Silly Commuter Marmotting
jzed
Posts: 2,926
So who's doing the Marmotte 2012?
Registrations are open today (http://www.sportcommunication.info/web2 ... 1&langue=2)
Signed up and hoping to knock an hour off this years time - thats the target anyway.
Registrations are open today (http://www.sportcommunication.info/web2 ... 1&langue=2)
Signed up and hoping to knock an hour off this years time - thats the target anyway.
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The Black Death originated with marmots. True fact that is.FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
Litespeed L3 for Strava bits
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.0 -
bails87 wrote:Marmotte?
Marmotte?
Oi, that's a marmoset and I'm the only one doing silly commuter marmosetting around here.0 -
FCN 5 belt driven fixie for city bits
CAADX 105 beastie for bumpy bits
Litespeed L3 for Strava bits
Smoke me a kipper, I'll be back for breakfast.0 -
JZed wrote:So who's doing the Marmotte 2012?
Registrations are open today (http://www.sportcommunication.info/web2 ... 1&langue=2)
Signed up and hoping to knock an hour off this years time - thats the target anyway.
arent you on holiday or something?Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
Mot Mot Mot.....0
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So its that time of year again. Weather is looking changeable but 5 days in the Alps beats being here.
Tapering is the only part of the "plan" I seem able to stick to but weight is down, relative power is up, so other than not having ridden anywhere close to 109 miles, hoping to put in a good performance.
Who else is riding it?0 -
Me, I thought I'd enjoy the taper but it's actually quite frustrating... I think nervous is the word now. I've done the distance a few times so that shouldn't be a problem but more stressed about the descending (which I usually love) as I got serious hand cramp at the Fred Whitton!Nice weather bike: Fondriest TF2 (white/ black)
Training Bike: Giant Avail (white/ blue/ green)
Track bikes: Planet X Franko Bianco (white) and 7VRN (white/ black)
CX: Kinesis Pro6 (sick green)0 -
Blonde Cyclist wrote:Me, I thought I'd enjoy the taper but it's actually quite frustrating... I think nervous is the word now. I've done the distance a few times so that shouldn't be a problem but more stressed about the descending (which I usually love) as I got serious hand cramp at the Fred Whitton!
You'll love the descending. Assume your hand cramp was coming down Hardknott which is just painful as its steep and you're trying to shed off speed all the time. Nothing that steep on the Marmotte.
The top of the Glandon is hairy, more because of the amount of cyclists (praying it won't be wet), and its quite narrow. The field is thinned out by the rest of it. The Galibier descent is great. The top bit is a technical but you can see were the road is going, and once off the top its long sweeping descent (with a couple of uphills) down to the valley.0 -
Descents are fine compared to the Whitton. Even the Glandon wasn't that technical.
Hardest part was adjusting to the light in the tunnels coming down the Galibier. In the end, I ditched the sunglasses, but then a bit windy.
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TheStone wrote:Hardest part was adjusting to the light in the tunnels coming down the Galibier.
*flashbacks*
Oh God. The tunnels. :shock:0 -
Blonde Cyclist wrote:Me, I thought I'd enjoy the taper but it's actually quite frustrating... I think nervous is the word now. I've done the distance a few times so that shouldn't be a problem but more stressed about the descending (which I usually love) as I got serious hand cramp at the Fred Whitton!
Holding to tight? relax but watch out for the Llamas eh JZed :roll:Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
The llamas only travel 40, 45 kilometers from the Tourmalet so I think theres only an 8% chance of seeing any in the Alps.0
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109 miles and best part of 8 1/2 hours and Mr_Ribble beat me by 36 seconds. If only I hadn't dropped my water bottle.......Well done Ribble and anyone else who did it. Not sure I could go through that pain again.
Set off feeling good. Summited the Glandon with ease knocking 20 minutes off last year, but then started to suffer from back cramp on the descent. Quickly turned to leg cramps through the valley. Telegraphe was ok but then it went rapidly downhill and the lack of endurance rides took its toll. Stopped at the bottom of Galibier and couldn't get going again. Heart rate wouldn't go up and it was a slow crawl to the top. Legs on the verge of cramping all the way. By the Alpe I was finished. Was seeing llama's, going hot and cold (despite it being 30 degrees), cramping like mad. At 2km from the top I worked out I'd miss my 8 1/2 hour target by 5 minutes, but buried myself to the finish line and somehow made 8:27.35.
