Flanders 2015

Rodrego Hernandez

Grantmk wrote:

I'm doing this for the first time this year, unfortunately I am limited to 23mm tyres. Any recs on tyre choice/pressure?

90 / 100psi will be fine, obviously depending on your weight.The cobbles there are fine, just be careful riding them and watch out for any obviously broken bits of road!

dyrlac

I've also somehow been tricked into doing this. Will probably take the Cannondale (28s, frankencross (48/36, 12-26)). Worth a slightly shorter low gear (36x26 is 37.1 inches, which is marginally taller than a compact with the typical(ish) 11/12-25) or will I be walking up because of the crowds anyway?

durhamwasp

There was only one climb we found really busy, and that was the Paterberg. Koppenberg was also reasonably busy but we stopped for pics at the bottom and waited for a lull in the riders coming through, and got up no bother.

36 x 26 should be ok, tho I used a 34 x 27.

SimonA99

I'm signed up for the full route this year. Did the medium last year and throughly enjoyed it.

One question in case anyone knows - Will the registration packs for the full route be available in Oudenhaarde on Fri PM or will they only be available at the Bruges Stadium on Sat AM??? I'm staying in central Bruges 500m from the Markt, so whilst doing the extra round trip to collect the pack on Fri is a drag it will save an hour faffing around Sat AM.

durhamwasp

14,000 places taken already, so only 2,000 left!

Selling way faster than last year!

durhamwasp

SimonA99 wrote:

I'm signed up for the full route this year. Did the medium last year and throughly enjoyed it.

One question in case anyone knows - Will the registration packs for the full route be available in Oudenhaarde on Fri PM or will they only be available at the Bruges Stadium on Sat AM??? I'm staying in central Bruges 500m from the Markt, so whilst doing the extra round trip to collect the pack on Fri is a drag it will save an hour faffing around Sat AM.

I didn't do the route starting from Bruges, but from what I remember, you get an email a couple of weeks before the event with all the sign on details and I'm pretty sure you can pick up on the Friday in both Bruges and Oudenaarde

vs4b

I've entered! Now worrying about tyres and the like...

SimonA99

@durhamwasp - Thanks and agreed my sign-on email from 2014 states:

With this number you can pick up your identification tag and participation package at the pre-registration desk :
- On Friday 4th of April between 2 pm and 7 pm at the Qubus, Lindestraat in Oudenaarde
- On Saturday 5th of April from 7 am at the Jan Breydel Stadium, Olympialaan in Bruges (245 km) or at the Qubus, Lindestraat in Oudenaarde (134-75 km).

So it implies eveything will be available in Oudenhaarde on Fri but doesn't actually state it, which I'd prefer since it means a 2-3hr round trip. I've now emailed the orgainisers and will post their reply if I get one. If all else fails I'll just have to get my lazy backside out of bed an hour earlier on the Saturday :shock:

@vs4b - re. gear, scanning threads this year and last seems to show wheel/tyre-wise everything from carbon bling/19mm down(up?)wards being succesfully used. Thus the only conclusion I can draw is that anything remotely normal works and so there's no need to worry about it. The top tip I did use was to secure bidons with rubber bands so they weren't shaken off on the pave. The number of bottles lying in the gutter for the first 200m of each section was crazy and a steady stream continued all the way along.

durhamwasp

Good tip on the bottles! So, so many on the deck!

Hopefully everyone gets as good weather as least year. Perfect it was.

vs4b

I'll also need to pick which bike, although I think I already know.
A - giant defy. Aluminium with carbon forks, will take a 28 mm tyre
B - van nicholas mistral, will only take 25 mm tyres

I'm leaning firmly to b...

SimonA99

vs4b wrote:

B - van nicholas mistral, will only take 25 mm tyres
I'm leaning firmly to b...

Nice

durhamwasp

Routes now online

Tjgoodhew

Is there a GPX file of it anywhere ?

jimmythecuckoo

http://www.sport.be/rondevanvlaanderen/ ... 4#parcours

vs4b

Which tyres are you all planing to ride?

the_fuggler

Probably Conti 4 Seasons 25mm at a slightly lower pressure than normal

Rodrego Hernandez

Road surfaces are generally fine, cobbles whilst lumpy are laid well so nothing bigger than a vittoria 24 or 25 is really necessary.

FJS

I've entered the full distance, looking forward to it. Question for those who've done it before - how dark is it still at the start, ca 7am? Need for full lights? Don't really want to drag lights and battery round the course if not necessary

buckmulligan

It'll be fine, definitely no need for lights.

* Edited to add: just realised this is the weekend after the clocks go forward, so it'll be darker than expected but should still be perfectly fine. Official sunrise is at 07:17, which in reality means it'll start getting light around 06:30.

ic.

Does anyone have any bottle cage recommendations?

durhamwasp

2 of us used Elite Custom Race cages, about £7 a piece. Never had any issues.

FJS

Elite Ciussi, it's what the pros use. They're a bit heavier than plastic ones, but feel very secure. And only £8

bigmat

You might need lights to get there but probably OK to dispense with them once the ride proper starts. Last year I stuck a couple of cheapy clip ons on my helmet, forgot they were there until I took my helmet off at the first feed stop.

For bottle cages something solid and metal works well - the type you can bend in to give an extra tight hold. I'm sure there are various resin / carbon ones that are fine, but once I hit the flat cobbles I appreciated the additional security.

ic.

FJS wrote:

Elite Ciussi, it's what the pros use. They're a bit heavier than plastic ones, but feel very secure. And only £8

Cheers, they look the business

kirkee

The pre ride buzz for me is starting also, booked on the full dist ride, wish the training was going as well!

Here's my take-Ref the bottle cages tyres bikes frames etc. The carbon or plastic/composite cages seem to be good. Ive always used (and still do) Cuissi's, I bend them in time to time to hold bottles better but they eventualy break. Rode Paris Roubaix sportive full course last June and I had a few bottle ejections- nothing unusual but my mate who had carbon cages had no bottle issues at all. Tyres- go with any quality folding 25mm for RBX or Flanders, pressure important I rode at 90-95psi Im 90kg. As for frame/bike choice Iv rode 3 editions of Flanders 270km, 2 on a columbus steel frame, smooth ride, 1 edition on a Giant aluminium OCR that I noticed went better up the cobbled climbs than the steel bike and most recently RBX on a modern hydroformed 6061 alloy bike. All the bikes went well. Id go with the bike that fits best over long distance/time in the saddle.
Looking forward to going there again to try out the new version of the route.

adam0bmx0

What's chain slap like against the chain stay?

Thinking of cutting and tidily zip-tying a old inner tube to the chain stay to protect it, worth it?

kirkee

it may be worth doing to give added protection if your bike has carbon stays/clear laquer

gsk82

I checked the website yesterday and saw there were spaces. So booked hotel and tunnel last night, then went to book sportive and it's full! Has anyone had any luck with the waiting list (I've emailed to see how to get on it) or just rode it without been entered before?

durhamwasp

Nothing to stop you riding without an entrance ticket, its open roads afterall. Queue on the morning, last year they allowed extras in.

gsk82

Cheers Durhamwasp.