Pedal for scotland sportive 2011
Comments
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sumosprintstar wrote:Garryboy wrote:
I am off to bed now!
Lightweight! :P
4am start for me, then off to Murrayfield. Saw some of the Challenge signposts on my ride today. Hope the wind doesn't remove them overnight, though it seems to be fairly calm for now.
Focus Cayo Expert (road)
Giant ATX 970 (full susp)
Trek Alpha 4300 (hardtail)
Peugeot 525 Comp (road - turbo trainer duties)0 -
The bike is ready, checked the brakes, re-adjusted the gears, bodged the timing chip on with the aid of a bit of old innertube as padding to make it fit.linnibob wrote:Good luck everyone I'll be the tired girl all of you will pass by probably walking up the hills lol
I'll be the other tired girl probably walking up the hills! Say hello as you zoom past!
Good luck guys!
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Good Luck everyone!0
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Well that didn't go well.
Multiple punctures ended my day a bit early. Fixed one with a new tube then found more glass in the tyre 50m down the road, patches weren't sticking properly for god only knows what reason and i wasted a lot of time faffing about trying to sort it all... disaster. BIG THANKS to the guy from Dales Cycles who gave me a lift back into Glasgow and sorted the bike out!0 -
Sorry to hear that LIZZ
Had a great day myself, despite my chain throwing a lot when moving to small chainring - managed it in 2hrs 49m (moving time) avg speed 17mph
Will post garmin data when back online later
Got away early, second batch of challenge ride starters0 -
Damn that was painful
Didn't get much sleep last night and the ride seemed a lot more difficult this year. My aerobic fitness isn't as it was last year and the wind did not seem to help push me along.
Don't even have a proper idea how long it took me as I forgot to start my Garmin after a couple of the feed stops so missed a few miles of the route. And I have the slow ride to get picked up included in the same activity.
Plus a mis-communication with Father meant he left to go to the pickup point way too early and had already been waiting there for an hour when I got to Edinburgh. So no chance of a rest or a look around the stalls at Murrayfield. Instead it was straight into a very difficult ride into the wind back out the city.
Not my best day on the bike tbh But my reliable little giant got me to the finish tihout without issue. 0 -
HI SuzyB, sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it.
My first year so wasn't sure what to expect, but really enjoyed it
Wasn't as social as I'd expected, although did have a couple of chats (instigated by me) - but it might be down to the fact I got away early.
Wind certainly became stronger heading into Edinburgh and seemed to be more against me, but could also have been my legs giving up
Really enjoyed the downhill run after Avonbridge!
Here's my Garmin thingy
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/1135390560 -
So did you guys doing the 94 miles have to filter in at the end with the challenge riders on the cycle path? That must have been a bit frustrating.
Did the Challenge ride with my two boys, 11 and 15. Very good fun__________________________________________
>> Domane Four Series > Ridgeback Voyage0 -
Yeah, we joined the others at the end, but the timed part of the route was over by then. And we were all knackered anyway
I enjoyed it. Should've worn a waterproof though and could really have done with a cup of tea at the feed stops.
I can't wait to hear what others made of that hill 60 miles in. Fwoah!0 -
That hill !!!!! Was a killer! My legs were burning walking up it!
Coming down the other side was fun though)
My first pedal for scotland and my first 100 mile, i cycled to the green, 7 miles, so we'll call it an even 100
Got to murrayfield around half 3, all in all, a good day, weather not included!
And i raised £400 for CHAS)
Went into Edinburgh after for food and a pint then the train home, sorted!
Hope everyone had a good time i'll definately be back next year)
Thank God im off work tomorrow!
P.s....... A couple of miles from the last feed station something whacked off my helmet.........i could feel something wriggling and buzzing! Pulled up, whipped off the helmet and a big feckin bumble bee flew of it!!! Haha i was just glad it hit the helmet and not my face) 0 -
I did the 50 miler yesterday - cycled up from Paisley so 60 miles in all - thoroughly enjoyed it, longest i've ridden in one go & didn't feel too bad afterwards - next year i'll go for the ton!
Had a couple of setbacks before even getting out of Glasgow - still half sleeping I clipped the sharp edge of some newly laid tarmac which gave me 2 spectacular double snakebites (ie 4 holes right the way round the tube) resulting in some swearing & an embarassed wait for the mobile mechanic, had 1 new spare tube & a load of patches but couldn't fix either of the 2 wrecked tubes, probably set me back about an hour... ish, plus we didn't set off 'till around 10 so must have been right near the back of the ride.
