Geoff Thomas Foundation Sportive 220810
Comments
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Regarding the GPS, I've been sent it from Pete at Cyclestore but bikeroute toaster is playing silly beggars at the moment so I can't upload it :C0
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Nap
has he sent it to you in gpx format, if so would you email it to me
cheers
Simon0 -
I've now got it on my Garmin, but can't log in to Bikeroutetoaster to save it :?
PM me your e-mail address and I'll send it.0 -
Cheers for that
PM'd you the details
Simon0 -
You haven't!
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Done it again0
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Just checked the weather and it looks a lot better than I thought it would be from checking yesterday, mind you they don't get it right too often if it is more than a few hours.
Had my plate of pasta and a couple of beef burgers so ready for the challenge, never done 75 miles yet but here's hoping.
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I've had my Spag bol, garlic bread and 3/4 bottle of red. Bring it on!0
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Well
Has to be said, a great success for a first sportive - for the Cyclestore and me personally! Enjoyed the course, the first 25 was relatively easy and fairly flat, but after the first feed station the second 25 was tough....one hill after another for 25 miles. Third 25 again was back on the flat and relatively easy. Three of us teamed up and did it in 4:59, so I am well chuffed! Including cycling to and from the start I covered 80 miles, my longest ride yet.
The weather was stunning all day, the views spectacular from the tops of the hills....pity my eyes were so bleary with sweat and stars that I couldn't take long to take it all in.
Well done Paddy and team!
PP0 -
Very successful!
I was knackered before the first food stop (can't believe Pilot Pete thought it was nice and flat! There was nearly 2000ft of climbing!!)
Organisation was good as was the (faint) signage. The route was excellent and very challenging for someone like me who just does 6 hrs a week mostly on the turbo.
Did it in 5.31 including all stops.
Many thanks to the lad I teamed up with, Nick Lynch, who was a star nursing me up the climbs!
Are all sportives this well organised? I may do more...0 -
Pilot Pete wrote:. Three of us teamed up and did it in 4:59, so I am well chuffed! Including cycling to and from the start I covered 80 miles, my longest ride yet.
PP
Couldnt do sadly... but was walking thru Scholar Green this pm... saw a trio and one of 'em in a KoM jersey.. not yourselves was it?0 -
Did this today - first sportive. Did it in 6 hrs dead. It was tough but I loved the climbing. (Thornecliffe (largest road sign in the UK!) was steep - but beautiful. )
I nearly didn't do it as I was worried about the distance (never ridden more than 83km before) and I have only been out on my bike once since 10th August. I decided yesterday afternoon to go for it as the alternative was to ride 100km on my own today anyway and I thought maybe 120km in groups was no harder. As it happened, I rode the whole blinkin' lot - 123km - on my own! It was so quiet. I didn't hardly see any other riders (except those who blasted past me), so it was a solo effort.
It was a beautiful day tho and I did enjoy it in spite of riding alone.0 -
Sorry I missed you Ands :c0
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I'd like to thank everyone at cycle store for a well organised sportive, signage was good,feed stations very good even the weather was good. I was really enjoying it until just as i reached the top of the thorncliffe climb my rear mech snapped and that was that all over for me unfortunately.Big Thank you to pete and his mate who rescued me in the van. Apart from my mishap, it was a cracking route with some good climbs and i will definately be back for the next one.0
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oscar24570 wrote:I'd like to thank everyone at cycle store for a well organised sportive, signage was good,feed stations very good even the weather was good. I was really enjoying it until just as i reached the top of the thorncliffe climb my rear mech snapped and that was that all over for me unfortunately.Big Thank you to pete and his mate who rescued me in the van. Apart from my mishap, it was a cracking route with some good climbs and i will definitely be back for the next one.
Doh! Sorry to hear about your mech!
I've never climbed Thorncliffe before. By crikey it's a bit of a bu99er!!0 -
Pilotpete says
"the first 25 was relatively easy and fairly flat"
did you bypass Bosley then Pete, just before we dropped into Wincle
Simon
Oscar
shouldnt have kept straightening you rear cage, it was inevitable it would break one day
get yourself on Merlin mate and I'll see you soon
Simon0 -
Simon, did you find the gpx file a mega-fail? I did! Not that I needed it, signage was top.0
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Nap
thought it was ok
it seemed to cut corners a bit , but I just ignored it when it said I was off route.
It was my first time using the garmin though, so hard to compare. I imported it into bikeroutetoaster and converted it to a tcx with turn directions at about 300
first impressions are good, even better as it was a present from a customer and I didnt pay for it
thanks for your help again
Simon0 -
Nap
its cracking area around there, its where me and Oscar24570 spend most of our ttraining.
As we climbed up Bosley and then took the right down into Wincle and the back of Gunn Hill, imagine this in the opposite direction its a real sod of a climb. Nice thing is though, just as you are leaving Wincle you can have a crafty pint before the climb.
Simon0 -
Aaah, I couldn't burn it properly as I couldn't log in to Bikroutetoaster for some reason...
I do normally do that section the other way round tbh, nice to do it that way today...0 -
Just like to add my thanks/congrats to Cyclestore - this was a cracking route, good signage, and generous with the gels & energy bars. If it's true that 60% of the proceeds from today will go to the Geoff Thomas charity, it shows what it really costs to organise a sportive. The only thing missing from the regular package was timing, and frankly most of us can do that for ourselves.
