112 mile route

arty11001

Hi All,

First post here... please go easy on me.

I am a relatively new starter to road cycling (since the beginning of the year) and have recently accepted the challenge, along with a few colleagues, to take part in a 112 mile bike ride. The thing is, we don't know of any good 112 mile routes and really don't want to be messing about on the day. We're all based in Yorkshire, but ideally as we're all relative novices to road cycling, it would be great if we have a relatively flat route rather than struggling on hills and dropping out halfway through the distance. We were thinking Humberside/Lincolnshire for flat terrain, but we have no idea what is a good route and if this is indeed suitable! If we're barking up the wrong tree though, we're well up for alternatives.

If anyone has any great suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Many thanks

DiscoBoy

Use a route planner such as Strava's or ridewithGPS.

arty11001

Do they give the general terrain suitability too?

rickeverett

yes I would go onto STRAVA and use the route creator in your user account area. It can give you a route based of a few points - for example from Village A to Town B etc.
It can also be set to do the lowest elevation and most popular routes.

It also uses data from other riders in that area to create a route based not only on popularity but also away from dangerous fast A roads etc.

You can save the route as a GPX file that can be used on some SatNavs or a GPX viewer App on a mobile for free. .... or printed off on good old paper.


When I plan a new ride I use Google Earth to look at my path. There you can get Streetview to check out the roads and surroundings. Found that very handy to ride the route virtually.

arty11001

Awesome!! Sounds great! I'll get on it.

Thanks

rolf_f

I'd be careful about going for too flat an area. It can actually become a very draining slog riding on the flat. One of the hardest rides I've done was riding from Leeds to Lincoln on a hot day - from Goole to Lincoln flat all the way into a headwind on a hot day. It was a better ride on the return in the rain!

A few hills give you something to think about/worry about - and that's not a bad thing. It varies the trip a bit and an effort up a few hills is only a few minutes of hard work rather than a few hours if you are battling a constant headwind.

If I were you I'd do a route that included a bit of the hillier terrain East and West of York - ie Harrogate/Knaresborough area and across to the Howardian Hills. The varied scenery will make for a much more enjoyable ride.

Hals1967

What Rolf says.
If you do decide on East Yorkshire but don't want too many hills then head for the lower Wolds area from Brantingham up to the Sancton area. Gently rolling generally.These hills aren't too bad but there are one or two "nice" surprises in there.
I once rode across to Drax and the part from South Cave all the way to Drax and back was pan flat.
Similarly in North Lincs there are some very flat areas especially if you go East of the Humber Bridge but there are some great little climbs in the Lincs wolds...short and snappy.

Tiesetrotter

You could search for the Etape du Dales route. I do remember some flat sections for a couple of yards.

Seriously on the rideewithgps route there is an excellent search facility for rides and you can enter the max/min climb and length. There are other route makers as well you can search like mapmyride.

rickeverett

I love flat routes, wish I could get to them easier from my house, but im in the Pennines.

Dont know about them being draining as much as up and down, up and down routes. They get my legs more than a flat cruise.

3013buz

There is this 112 miler next weekend if you can go a little further south into Cambridgeshire, http://www.kilotogo.com/index.php?optio ... vent_id=80

Iamnot Wiggins

OP, are you partaking in the Hiscox Challenge next month?

arty11001

Thanks for the responses guys, it's a massive help. I've just bought a Garmin 200 this weekend, so will have a look at creating a route from feedback suggested and getting it on the Garmin.

I'm not planning on taking part in the Hiscox ride. What is this?

Again, another weekend and still only did a 43 miler due to a massive downpour. Not much fun in heavy rain! I feel like I could definitely do 60 miles or so, but no idea just how much harder it is to go THAT much further. How much training and work needs to be put in? Is it doable to a relative newcomer?

briantrumpet

arty11001 wrote:

Again, another weekend and still only did a 43 miler due to a massive downpour. Not much fun in heavy rain! I feel like I could definitely do 60 miles or so, but no idea just how much harder it is to go THAT much further. How much training and work needs to be put in? Is it doable to a relative newcomer?

Give it a go and see what happens. I only started riding seriously (at 46) in 2010, and having done a hilly 45-miler, virtually in successive weeks did 50, 60, 75, at which point I asked on BR whether I'd manage a hilly 110-mile sportive a month later - "Yes" was the basic reply, and they were right. It's all been downhill from there (in the sense of spending money, riding further and faster, joining a club, etc... well, 'downhill' is the fun bit )

Of course, everyone's different, but try it. The only thing I'd suggest if you want to up the distance is just to let it take however long it takes - I wouldn't push the speed at at ... if you go at what you think is a dawdle, you might surprise yourself with how soon you get home even so.

StillGoing

3013buz wrote:

There is this 112 miler next weekend if you can go a little further south into Cambridgeshire, http://www.kilotogo.com/index.php?optio ... vent_id=80

It isn't 112 but just over 108 according to the GPX file.

mechanism

One of the clubs down here has a section on its website with about 50 or 60 routes, ranging from 20 to 100+ miles. You might find a something similar but nearer you.

markhewitt1978

If you're based in Yorkshire and you want to do 100 miles+ there is only one (two) options at the moment - and that's to follow the route of either Stage 1 or Stage 2 of the Tour de France! They are tough courses but there's nothing more relevant at the moment and you can watch the racing knowing you've done it! You can see the stage maps here http://letour.yorkshire.com/

markhewitt1978

Rolf F wrote:

I'd be careful about going for too flat an area. It can actually become a very draining slog riding on the flat. One of the hardest rides I've done was riding from Leeds to Lincoln on a hot day - from Goole to Lincoln flat all the way into a headwind on a hot day. It was a better ride on the return in the rain!

