2010-07-03 - Swaintoux!

Hmm, I mentioned to Arvy on the way home that next year, we should preface it with 24 laps of Regents Park, just to get the full, grand tour stage experience.

Anyone?

It would be easier to just sign up to Lance's team for the Tour De France

Hmm, I mentioned to Arvy on the way home that next year, we should preface it with 24 laps of Regents Park, just to get the full, grand tour stage experience.

Anyone?

In!

And congratulations to all who where riding wether you finished or not!

Quite surprised I managed to squeeze 40mph out of the downhill.
Happy to climb it fixed, not so happy to descend it fixed. I'm contemplating giving it a go tomorrow and popping in to norths (on the way to SEs, in a round about way)

@scarysneeze - thanks for slotting me in to the rankings - I was estimating more 2:45 but will keep my mouth shut and stick with 2:43...

Chapeaux bas! to ALL involved. It was quite a brilliant event, I'm sorry I couldn't really hang for long but it was nice to swing by for a bit.

Scarlet you bloody scary man.

Quite surprised I managed to squeeze 40mph out of the downhill. ...

You just incriminated yourself there mate.

Congratulations to everyone who participated and especially everyone who finished. Also thanks to everyone who helped make a great day of it.

I really really regretted not having a go at doing more laps - I should of done what Andy did and continually set myself further targets. However my back has been giving me horrible grief ever since (I'm sure something has come loose back there) so in retrospect it was probably a very good idea I did no more.

Also gutted I had to run off early - I feel rather cheap and like I owe many people beers and meat products...

You are all completely bonkers, I regret is that I wasn't there to share some of my lunacy with you.

I don't want to be in Kent

@Texas:

Hello mate, looks like I owe you a spotty shirt!

Fixed, also, bloody well done.

I'll have your shirt with me tomorrow evening, if you're about. You'll feel dead lucky when you see it, I hear that it was designed by Rapha.

@scarysneeze - I wouldn't have been angry (I've mellowed with old age, init). I basically packed with 10 to go, due to the heat and 'domestic duties', so it would only be myself that I'd be giving a kicking.

@Skully - it's 2 't's, you fucking airheaded knobtard.

It was designed by Dropout John and my five year old boy. Even better.

@Texas:

Hello mate, looks like I owe you a spotty shirt!

it's all yours. i'm happy with all the rest of the stuff i won and all the beer i drank! what a day.

Friday - can't sleep, try and "dump" pasta, am too excited I can only manage some pitta (wholemeal). Maybe going to the cricket at the Oval wasn't the best preparation
0945 arrival and some likely chaps cycle past me as I stroll up Swain's in my flip-flops..I ain't doing this 25 times

Lap 1 PGM goes past as I start, that means 7mins a lap - he's clearly smoking crack
Lap 7 this really hurts, dropout makes me fall over on the ascent, immediately back on the bike
Lap 9 Mikey5000 bombs past, no hands, hitting a high C on some disco track
Lap 12 give myself a clifbar as a treat. Man this is thirsty work
Lap 18 everyone's left the hill - sure Texas went past on the pavement on the descent (I got caught by traffic on mine)
Lap 18 need another bar - man, the stomach is sending "real empty" messages to the brain. The bbq looks like it is finished - really should have had more last night
Lap 19 delirious, I think I have 5 left, Sarah tells me 4!
Lap 21 it is 1400, where did the morning go - that lady at the bus-stop has been out, got her shopping and looks like she's had some afternoon delight too. consistent 10mins/lap from first to last
Lap 23 the "go arvy" scrawled on the hill is keeping me going - maybe I should have gone faster
Lap 24 power lap - out of the saddle for the first time

Could do it again, but as BMMF said, "Swain's is dead to me"

Thanks to the following:

Many many thanks to PGM for the ridiculous post no 1 on this.
PGM was in his *pain cave *when I started my first lap (7mins after he did).
To Jung (look, he's smiling! because he is a freak!)

To Scarysneeze, Spins (red T), Izgard (right), & Alby for scoring, prizes, cheering

Gears
To these gentlemanly geared riders Jamie, Polky (5er), & FridayMarch26th for his barcode tattoo. Mikey5000 for the chat on lap 9 (his 12th) and bombing past me singing "Diana Ross"
6pt for coming back to complete it, respect.

**Fixed
**To the following fixed riders
Texas (I stayed in the saddle by the way) & the ridiculous shirt swap that you considered
Sasmon for possibly convincing his daughter not to be scared of me
Macca81 for his salt
BMMF for scaring me

You will note the **true North representation **in the fixed finishers and entrants

Mccarthy for sleeping in (again)
The tandem!
Middleofnowhere for his 4 (16!) laps
Donut! (his backside) for the video (forthcoming)
Spudger for this shot and his support

Absolutely anyone and everyone (Lush, Mrs Lush and Good Matt! lyes888, JD) & Cake (and Papa Cake!) who came and supported, made flapjacks, didn't give me squash when I asked for it or just had a happy smile (looking at you DMCzone). Also thanks to Robby Highgate Coops (non-forum mate) who popped by as well as the Flask for their hospitality.

And Jung - I think 18 laps of Regent's first, 24 of Swain's, then 6 power laps of Regent's finishing on the Broad Walk. But you are a mentalist.

Swain's is Norths. Swaintoux is the spirit of Norths but this was http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FcNurUkPC4&feature=related

I'm confused how Texas could've been quicker than Friday... The geared chaps all started after the Fixed lot and Friday was the first rider, of all the categories, to finish all the laps...

