Vätternrundan 2014 - Fixed?

Was anyone else silly enough to sign up for this?

http://vatternrundan.se/en/om-loppet/

A couple of friends and I managed to register and have paid up - is anyone else doing it or done it before?

I'd like to do it fixed, not only because fixed is best but because I'll be riding in memory of a friend who died this year and he wouldn't have had it any other way.

Any other info on flights/hotels/whatever please chip in.

Thanks,
Lee

Was anyone else silly enough to sign up for this?

http://vatternrundan.se/en/om-loppet/

A couple of friends and I managed to register and have paid up - is anyone else doing it or done it before?

I'd like to do it fixed, not only because fixed is best but because I'll be riding in memory of a friend who died this year and he wouldn't have had it any other way.

Any other info on flights/hotels/whatever please chip in.

Thanks,
Lee

11hours - 300km - fixed?

You are crazy non?

Speed = distance / time

27.27km/h average speed to finish in thé time given...

Take tour TT bike out! Good luck, i gonna give this à miss

Some guys from fixedgear.se did it 9 hours 40 mins on fixed gears

Based on a quick look, this is quite tempting. E8: the start is open for 11 hours (1930 Fri to 0630 Sat) but the finish only closes at 2400 on Sat, so there's plenty of time to get round.

If all of the course is around the coast of that lake then I expect it will be very flat, so fixed would be fine.

Missed the entry this year - 22,000 places gone in 12 minutes. Might try for an entry when the transfers are open in April. I've done it a few times - lovely ride/occasion. Went round fixed last time no probs at all - its a nice flat ish route that suits a steady fixed spin. You do get spat out of the groups on the long shallow descents when everyone else cranks into a high gear though, but there's always another group coming along to sit in with.

Getting there I flew to either Gothenburg or Nykoping and then rode to Motala. Alternatively there is a train package from Gottenburg that looks fun.
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=sv&u=http://www.lygnartaget.se&sl=sv&tl=en

It's all pretty well organised, but if you need any hotel or whatever info let me know

I'd love to do this, kind of an ultra TNRC. But getting a job and having some money are more important goals right now...

Thanks for the info balmain! What ratio did you ride?

Found a Strava segment for it:

http://www.strava.com/segments/623114

Not totally flat by any means - around 5000ft of climbing.

Thinking it would be pretty respectable to average about 15mph... so 12hrs in the saddle?

Definitely gonna be riding fixed - but thinking I'll upgrade a few of my stock bits to carbon to smooth things out a bit!

Awesome event and definitely doable fixed no problem at all.

Swedes were great hosts and food stops and support were great.

I did this in 2012 on my road bike, with a bunch of friends. Strava >>>

If I were to do it again I would without a doubt ride it fixed. It's perfect.

The roads are wide, with a nice fasts surface. It's really easy to keep steady pace, the terrain is just so easy riding it's simply the kms that are the challenge. And dodging 20,000 other riders.

Just pick the fixed gear you like for distance riding and do it on that. I did a handful of 200k audaxes in the months prior to the ride to get used to pacing myself.
Stay happy and comfortable for as long as possible, eat well, sing, chat, ride with people you know, or don't know – whatever feels right at the time.
DO take turns if your sucking wheels. Don't expect a high level of riding etiquette from the other riders. You're riding in a mix of inexperienced charity riders through to pro-teams!
It's pretty bonkers but also very safe and well organised.
Take proper lights – it does get dark for a bit.
Carry on your bike clothing layers for all eventualities. Get a bar bag or something if needed. I didn't and rode through 6 hours of torrential freezing rain in a softshell gilet as my outer-layer and got closer than I've ever been to passing out on the bike. Even in June Sweden at 4am can actually be quite cold.

Motala is a nice, quiet town. There are places to camp (just north of the town – by the water) but also lots of locals rent out their houses. We did that as a group and it work nicely and wasn't expensive. Most other things is Sweden are quite expensive! PM me if you want the deets of the travel rep that sorted us out with accommodation.

I did it as a road trip staying in Copenhagen on the way but you can fly to Stockholm and hire a car.

Definitely gonna be riding fixed - but thinking I'll upgrade a few of my stock bits to carbon to smooth things out a bit!

It's 298km of pristine tarmac of the Skandanvian/German type (amazing and not at all like ours). Then about 2km of tiled roads.

There were 2 potholes in the last few kms. That's all. :)

I'd echo the pristine tarmac comments - you really don't need any bike upgrades for a comfortable ride. Gearing: I was on 42:16 I think - 1 up from my normal ride. That seemed about right for me - perhaps gear up slightly from what you are comfortable with on an everyday basis as you'll be sitting in groups for most of the course. It really isn't hilly - 1500m of climbing on a 300km ride is flat by most standards. I reckon 10 - 12 hours in the saddle for a comfortable spin round. As above, it does get cold at 4am. I always stayed in the local gyms/schools which they open up for the weekend. About £15 for a couple of night's inside, but as said there are loads of other options.

This looks like a lot of fun!

Was anyone else silly enough to sign up for this?

me. i'm debating whether to do it fixed or geared...will probably see how my training goes.

i did my longest fixed ride at the weekend: 100km on 48x17. think that gear is a little big for me...

Hey chill - how is the training going? My buddy and I are signed up for a friends Audax the month before if you fancy it?

http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/14-251/

We are riding 48x19 at the mo but might drop a tooth on the back as we get closer/fitter.

Lee

My longest ride to date on the fixie is 125km. Been regularly knocking out >100kms at weekends over the last couple of months. I could go longer but have been so short of time lately. Hopefully I'll start to get the odd longer ride in soon.

I recently switched to 48x18 which feels a lot better suited to my little legs!

That audax looks good. May well be up for it.

@funkt: what sort of mileages have you been getting in?

heya dude!
looked at this properly, i thought 200miles was well over 280km. you can for sure do it fixed, especially if flat.
i would say gear up not down: you want to be able to vary the cadence to wake up the legs. in my experience, you want to be able to have bursts of higher cadence than lower, especially if you're trying to keep a pace. obviously don't push a gear that's not right. try a few 200kms and see what suits! x

edit: it is! it's 320km! meh, what's an extra 20%!

I've signed up, but I think I'm just going to ride my charbon bike. I've seen people ride shorter sportives fixed, but at least for me it is bit difficult to adjust to speed changes in the pace line. Also call me soft, but I just want to make it to the end without totally destroying my lower back and knees.

I rode around the lake as part of a Scandinavian tour way back in 2009 (when I was inexperienced and pretty unfit), for me it was an absolute highlight. I was riding 48 x 16 and had no trouble with being over geared.

I've seen people ride shorter sportives fixed, but at least for me it is bit difficult to adjust to speed changes in the pace line.

not a problem if you sit on the front of the paceline ;-)

A quick note to say a big thanks to the guys at Kinoko in Soho for sharing the love and helping us out on our wheel build for the event - they have helped us build some lovely wheels at a lovely price so we can roll smooth on that Swedish 'mac.

Thanks Andrew & Max!

Looks like a biggy, little far for me. Good Luck :)

You doing much training for something like that ?

You doing much training for something like that ?

up to about 700km per month. longest fixed rides to date is 160km.

probably not enough!

Less than a week to go... and feeling ready for 300k fixed overnight? Maybe.

Any last minute calming words of advice?

Keep pedaling.