Wiggle MagnifiCat

junglist_matty

Anyone from here doing the standard (82 mile) route on Sunday?

was supposed to be doing it with a few friends but they've all pulled out and I don't want to pull out because unlike them I don't earn a fortune and not willing to loose out on £30 for my entry so I'm going it alone, I'm sure they'll be plenty of nice chaps to chat away too on my way round!

noiseboyfeetman

I recently did the Wiggle Bournemouth Sportive on my own after the two people I was meant to be doing it pulled out, like you I didn't want to lose £30 so I just did it myself. Everyone's a likeminded cyclist doing it so you'll find loads of people to chat to on the way round like I did.

Simon-R7

I'm doing the 82 mile route on Sunday, looking forward to it, not going with anyone, done Sportives in the past on my own and i normally find someone to chat to on the way round.

shropshirelad

Doing the 200km long route, but again, on my own and it'll be fine, I expect - you pick up with others wanting to go at similar speeds and away you go.

the_fuggler

Three of us doing the 82 mile route - given the number of entrants (2,000+), I'm sure you'll find plenty of people to chat to on the way round. I'd suggest hooking up, but we're hopelessly disorganised so our plans to start early will probably be out the window before we even get there!

Der Kaiser

I am doing the 44 miles route. I know it's nothing to brag about but this was my replacement for The New Forest Sportive. At the time I thought I would struggle to do anything longer having done the 52 mile Great Manchester Cycle 2 weeks earlier.

Having said that I was persuaded into doing the Shropshire Hills Sportive 52 mile route at the Club Social Night. So three sportives over three weekends is going to be a big ask but I am still in on piece after two of them.

Ask me how I feel on sunday night after the drive back. :roll:

apreading

I am doing the 82 mile route - actually prefer doing long rides on my own and chatting to whoever I come across along the route, riding at my own pace rather than worrying about riding faster/slower to stay with my mates. Sometimes you find someone at your pace and end up with them for the whole ride, other times you have lots of conversations with a whole gamut of interesting people.

itboffin

I'm going the epic with a friend hopefully we'll be there for the early start 7.15-30 ish if you'd like to join your more than welcome, i'm hoping my Marmotte form will help me pace this one in a decent time.

itboffin

I think this will be my 4th or 5th but not for some time as the last one was so cold and wet we bailed to the 82 route, also the first two real climbs are effectively my commute 8 times a week and therefore i ought to be okay over those, not going out too fast and finding a good pace group should see you right.

shropshirelad

itboffin wrote:

I'm going the epic with a friend hopefully we'll be there for the early start 7.15-30 ish if you'd like to join your more than welcome, i'm hoping my Marmotte form will help me pace this one in a decent time.

Hi There,

Yep, I'm up for starting out with you. I know I'm going to need to stick in groups to get around the Epic. I'll Private Message you with phone number.

junglist_matty

Enjoy it people, maybe bump into a few of you on my way round, I'm going to be starting at the earliest time possible, think for 82mile route that's 7.45....

I'll be riding a White Canyon Ultimate AL (in my sig) and wearing team Garmin-Barracuda team kit; feel free to say hi if you see me!

Enjoy a hot day in the saddle people!

MattC59

Yep, I'm doing the 82mile route. We're registering tonight, so we're aiming for a 7.45am start.

I'll be wearing an orange/black Molteni jersey and on an Enigma with unnecessary carbon wheels, and my bro will be on a Stork. As we're starting early and planning on a pint or two tonight, we'll be the guys that you're all passing

Don't forget your sunscreen !!!

andrew549

Doing the 82 mile route as well also aiming for an early start to avoid cooking myself going across greenham common.

rich_e

Think I might do this.

It says you can enter on the day as online registration is obviously now closed.
My only worry is getting there and finding they have sold out.
I presume they must have a good deal of spots available still.

apreading

I think they have over 2000 entries online but can accomodate something like 3000, so should be OK on the day. Dont shoot me if I am wrong though...

itboffin

Rich_E wrote:

Think I might do this.

It says you can enter on the day as online registration is obviously now closed.
My only worry is getting there and finding they have sold out.
I presume they must have a good deal of spots available still.

I'm going along to registration at 4pm today i'll post back here the availability on the day situation but to be honest i doubt it'll be a problem.

fyi I just rode out to the start of the climbs (my commute) looks good the roads are clear of most gravel and potholes are minimal, fingers crossed the temp comes down a bit tomorrow.

PS. if you've not ridden out this way before then dont bring you bling deep carbon wheelset (windy) and tissue paper thin tyres these country roads are a bit shite.

rich_e

Nice one, thanks!

MattC59

itboffin wrote:

PS. if you've not ridden out this way before then dont bring you bling deep carbon wheelset (windy) and tissue paper thin tyres these country roads are a bit shite.

The roads are fine, I ride them on Ultremos, I was also out on them last Sunday on my 50mm rims with no wind issues (and it was windy !).

There's one nasty narrow lead into a 90degree left hand bend, a couple of miles before the first climb, it's potholed and gravelly, but hopefully it'll be marshalled to warm people about it.

