Vatternrundan 2011

Tinman_66

Is anyone doing the Vatternrundan this year? If so I'd be interested in hearing what your training schedule is and any tips you've got.

Also what bike are people using for the ride? I'll be using my HED R1C, working on the basis its built by then.

Cheers folks.

GeorgeShaw

I did it a couple of years ago. The Vattern has no hills to speak of, and if you're a half-decent rider (and I'm definitely only half-decent) then you can sit in massive groups for a lot of the distance. So if you can do a flat 200+km ride, then you'll be OK - just increase your long ride week-on-week until you get there. And then just make sure that you work out your feeding. You don't want to bonk after 200km.

goosey

Only 2 months to go :shock:
I've been basing my training on the advice set out in Dr Garry Palmer's "Successful Sportives"; to whit:
Most training in Endurance Zone (2 of 5)
Training rides around 2 hrs
No point in doing a lot of Threshold Zone (4/5) training for a flat event.
No point in doing a lot of long, slow rides, except to get used to the hours in the saddle.
Plenty of rest days.
I must say I'm feeling fitter though not particularly faster and 185 miles still seems a long way. Last weekend I topped 72 miles and still felt ready to do more. This weekend I'm aiming for Durham-York (about 85 miles) - aiming to increase the distance every other week now until early June, when I should top 120 miles.
Nutrition seems to be the key - stop for a good scoff every couple of hours.

RichardFcp

goosey wrote:

Nutrition seems to be the key - stop for a good scoff every couple of hours.

I have ridden this twice. There are food stops every 30-40kms, so you won't go hungry, although you might be heartily sick of sweet rolls by the time you finish

GeorgeShaw

goosey wrote:

Nutrition seems to be the key - stop for a good scoff every couple of hours.

Other other hand, you don't want to over-eat - you want your blood in your legs not your stomach.

It depends what your target is. If you just want to get around, then OK, relax and take plenty of stops.

But you will be surprised how fast you will be able to go if you want to. When I signed up, I was hoping for a 12 hour ride. In the end, I finished in a shade over 10 hours, and I'm a pretty crap rider. But with groups of over 100 at times on flat terrain, then riding distances at 40-50kph is not difficult. And great fun.

TomBombadil

Hi,

Good luck and have a great time!

I did this last year (my 5th time) on my Hed R1C! The bike was excellent. I managed 9:53 with an early start so with no riding with groups! (25th back arriving about 6am in an empty Motala waiting for the thousands to come).

This ride is very different depending on what time you start. But all in all it is great fun with plenty of rest stops. The main food is dry bread buns which are pretty in edible. But they have good coffee and fluids and hot blueberry soup/syrup drink. I just used a few gels - as long as you are fueled up a few days before and tapered you will be OK.

It can be very cold! It has even been 0C. I have seen many people very under dressed who get very cold especially when they struggled to stay even aerobic. Last year I had full winter kit on (leg warmers and winter jacket) and was OK.

Just make sure you are comfortable on your bike for long distances. Also training and time depend on your targets. If you start later there are plenty of groups to get carried away on as mentioned and this will help with your time and many get between 10 and 11 hours. If You start late early it can be a very solo experience - a 300km time trial. When I arrived at my scheduled stops there were no riders! Which was good for me as getting served was 'quite easy'. When just an hour or two later there will be thousands and it can even be difficult to find a place to put your bike!

Without doubt this is one of the best rides I have ever done, including the Etape duTour and many,many sportives. This ride is a celebration of cycling.

I wish I could go again this year but funds are lacking at the moment!

Have a great time -Tom

goosey

Thanks for the insight and tips, Tom. My start time is just before midnight so I hope to be able to pick up a few tows.
Rode my first century in training yesterday Durham - York in 5'55: average 16.9 mph solo.
I'll be taking the Genesis Equilibrium, probably with mudguards given the unpredictable weather and I don't fancy 186 miles with a wet bum.
Apparently there are more than 500 UK entries this year and a field of 22,000. Can't wait!