Agree somewhat with this. On my 100 mile ride a few weeks ago I did a section from Richmond to Stockton and although I normally long for that sort of flat terrain, eventually it started to bore me just grinding out the miles watching the cycle computer click up so slowly. I longed for a 15% climb to get me going!

apreading

Also remember that without the uphills, you probably don't get the downhills to give you some respite!

I did my first (and only so far) 100 last year - chose the Bath to London charity ride for Action Medical Research. Much of it along the A4, I figured it was about the flattest 100 I could do - and I was right, at the end I was much less fatigued than I normally am after a 70/80 mile normal sportive. In fact, my body was hardly stressed at all. I never found it boring though, I guess because of the group camaraderie and feed stops etc.

jamesrandall24

Nice

Escher303

arty11001 wrote:

Thanks for the responses guys, it's a massive help. I've just bought a Garmin 200 this weekend, so will have a look at creating a route from feedback suggested and getting it on the Garmin.

I don't think you can use the Garmin 200 for following routes, just recording your ride. You'll need a 500 upwards to follow a route.

apreading

Garmin 200 has the same route capabilities as the 500 - follow a breadcrumb with no maps.

arty11001

Thanks guys, some really positive feedback here. Think the TDF route is quite possibly the most meaningful idea for us being located in Yorkshire. Great idea. Hopefully the course isn't too hard though... Can't imagine they'd pick an easy route for the worlds elite! Think I'm just gonna go for a 100 one weekend just to see. If I manage it, it'll be much easier mentally on the day. Big morale boost.

Hopefully it should be easier with 4 of us too. I'm only used to doing solo rides, so hoping to really benefit from a bit of drafting. I'm currently averaging 18-19mph on my runs now, but never gone beyond 43 miles as yet. Sure that will drop massively though.

Regarding the Garmin 200, definitely does the same breadcrumb courses as the 500. To be honest, that's why I thought I'd save the £60-70 difference. Should be fine for keeping an eye on speed and time etc rather than having to stop and reaching into my pocket to check my phone for Strava.

Anyway, thanks guys... You've all helped a lot and I really value all your input and encouragement!

Arty

rolf_f

TdF stage 1 isn't that hard by the standards of Dales routes but it is a hard ride for a relative novice. There's three decent climbs that you may find very dispiriting if you struggle with them (even once the last one is dealt with there is a fair mileage still to cover) and there are a lot of smaller lumps to deal with as well. And the last few miles are on a busy road which can only be avoided by very hilly alternatives or adding quite a few miles. Busy out to Skipton as well.

Stage 2 is brutal. Not really a fun route at almost any level! I actually found it progressively more irritating the nearer I got to Sheffield!

markhewitt1978

This is the route I'm hoping to ride http://www.strava.com/routes/414608 cuts out a bit of distance so down to 100 miles and some of the busy roads, the price you pay is about 1/3rd of the course is not the tour route.

The Mechanic

If you want a 112 mile challenge, try the Fred Whitton 4 Seasons. If you can do that at an average of 18-19 mph you are a pro.

markhewitt1978

The Mechanic wrote:

If you want a 112 mile challenge, try the Fred Whitton 4 Seasons. If you can do that at all you are a pro.

FTFY

lakesluddite

markhewitt1978 wrote:

The Mechanic wrote:

If you want a 112 mile challenge, try the Fred Whitton 4 Seasons. If you can do that at all you are a pro.

FTFY

Ha ha - nice. I manged it, and believe me I'm no pro!

Actually, the 4 Seasons is a slightly different route to this years FW route (which was from Grasmere village for the first time). Either way, you'll need to pace yourself, but what a sense of accomplishment!

Escher303

markhewitt1978 wrote:

This is the route I'm hoping to ride http://www.strava.com/routes/414608 cuts out a bit of distance so down to 100 miles and some of the busy roads, the price you pay is about 1/3rd of the course is not the tour route.

That's very similar to the route I did Saturday albeit with a little bit less climbing http://www.strava.com/activities/153527994, nice route.

markhewitt1978

Very similar yes! Looks like you took a detour around Leyburn and turned off at Askrigg? As well as cutting the corner via Pateley Bridge as I'm planning.

Escher303

Yes, that's right, did the Oxnop Scar climb from Askrigg, Park Rash from Kettlewell (that's a b*tch!) and the Greenhow climb fron Pateley Bridge. Other than that much the same.

markhewitt1978

Escher303 wrote:

Yes, that's right, did the Oxnop Scar climb from Askrigg, Park Rash from Kettlewell (that's a b*tch!) and the Greenhow climb fron Pateley Bridge. Other than that much the same.

Any decent places to stop along the way then? I'll be taking my own food of course but would be nice to have a couple of cafe stops at places where I can keep a close eye on my bike.