Not that it matters because everyone had a WickedFunTime but I'm just worried about my logic...

I'm confused how Texas could've been quicker than Friday... The geared chaps all started after the Fixed lot and Friday was the first rider, of all the categories, to finish all the laps...

Not that it matters because everyone had a WickedFunTime but I'm just worried about my logic...

I didn't understand that either but you seemed adamant that Texas had it!

Just double checked start and finishing times and according to the scoresheet, Texas started at 10.26 and finished at 13.14 (total riding time 2:48). Friday started at 10.30 and finished at 13.09 (total riding time 2:39). (If my maths is correct)

A Ma husive well done to all those who took part, looks like plenty of pain credits were earned.

I was unable to attend due to the taxing folding bike race callender taking me to Edinburgh.

Spins, you rascal - I finished 2laps after Friday and started @ 10.37 - do we have to do this all over again? ;)

Arvy i actually went and got cold water from the flask to help in the cooling process(well actually we were planning on filling the ice box and dumping it on you,but couldn't wait hence the refreshment)
as i could clearly see you were not hydrated enough.

simon - 3,237 calories? jesus!

I will treat this the same way as the UCI would. Our word is final and we can change the rules if, and when, we like.

JD - I think you can see squirt here (Brun's photos)

JD - you can also see a rare picture of you on a bike here standing near some bikes

My summary.
In general I agree with andy, setting small goals was definitely a good idea.
Lap 1 - not too bad. Didn't go too fast and was feeling fairly confident at this point.
Lap 5/6 - this is starting to hurt, still in the saddle on the ascent but not so sure this was a good idea any more.
Lap 12 - I'm sure when I did this last week I wasn't hurting this much. Having said that I didn't have to do the same again that time. Stil, can now start counting the laps down not up in my head. Huge help.
Lap 14 - jesus I'm dying. Legs like jelly but only 10 to go and I can do this.
Lap 16 - calamity. Somehow I thought I'd done 17 and being told I'd counted wrong at the top nearly killed me off mentally.
Lap 20 - from here on I remember very little other than pain.
Thanks a lot to andy for organising this. While I might have hated you lots at the time I'm glad I've done it.
Having said that if you do it again next year ill help with lap counting, drink giving, baking, basically anything that doesn't involve cycling as the guys at the top looked to be having a lot more fun than i was!
Awesome day.

you are all mentile.

well flipping done!

i had an idea that someone would point out the flaw in the logic of who won when...i'm happy to follow UCI rules and accept that I'm the winner!

my summary:
lap 1- maybe a little too quick on the descent...as i passed two starters before the climb. reassessed my rather risky tatics for next laps.
lap 10 - was sure i'd done more laps
lap 11 - was a bit lost and it was hot
lap 12 (could have been earlier) - let my inner italian out and unzipped my top
lap 16 - all good again and riding hard
lap 17 - puncture, ran up the hill, swapped a rear wheel from brent, rode on.
lap 18 - riding a heavy gear made for hard work
lap 20 - puncture was repaired on old wheel, a quick pit stop to change wheels back to old one.
lap 20-22 - really moving but still hot
lap 23 - went onto the pavement to miss traffic....punctured at the bottom of the hill again. ran up, borrowed brent's whole bike.
lap 23/24 - riding a rather small bike, hard ratio, without cleats...all the way to the finish. (well i had to run up swain's on the last time as i couldn't cycle but luckily by that time every was in the pub so no-one saw!).

JD - I think you can see squirt here (Brun's photos)

JD - you can also see a rare picture of you on a bike here standing near some bikes

Cheeky!!!!!!!!! if you look before you can actually see me on a bike!

What great day! I didn’t even ride, but still feel like I’m recovering.

Slightly overdue, but here are the results. (Apologies that I don’t know everyone’s forum name). Also – @6pt – no finishing time was recorded for you. Do you have the final time (including stops) on your Garmin?

24 laps completed:

Texas (fixed) – 2:38
FridayMarch26th (geared) – 2:39
6pt (geared) - *2:43 (est)*
Jamie (geared) – 2:46
Jung (geared) – 2:57
Polky (geared) – 2:58
Mikey5000 (geared) – 3:03
PGM (fixed) – 3:11
Sasmon (fixed) – 3:18
Alex (geared) – 3:22
Colin (geared) – 3:24
BMMF (fixed) – 3:35
macca81 (fixed) – 3:45
Arvy (fixed) – 4:08

Special mentions:

Stix & Edmundro (tandem) – 16 laps
middleofnowhere (fixed) – 16 laps
velo libre (fixed) – 6 laps
Brun (fixed) – 6 laps
Izgard (fixed) - 3 laps
Dropout (fixed) – 1 lap (to deliver a bacon roll)
Donut & *FRANK - 1 lap backwards (the hard way) on foot

I am still in awe of everyone who managed more than one lap of this. Especially Will who would’ve been even faster without two punctures and change of bikes. Also Simon and Joe who made incredible time despite a wheel change/ late start respectively. Well done to Andy and Dan who were deeper in the pain cave than anyone else but still emerged victorious. Ed and Matt who both managed nonchalant fags as they were going round, and to Vicky for being the only woman to take on the challenge with such strength and humour.

As for Scarlett, I felt terrible as you set off on your 25th lap, thinking you hadn’t heard my earlier shout of “One more to go!” We all agreed not to tell you in case you were angry at having done too many, and then you put in an additional 15!!!

fixed.