75 or 35?

secretsam

So, with minimal training I once again find myself heading towards the IRHH Chiltern Challenge - a choice of either a 35-mile or 75-mile tour of the south Chilterns. Apart from the odd 30-mile ride and riding to work (32 miles round trip) once or twice a week, no training as such. Do I go for the biggy (which I've signed up for :shock: ) and do it nice 'n' easy or the 35 and use it as a training run and go like the clappers?

Did the 75 a couple of years ago, nearly killed me but finished it 8) . Last year it was soooo cold and I had a hamstring problem, so bailed on the 75 halfway and headed for home, nearly collapsed at the end having done 50 miles.

Decision time...mind you, if the weather's like today I'll do the long ride just to enjoy the sun!

Sprool

You have to do the 75 or give it your best crack else you'll be disappointed with yourself

Initialised

I did one last year, 100 miles with the option to cut it down to ~60, I didn't, I took the turn for the 100 miler. Which took me up probably the hardest climb I've ever done. Nope, don't bail, it's worth it!

Rule#71

secretsam

Did 40 at the weekend, was OK but a bit tired at the end, had a bad patch but solved by some food and drink, am sure I need to eat/drink more.

drlodge

Go for the 75 miler...prepare as best you can physcially and mentally, and pace yourself on the day. You have just 2 objectives (1) finish the 75 mile course (2) enjoy yourself

ic.

drlodge wrote:

Go for the 75 miler...prepare as best you can physcially and mentally, and pace yourself on the day. You have just 2 objectives (1) finish the 75 mile course (2) enjoy yourself

This. Sound advice.

alanholden

I think that any distance can be done (within reason) as long as you pace yourself and maintain your energy levels. For example last year I did a 75 mile ride in the New Forest, with very limited training beforehand and having not ridden my bike for a month due to a family holiday. Yet on Sunday I managed 75 miles on a club run, and have been training all winter, the only difference between the two is that Sundays was at a higher average speed and I felt a bit fresher once I'd finished.

Good Luck

SteveDoe

I'm having the same quandary. Did 52 miles on Sat, but mainly been 20 milers in lunch hours apart from that. Reckon I'm gonna head out on the 75 mile route and see how it goes. The routes are identical til 16 miles. It's not looking good weather for Sunday (0 degrees over night on Sat and showers on Sunday aft) so that may dictate it a bit - Like others have said, it should be fun and I'm a bit of a fair weather rider!

secretsam

SteveDoe wrote:

I'm having the same quandary. Did 52 miles on Sat, but mainly been 20 milers in lunch hours apart from that. Reckon I'm gonna head out on the 75 mile route and see how it goes. The routes are identical til 16 miles. It's not looking good weather for Sunday (0 degrees over night on Sat and showers on Sunday aft) so that may dictate it a bit - Like others have said, it should be fun and I'm a bit of a fair weather rider!

I love the fact that the bail out point for the 75 comes after that mahoosive hill!!! Was driving in today and the route signs are up already.

Shame about the weather, but what can you do? Last year they had to bin the ride and re-arrange due to snow!!

I really don't know why they don't have an intermediate ride of (say) 50 miles

darkhairedlord

Just do the 75, it's not a solo ride so it'll be much easier than doing the shorter ride on your own.

SteveDoe

Just watched the Davina programme - think I should be able to manage 75 miles ... Not done a lot of the route (normally ride north of Aylesbury), so ignorance is bliss on the hills at this stage ...

secretsam

SteveDoe wrote:

Just watched the Davina programme - think I should be able to manage 75 miles ... Not done a lot of the route (normally ride north of Aylesbury), so ignorance is bliss on the hills at this stage ...

Davina programme????

"Ignorance is bliss" - I tend to ride both sides of the Vale of Aylesbury, avoiding the Vale and its invidious evil bloody never ending wind. The route is...lumpy. And there's one bit that runs through an industrial estate which is like the Paris-Roubaix, only without cobbles but with extra massive potholes. Unless by some miracle the donkeys at Bucks County Council have fixed the road...

SteveDoe

SecretSam wrote:

SteveDoe wrote:

Just watched the Davina programme - think I should be able to manage 75 miles ... Not done a lot of the route (normally ride north of Aylesbury), so ignorance is bliss on the hills at this stage ...

Davina programme????