As we caught up with the rest of the riders we went past a good few accident scenes, the first was at the bottom of the hill at the end of Lochend rd. close to where I had my p*nctures - a steep hill with 2 massive speed bumps at the bottom, the marshalls said they'd caused carnage earlier with people bombing down the hill at 40mph & only noticing them too late because of the number of riders in front... cue the flashing blue lights. Seen another couple of ambulances outside Avonbridge & just after Linlithgow too - if anyone knows any of the riders who came off, as there looked to have been a few, pass on wishes of a speedy recovery!
Lastly, bonus points for the folk on fixies, towing kids in trailers, the older guy on a recumbent, the couple on a recumbent tandem & the guy on the unicycle :shock:
Cheers!
johnModa Issimo
Genesis Volare 853
Charge Filter Apex0 -
Well I was utterly gutted bike gave up the ghost about 35 miles in to the sportive back wheel misaligned and couldn't fix it. Weather was utterly horrendous but up until I had to stop to try and fix my bike and got cold I was feeling good. I did get to drive up the mahoosive hill and hats off to anyone who cycled that as I would have struggled to walk it. Just hope that next year the weather is better maybe they should have it in July !!!! 0
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linnibob wrote:Just hope that next year the weather is better maybe they should have it in July !!!!
That's no guarunteeYou've no won the Big Cup since 1902!0 -
The 100 mile was brutal. Really quite lumpy but maybe the weather made it feel worse. I rode pretty much the whole ride on my own. The course was littered with individual riders who did not seem to want to form a group :? It was a long hard slog on my own.
The cross winds on the exposed roads were dangerous and I nearly ended up on the road a couple of times. Especially approaching Carnwath.
Still, all done and made worthwhile by seeing the kids faces at the end of the ride
Not sure why we were given toothpaste in our goody bag :?
Big big respect to the guys who were riding it in their fixies. I found it tough enough with the full spectrum of gears. Well done guys.
I am not even going to mention THAT hill..................except that it was not fair and if I ever see that photographer again............ :evil:0 -
The Tusher Family Pedal for Scotland Miscellany-
gallons of petrol used getting to and from the event- 6. So much for our green credentials.
cost of parking in Glasgow- zero! And no problem at all. Thanks for the advice!
number of cars wearing bikes we saw hammering down the motorway, (the first sighted just after Dunblane)- 8. The kids were so up-beat spotting them and then joining in the 'bike convoy'.
distance from cars to Glasgow Green at 07:30- 0.8 miles
distance from Glasgow Green to same cars at 18:45- at least 2 miles. Into the wind, uphill, wet, tired and cold after sitting in the bus. The very worst part of the journey.
number of layers 2nd niece discovered to be wearing at Avonbridge- 5. Including 2 fleeces. It was so much easier when they were wee and unable to dress themselves.
number of cakes eaten at Avonbridge-30, They were all delicious.
number of car drivers I cursed, scowled at or looked haughtily at- 27. As a regular bike commuter, I confess I rejoiced at the cars being swarmed by bikes in places.
cheerful marshalls seen- dozens, especially the ones shouting encouragement at the end.
bored-out-of-their-mind marshalls seen- 8, especially the ones towards the end. I didn't envy them their job.
amount of time spent waiting in the queue for the start- 60 minutes exactly. *
loo stops-6
number of times the men moaned about waiting for the women at the loo stops-6
number of times the men detoured up a farm track to relieve themselves-2
number of hills the nieces walked up- about 15. Some of them weren't even hills
number of time riders swerved out in front of me suddenly and for no apparent reason- 25. The lack of cycle awareness was shocking, and I'm assuming that this lead to
number of accidents seen-2
number of tandems seen- 3 All credit to the blind tandem and the recumbent.
number of bikes with shopping baskets seen-3. They all beat us.
Babies spotted-1
children doing the route- loads and loads. All appeared enthusiastic, well-behaved, happy and polite to their elders. The three who did not fulfil this criteria were ours.
Teenage tantrum- 1, caused by apparently being taken to a bleak and desolate road in the middle of nowhere, to die. The fast downhill into Avonbridge (see cakes) worked wonders.
