Cycle Sportives

No powertap yet.. but there's a new child in the house o' hippy..

Sam
I'll look out for you, fuzzbrain. I'll be easy to spot, I'll be the one in black and grey on a pearlescent pink Olmo going backwards on the hills.

Are you doing it fixed/singlespeed? I'm fairly easy to spot too: shaggy red hair wearing black and white on a much less cool blue and white Focus. How are you getting out there? I was thinking of taking the first train of the day to Orpington (arriving 8:15) and then cycling the rest of the way. That would get me to Knockholt by 8:45 I think. Do you think that's too late? I'm worried that cycling all the way could potentially make it too hellish, but driving there from Greenwich seems silly...

No! Gears are real for this ride, especially at this time of year!

It's only 5 miles from Orpington train station, and you'll have the nice climb up Rushmore Hill into Knockholt to warm your legs up. The only trouble I think you'll have is that at 8:45am it'll be rammed full of 450-odd cyclists!

Sam No! Gears are real for this ride, especially at this time of year!

Yes, that was my feeling. I could do Ide Hill or Toys Hill on their own fixed but doing them in conjunction with 100km & lots of other hills seems like too much to ask of my aging knees.

Yes, I was worried that 8:45 might be too late, and it's always good at these things to start earlier so you can find a group that's doing a speed that matches what you're comfortable with. Maybe I'll just ride all the way there so I can register in good time.

Ride, erm, report.

Started too fast, first hour my average speed was 19mph. Made it up Kidds Hill without getting off which probably lead to my downfall, along with the opening pace, being a fat knut, doing just 28 miles training, and riding on my own for the whole way except for about 5 miles. In fact, since I bust 2 ribs in November I've ridden the bike just twice and commuted to work about 20 times, 16 miles for a return leg.

Anyway, just after the feed station at Four Elms I decided to call it a day. Knowing what lay ahead (Ide Hill Road and Star Hill) I knew there was no way I could get up them. After the halfway point I had to stop every 3-4 miles to stretch my lower back out as the pain shooting down my hip was excruciating. Every time the road went even slightly uphill I was in a pathetic gear.

In the end I rode 49 miles which I suppose was good training!

I am NEVER EVER again going to enter an event with little or no preparation.

Fuzzbrain, I hope your day was better than mine! Hippy, same for you!

I.. am.. ow!

Hell done Hippy for getting up!

Bloody GPS ran out of batts so those feckin' hills are unmapped, never to be found again.. oh wait, that's a good thing! :)
Something's wrong when your arms hurt more than your legs..

'Hell of the Ashdown Forest' cyclosportive ride.
A 100km and 50km option the 100km having approx 2000m of climbing.

I was marshalling the outgoing riders just South of Four Elms, after the last outgoing rider went past I shot off to take some other pics at Ide Hill and Star Hill.

Here are my favourites from the set;Hell of the Ashdown set any names to faces let me know and I'll add them.

This because it shows best the gradient of Star Hill

This one because her smile really makes the photo

and this because you can just see why most riders are looking to their right, the view over Bough Beech reservoir.

Sam we probably rode it between us, I did 49 miles from home there and back but I rode back up Ide Hill and Star Hill.

398.5k for the week.. I'd go out for the other 1.5k but I can't actually stand up.. :)

Great weather for these rides!

hippy, how did you go anyway? did you do the 100kms in good time?

Nice shots, FWN.

Still really annoyed at my total lack of preparation. Should have known better.

So, how did you get on, Hippy?

I'm just blogging it now..

Harp Hilly 100 report of sorts.

My report:
The day started badly as I overslept (set the alarm but forgot to turn it ON). I managed to get to get to Knockholt by 9:15 but cycled faster than I should have to get there. Was put in a group starting at 10:00. But the ride went reasonably well. My time was 4:33 - not great, but respectable I guess considering the number of hills on the ride and the fact that I'm still only just getting my feet wet with this sportive thing. It was my first ride on my new geared bike (my first geared road bike) and I was happy with it. With the ride plus the journey to and from Knockholt my mileage for the day was just under 100 miles which is the furthest I've ever gone in a day. Really nice weather.

http://yearinhell.blogspot.com/2008/01/hell-of-ashdown_27.html

good one hippy. sounds like a 'make-it-up-as-you-go' route. serves you right for not paying the entry fee! ;p thats the most annoying thing about these relaibility rides, route's not marked. still, big effort there. on L2P, for some reason i thought you were doin the charity ride, never heard about this one. sounds like an excellent sportive. TdF style rolling closure sounds cool. although, pave on the second stage!? do you need a 25c set for it? might aim for it next year...

well done fuzzbrain. that's a pretty good time. some big climbs on that route.

too bad sam, sounds like to got stuck in a fast group at the start, bad luck. dont worry mate, i prob wouldve bailed out as well

Hippy, Jaysus fecking Christ! Soz to hear your woes. Am I right in thinking that as it's a reliability ride there are no marshalls and/or route markers?

Fuzzbrain, respect to you, sir. And you're right, the weather was great! As for the time, I would have been delirious with that. I started at 9:20am, and bailed at Nice Elms just after the feed stop with 17 miles to go at 12:40pm. I knew what two climbs lay ahead, and I knew that there was no way I could get up either of them with my back fecked and my legs completely gone. Even if I was half fit, that last section would have taken me at least an hour and a quarter as you don't really get any benefit from climbing those two hills, i.e. there is no real downhill after them.

Note to self. Must get fit. Must ride bike. Must get fit. Must ride bike.

You've got an excuse, Des! i.e. a bust collar bone!

Oh dear!

Ascending Kidds Hill.

Descending Star Hill.

Taken from http://www.philoconnor.com/sportive/catford/front.htm

Ascending Star Hill:

The results show some guys doing it sub 4 hours. I think some of those are probably people who actually left before the group they were recorded in, but at least a few must be genuine.

There was the phenomenon of the "January racer" -- every club had one; the guy who turned up at the reliability trial in blistering form, tore everyone's legs off and then bored them witless with his predictions for the coming season.
Inevitably, his name never troubled the score sheets when the days got longer and the racing started in earnest -- normally because he'd succumbed to a virus, or clinical exhaustion, in May. from: http://yearinhell.blogspot.com/2008/01/hell-of-ashdown_27.html

So, the more people that burn themselves out in these early rides, the better for us when the big stuff comes along :)

Yeah, the Reliability rides are not marked routes. If you started properly you'd be able to leave your bag at the club rooms and get a map/route sheet. I just happen to get onto two groups that mis-read their route sheets! haha Nevermind, it's all mileage and I learn about them for next year. Next week is Team Quest Rel ride which is in Ickenham, a lot closer to my house and probably over roads I know. Hopefully have GPS sorted out a bit more by then.. at least fresh batts :)

Entries for individual riders now open
http://www.chiltern-hundred.org.uk/

This is pretty damn close/easily accessible 100mi for Londoners. Hills shouldn't be as evil as Ashdown either. I've entered, anyone else?

thats only days after the wessex rides. you serious? that's torture. you better save some for L2P

im thinkin of doin this http://www.kilotogo.com/cheshirecat2008.htm