"Ignorance is bliss" - I tend to ride both sides of the Vale of Aylesbury, avoiding the Vale and its invidious evil bloody never ending wind. The route is...lumpy. And there's one bit that runs through an industrial estate which is like the Paris-Roubaix, only without cobbles but with extra massive potholes. Unless by some miracle the donkeys at Bucks County Council have fixed the road...

Davina programme = Beyond breaking point for Sport Relief, day 1 was 130 miles into a head wind from Edinburgh to Keswick and it was lashing it down with rain!

Went and did the first 9 miles of the route - Aylesbury to Princes Risborough in lunch hour, then cam back via Kimble. What I did was pretty flat, but the headwind was difficult - only 17mph according to Garmin as well.

Most of my routes are North or East of Aylesbury, so hills that I do often include Ivinghoe or Brill or N Marston to Oving if you know any of them. Expecting it to be quite hilly at Wycombe/ Amersham but we'll see on Sunday.

secretsam

SteveDoe wrote:

Davina programme = Beyond breaking point for Sport Relief, day 1 was 130 miles into a head wind from Edinburgh to Keswick and it was lashing it down with rain!

What is it with these people? A couple of years back they did JOGLE in February or something, and EVERYONE knows that the prevailing wind comes from the SW, therefore is a headwind if you're coming from the NE (like, say, John O'Groats)

SteveDoe wrote:

Went and did the first 9 miles of the route - Aylesbury to Princes Risborough in lunch hour, then cam back via Kimble. What I did was pretty flat, but the headwind was difficult - only 17mph according to Garmin as well.

Most of my routes are North or East of Aylesbury, so hills that I do often include Ivinghoe or Brill or N Marston to Oving if you know any of them. Expecting it to be quite hilly at Wycombe/ Amersham but we'll see on Sunday.

Know them well. Don't know that the Wycombe/Amersham bits are too bad - apart from Wigan's Lane before Stokenchurch, which is lung-bursting.

SteveDoe

How did you get on today SS? Just loaded the ride to Garmin Connect 71.75 miles with 4,390 ft of climbing in 4h36. Not too bad, but the head wind for the last bit slowed me down. Also Garmin had me not dropping below 3mph, despite having to stop by the side of the road to put my chain back on twice ... Good fun and a challenge, with many hills I'd have shied away from last year!

secretsam

SteveDoe wrote:

How did you get on today SS? Just loaded the ride to Garmin Connect 71.75 miles with 4,390 ft of climbing in 4h36. Not too bad, but the head wind for the last bit slowed me down. Also Garmin had me not dropping below 3mph, despite having to stop by the side of the road to put my chain back on twice ... Good fun and a challenge, with many hills I'd have shied away from last year!

LOL I was a bit slower than you!!!!!! I did finish, which given my lack of training and general lardy/unfit state was a truly remarkable feat, but I was dragging my ar5e around most of the second half of the course. There's a big difference between just finishing and actually finishing well. I was the former...

Agree about that horrendous wind, truly vile. Typically, today would have been the perfect day for it... :roll:

What did you think of the course? I'd forgotten just how many insane descents were followed immediately by T-junctions - I'm not convinced at all by the route planning, surely there must be ways of avoiding that. But the marshalls were excellent and everyone was friendly. Now I need to do some serious training to get ready for the 100-miler I've signed up for later this year... :shock:

SteveDoe

Yes, I did wonder about the route as we were going around. You expect the odd pot hole, but some of the single track roads had huge chunks missing, small boulders in the middle and grass growing out in places. You couldn't get any speed up on a lot of the down hills as a result. I particulalrly liked the 14% decent straight on to a T-Junction with a main road. How slow did you go up the steep single track onto Bledlow Ridge about 30 miles in. Think I was going 4.5 mph at one point, no-one was catching me though. No idea how steep it was, but can't think of anywhere steeper that I've done, my heart rate on that topped out at 184 going up there when my max is allegedly 181.

Is the 100 miler local to here (I'm based in Aylesbury). Yesterday was the joint furthest I've been in one go, but Aylesbury cycling club are doing a 115 miler on 9th May, that I'm hoping to do ...

secretsam

LOL If it's the one that I'm thinking of, think it's called Smalldean Lane??? Just after the 35 mile guys re-joined, IIRC. Insanely steep, I just walked, even that was hard. Fancy sending the 35-milers up there!!!!

100-miler is one of the Wiggle rides, the Chiltern one, but not sure how much of 'our' Chilterns it takes in. Am frankly bricking it as I need a mahoosive amount of training to get fit for that!