Two incidents of note for me - I think I was the first to get lost in a Cheddleton as a result of the line painting lorry obscuring the 'turn right' sign - absolutely nothing the organisers could have done about it, just an unfortunate coincidence the lorry was parked in front of it for a while. Hope those who ignored my suggestion that we wrong and carried on down the A520 enjoyed Stoke!
Second, I chased Dave Lloyd and his 2 companions up out of the 2nd feedstation and up Mow Cop, got dropped obviously, then managed to catch them up on the descent and hang on their tails for a while. Just as Dave had what looked like a bout of cramp and I sailed past thinking here was going to be an entry for my palmares ("the day I beat Dave Lloyd"), my front tyre p**ctured. Twice. Drat. Ah well, good day though.
Ands - judging by your bike I think you may have parked next to me. I did the first 15 miles alone and would have happily had a companion. Hope it wasn't too dispiriting on your own. In the smaller sportives like today the trick is to linger by the start until you see some others leaving, and then jump on their wheels with a cheery 'hope you don't mind'...0 -
Great ride today, perfect weather and a tough route, in fact a 'little' tougher than advertised - 4000' plus became 6000' plus, the former was technically correct I guess. I actually enjoyed the extra lumps and bumps but a few might have got a shock.
Did a good ride, was feeling pleased with myself that no one had picked me up when at 40 miles I heard the churning of gears approaching and turned round to see the aforementioned Dave Lloyd and his two, rather fetching, lady companions. Rode with them on and off for a bit but suffered a similar fate as 'skinsey' on the still lumpy part of the course. The two ladies mentioned were bloody fit as they were making Dave suffer on the hills - good to see him supporting other rides.
Many thanks to Fabian Cancellara and the guy on the Independent Fabrications bike for maintaining the pace on the run in to the finish all helped to get a good time.
Well done Cyclestore. By the way did Geoff Thomas actually ride today?0 -
NapoleonD wrote:oscar24570 wrote:I'd like to thank everyone at cycle store for a well organised sportive, signage was good,feed stations very good even the weather was good. I was really enjoying it until just as i reached the top of the thorncliffe climb my rear mech snapped and that was that all over for me unfortunately.Big Thank you to pete and his mate who rescued me in the van. Apart from my mishap, it was a cracking route with some good climbs and i will definitely be back for the next one.
Doh! Sorry to hear about your mech!
I've never climbed Thorncliffe before. By crikey it's a bit of a bu99er!!
Thanks NapD, yeah thorncliffe was a bit tough but i just kept going until it went.
You ought to try the tour of britain prostate cancer ride at the end of september goes through a similar area and the organisation is excellent also.Me and stokey1964 are riding it again this year along with a few other mates.0 -
That Independant Fabrication was the nicest bike of the day for me!0
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What a great day and course first 50 mile climb after climb after climb. Turned a corner and a guess what!! a fecking climb again but great day. I was looking out or you all but did not see any body i could put to the forum.I joined a guy from Buxton and the two of us rode together.Going so hard down Bidduph missed the feed station and had to stop in the wee shop in Mop cop for water.Did it in 4.55 rode there and back from home 96 miles done great day. Keep the chain tight all the way.0
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Yes, I could have done with someone nursing me up the climbs too :P . What time did you set off? I think I was out of the car park at about 8.30.NapoleonD wrote:Sorry I missed you Ands :c
Skinsey, I was in a red Seat, wearing a pink Castelli top - did we chat about armwarmers? (Never did take mine). Thanks for the tip about hanging around for other riders - will try that next time. I didn't get dispirited - I did chat to quite a few people as they passed me and also at the feedstations.
Dave Lloyd was parked on the other side of me. He and his two ladies also whizzed past me somewhere around the 60km mark.
Good to see some stats of 5500-6000ft - I am really pleased I did this. Does anyone have the gradient of Thornecliffe please?0 -
I set off at about, erm, 8.30! (8.27 to be precise...)
I was on a Litespeed titanium with red bits at the front and mudguards, dressed all in black...0 -
Ands - yes we did chat about armwarmers (took mine and they had a very nice day out, just not on my arms at any point) and I was parked next to a Seat, so it was you...on a very nice Cannondale as opposed to my nasty old aluminium one, which was pressed into action at the 11 th hour as I broke the bottom bracket on my usual pride-and-joy yesterday.0
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I found this very very hard work.
Never done the distance before and thought I could manage a few hills but not that many!
Not the best preperation for this as very busy running around the country in my vehicle at stupid hours due to being on call last week.
Ended up walking up some of the climbs but determined to complete the course and got around in 7 hours with two feed stops of maybe 10 mins each.
Well pleased with the taking part and completing the course but I think I will have to shed some lbs and get a lighter bike before I attempt it again. Was knackering.
Been for a curry this evening and feel much better now, I tagged on to a bunch of riders at the start but soon realised that they were going faster than I could manage to maintain.
Congratulations to all who entered and completed and to Cyclestore for the good work.0 -
potters - well done for getting round mate. I was on a heavy bike and to be honest, it didn't make much difference. Fitness/body weight will make far more difference. Keep on trucking!0
