Tour of Cambridgeshire

I am. But only doing the 54 mile route with my wife, who is new to cycling.

Yup, I am. My first Gran Fondo.

Does anyone know if there's going to be a problem with disc brakes as it's a UCI event?

Obviously that specific reference has become hard to reference....

Paul

I think the current UCI regs make it clear as mud that discs are allowed in this type of event. However I'm pretty sure that also means you have to use approved wheels....

Fortunately these regulations are honoured by being ignored.

Paul

leechy12 wrote:

Can anyone clarify what order the Race Pens go off? Assuming yougest first, according to the organisers three minute intervals between each group out. A coming together at some point...

I can't because their website is as useful as a chocolate teapot.

So that was bit of a smashfest.. Not sure I understand the mentality of those who just spend 80 miles sitting on the wheels of others. Anyway, now I know what it's like I'll be back to qualify next year.

Qualification is determined by your finishing position not your time so I think it is a slightly different mentality to a regular non competitive sportive especially if you're in the race pens.

Definitely take your turn and work with other riders but if you're trying to get a qualification spot keep in the back of your mind that your aim is to beat them across the finish line not help everyone set a fast time.

Some of the groups coming into the finish were quite big, saving something in your legs for the final few k's and the sprint might only make a few seconds difference to your time but could be 20-30 places difference to your finishing position and for some that will be the difference between if they do or don't get a qualification spot.

You sign up because you want the "peloton" type experience... then you crash, just like the PROs do on TV... then you moan because people around you are not as good as PROs... then you swear "never again", then you want the "peloton" type experience... then you crash... etc. etc..

BenjoMunro wrote:

RoubaixMB wrote:

So that was bit of a smashfest.. Not sure I understand the mentality of those who just spend 80 miles sitting on the wheels of others. Anyway, now I know what it's like I'll be back to qualify next year.

Yep, it was pretty amazing to see people willing to sit on for a free ride. Several times I attempted to get trains working together but it rarely took hold. Managed to work with a team for the first 50km or so. I'd much rather have the feeling of achievement that working as a team gives than the feeling of getting a good time/qualification by getting a free ride.

Saw a couple of pretty bad crashes, one with less than 2km to go on what was probably the widest road of the course. Personally I think it's oversold, and probably won't go back. The riding ability is so wide ranging, when it's as tight and compressed as it was getting you rely on people who know to hold lines and not make sudden moves. Lots of people were moving in/out without checking over shoulders, as well as people moving up without giving warnings.

I blame Zwift.
Personally the whole point of racing is GETTING OUT of the peloton. Not as easy as I am saying it, I know... I just hate riding in, being squeezed, someone, ffs, just coming around and then just stopping in the non existent gap in front of you... fckin choppers all of you. Thats why half my races I just pop because the number of times I can attack and try for a break is very finite indeed nowadays.

dish_dash wrote:

I struggle to see the attraction. Ok closed roads, but on a flat course...

They can eat and drink more than you and not pay the price... what's not to like about a flat course?

Mark RIDE IT wrote:

Qualification is determined by your finishing position not your time so I think it is a slightly different mentality to a regular non competitive sportive especially if you're in the race

Qualification was on time, not necessarily position. I entered late and had to go in Sport. I still qualified based on my time despite not being in the race gate.

It was on position, you needed to have been in the top 25% of your age group based on your finishing position.

Obviously afterwards you can equate that to a time you needed to have beaten to get into the top 25% but that time was dependent on how fast everyone else rode not on a pre determined qualification time.

If you did the 'Race' category then the way to win races is to hide in the Peloton unless you are in a breakaway. Qualifying is the top 25% fastest times in each age group regardless of whether you rode in Race or Sport cats. Those in the Race cats will only ride as fast as they need to, those in the Sport will ride as fast as they can. I was in the Race cat and did as little work as possible. Last year I was in a breakaway and worked my butt off. Both years I probably would have got a faster time in the Sport cat.

itboffin wrote:

RoubaixMB wrote:

So that was bit of a smashfest.. Not sure I understand the mentality of those who just spend 80 miles sitting on the wheels of others. Anyway, now I know what it's like I'll be back to qualify next year.

the same people that sit in for an entire ride, never take even the smallest turn on the front then boast about how awesome their time was :roll:

Pretty much. Got spat by the fastest group after about 15 miles, then spent the next 40 miles dragging various lazy fcukers round, most noticeably in the Fens where nobody wanted to do any work, before finally bridging up to a reasonably well-working group, only to get spat by them again with ten miles to go. Qualified but only by about ten minutes, when I was hoping to be in the top 5% of my age bracket.

Some observations

Firstly, it was much faster than last year. Whether that's because nobody bothered because the worlds were in Australia and this year people actually wanted to qualify I don't know - but conditions definitely weren't as favourable (the fens were hard work in the cross/head winds)

Secondly, no-one knows how to ride in a crosswind, in a group or in general. There's a lot of people who don't race but are pretty strong - I blame Zwift for that as well - which made for some hairy moments at times. The nervousness was the worst - people not expecting to get a bump every now and then - one poor soul actually shrieked when the fastest from the age group above went through us with about 15 miles to go

Thirdly, it was a decent event overall - better than last year, but they need to sort out the results thing better. I understand that they have to wait for a certain umber of people to get through the line from the sport pens to allow for the qualification calculation to be done, but having people wait around en masse for three hours was ridiculous - and the poor sods manning the medal table were absolutely overwhelmed

Looking forward to Albi - cos let's face it, when is a fat old chopper like me ever going to get another chance to 'race' in the GB jersey?

itboffin wrote:

True, how much is the "cheap" BC kit btw?

Not bloody cheap! I think it's about 120 quid