Adult tantrums- 6. Mainly my OH who had to be sent on ahead on several occasions due to his unsolicited advice to children (eg why don't you pedal faster? why can't you be like that young lad who'd just overtaken you? )
number of times men were told they were close to divorce/being slapped- 14.
number of times I lied to the girls about how many hills we had left- 10. Although I honestly did remember it to be a flatter route.
bruises I found on my legs this morning-3, including most of my upper right thigh. I have no idea how.
occasions the girls changed up from the lower ring- zero. Not once, not bluddy once, nothing at all could persuade them to get out of the 'easy' ring. And they were on mountain bikes.
training miles done prior to the event by nephew- 0.8 miles twice a week. This information transpired at the first feed station, when he proudly announced that this was the furthest he had ever travelled by bike. We were in shock as he had been allegedly going out with his wee pal during the summer most days. Turns out they'd been going round to each others houses and playing the x-box. Youth nowadays!-it brought out the best Victor Meldrew side of his father.
teenage boys commented on by oldest niece- 5.
teenage boys looking admiringly at oldest niece-8. She claimed.
Amount raised for charity- some still to come in, but approx £550.
Average miles per hour- em, 6.9. Even my Garmin's embarrassed.
We stopped in Perth for a carry-out on the way home, and fell, unwashed, into bed at midnight.
All in all, it was a great day, and the most important thing was We Did It.
The organisation was, apart from the delay at the start* utterly superb. The Avonbridge Churches are to be praised for the incredible amount of work they've put in, but all the feed stations were populated by cheerful, helpful and positive folk, and although there were loo queues, that's to be expected and they weren't too bad. We may have arrived early, but we were among the last to finish, and they all still had plenty stock left, although I suspect that Murrayfield had more of a 'buzz' to it earlier on in the day. Or perhaps we were all just to knackered by then.
To be honest, it was far, far easier taking them out as young children. Aged 9- 14 is a whole new ball game. None of them had spent time on their bikes building up to the event, their parents both work long hours are just to busy to take them out, and they seem to be out at a class or club every night of the week and most Saturdays. They're fit and active, but in retrospect, we should have taken them out over the summer for a couple of long rides, which would have sorted out the glitches. Their old bikes were just too small, but buying them new bikes was a big, big mistake as the girls just couldn't get to grips with two types of gear changes, to the total incomprehension of the adults. .
I don't want to sound like a Grumpy Old Women (which I probably am) and I know essays have been written on the subject, but when their parents and ourselves were their age, we used out bikes as transport. All our friends had bikes and we all cycled. I cannot remember having water bottles, and no-one owned a helmet. but we were a bit more cycle savvy. It's not the kids' fault- they've passed their cycling proficiency, or whatever it's called now, so in their minds they've 'ticked the cycling box'. No , the fault was ours, we totally overestimated their ability on the bikes.
Still, by the time we were leaving Perth, they were on their mobiles to their granny and friends, all talking about doing it next year.
Nephew is even wondering if he could manage the 100 mile sportive.
*This is my one major gripe with the event. We arrived in Glasgow at 07:30, faffed around a bit, then were on the line waiting to start at 08:00. Other people arrived later and were directed around another path where they appeared to leave before us. I realise that many people would have had the same idea as we did in starting early, but we were cold and scunnered by the time we actually got going, and the children had lost their enthusiasm. Although, I'm not sure how the organisers could improve this.0 -
Lizz and linnibob- I am so sorry to hear you didn't make it. Linnibob, I hope that you still manage to take in sponsor money for you effort.
Next year......0 -
Very amusing post Tusher!
It hin k the people going own the other path may have been late sportive starters - there were a few of them.
I got to Glasgow Green around 7.20 (cycled there as live just up the road in Rutherglen) and lined up after a quick loo stop. I was in the second bunch of cyclists to start at about 8.15(ish)
Had a great time and was very encouraging to see so many kids out0 -
Well done to all who took part - the weather was quite bad. I saw lots of cyclists going through Linlithgow and all were well behaved in terms of the traffic lights and other road users - a first for sportives riders
Despite doing loads of sportives its never one that I ever fancy doing probably due to the fact that I am on these roads all year round.Brian B.0 -
Great post Tusher lol reading that
And well done the Tusher family
Gutted for lizz and linibob tho
I found this thread when i googled for some last minute advice.
