Marlow Red Kite Ride 2012

baldwin471
baldwin471 Posts: 366
edited September 2012 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
Anyone planning to take part? I would like to do it but not sure about going 100 miles alone.

Here is the link

http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events ... -Ride-2012

Two options available - 50 miles and 100 miles

Will be my first Sportive so looking forward to it but dreading it at the same time :D

Comments

  • bigpikle
    bigpikle Posts: 1,690
    have fun - its a nice area to ride if the weathers good. Rest assured that they took the less hilly options round there so even the 100 doesnt really have much on it and avoids a lot of tough bits they could easily have put in. I'd suggest it would make a good 100 if its your first, and I doubt you'll be alone.
    Your Past is Not Your Potential...
  • fnb1
    fnb1 Posts: 591
    rode the 100 route last weekend, nice ride, enough hills to make it a challenge but not overly hilly
    fay ce que voudres
  • baldwin471
    baldwin471 Posts: 366
    Looking forward to it. Bumping this thread to see if anyone missed it
  • the_fuggler
    the_fuggler Posts: 1,228
    Takes in a some very nice and quiet (except for cyclists!) routes round here. Looks good.
    FCN 3 / 4
  • alan14
    alan14 Posts: 149
    Just entered - according to the BC page (when you have registered and added the event to your basket) online entry closes tonight at 23:55 - so just made it!

    Weather forecast looks good for Sunday so hopefully it will stay that way. Only my 2nd 100 this year so I'm looking forward to riding around some new scenery and roads.
  • aspender
    aspender Posts: 96
    I'll be lining up for the 100 miles. Looking forward to a relatively flat one after the Ride With Brad!
  • TKF
    TKF Posts: 279
    Horrid drizzle today. Good fun though and congrats to Marlow Riders on their first sportive.

    Signage could be better. No track pumps at the feedstop despite being advertised on the site (riding partner really needed one). Could have missed out Twyford with the 4-way traffic lights too.

    Otherwise it's a good base to build on and I'll definitely be coming back next year.
  • aspender
    aspender Posts: 96
    There were definitely track pumps at the first two when I went through (didn't look/notice at the last one)

    Also thought it was a really nice, friendly and well organised event for a first run. I liked the fact that the course didn't go all out to pack in the hills and therefore I could push harder than I normally would on a sportive of that distance knowing I didn't have huge amounts of climbing to do. The signage was above average (though I did miss the one on the top of Winter Hill a mile or so from home and added on another mile and a short hill in my detour!)

    Food stops were very well stocked. I've never see Marshmallows at a sportive before!
  • TKF
    TKF Posts: 279
    Agree about the friendly atmosphere and the well stocks feed stops.

    My problem with the signage was that the arrows were a bit small so with eyes like mine you were on top of them before you knew if you were going left or right.
  • baldwin471
    baldwin471 Posts: 366
    Hope you all had fun. I couldn't go in the end (You may have seen on another thread why) as i broke a few fingers last week in a crash so no riding for a couple of weeks unfortunately. Was it a tough course? Through my neck of the woods at all? (Wycombe)
  • TKF
    TKF Posts: 279
    You can see the routes here http://marlowredkiteride.co.uk/html/routes.html

    I only did the 50 and it wasn't too bad. Like the previous poster I'm glad they didn't just try to cram in the hills. The 50 could have spread the hills out a bit though as 80% were over in the first half. Mind you, I prefer it that way!
  • Cycling is Forever
    Cycling is Forever Posts: 210
    I also completed the 100 mile Marlow Riders Red Kite Ride yesterday.
    Was my first Sportive I enjoyed it certainly different to my normal rides out.
    The event overall was well organized and friendly.
    A few times we missed a turn, some roundabouts near the end were a little lacking in the clear signage.
    But we made it with the help from garmin.

    Anyone know how many people did the event?
    Where there more people on the 50 mile than the 100 mile?
    On the 100 mile course/route my brother and me didn't see that many other people/riders, we had large sections to ourselves.

    Also any reason why no Gold, Silver & Bronze classifications? Just curious

    Today legs feel fine so no regrets! :mrgreen:
    29er http://tinyurl.com/bs4flux
    Dark side http://tinyurl.com/364ow2m
    Old School 26er http://tinyurl.com/2upkwmq
    Hack http://tinyurl.com/36hkmts
  • TKF
    TKF Posts: 279
    Cycling is Forever wrote:
    Anyone know how many people did the event?
    I heard around 350 registered
  • aspender
    aspender Posts: 96
    The no Gold/Silver/Bronze thing was a limitation of their third party insurance through British Cycling I think. Can't be seen as in any way competitive I guess.

    Received an email with a results spreadsheet tonight, so assuming you got that it should answer most of your other questions.

    What time did you start? I was in the group first off at 7.30am and whilst a small group of us stayed pretty much together for the first 50 miles, the second 50 was mostly solo and very quiet.
  • wineboar
    wineboar Posts: 11
    I really enjoyed this event. It was my second 100 miler and enjoyed the comparative lack of hills too.

    Aspender, I must have been riding with you for much of the first half - my mate Mick and I were in the first group off too and stuck mostly together in a group of 4 or 5 until the halfway point.

    We finished up getting round in 5.55 which we were quite pleased with.
  • aspender
    aspender Posts: 96
    wineboar wrote:
    Aspender, I must have been riding with you for much of the first half - my mate Mick and I were in the first group off too and stuck mostly together in a group of 4 or 5 until the halfway point.

    Cool. I was in a white/cream Rapha top, riding a Cube.

Categories