Box Hill Sportive 13/10/2013

Gunnsie

Hi All,

Is anyone doing the Box Hill Sportive on 13th Oct?? It's my first Sportive/Organised Ride, so I have opted for the 44 mile one rather then the 80 or 103.

I am looking forward to it as there is a small group of us atempting it, but I am also dreading the last 13 miles of it as it's all uphill.

The furthest I have riden in one ride is 50 miles, which was mostly flat with a few monster hills chucked in.

Has anyone got any advice they can give to try and make the hill climbing part easier??

I ride a 2011 Cannondale Synapse 105 (ally frame)

http://www.ukcyclingevents.co.uk/events ... -sportive/

Thanks All.

Chris

chrisaonabike

Gunnsie wrote:

I am looking forward to it as there is a small group of us atempting it, but I am also dreading the last 13 miles of it as it's all uphill.

Actually, the last 13 miles is nearly all downhill - after Box Hill that is. There's a bit more up along Hurst Road, but it's not as steep as Box Hill.

In fact, the steepest part of that route isn't Box Hill at all - it's Ranmore Road at mile 29. If you can get up that then Box Hill will be easy and you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. Then unless you're a confident descender, be really, really careful down the North Downs Way at mile 30.

Just select a really low gear before the uphill bits and go slowly. There's no way of making hills easy other than by riding up loads of hills.

tubaonwheels

Is your date correct?
Link has it as 13th

Gunnsie

Sorry, yes the date is the 13th.

Chris - Thanks for your advise. I'm not great at uphills yet, so in the next week or so I will be doing a few laps of my local route that includes a fairly steep hill (in my eyes anyway), so hopefully by the time I get to do this Sportive I will have built up more uphill ability.

Mikey23

Box hill sportive huh, that'll go down well with the locals!

Gunnsie

Why???

markhewitt1978

Read the forum, BBC news etc, there have been complaints from the local residents about the amount cycling and in particular sportives that take place in the local area.

Gunnsie

Oh OK... I didn't realise. I'm guessing it's the Olympics fault that it has become such a cycling hotspot.

simonhead

Know most of the short one well and its not a bad route, a few small hills plus box hill which is OK. Some of the roads arent great and can be busy but if you set out early enough you should beat the traffic. Make sure you have spare tubes and a decent pump as well, if the weather has been wet you get a lot of flint washed into the verges of some of the roads.

bikergirl17

the 'climb' up to ranmore common -- if this is the one past the recycling center and denbies -- is my favorite hill in the area ... it is a mile long, relatively steady 5-6%. just still back, take your time and spin up it in a nice, easy gear. don't be tempted to try to keep up with others -- half the time the guys racing off on climbs end up blowing up.

box hill isn't really a climb as much as a long road to an awesome baked good at the cafe; it is about 3-5% -- but again, just pace yourself. from there, it is largely downhill to the finish -- so if you are feeling good definitely could push it at this point.

and second about being careful on the descents. the road surface in some places is horrifying -- esp the descent into westhumble. off box hill it is nasty in some places so would be careful there too.

i can't totally make out the road they take at the start -- but typically from epsom up it is a nice steady uphill. if they take the main a road, it is actually downhill, which has always puzzled me.

i honestly don't think the longer routes will be that much of a challenge, even for your first sportive. they skirt past some of the nastier climbs (to put it in perspective, a few weeks ago i did an 110 km audax with 2400 m of climbing in the same area--almost 1,000 m more than the standard route for slightly shorter distance).

good luck!

Gunnsie

Excellent... thanks very much for your advice. I have been out a couple of times and conquered the steep hill near where I live, plus have been quicker each time, so am coming around to liking the idea of this ride a bit more now lol.

MattPillinger

I'm doing it. Will be my first proper sportive and really looking forward

I did RL100 in 5:21:02 so it will be interesting to see how I get on over a similar (ish) route of similar distance, the main difference being roads not closed.

ugo.santalucia

Mmhhh, a sportive in the Surrey hills... that's an event!

Gunnsie

So the weather is almost monsoon style for the tomorrow and we're still up for going... Must be mad!!

Gunnsie

Done.... Wasn't as hard as I thought it was gonna be. I actually really enjoyed it, even though it was torrential rain the whole way. Box Hill was a nice climb, but the hill just before it was a bastid!!

Grantmk

This was my first sportive, is the weather that bad at all of them? Lined up for the start in pouring rain, the official briefing advised everyone to do the short course as the forecast was for torrential rain in an hour, didn't think it could get any worse but it did!

Gunnsie

Grantmk wrote:

This was my first sportive, is the weather that bad at all of them? Lined up for the start in pouring rain, the official briefing advised everyone to do the short course as the forecast was for torrential rain in an hour, didn't think it could get any worse but it did!

Can't believe how wet it was, would be curious to know how I would have done on a dry day.

LuckyMap63

My first sportive too. Did the short version. Could have been dryer! Descents down Pebble Hill to the level crossing and North Downs Way after the climb out of Dorking where sods. Did not like them at all, but not keen on descending even in the dry after an incident earlier in the summer. Still got round, pretty certain that my time would have been quicker in the dry.

mozzer2906

My first sportive, Weather was horrific, was due to do the standard course but got a flat about 5km past the route split. By the time I'd finished repairing it I was frozen to the bone and out of inners so decided to go back and finish on the short route. Some of the descents were pretty hairy in that weather.