Think I'll get the tube tomorrow.0 -
Cor - I think I'd need a couple more psi in the Brompton tyres!0
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Chapeau, Jzed.
Just reading that reaffirms my deep desire to never do that again.FCN 2-4.
"What happens when the hammer goes down, kids?"
"It stays down, Daddy."
"Exactly."0 -
Chapeau indeed. Would love to give it a go myself, but will probably leave it to the you hardcore youngsters!0
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You're all beyond mad.
Total respect.
Ps, I got a stitch going up Roehampton Hill... I'm sure that compares. :roll:Why? Because I'm guaranteed a seat all the way in.
Brompton SL2
Ridley Icarus SLS0 -
Total chapeau to JZed, Blonde Cyclist, Mr Ribble and all the others out on the Marmotte. Next year I'll be sharing the pain.FCN3: Titanium Qoroz.0
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Indeed, good effort. I'm exhausted just thinking about it.0
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Wrath Rob wrote:Total chapeau to JZed, Blonde Cyclist, Mr Ribble and all the others out on the Marmotte. Next year I'll be sharing the pain.
+1 on both accounts so +2 :roll:Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.0 -
Cracking effort JZed.
I looked at the route and it's well beyond me - I doff my cap to anyone mad enough to take it on.FCN 3 / 40 -
Excellent work folks.
I'm feeling the urge to sign up for this next year, but it would mean committing to training and stuff like that. Still there is a voice in my head willing me....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6ALySsPXt0Mud - Genesis Vapour CCX
Race - Fuji Norcom Straight
Sun - Cervelo R3
Winter / Commute - Dolan ADX0 -
Without a doubt the hardest thing I have done on a bike. Long story short I had issues with my bike (hopeful of a warranty fix on the frame, but you won't be seeing the Eddy Merckx for a while...) and had to have an emergency rental. Ended up with a Scott CR1 which was ok, but pretty heavy by comparison and a completely different gearing set up. Tweaked the position and spent about an hour getting used to it the day before - not ideal preparation.
Early start but descended off the Alpe no problems, went fast down the valley to the bottom of Glandon and set a sensible pace up the climb. Got to the plateau/ mini descent half way up and thought the peak was an anticlimax, saw the ascent on the other side and realised why. Gears refused to shift and chain jammed so I got off and sorted that - thankfully the only mechanical of the day. Rest of the Glandon climb went fine and the helicopter swooping overhead was pretty cool.
Glandon descent is technical and I had a bit of a moment at the top of one of the switch backs where I lost confidence in a bike I wasn't familiar with handling, but as it was neutralised decided to pick my way down cautiously and it was fine in the end. Telegraph was quite a good climb but Galibier almost straight after is a killer. Views from the top are spectatcular mind. Galibier descent was one of the most fun things I have done in ages - 35km downhill - wheeeee!
Was broken by the Alpe - running on empty and unable to take on more calories as my digestive system had more or less shut down by this point. I was determined to make it up and cycled as much as I could, rested when I needed to and even walked at times. Crossing the line I was an emotional wreck and although it wasn't particularly fast I still managed to get a silver time
Saw a few Wheelers, not sure if any were on here though. Well done everybody!
Summary (for all those tl:dr types): tough but worth it!Nice weather bike: Fondriest TF2 (white/ black)
Training Bike: Giant Avail (white/ blue/ green)
Track bikes: Planet X Franko Bianco (white) and 7VRN (white/ black)
CX: Kinesis Pro6 (sick green)0 -
Crazy crazy people - and congrats to all for finishing!
Even I'm starting to get a bit tempted....Commute: Chadderton - Sportcity0 -
Wowsa. You guys are talking about having had a hard day and you did sub 9hrs/silver standard times.
I didn't think I did too badly when I did it, but was way short of those times. I'm aiming for sub 9hrs next year, which will take a world of training, so grand chapeau to those who thought they had a 'mare and murdered that time.0 -
Ah so it was you Blonde Cyclist. I was collapsed at the side of the road watching people coming in and saw a Blonde lady with a TWCC top on. But she had a Scott and was pretty sure you didn't have a Scott, so assumed it was someone else.
What happened to the Merckx?0
