Tour Ride, Stoke, 1 September 2013

munkster
munkster Posts: 819
edited August 2013 in Sportives/audaxes/training rides
Anyone here doing it? The 100 mile route specifically? Anyone do it last year??

Comments

  • Wardster00
    Wardster00 Posts: 143
    I'm doing it as part of work fundraising thing and I did it last year too.

    They have removed the Cannock Chase section form this year's route which makes it shorter and takes out one of the climbs (albeit the easiest one).

    The feed stations last year were a bit rubbish not that well stocked if you go there later on and not well positioned - the first one was too early (20 miles or so) and they could have done one just after Gun Hill as the gap between the 2nd and 3rd stops seemed like a long way and had most of the climbing in it.

    In terms of difficulty, this route is tough as all of the climbing comes at the back end and also in my head I thought that once I had gone over Gun hill it was plain sailing from there. I was wrong, there are lots of little short steep climbs that take it out of you when you are 70 miles into the route.

    I'm looking forward to it this year as being a fortnight earlier I'm hoping that the weather will be kinder this time around.
  • MrJoe23
    MrJoe23 Posts: 21
    I'll be taking part this year as I have done for the last 3 years. With the exception of cannock being removed it's still a tough parcours yet a good day out. Fully agree with the poor food stops last year, the second one could have been a little further into Alton while the first one was pointless!

    With regards to the weather being kinder, did you get caught out in the rain near the end? It was quite a nice day up until the final 5 miles or so dependant how far back or forward you were. All in all very enjoyable
  • Wardster00
    Wardster00 Posts: 143
    Joe, yes I was pretty far back, it got gloomy at 70 miles and then started raining with about 5 miles to go the wind was the worst part and that came with the gloom.

    I notice from the website that they have changed the start to a public area rather than inside the gardens this year. This was something that a lot of people don't like last year as it meant that family and friends had to pay to watch the start and finish.

    As they have changed this, hopefully, they will have listened to the feedback about the feed stations.

    I'm still looking forward to it, I went up star bank yesterday and set a pb, so hoping for a better performance this year.
  • MrJoe23
    MrJoe23 Posts: 21
    Last year was pathetic charging people to pay to watch, the year before they had the start finish line near Franky & Bennies so hopefully it'll be around there again. The first feed station would be ideally in uttoxeter, next one i'd have in Warslow and the third just beyond gun hill.

    Star Bank? that the one in Oakamoor? I use that one quite alot for training, get to the top, roll down through Ramshorn and do a second loop back up it.

    Good luck on the ride and hopefully it'll be a better all round experience than last year

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