apart and ride at your own pace and meet up at the end?

bilsea159

Do they provide enough energy food and drink or is it prudent to bring your own

beinbhan

bring your own food last year there was plenty of water and energy gels(zipfit) but i never saw any food

thecrofter

bilsea159 wrote:

Do they provide enough energy food and drink or is it prudent to bring your own

Always best not to rely on someone else when your health and performance are at stake. Bring enough food to see you round and two water bottles these you can fill no problem.