2010-08-22 - The great Shakespeare ride

This is a charity event on the 22nd August for the Shakespeare hospice, there's a 20 mile, 100km and 100 mile route depending on how hard you are, and it looks to get a bit steep (1 in 7 hills at worst). Still it's for charity, I am probably going to do the 100km version, my wife the 20 mile(weak).

http://www.theshakespearehospice.org.uk/events/event_details.aspx?id=28

Probs am going to do the 100 miler. Gotta celebrate my 16th birthday somehow!

I've signed up.

What bikes are people using? Especially you SprintKing??

im signin up
will do the 100mile on my fixie.

are ya mad fam?

I'll definately be on gears. The only fixed I have at the moment is brakless and on tubs for the trak. jog on am I doing 100 miles on that!

im gunna do it, not matter how long it takes aha
im runnin 48x15 brakeless so i might put a break on aha.

i recon i could do it if i really pushed myself.

That's a big gear! Same that I ride at halesowen, I would stick a 16 or 17 on if I were you, cus there will be hills, I think we're going into the cotswolds!

you know that distance is like riding from here to london

100 miles on a fixed (especially that gear) is going to be a killer, especially if you haven't been training for it. there's a guy (sometimes on here, sometimes on birmingham cyclist) who does massive fixed rides, but has been building up over years to do super-audaxes (think that's what the crazy 500 mile plus rides are called anyway).

pacing yourself and not blowing all your energy is really hard on a fixed - i built up to around 100k last year, and i suppose i could go further if i really had to, but it won't be much fun, especially the second half. make sure you take loads of food and drink and eat often otherwise you'll blatantly bonk.

Colemans hill is a fucking killer, even geared it hurts, it's near enough 3/4 mile, 1 in 7 hill.
I attempted it on my fixed with 53/16 gearing, and honestly even standing up (16 stone hard down on the pedal!) half way up I stopped dead, I just couldn't put enough force through the pedal to get over my weight + the hill + 99.5 GI. I nearly rolled backwards. The 100 mile goes to the absolute highest point in the entire Cotswolds, I will give anyone a firm handshake if they can do it fixed.

fffk that

iv been lappin up the miles recently, did 75 the other day and felt pretty fresh.
i want to attempt it, just to see if i can and im really gunna be pushin myself to do the whole thing.

aha if anyone wants to keep me company/moral support/shout at me if im being a pussy it would be good.

One of the hills is simply not possible on a fixed .... it's hard enough with gears!

Rob

Now that the Stinger nightmares have stopped (waking up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat and screaming "ARRGHH, NO! PLEASE! NOT THE HILLS!!!!" wasn't nice), I'm up for this... How to get to Stratford for 0900 on a Sunday though?

Was it a challenge Mista Pastry? My boss lives near there, and has asked if i would be up for retracing sunday's route.....

How to get to Stratford for 0900 on a Sunday though?

Leave yours at 0700 ?

Awesome time to ride, Sunday morning before the muppets in cars all get up.

I'll probably stay in Stratford the night before Lee, otherwise i'd offer a lift. If you get the train though I'll meet you.

anyone planning on doing the 100k fixed?

don't think i've got the testicular fortitude for the 100 miles!

Was it a challenge Mista Pastry? My boss lives near there, and has asked if i would be up for retracing sunday's route.....

Hell yes. Check the route profile on the site. Look at that graph with its steep lines. IIRC there were two 25% gradients, and a few 17 percenters. Quite long as well - 1/4 of a mile. There was no way of actually riding up all of them unless your name's Cancellara and the Gruber Assist rumours are true.

I'll probably stay in Stratford the night before Lee, otherwise i'd offer a lift. If you get the train though I'll meet you.

First train arrives at 10:08 - Last registration is 10:00

Leave yours at 0700 ?

Awesome time to ride, Sunday morning before the muppets in cars all get up.

Don't think I can be arsed. Was bad enough riding to Stourport before the Stinger. It was only about 19 mile ride but that was the direct route (didn't want to risk a wrong turning, a hill, or getting lost). Loads of dickheads coming up behind me on the dual carriageways A456 and changing lane to overtake at the very last second - no manouvre until 10 metres behind me. At 50+ MPH! Do these people not have brains? Can they not think more than 1 second ahead? Fucks sake when I'm driving on a dual carriageway and I see a cyclist in the distance I change lane straight away. What the fuck is wrong with these people??!?!?

If i can get a bike rack - i'll drive us over sunday morning.

Safe as fuck.

I hate asking for lifts off people - relying too much on other people sucks, and it's cheeky, but I would appreciate it! Saves me paying £60+ for a van too.

Let me know a few days in advance if you can't give a lift 'cause I will instead hire a van and use it on the Saturday for something useful, get me money's worth like.

i have a rack you can borrow. it's set to hatchback.