You're right about the heat, the second climb is quite enclosed and can get very hot !

itboffin

Back from registration, no problems with places tomorrow but dont leave it too late.

good luck all and enjoy, dont forget your sunscreen :?

Simon-R7

Well that was a hot one!! A tough ride for me anyway. See my ride : http://app.strava.com/activities/67058821

apreading

SNAP! http://ridewithgps.com/trips/1497537

My Garmin said 33 deg C at its hottest!!!

itboffin

Well that was fun and easier than previous years in the pissing rain. In typical style we only just made the Epic start time cut of so sorry Andy we missed you, as my friend wasn't in best form I ended up solo riding almost the whole 125 miles, Garmin moving time of 7 hrs and 12 mins, and another 30-40 mins of waiting around time.

I have to say Wiggle did a great job all round, nice route, going support, food stations well stocked and excellent signage esp the pothole marking.

shropshirelad

I got there is good time but there was a bit of a car queue (inevitable, I guess, with so many arriving) so got late myself and assumed you'd headed off. First 50km was a bit frustrating in terms of teaming up with people, then it felt like everyone relaxed/got tired and started seeking company to help with the 200km task.

50 to 100km done in nice little groups zipping along, and then once past the route split things went quiet and I started to bike it home alone. Luckily, I picked up a fellow lone cyclist at 130km and we proceeded to take turns for the remaining distance - absolutely brilliant - and meant I made it under 8 hours (7.55) and thus Gold Standard for the Epic 200km - which I did not expect.

Organisation good - registration a breeze when I was expecting it to be a drag. Not enough toilets at the start.

Route great - a lot of tree-lined, shaded roads and no serious hills so if someone was planning their first 200km ride this would be a good one.

junglist_matty

Was a good morning (fairly tough back end as I went too out too hard over the fist 50miles) on the bike, I got there about 7.30am and set off just before 8am.... Moving time was 4hrs 39mins, Total time was 4hrs 49mins...

http://app.strava.com/activities/67051050

apreading

junglist_matty wrote:

Was a good morning (fairly tough back end as I went too out too hard over the fist 50miles) on the bike, I got there about 7.30am and set off just before 8am.... Moving time was 4hrs 39mins, Total time was 4hrs 49mins...

http://app.strava.com/activities/67051050

Blimey - you barely stopped at the feed stations, only 10 minutes of standing time!

ctc

Like to mention my 8 year old son Alec did the 26 mile route. Managed all the hills under his own power.
tripled his previous longest distance of 9 miles into the bargain!

Now he wants to do some more.
Very proud Dad...

the_fuggler

itboffin wrote:

I have to say Wiggle did a great job all round, nice route, going support, food stations well stocked and excellent signage esp the pothole marking.

Agree completely - very enjoyable and well thought out route. The extra feed station was most welcome, although the heat almost got too much in the last 15 miles. Nothing to do with recent preparation involving a lot of beer...

junglist_matty

apreading wrote:

Blimey - you barely stopped at the feed stations, only 10 minutes of standing time!

Nope, didn't want to stop for any longer than I needed; a quick two bottle refill at each station whilst eating a handful of jelly beans, then grabbed a bit of flapjack and half a banana got on the bike and ate that en-route.... I hate stopping for short periods unless it's for an hour or so because my legs start to stiff up a bit and I find getting started and finding my rhythm gets really tough!

I was very pleased to find very well stocked feed stations on the way round after having been to a few sportives before with a very poor selection and on many occasions almost run dry of everything; especially that there was decent energy drink and not that disgusting lucozade type stuff!

CTC wrote:

Like to mention my 8 year old son Alec did the 26 mile route. Managed all the hills under his own power.
tripled his previous longest distance of 9 miles into the bargain!

Now he wants to do some more.
Very proud Dad...

I saw one very small kid; then looked and saw he also had an entry number! Was quite surprised and thought fair play to the kid! ...He can't have been any older than 10 with a dad following right behind; about 8-10miles from the finish, may well have been you!

ctc

Hi Junglist_Matty,

Could well have been! If he was in a sky jersey and red bike, with a sweaty looking Dad right behind him in a red top that was us...

junglist_matty

CTC wrote:

Hi Junglist_Matty,

Could well have been! If he was in a sky jersey and red bike, with a sweaty looking Dad right behind him in a red top that was us...

To be honest, I can't remember what he was wearing; it would have been around about midday when I passed the kid somewhere around Brimpton.

magliaceleste

I thought it was an OK event. I've done it about 5 times now, a few times from Highclere castle and also from Newbury in the last few years. It used to be one of my favourites.

It used to be better and the route used to be better too. It don't remember so many junctions, really tiny gravelly backroads and it also used to feature a couple of good climbs. Still pretty enjoyable though and to be fair, I was thankful for the shade this year. This year the Epic GPS route was wrong as were the time calculations.

I guess now UKCyclingEvents runs the event it's about just getting loads of people...sadly many of which get in the wrong lane deliberately and try and push in to get into the showground.