TomBombadil

Hi,

Relax you will be fine and there will be more than 'tows' - you don't really need to do any training over 100 miles - although for confidence it may help. At 12 you will be able to jump from group to group. The roads will be starting to get busy. I would suggest an every 80km stop strategy and definitely avoid heading off to the main feeding hall - unless you are taking a measured approach.

Reading about how you list your times it is clear you will be trying for a good time. It's always worth using the stop 40km before the end and then - going for it. This can then be a little harder as the roads are smaller and it goes through a wooded area and you may be tired. Before this it is big open roads.

Starting at 12 may mean you even catch the sun so also be prepared for Sun protection! When I first did it it was the warmest they had ever had and we went around, again early, but with just a short sleeved jersey. Every year since it has been feckin cold like an UK October ride and I have been caught in cold rain twice. A neck scarf/buff really helps if it is cold.

I have used race blades for mudguards -but rain is worth thinking about. Last year I just used a seat post mounted mudguard. It has rained at least 2 in the last 5 years - although depending on when you set off you may miss it.

Many people over pack with sacks and bags etc -but with regular stops every 40km this is really not required - just 2 tubes.

If you do have a bad or slow patch, just slow down and recover on the bike for 10
minutes - Don't fret although your mood may be down. You soon pick up and get going again. If you are not a night person then definitely try riding at night - maybe with some support before hand. As some struggle with this aspect. Although the ride adrenalin will get most people through.


Relax and enjoy the ride - Tom

GeorgeShaw

IIRC, the fast groups start from midnight onwards, so you'll be OK.

Agree with Tom about the feeding. the "big meal" stops will be very busy and you could have a half hour wait for your food. Better to do something like miss every other stop.

goosey

This is great stuff guys. Many thanks. My usual problem is discomfort in the saddle and believe me I've tried a lot of different ones. At least on my 100 mile ride there was some reassurance in that the pain wasn't any worse after 6 hours than after 2.
Really looking forward to this event though - and the Swedes are splendid folk in my experience (especially oop north),

you might be heartily sick of sweet rolls by the time you finish

How can anyone get sick of Swedish Cinnamon buns? Food of the gods...mmmmmm

Steve GT

My wife and I have signed up for the event this year.
I am not going for a specific time, but just to get the Missus around the course.
Her training started at the end of February as it was too cold for her to venture out before then :roll:
Most Saturdays we get out for our 'training' rides.
I started her off with a 100km ride we used to do last year and have gradually upped the kilometers until we successfully completed a 200Km ride last Saturday.
I plan to do 2 more 200K rides in May to complete the training.

goosey

Just over 2 weeks to go!! I more or less wrapped up my training on Mon day with a 131 mile solo out-and-back up the Northumberland coast. Bonked a bit around 90 miles, rallied after a Go bar but could tell I was running on fumes and the gels only seemed to work for about 10 minutes at a time! But I got there in 8.5 hrs with hallucinations about spaghetti setting in.
Anyway, I reckon that must be as hard as doing 186 miles in the pack so I think I can do it. From her on in I'll just be doing recovery-paced rides, ready to fly out to Sweden on June 16th.

TomBombadil

Good luck,

I'm missing not going this year. It should be great fun. Let us know how you get on. You've done the training, just relax especially at the start. But don't forget if it looks like it's going to be cold be well prepared.

Tom

goosey

But don't forget if it looks like it's going to be cold be well prepared.

Never ride in Sweden without waterproof socks! I learned that the hard way..[/url]

goosey

Well, this is it Off to Sweden tomorrow ready for the ride on Friday. You can follow Vatternrundan on its website - live stream for anyone who fancies sitting up all night watching people riding by.,..

RichardFcp

goosey wrote:

Well, this is it Off to Sweden tomorrow ready for the ride on Friday. You can follow Vatternrundan on its website - live stream for anyone who fancies sitting up all night watching people riding by.,..

Good luck Goosey. I last rode it in 2009. May your miles (or kms) be dry!

goosey

Gosh - that was quite a long way!
Actually, it was flipping fantastic and I highly recommend it. What an event! Amazing organisation. lovely route, lovely people. Twenty thousand people on bikes. The start list filled 65 pages of the local newspaper!
I won't mention my course time as it was too embarrassing but I rode for 11 hours and 13 minutes which wasn't too bad.