Mad March Hare Sportive

Peddle Up!

I'm doing this for the first time Saturday week. Any pointers on what to expect? Ta.

Philip Whiteman

It is probably when of best sportives around. Paul delivers what he promises and is not a one for providing silly sportive gimmicks. Overall it is good value. As for the route, I know the area well. It is a good early season route of undulations though there is a punch as you climb over the Cotswolds. The MMH has a good reputation amongst many local cyclists, so expect to see club racers using it as a reliability and others who are seeking a more leisurely day out.

Peddle Up!

Thanks for that Phil. I see you're advertising the 2013 Snowdrop & Sunrise event already. Are you taking bookings?

Philip Whiteman

Not quite yet, but I am for the Kidderminster Killer / From Clee to Heaven on 18th Feb.

Bobbinogs

Here you go:

http://ridewithgps.com/routes/965316

Looks to be the same territory as the Beacon Club rides and only has the one climb of note by Chipping Camden. Surprised they didn't route over Dovers Hill (#13 in the 100 climbs book) as that is a lovely climb (only 5/10 on the tough-o-meter) and the route literally goes past the start of it in Weston Sub-Edge. I haven't got a Garmin so will be relying on a routecard as backup to the signage although, by pure coincidence, my Sunday ride yesterday took me up to Pershore, Radford and back via Bidford and Broadway so much is familiar (all very nice with gentle undulations).

I notice that the rider's list is up near the max of 500, with a good turnout from a few local Tri clubs...so sleeveless jerseys and RLJ'ing will be the order of the day

bigpikle

really looking forward to this - hope the weather forecast improves though....

Peddle Up!

Bigpikle wrote:

really looking forward to this - hope the weather forecast improves though....

Me too. I haven't quite dried out from the Sunrise Express.

Peddle Up!

A week of Spring-like sunshine turning to strong winds, rain and snow! Doh! :roll:

bigpikle

ummmm....... cant say I'm getting excited about tomorrow....

Bobbinogs

I like the way that forecast remains quite nice...until 06:00 when it will start to lash down about 6 hours, accompanied by a drop in temp down to 4 deg...and then halfway through the ride, the wind will pick up to pretty strong and gusty when we're heading back into it. I am off to dig out gloves, tights, a mudguard, thermal baselayer, overshoes and rain jacket...I was hoping to get away with shorts, mitts and a nice s/s top

Peddle Up!

It's been a while since I've seen a blue that deep on a weather map.

pprince

keep the faith people!

Paul the Organiser

Peddle Up!

pprince wrote:

keep the faith people!

Paul the Organiser

I'll be there. There's a clue to the temperament needed in the title of the ride! Serious question, has the GPX route file been updated recently? I downloaded a copy about a week ago.

pprince

gpx file should be fine

Peddle Up!

pprince wrote:

gpx file should be fine

Cheers.

Bobbinogs

So, how did we get on peeps?

I have to say that today was probably the coldest I have ever been on a bike. 2.5 hours of solid rain to be topped off by heavy sleet up top by Chipping... it fair froze my fingers solid. My nutrition and hydration strategy went out of the window as I could not hold the bottle and simply couldn't grasp any food out of my back pockets. However, what a great ride. Fantastic signage ( I went to the bother of making up an audax quality route card but, whilst it was useful for knowing what was coming up, I never relied on it once). Lots of good honest fare at the food stop (the chaps there even kindly filled my bottle as I couldn't manage it).

My best moment came when approaching the big climb near Chipping...came up to a trio of ladies and the one in front, about 100m into the climb, performed one of the most elegant dying swans I have ever seen. She moved to the left next to a big fat verge and swooshed off the bike. I thought she had fainted but she came up all smiles and I can't help thinking that was her usual way of dismounting on climbs. Chapeau madam. Made me smile for ages afterwards.

I hope no one got stuck in the carpark, I bet that was muddy by the end!

Defo recommend this one for anyone thinking about it next year. Thanks to Paul and all the volunteers (but please can I have some nicer weather next time around, my bike now looks like it has done Paris-Roubaix and I cleaned/lubed it only yesterday ).

iantaylor2uk

That was tough. Mind you, rather stupidly I also did 50 miles or so on saturday (!). It was snowing when I cycled up the big hill out of Winnersley - just about got up it ok. Went off course near the end and ended up doing an extra 7 miles. What was curious was that my Garmin initially reported only just over 1100 feet of climbing, but when I enabled the elevation correcttion option (on garmin connect) it went up to just over 4000 feet - which seems more like it to me. I described my ride on chestercyclist.blogspot.com/

WorcsPhil

Have to concur with the other posts, truly ridiculous weather. My only other organised ride this year was the Sunrise Audax two saturdays ago, and that coincided with heavy rain also...two weeks of nice weather and then this. Perhaps, I'm just getting all of my bad luck out of the way. Still, I enjoyed it in a masochistic way, and had to laugh when I thought it couldn't get worse, but then climbed the big hill at Saintbury only to end up in a snow storm...and finally got a real wheel puncture 8 miles from the end, and took 18 mins to replace it due to frozen fingers...I don't think the Sky Team need look this way if looking for mechanics. Despite all this, a great early season ride, excellent start and finish with a most welcome bacon roll and cuppa tea. Don't know how many of the 500 entrants turned up...or finished, but congrats to all those who started. One final thing, it's now proved that Garmin 800's work in wet weather perfectly fine.

Peddle Up!

It takes a certain character attribute to get up at 05:30 on a Sunday morning, travel forty miles in the pouring rain, marshal at the event start line in the pouring rain, ride for several hours in the pouring rain, turning to sleet then snow, just getting colder and wetter as the day went on. I should have realised that there was a clue in the title of the event.

That said, it was a great day’s cycling, especially when it was all over. Thanks to, and for:

The organisers who made it all possible;

The faultless signage (although I did miss one turn and had to backtrack giving me a grand total mileage of 80 miles :roll: );

The helpers who tirelessly manned the car park, helping people in and out while getting cold and wet themselves;
Special mention to the guys at the “cake stop” where it was difficult to tell whose fingers were the most frozen when trying to manipulate the water bottles.

A new understanding of the term “flat”. The route may have been flat to those “King-of-the-mountains” types who post here (you know who you are ), but it wasn’t to me. From the surprising little spike near the start through the Willersey climb and its shorter brother at Hidcote my legs had to earn their keep. The last stretch was especially taxing for tired cold legs with the constant tease of “up a bit, down a bit less, up a bit more”.

I’m a newcomer to early season rides, having completed the Sunrise Express a couple of weeks earlier, but I’ll definitely be back for more.

I managed to save just enough energy to clean the bike when I got home, then warm up in a scalding hot shower before tucking in to a good hot curry. Sunday doesn’t get any better.

pprince

Pics are now online @ George Burgess Photography
http://georgeburgessphotography.thirdli ... mid=322931

Times are now online too
http://www.madmarchharesportive.co.uk/times2012.php

179 very brave riders battled freezing wind, rain, slow and sleet all day to finish. They are a credit to their sport.

Peddle Up!

pprince wrote:

Pics are now online @ George Burgess Photography
http://georgeburgessphotography.thirdli ... mid=322931

Times are now online too
http://www.madmarchharesportive.co.uk/times2012.php

179 very brave riders battled freezing wind, rain, slow and sleet all day to finish. They are a credit to their sport.

Thanks Paul. A much appreciated comment.