First time ive done this and the advice on linibobs post was just what i needed
I did the ride alone and someone did mention in an earlier post about it not being that social? Maybe that was the weather ??
But all in all it was a good experience for me.
And i think it will give me the push i need to maybe join some kind of cycling club/community or something.
Anyone got any advice or anything on that???
A big WELL DONE!!! To all who took part
Linibob and lizz......,.next year!
And Hopefully they move it to july or august 0 -
Quality post Tusher! It's nice to see people making it into a proper family day out, complete with tantrums.
Registration is open for 2012 already!
By the time I got round to putting the bike away my front tyre had gone flat also (while sitting in the car doing absolutely nothing, safely sitting on an old fleece!)... so that was another one to add to the total!
I'm not sure I should sign up for next year, I think the world might have been trying to tell me something! 0 -
Of course you have to, Lizz! You know you want to.........0
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I got to Glasgow Green around 7:50 after getting a bit lost after coming off the motorway But kinda skipped my way past some folks so was in the 4th or 5th group away at 8:19
There seemed to be a lot more kids doing it this year than there was last year. Anyone else think so?0 -
Sportive was my first and to be honest was quite easy, especially last half ,as tailwind helped a lot.
The hill wasn`t that bad either.
With hindsight I could have been faster.
As for comment on individual riders I don`t think that riding in a group would be much of an advantage.0 -
First Pedal for Scotland..loved it...except for the weather for the first 50-60 miles...
I was away on the first group ( idea was to miss the worst of the bad weather!) and i think we did but as soon as we got on the A77 it hit us it was horrible the rain was not to bad but the wind was horrible..iv called of fishing trips for less windy conditions.
Like said in other post before mine i also spent most of the run alone over the back roads very depressing lol..
Came across one crash, looked like he had gone over cats eyes and took a few with him suffered a chain off..And that hill took me 10 mins to get up! i spotted the Camera man half way up so of course jumped back on just to get past him!! and then back off to walk! but boy was the down hill after that amazing!
found company with some old timers one was 70 dont you know! as i was told about 100 times ( i think to put shame to me!) lol
Left them last in the last 20miles and beasted it in to Edinburgh made up alot of time thanks to the weather changing..went from 3-4min miles to 1:50s
Made the timed line in about 5:50 and Murryfield 5:56 ..
Next time ill not stop at the food stations and hope the weather will be better!
Cheers0 -
Wow, you got back on on that hill. Credit to you! That camerman was nasty Can't wait for the pictures.
If you're talking about the accident on the A70 a couple of miles before the second feedstation, just one rider went down. No one saw it happen. We thought he probably slid on the white line or cat's eyes. The road was very slippy. Another rider and I waited with him for the ambulance. He had a badly skint knee, injured wrist, but managed to hobble into the ambulance.
I hope I'm still riding sportives at 70.
So, everyone's going to buy a copy of the Sun tomorrow to find out the official times...0 -
nhoj wrote:Wow, you got back on on that hill. Credit to you! That camerman was nasty Can't wait for the pictures.
If you're talking about the accident on the A70 a couple of miles before the second feedstation, just one rider went down. No one saw it happen. We thought he probably slid on the white line or cat's eyes. The road was very slippy. Another rider and I waited with him for the ambulance. He had a badly skint knee, injured wrist, but managed to hobble into the ambulance.
I hope I'm still riding sportives at 70.
So, everyone's going to buy a copy of the Sun tomorrow to find out the official times...
Yes, think that was him i was in the pack that past right after it happened I think between mile 46-47 glad ok.. glad ppl was there to look after him..
Times should be posted here all so http://www.tdl.ltd.uk/ at some point
and pictures at http://www.mybibnumber.com/
Cheers Andy0 -
I don't remember the A70 being too bad. I think they might have resurfaced some of it. The bit I do remember was the mile before Muirkirk on the B743. It was like riding on cobblestones. There weren't many potholes. That was just how it was meant to be. Rough. The wind and rain took my mind off poor road surfaces though 0
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suzyb wrote:How was the A70 to go down. I went up it last year and a lot of the surface was really rough. Didn't feel particularily plesant going slowly up it, I would have thought going down would rattle your bones into some discomfort.
Bit i found really bad was just before going under the bridge and round the roundabout at the M74..so much so it shook my specs right off my face! which led me going wide at the bout. and the last mile heading in to muirkirk (B743) wrists feel like they came out
Andy0
