Wiggle Chiltern Classic

secretsam

Did anyone on here do the medium (80 miles) route last year? I was down to do it but on the day I was feeling a hamstring - so only did the 45, which was still bl00dy hilly!!!!

Looking at the route map, the bit after the split is fairly flat - is that right?

secretsam

Looks like just me doing it, should save on the congestion in the car park compared to last time!

fat_cat

I rode this last year, but can't really remember where the ride split was.

From memory we descended Kingston Hill and then rode south before heading back up the chilterns escarpment.

Think once you're back on top of the chilterns it's rolling more than anything else. If anything was surprised how flat it was, because there are a few nasty steep climbs and a few longer more gradual ones in the area.

By the sound of things you are used to riding in the chilterns so shouldn't have too much trouble with the longer route so long as you're used to that sort of distance.

Good luck!

ugo.santalucia

I might just follow the arrows to see if they show me some lanes I don't know already... conveniently the half way point is at Waterperry, which has a lovely cafe', so no point in pay Wiggle money...

ugo.santalucia

Nice enough course, could be better:

1) The stretch from Chinnor to Long Crendon is all on main roads, busy and not nice

2) The descent from the Chiltern Winery is tricky for a group of 20 club riders and damn right dangerous for a sportive of 3000+. I was there when a driver on an Audi lost the bottle and became really aggressive against a number of riders, he even tried to intimidate one by revving behind him and braking just a few centimeters away from the rear wheel. I have the number plate and will contact the local police about the "accident" if anyone was there and witnessed it, drop me a PM

secretsam

So, having done the ride, it's a mixed report: I rode the short course last year (had a hamstring problem, so didn't ride further), and can compare the two. So:

- The Wiggle idea of the "Chilterns" is somewhat at odds with geography: last time I looked, mid-Oxfordshire, where most of the ride was, didn't count
- Signposting fine but very few marshalls and quite a few dodgy junctions without signs or marshalls to warn you - pretty poor, frankly - certainly much less obvious input from the organisers than on last year's event
- Route OK but as Ugo said, some frankly horrid main roads involved
- Feed stops OK but provision of toilets pathetic - if I'm paying £46 I do not expect to queue for a loo. Portaloos, guys, are not that expensive to hire
- A few pretty sketchy roads with many, many patches of failed surface and gravel. Last year Wiggle highlighted all these with orange spray; this year...not...
- Organisation was OK but not outstanding, and at the end, as a slow rider and late finisher I had a choice of XXXXXXL or Small shirt - I'm not quite XXXXXXXL so I took a Small for the kids. Pretty poor, really.

In summary, it was OK. Value for Money? Poor, both compared with last year's event and compared to other events. Will I do it again? No. Plenty of locally organised rides or I might try some of the Evans events. The Tour de Vale, for example, run by a local charity, was a third of the price, and had more marshalls and better signs.

ugo.santalucia

46? Jeez, they are printing money... totally not worth that kind of money

ScudULike

I have to say that I quite enjoyed the ride (epic) as it was on roads that I have not ridden before.

Have no real issues with some roads being viewed as "main roads", all seemed okay and relatively quiet to me.

Agree with Ugo that the descent from the Chiltern Winery was nothing short of a death-trap and just shouldn't be used. My journey down there seemd to coincide with people arriving in their cars to some sort of event there. Was not pleasant at all...

I was also a bit annoued about getting a blue (standard) t-short instead of the black (epic) one as I was also quite slow. can't be beyond the wit of the organisers to count how many people applied and supply accordingly, especially as they were generic "Wiggle Super Series" ones that could be used elsewhere instead of one specific to the event.

Those two gripes aside I was happy overall (£36 for me).

PJ

secretsam

[url=http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?p=19636787#p19636787]ScudULike[/url] wrote:

Agree with Ugo that the descent from the Chiltern Winery was nothing short of a death-trap and just shouldn't be used.

...gripes aside I was happy overall (£36 for me).

PJ

Maybe mine was £36 as I booked in advance...got a powerbar pack (including those lovely cola sweets! )

Can't recall which of the descents was really appalling, there were a few - rutted, gravel tracks, cars left right and centre, and one glorious flying downhill which ended with a sharp right uphill - with no real warning! :evil: