Velothon 2016 tips please
richje100
Posts: 10
Hi guys, been road biking since July 2015 and stupidly (lol) entered the velothon. I'm not the quickest on hills but on the flat rolling road in pretty ok.
Anyone entered it last year can pass on tips?
Not too sure about the sweep car starting 10mins after the last rider and I bet Sod's law when I get my starting time I'll be in the last pen, so I'm thinking of wandering into an earlier pen obviously not the first few because I wouldn't want to hold them up.
Anyone entered it last year can pass on tips?
Not too sure about the sweep car starting 10mins after the last rider and I bet Sod's law when I get my starting time I'll be in the last pen, so I'm thinking of wandering into an earlier pen obviously not the first few because I wouldn't want to hold them up.
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Comments
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When you say pretty OK on rolling road, what sort of speed do you mean? There is plenty of flat before you get to the hills, and the average speed required is only 19kmh.
My advice would be that there is enough flat/rolling for you to really overcook it in the first couple of hours and suffer once you get to the Tumble. I saw people walking up which you don't want to be doing. If you are OK riding in groups, enjoy the draft and don't think you have to push it when it's your turn on the front.
Last year they were allowing you to move back a pen but not forward. I think there was someone checking the pen on your number or something when you arrived.0 -
On on flats speed around 20-25mph but the hills slow me right down. Afraid of getting a good head start then lose the lead st the tumble.
I swapped my 11-28 cassette for 11-30 which helped me up the tumble the other week albeit took me 45 mins crawling.
As each pen holds roughly 400 riders they really check the numbers?0 -
richje100 wrote:On on flats speed around 20-25mph but the hills slow me right down. Afraid of getting a good head start then lose the lead st the tumble.
I swapped my 11-28 cassette for 11-30 which helped me up the tumble the other week albeit took me 45 mins crawling.
As each pen holds roughly 400 riders they really check the numbers?
Quit worrying and enjoy it! The Tumble is about 80km in, so even in the last group and even at only 25kmh average you'll be over an hour ahead of the sweep by then.
It's a proper climb though... nice and steady at the start where it's steepest and then just keep going. There's no other advice if you're already in your lowest gear really.
The downhill into Blaenavon is the bit to really worry about if it's wet. There are some nasty bends that you don't want to be approaching at full speed. There'll be warning signs out - you could really do some damage there.0 -
Thanks for the reassurance, I live in Blackwood so I went to the tumble through Blaenavon so up passed the ironworks which was a good climb, ate a sandwich got a gel down me then down tumble turned around then back up.
I've been checking the weather and it's not the greatest. Bugger it give it a go. Thanks again0 -
You should join your local club, they have 60 members entered. Even so, if you keep an eye out for them and tag along, they're all starting from pen L at 08.000
