Vatternrundan 2016

cruff

Anyone doing this? Quite looking forward to it, although it looks like it's going to absolutely chuck it down for the entire time I'm riding, and stop straight after

stifflersmom

I'm doing this. Forecast looks pretty grim bit at least it will be fairly warm and the meatballs are going to taste even better .

cruff

How did you get on? Wasn't fun when it stated tipping it down, and the last 20km were a struggle after working with six of our group towing another 20 who wouldn't take a poxy turn most of the night, but finished in 9hrs 54 (9hrs 28 ride time)

Wouldn't do it again - you hardly see the lake, riding at night in the p1ssing rain isn't fun and there's no real scenery worth looking at (most of it takes place in tree lined tunnels)

stifflersmom

9.21 moving time but had an extended medical stop for one of our team, so total time was 11 hours. It pissed it down for the first 100 miles and then dried out. We got in some good groups and occasionally worked together with others but found the big Nordic trains reluctant to let anyone join them to work so happily sat in. There was a horrific accident on the contraflow section which was really dangerous I thought: quick groups, downhill and a narrow carriageway with crash barriers on one side.
I'd do it again with a bigger club team and try and set a time. With good weather it could be a proper thrash and I liked it because there isn't a weight penalty on this type of ride :-). Thought the organisation and speed of feeding people was brilliant, and good support from the locals all the way round.

cruff

Those barriers/bollards were poor. No warning that the lane was narrowing, and one of them in particular was ridiculous - about three feet closer in than the rest. Surprised there wasn't a serious crash. Also, found the bit running alongside the motorway a few km out from Motala to be poorly signed - lots of people went up that off-ramp only to be directed back down afterwards.

I was lucky that there were about 14 of us in our group who wanted to do it in a decent time - would have been faster if more of them had put a shift in, but philosophical enough to know that not everyone has the legs for that length of ride

Maybe doing it in daylight hours would have been more enjoyable.

Anonymous

Its at night?
Is it always at night?

I fancied doing it but thought it was during the day!

cruff

Start times all through the day/night. You might get a start time that means you don't see the night at all (3:30 AM or so), or you might get one that means you see the whole night (which only lasts about four hours, if that)

Not sure if you can request a start time - I don't think you can, but you should be able to find out on the website