Rapha Hell of the North

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Comments

  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    Riding across rutted fields is as hard as it gets for me, after the second set, section 14 i think i couldnt hold on with my left arm anymore, it basically turned into a fleshy meat stick :?

    I wont be mentioning that tomorrow at my physio appointment :roll:
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    itboffin wrote:
    Mallorca in 9 days 8)

    Club Tropicana?

    18-30s / BCM
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    itboffin wrote:
    Riding across rutted fields is as hard as it gets for me, after the second set, section 14 i think i couldnt hold on with my left arm anymore, it basically turned into a fleshy meat stick :?

    I wont be mentioning that tomorrow at my physio appointment :roll:

    Have you got your feeling back? If not, left arms without feeling can be useful. ;) (See also dead arms).
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
    https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
    Facebook? No. Just say no.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    kudos to the author of this video of the route

    https://youtu.be/27ytjEBe1GI
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    itboffin wrote:
    kudos to the author of this video of the route

    https://youtu.be/27ytjEBe1GI

    He must have thought it was a cool idea... but it's not... :?
    left the forum March 2023
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    itboffin wrote:
    kudos to the author of this video of the route

    https://youtu.be/27ytjEBe1GI

    He must have thought it was a cool idea... but it's not... :?

    It's OK - not a bad reminder of the route.
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    To be fair, it'd be a lot better if it ran at about half to a third of the framerate - running it that fast just makes it very hard to pick out any of it.

    Still, my out of focus arse made the Rapha Twitter feed, so that's nice.
    https://twitter.com/rapha_uk/status/587245261828845569
  • samsbike
    samsbike Posts: 942
    I managed to do this as it was a set of firsts for me. First time doing a 100km on an unsuppported ride and first time off road on my commuter.

    My biggest issue was getting there, as I had to take the overground from Wilesden. I confess that I got to highgate hill and decided to walk up it. Started finally around 10am and finished at the pub at 4. I did have some food but just enough - 2 gels, cereal bar and a couple of kitkats.

    I was slow, average speed around 11mph, but I loved all the off road bits and would like to do more light stuff on my road bike. I think I liked it as it meant I could go slow and not feel so bad about it. It would not have been as much fun had it been more muddy so I preferred the dry conditions. The wind was really hard especially the open field with the hard tracks and I got blown to the side for a bit. The last bit to the food stop was particularly vicious. I seemed to get overtaken loads of times by the same groups and once by someone well dressed and fast who I thought must have been Ugo.

    Got lost around the A414 and it was not helped that there were 2 groups that I could see, one when straight and the other right. I was too far behind and got lost. Thankfully found my way back.

    The food stop was a difficult not least because there was none left, a better strategy may have been to hand out tokens for one coffee and cake. Also it was a long way into the ride about 40 miles, but the coffee was good and I managed a cheeky but slow lap of the velodrome. No toilets did not help.

    The last 20 miles were hard and there was one off-road bit which was narrow and steep and again I decided it was too much so walked up that, with a few others. I think also mentally I messed myself up as my commute is around 16miles so I thought it would not be too bad but it took nearly 2 hours for those last few miles.

    Big up to the 2x Chris's from up north who kept me in their sights (although I was behind), but caught them up on the off road bits, to make sure I was OK.

    I also got a bit deflated after the final off road bit when it said 5km to go. Thankfully it was mostly downhill.

    By the time I got home I had done about 90miles that day and glad that I did it, as I had a lot of doubts about being able to finish it at all (as TimW may recollect).

    So fun, and going to investigate riding those mix of roads again around where I live or Richmond Park.

    Did put into doubt whether I can do a 200km audax as I was suffering a lot towards the end and it was only a 100km.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    samsbike wrote:
    I seemed to get overtaken loads of times by the same groups and once by someone well dressed and fast who I thought must have been Ugo.

    Well dressed and fast could have indeed been me... :mrgreen: but sadly I started 30 minutes ahead of you, so probably not...
    left the forum March 2023
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,064
    I passed one chap three times, the last time he was telling someone he's taking a shortcut to the pub, skipping pave sections all over the shop, so really what was the point.
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    There was a guy in hi-viz top and overshoes who passed me at speed at least 8 times - so much so that after 5 or 6 I started to laugh with him about it. God knows what was going on.

    It was soooooo good to be back on my own bike today
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH
  • samsbike
    samsbike Posts: 942
    I think some where getting lost and others had punctures, but despite that they were so much faster than me, that they could have 20mins off and still catch me. :shock:
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    Rapha now have an album of pictures up on their Facebook:
    https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set ... 822&type=1

    Some pretty good ones in there, not least of me shortly before I fell off....
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    "incidentally" I was wearing a Torm top, hence not featured in any photo... :cry:
    left the forum March 2023
  • meanredspider
    meanredspider Posts: 12,337
    Ha - I feature in 4 photos: twice sitting having a coffee before the start and twice queueing for coffee at the "feed" stop....
    ROAD < Scott Foil HMX Di2, Volagi Liscio Di2, Jamis Renegade Elite Di2, Cube Reaction Race > ROUGH

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