Cycle Sportives

The marshes ride cyclefit are organising looks good. I've not ridden those parts before.

i was looking at the route and it goes past my parents front door. so i'm definitely going to do it but tempted to start/finish at 'home'

do not underestimate the route. just because it's flat for 2/3 of the distance, the wind will have a big part to play. it will be very windy on the marsh and there is nowhere to hide, those hills around elham valley/ acerise are good and honest too.

it's a really nice route, a couple of bit's i would have avoided if i was designing the route but i'm really looking forward to it.

Tour of Wessex: good to meet you in person, cliveo; bad for me to have lost car keys somewhere in Dorset. Damn you Rapha bibs key pouch.

Horrid news. How did you get back? Rollapaluza kit is so much better for hanging on to one's necessaries.

thankfully brother was able to come to my rescue (although he would have been away the next day on hols): broke into my parent's house (key was in the car - which was borrowed from my parents who were also away), managed to make contact by text with them the next day, and tracked down spare...

Oddly, the guy in the car parked next to mine also lost his keys: his girlfriend had to drive him to Woking on the Monday to collect spare.

What a bore.

Have to say that the chap that you were riding with won the "Best Whiskers" of any rider category. I saw you both coming into Somerton around 7 pm and felt rather relieved that I had bailed. I might still be out there now if I hadn't.

yes; the perfect end to 120 miles in the saddle.

Given their anti-aerodynamic properties, we paid a high price for Doug's whiskers on the return back into the wind.

I'll still plug his book, though: [ame="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Owen-Noone-Marauder-Douglas-Cowie/dp/1841956937"]Owen Noone and the Marauder: Amazon.co.uk: Douglas Cowie: Books[/ame]

We lost the key to our rental van on the Saturday but very luckily someone handed it back in, it fell out my mates saddle bag which was open. The rental people couldn't get another key to us till Wednesday so it could of been a disaster. Then we crashed it in a petrol station on the way back!

daccordi, glad I'm not the only one!

Can I patent a key safe that you can put inside your seat post or bar ends?

One of my mud flaps came off on my drive home. Altogether a bad car weekend.

Matt, that looks intriguing. I shall buy and read it.

It's a good read.

Is anyone doing the Newbury Magnificat? I'm tempted...

Yes, I'm doing the 127mi one. See you there? I'll be in Rolla kit...

You'll pass my cousin's house just prior to Old Winchester Hill - want me to arrange for him to hand up a bidon?

I'm plugging this sportive btw;

http://www.granfondoluciano.co.uk/

It's an excellent first sportive for those who've never ridden one with a few tough hills, including Whitedown (aka The Widowmaker) as the final climb of the day, but at 70 miles or so it isn't insanely difficult. I rode it last year as preparation for the Etape and got in a good group (eventually whittled down to two of us) and it was great fun.

The event starts and finishes at Leatherhead Sports Centre so is easily accessible from London.

You'll pass my cousin's house just prior to Old Winchester Hill - want me to arrange for him to hand up a bidon?

Hell yeahs!

I did the rubaix yesterday.

It was hard, even the short version. It pissed it down and there was thunder and lightning.

It's Roubaix ffs.

;-)

Well done btw.

It's French, which means it's begging to be spelled wrong.

Besides, if your fingers felt like mine did today, you wouldn't feel much like correcting spelling.

Yes, I'm doing the 127mi one. See you there? I'll be in Rolla kit...
I'm out unfortunately. Got an engagement party to attend this weekend so wont make it.

We didn't think the 260k version was enough so added an extra 15k by riding to the start.
Averaged 32kph for the first 100k making the most of a big bunch, although I struggled here.
It pissed down during a big thunderstorm in the middle, cobbles were epic (and wet) although thanks to either different bike position or the 'fingers together' tip from Continental Dave I was moving quite quickly over them. I was knackered and left the other three guys at the last control to fend for myself (solo breakaway ftw!). Ride time was just over 9 hours.

Some dirt + some sun =

I'm plugging this sportive btw;

http://www.granfondoluciano.co.uk/

It's an excellent first sportive for those who've never ridden one with a few tough hills, including Whitedown (aka The Widowmaker) as the final climb of the day, but at 70 miles or so it isn't insanely difficult. I rode it last year as preparation for the Etape and got in a good group (eventually whittled down to two of us) and it was great fun.

The event starts and finishes at Leatherhead Sports Centre so is easily accessible from London.

This looks like a nice route. I think the SSTC should get on this one...

the cobbles affect different people in diff ways

This looks like a nice route. I think the SSTC should get on this one...

i did think about entering this when i saw the route. but i think i'd need gears to do it justice?

Damo, you can borrow a roadbike from me, if you like. I ride a 53.I haz crabon fibre.

I'm plugging this sportive btw;

http://www.granfondoluciano.co.uk/

It's an excellent first sportive for those who've never ridden one with a few tough hills, including Whitedown (aka The Widowmaker) as the final climb of the day, but at 70 miles or so it isn't insanely difficult. I rode it last year as preparation for the Etape and got in a good group (eventually whittled down to two of us) and it was great fun.

The event starts and finishes at Leatherhead Sports Centre so is easily accessible from London.

Cheers for posting that, its for the Royal Marsden as well, so a good cause.

Damo, you can borrow a roadbike from me, if you like. I ride a 53.I haz crabon fibre.

that sounds like a plan.

what am i getting myself into?