Still an enjoyable day out, would love to do the course in the dry as seemed like it could be very good fun. Box hill was actually a very enjoyable climb, not that tough and a good one to get spinning on.

On the off-chance he reads this forum, big thanks to Phil who helped me repair the flat/leant me his pump as mine had fallen out of my pocket at some point.

markhewitt1978

Grantmk wrote:

This was my first sportive, is the weather that bad at all of them? Lined up for the start in pouring rain, the official briefing advised everyone to do the short course as the forecast was for torrential rain in an hour, didn't think it could get any worse but it did!

Was that just advice or did they effectively close the longer courses?

mozzer2906

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Grantmk wrote:

This was my first sportive, is the weather that bad at all of them? Lined up for the start in pouring rain, the official briefing advised everyone to do the short course as the forecast was for torrential rain in an hour, didn't think it could get any worse but it did!

Was that just advice or did they effectively close the longer courses?

I think they were advising the shorter course, but not actually closing the longer ones, I was able to go down the standard route (until a puncture made me think better of it!) , got a lot of respect for anyone who managed the 82/100 milers that was a seriously tough day out!

MattPillinger

I did the 103 epic. My time was super slow (7:13) reflecting the fact that it was just impossible (for me at least) to descend quickly with the ground that wet and wet leaves, acorns etc all over the place. I think in dry I could get close to a Gold (6:40) time.

Jamming the brakes on hard for all the descents made my shoulders and arms ache something chronic as well

Coming up to both splits, the thought of shortening it did occur to me, but I was soaking through by then anyway and knowing my time was going to be poor I figured I'd rather suck at the long distance.

Agree with previous poster that the hill before Box Hill (white down I think) was an absolute killer, there were quite a few walkers, but I was lucky and the guy in front of me kept cycling, albeit we were close to being overtaken by walkers so he dragged me up, thanks whoever you are

Gunnsie

Fair play MattPillinger 8) I think if I'd have attempted the Epic I'd have still been going as it got dark lol..... maybe next year

On Ranmore Road (the bastid hill) I just kept telling myself that the peak of the hill will be just around the next corner... or maybe the next... ok, definitely the next... etc etc until I found myself at the top without getting off the bike to walk up. This then made Box Hill a pleasure to ride up.

If I hadn't of waited 10-15 mins for the straglers in my group and if I hadn't had stopped to help my mate with his puncture at the top of Box Hill I think I might have done the 44 miles in just under 3hrs, but instead did it in 3hr 36mins.

Still happy with that and still happy I completed it with no punctures or off. Looking to get some better brake pads now though, as mine were pretty much non-existant on those treturous descents.

mozzer2906

Gunnsie wrote:

Fair play MattPillinger 8) I think if I'd have attempted the Epic I'd have still been going as it got dark lol..... maybe next year

On Ranmore Road (the bastid hill) I just kept telling myself that the peak of the hill will be just around the next corner... or maybe the next... ok, definitely the next... etc etc until I found myself at the top without getting off the bike to walk up. This then made Box Hill a pleasure to ride up.

If I hadn't of waited 10-15 mins for the straglers in my group and if I hadn't had stopped to help my mate with his puncture at the top of Box Hill I think I might have done the 44 miles in just under 3hrs, but instead did it in 3hr 36mins.

Still happy with that and still happy I completed it with no punctures or off. Looking to get some better brake pads now though, as mine were pretty much non-existant on those treturous descents.

Haha yeah my brakes were so ineffective at times it was joke, especially post box hill the road was essentially a river in parts!

shamrock134

I got a big fat DNF.

I was doing the epic and felt warm and fit until 35mi when I punctured. Trying to fix the puncture without shelter in the torrential rain was a struggle as I was soaked and couldn't keep warm... and then my Lezyne pump broke. The rescue car happened to pass on its way to collect someone else and they offered me use of their "pump" but I decided I couldn't be arsed as I was shivering to death and didn't fancy doing the remaining 70mi on a tube pumped up with a Topeak Micro Rocket (not sure why they didn't bring a track pump around with them). So I hopped in and got a ride back to the start.

Lessons learnt... don't underestimate the weather, a LS Gabba isn't the last word on wet weather protection (bring a shell!) and get bombproof tyres for the winter hack.

Grantmk

I was thankful that I didn't puncture, I was only saying to my other half last night that I couldn't imagine being able to change an inner tube in those conditions and with freezing hands. I think a few people turned back, either that or we have some amateur riders on PEDS - some of them apparently did the short course in an hour and 5 mins!

warreng

My shoulders and upper arms are still aching after braking all the way to Westhumble from Ranmore.

I was genuinely surprised at the number of punctures and even more surprised not to see any offs.

shamrock134

There was one guy who was hit by a car. His carbon fork completely snapped off in the collision. He wasn't hurt though.

Gunnsie

A guy passed me in shorts and had blood running down his shin..... he just seemed to be grinning and baring it.

My upper arms were also aching from the heavy braking... I had to go down on the drops to get a better grip on the levers.

DHA987S

Terrible conditions. My castelli free jacket is meant to be pretty waterproof but in that weather it wasn't. Am glad I had opted for the short, even by the end of that I was getting too cold descending.

If you think that your brakes weren't working and need improving, then I thought my rear was useless. All it did was make a noise rather than provide any stopping power. They are DA 9000 and usually exceptional, but I think with so much water and crap on the roads it made them reduce in power significantly. Glad I was on aluminium rims though!!

warreng

My low point was at the first feed station when the collected rainwater on the canopy overflowed all over me and my fig roll