FoD Spring Classic
skinnypunter
Posts: 144
Hi all
Wondered if anyone knew what time the FoD starts? Put in an entry some time ago, and apart from a confirmation email, haven't seen anything more, and can't find out anything on their site.
Ta
Ed
Wondered if anyone knew what time the FoD starts? Put in an entry some time ago, and apart from a confirmation email, haven't seen anything more, and can't find out anything on their site.
Ta
Ed
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Comments
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First off at 8:00 am
Who's up for it ?0 -
Given the weather forecast, I'm starting to regret my decision to camp the night before...0
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What forecast?
Surely not another day like last year?0 -
Thought it was heavy showers but warm saturday, bit cooler Sunday, but nowhere as cold as last year---more liek winter in 2010
see http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/7days.asp0 -
Weather not looking too bad - it'll be a great day and ride, Lets ride and enjoy :P0
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Weather forecast is a bit all over the place but looks like it will be a bit wet and fairly windy, but we could have a nice dry ride I wouldn't get too worried until we see the forecast the night before.
But who cares anyway as I'm now committed as 3P says let have a good ride and enjoy the day.
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fancied it this year but im working Crafted in Italy apparantly0
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''Keep some in the tank for Symonds Yat'' "Keep some in the tank for Symonds Yat'' Repeat to oneself for first 80miles on Sunday 0
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Symonds Yat is a regular feature on any training ride I do around the forest. Usually preceded by Bulls Pitch and a few laps up some others in the area. I can well recomend not climbing it how I do.. with an 11/23...: "Why don't i remember breaking my face?" :
: Semi Professional Grease Monkey, Full time Tea boy... :0 -
not only the 1:4 bit on Symonds Yat but also the prolonged drag afterwards
Forecast does seem to vary a lot only consistenet thing is windy0 -
Completed the FoD classic today. My first time.
Great event, but I found the last 10 miles TOUGH. That last climb up Symomds Yat. I've never had to get off and walk up a hill, ever, and that includes my local "killer climb" of Mow Cop in Cheshire..but god i was close to quitting on that last climb.
I thought the event was very well organised. Plenty of food at the stations and well signposted. The riders were quickly set off after a short wait. A great route, and the sun came out.
Is this event regarded as tough, average or what?0 -
IMHO I would put it in the tough category; my Garmin showed 2700 m climbing, which is a lot more than organisers said, and my Altimeter watch said 2900 m.
From comparison to other sportives I find FOD ride has a lot more hard short climbs, making it very difficult to settle into a rhythm and is constantly testing. Descents were awkward too on the narrow roads. Maybe you noticed but a side lane on climb numbered 2 or 3 was called " Uphill Lane" and I think that sums up the whole event, a lot of hard uphill. Symonds Yat seemed to have got steeper for me this year too !
But a great well organised event and superb weather
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Good hard ride , will do again next year.
Was made a bit harder for me with cramps from about 50 miles having me to hold back a bit and stop on some hills as both legs locked up, and then a puncture in last 20 miles but still enjoyed it, and the last descent is a cracker to finish off with as well.0 -
I saw the Uphill Lane signpost too, I think I may have said something about hills then. Properly tough, but good, start to the year. Remember the shedloads of up means shedloads of down aswell :-)0
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I saw the Uphill Lane signpost too, I think I may have said something about hills then. Properly tough, but good, start to the year. Remember the shedloads of up means shedloads of down aswell :-)0
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The big descents are my motivation for Continental climbs---eg off to Alps later in year a 23 km climb up Cime de Bonette at 2800m has a following 53 km descent !!!!! 0
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My 4th time at this one and it just keeps on getting better. The sense of achievement gained from the 18 listed and titled climbs is great. Location and setting first rate, Organisation smooth and near faultless.
If you haven't done this one then do! It makes you realise a bit better what this cycling malarky that we are part of is all about and always leaves me with a good feeling.0 -
My ride review:
'Ow, that hurt'.0 -
Thought it was generally a nice crowd riding it too, when I wasn't trying breathe out of my arse climbing hills , had some nice chats.
What did strike me was how overdressed some people looked for the conditions and the day's forecast.
I suppose some people can get away with wearing a bit more if you don't get as hot as I do, there was a bit of a chill at the start but I was working up a nice sweat about 10 mins later, I would have been boiling in long bibs , jackets etc .0 -
Results are on-line now.
Anyone know what the categorisation for Gold, Silver, Bronze were ?
Some people have 5:20 ish times and are down as Silver cat's. That is either a typo or there must have been a super-whippet categorisation or something because that sounds a tad harsh.0 -
Depends upon your age grouping; 46-50 Male were <6 h 30 min GOLD ; 6 h 30- 7hr SILVER; 7hr + BRONZE; these details were posted on the board near route sheet. Sorry cannot recall other age / F groups times.
So I`m fairly happy with 6h 39min SILVER---and if it wasn`t for road works . traffic lights (waited a LONG tiem at teh bridge back to Monmouth, lights just changed..) would I have cut off another 9 min?? 0 -
Didn't ride as I live in the middle and won't pay to ride my every day rides. Got the day wrong and went out on Sunday for a ride and met lots of happy people. I don't know how many times we said hello to cheerful riders coming the other way. I know how the Queen feels like now. Who was the poor sod who went down fairly early? We saw him in Clearwell looking sore.
Garetjax, I used to live in Biddulph moor and went up Mow cop from all sides quite often. I reckon the steep way is harder than the Yat any day.
I was suprised by the awful road skills of many. I'm the first to defend riding 2 abreast even when being over taken but many bunches we saw were filling the lane or over flwoing and giving now leeway to traffic. I was missed by inches by a bunch coming up from Bigsweir and several cars I saw were forced to stop by groups who would not narrow in. It did hard to defend some of the actions and I am vociferous to say the least when cyclist get moaned at.At one point I was pushed me into the gutter and I was coming the other way!
Not all riders of course but a few idiots always get the attention of those outside the hobby.
I have to assume that the organisers have some control over the riders , eg they are marshaled to a small extent. Maybe a few warnings might help.
As for the the weather is was obvious that it was going to be nice. Just look at the sky the night before and ignore the telly
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i thought it was a very well organised ride and will definatly do it again
worse bit of the day....almost being taken out by some idiot overtaking way to close and way to fast down a very narrow road.
best bit of the day........seeing the same idiot picking himself out of a wall at the bottom of the next descent.0 -
Guess that might have been the one I saw. He had bits of wall moss on him.0
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yeah, i hope it was just his pride that got hurt. maybe next time he will be abit more careful.
i have no problem with people taking risks with their own lives............0 -
A bit of a beast as usual. The final part of the route has changed slightly but the whole ride is still pretty testing.
Fortunately the organizers are constantly working to improve things. e.g. feed stations ran out of food and drink two years ago so they compensated and now have lots of good stuff (Clif) at both stations, where you can also sit down inside in case of rain. Signs are also good.
I tend to find this the hardest sportive, largely due to the time of year, and relative unfitness, as well as the constantly changing gradient. I am always getting, or close to cramp by the time I get to Symonds Yat, although traffic was relatively light there this year for some reason.
The last Monmouth descent is great to do, but spoiled a bit on Sunday by some kids throwing a long tree branch at me. I was doing about 60kph at the time and luckily it landed just in front of the front wheel and I was able to roll over it without it getting stuck anywhere.
Still, a good day out and the weather smiled on us.I\'m sure I had one of those here somewhere0 -
Why are the photos taking so long to appear?0
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Sorry they are here now:
http://georgeburgessphotography.thirdli ... 060&home=10
