The Puncheur - how much climbing?

Ber Nard

Just started following The Puncheur on Twitter as I'm doing it on Sunday and noticed this has been tweeted as the course profile:

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/286681

However, the briefing notes received two weeks ago gave a link to this:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/5231856

How has mapmyride.com got the total ascent to be half that on ridewithgps.com?

Which would you think is more accurate?

Rob

R8JimBob88

Just expect the worst. Neither of them will be very accurate

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php? ... 1#x6288103 8)

flanners1

From my go last year quite a lot, short sharp hills and quite a few of them. A great sportive!

Ber Nard

R8JimBob88 wrote:

Just expect the worst. Neither of them will be very accurate

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php? ... 1#x6288103 8)

Ha! I started that thread! this one was being ignored.

Rob

Ectomorph

Yep, expect the worst. I rode last year lulled into a false sense of security by Morgan's description:

"This is a course to be attacked, knowing you don’t have to hold back..."

B*llocks is it! Ok, I'm by no means the fittest or youngest competitor but I reckon the ridewithgps.com estimate of 5500ft of climbing is about right, if a little on the low side... It's a tough little sportif alright.

Hang on, that sounds like I'm complaining. I'm not at all, it's a fantastic day out, really well organised, great route and I'm doing it again this year. I might even finish.

Ecto.

dabber

I raised the question about inconsistencies between the mapping websites in this thread. I'm still unsure which of them is the more useful...

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12761596

Ber Nard

Yeah, I suppose how you feel on a climb is more important than numbers.

No, I don't expect it to be fast or easy - I'll definitely be holding something back for the Beacon!

Looks like it's going to be cold and windy, too.

Rob

fernholt

My figures from last year say there was 1578 m of ascent.
And as I remember it, there were a few smallish climbs but one brute right at the end. The one at the end was long and steep.

R8JimBob88

Ber Nard wrote:

R8JimBob88 wrote:

Just expect the worst. Neither of them will be very accurate

http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php? ... 1#x6288103 8)

Ha! I started that thread! this one was being ignored.

Rob

Yea I thought I recognised the topic

smithy21

Also doing this on Sunday.

Looks like its going to be cold. Was out last weekend in the Surrey Hills with mitts (cold hands to start but soon warmed up). Reckon it will be full gloves and possibly also overshoes also this weekend.

Was there also mention of a cattle grid somewhere on the course. Whats the best tactic for these?

Ber Nard

smithy21 wrote:

Was there also mention of a cattle grid somewhere on the course. Whats the best tactic for these?

Hit them square on and get out of the saddle to stay 'loose'.

Rob

jamespiggot

Don't stop is my advice for the cattle grids, other than that it promises to be a fine day out, but quite a lot of climbing so less puncheur and more asseyez-vous monsieur is my clever plan. Might be bit cold on Sunday but at least it's dry, I'm still getting grit out of my eyes after last weekend!

fernholt

Cattle grids. Don't slow down for them. Hit them straight on as said earlier. They are nothing to be worried about. I was when I first went over one, but they're a doddle really.

gattocattivo

I did this today, for the third year running. The original plan was to ride it with my brother, but he's hardly been on a bike this year (until last weekend) and has never done anything like this before (but can run marathons, so he's got the endurance). We went out for a training ride earlier in the week taking in Toys Hill and others round that neck of the woods and after that he decided that he didn't want to hold me back and would rather set off ahead of me for me to catch him up.

I rode much of the first half working with a guy from Dulwich Paragon - it was quite gusty so I was glad of the occasional shelter. We were going past people and I don't remember anyone coming past us until at about 25 miles a group of four, including a Lewes rider, came steaming past at a speed that seemed unwise to follow.

Maybe a mile or two after the feed station I suddenly heard my brother shouting from a bus stop on the other side of the road. He'd had a puncture in his back wheel and the spare tube wouldn't inflate and he'd phoned for a lift back to Ditchling, so I set off again without him after a couple of minutes when I saw a bunch coming past. I sat in with them for a while: some In-Gear Quickvit riders, a Zappi guy, a woman in shorts (in this weather?) and a bloke on a time trial bike. It all got split up on the long drags near Balcombe and I went up the road in a group of four that stayed together right to the foot of the Beacon.

My thighs had been cramping on every climb after Ardingly and the final climb up Ditchling Beacon was horrible: even staying in the saddle and spinning my lowest gear I felt like my thighs were just going to lock up and leave me incapable of even walking. Just like the last two times I did this, I was convinced I was coming to the final bend, only to find the road twisting back round to the left yet again.

They’ve got the results up already and I managed to improve my time by about 5 minutes and do the 55th best time out of 293 finishers.

fernholt

I must of seen you but I can't place you. " Zappi guy" was a nice chap. I talked to him along the way and at the top of Ditchling. The guys from In-Gear were good people too. I rode with them for a bit.

greeny12

Apart from an attack of the dreaded p*nct*re it was a good ride.

I blogged about it here: http://wp.me/p1juxf-2d

Brakeless

greeny12 wrote:

Apart from an attack of the dreaded p*nct*re it was a good ride.

I blogged about it here: http://wp.me/p1juxf-2d

I passed you three riding 3 abreast taking up the whole road and not moving an inch when I asked you to keep left!

greeny12

Brakeless wrote:

greeny12 wrote:

Apart from an attack of the dreaded p*nct*re it was a good ride.

I blogged about it here: http://wp.me/p1juxf-2d

I passed you three riding 3 abreast taking up the whole road and not moving an inch when I asked you to keep left!

Sorry about that - I only remember one farm track where the three of us rode alongside each other for a mile or so and the shout of "left" was followed about a second later by a cyclist going past at good speed, which must have been you. It wasn't a deliberate attempt to block you and I'm sure that the organisers will deduct that second from your time if you ask them...

gattocattivo

fernholt wrote:

I must have seen you but I can't place you. " Zappi guy" was a nice chap. I talked to him along the way and at the top of Ditchling. The guys from In-Gear were good people too. I rode with them for a bit.

I was in red (not that that narrows it down especially). They've got the photos up online now, I have a face of utter pain and determination grinding past some bloke at the top of the Beacon:
http://sportivephoto.thirdlight.com/viewpicture.tlx?gsearchid=1299512063&pictureid=14598369

(Rider 122 if that link doesn't work)

greenyac

2nd year I've done this event. I really enjoyed it. Didn't realise my time didn't stop at the food point. Might not take so much interest in the chocolate brownies next year

jamespiggot

That was a really enjoyable ride, I was the Zappy guy and had a great time, really recommend this event to anyone contemplating it for next year but you have to get in early as it sells out quickly. Did the second half with fernholt and a few other riders, if you want to read more please read my blog entry http://www.oxfordsportive.com/2011/03/puncheur-2011-short-and-sweet/