cambcam
Reserve team substitute
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Post by cambcam on May 15, 2013 21:16:11 GMT
Any cyclists amongst us?
I've always had a cheap bike to whip about Cambridge but a few months back treated myself to a nice racer and the full lycra treatment. Consequently, this year I'm keen to give some of the 50/100 mile events a bash, and wondered if anyone has any experience of the many events available. I'm not into full race events, just something fun where you can get a move on if you want to.
I'm pencilling in the Norwich 50 on 1/6, the Camb News 62 on 23/6, London to Camb 28/7 and the Camb to Norwich 77 miler on 29/9.
But the main reason for posting is for info on the Olympic route ride, the London 100, plus the London Ride of Champions on 9/6 and 1/9. It seems the London 100 is going to be a massive event with a similar entrance palaver to the London Marathon - some entries by ballot and the rest by registering with charities, which looks like legalised extortion to me.
Anyone got anything planned or done anything similar?
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Post by somersetewe on May 15, 2013 21:52:37 GMT
I have got back into cycling in the last year. Bought a nice road bike, and, I am afraid, the full lycra. Might look stupid, but does the job! When I am tackling the Somerset hills I do sometimes yearn for that lovely flat fenland landscape.
I haven't got as far as doing any sportifs yet, I am still trying to build up the mileage. Also dragging my thirteen year old along as well. Good father/son bonding.
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Post by ChrisVessey on May 15, 2013 21:57:07 GMT
Yep, love it. Lots of canals, rivers and towpaths heading out and around West Yorkshire for me to tackle and it's one of my favourite past-times. I'm much more of a 'personal biker' in that i always prefer to cycle on my own and do my own thing. Not fussed about races/competitions etc... just enjoy jumping on my Mongoose mountain bike and getting away from the busy-ness of everyday life.
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Post by somersetewe on May 15, 2013 22:07:03 GMT
Christ, something we agree on Chris
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Post by sneakyfate on May 15, 2013 22:08:57 GMT
As regards the London 100 - the entries closed ages ago, there was a ballot and I didn't get a place. But then I managed to get a charity place riding for Send a Cow - but I have committed to raise £600! I think you'll be very lucky to get a place now, but a charity place would be the most likely still left. I've been cycling most of my life (I'll be 57 by the time the London 100 comes up), but have only ever done 100 miles in a day on two or three occasions, and one of those was on a tandem. There is a 9 hour time limit, I don't have too many worries about maintaining the necessary pace if I can work on my endurance, hence the need for a few training rides. I'm doing the London-Cambridge ride one week before as a warm up, with a couple of friends from church. I ride a rather ancient Dawes Galaxy, which is a decent quality touring bike. It looks like a racer in that it has dropped handlebars, but is a bit heavier and has fatter tyres (700C x 32) and wider ratio gears. As I use it for commuting to and from Cambourne (2-3 times/week) I built a front wheel with a hub dynamo, which makes it even heavier, and I have mudguards and a carrier, so it's not exactly a slick racer. As it's so flat round here, I also swapped the gears for a narrower set, because I was wearing out one or two sprockets while all the rest were virtually unworn. I'll swap it back before I tackle the likes of Box Hill! I thought about getting something else more like a racer, but I think I'll settle for just lightening it a bit by removing the lights, possibly swapping the front wheel for one without a dynamo and putting slightly thinner tyres on. But I'll definitely leave the mudguards on, I can't bear the thought of all that water being sprayed up my a**e
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Post by ambernuts on May 15, 2013 22:17:51 GMT
More like Chris when it comes to cycling, just a way of clearing my head really. However, I've been tempted to join a goup of friends after I helped them with last years London to Cambs ride.
Strange, I really hate cyclists when I'm in Cambridge.
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Post by robster on May 15, 2013 22:32:56 GMT
Hi I have always enjoyed cycling and have done the London to Cambridge lots of times. I have a Carrera road bike which of course is yellow and black! I entered my first sportive this year - Huntingdon Wiggle 40 miles, it was quite windy and if I'm honest, I struggled. I popped into Ben Haywards who said I was set up incorrectly and my seat was too high. I am in training as I'm doing London to Paris, 210 miles in 3 days at the end of June. If any fellow U's would like to sponsor me, it will be much appreciated: www.justgiving.com/rob-negus/
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Post by Russ Greaves on May 16, 2013 8:44:53 GMT
I got a very cheap bike to cycle to the train station for work. I've taken it out a few times on a little circular route that partially goes along the Humber and I've realised how unfit I am!
Like Vess, I also see cycling as a personal thing, a little bit of an escape. Although I did enjoy once doing 20-odd miles on the busy Tarka trail in Devon with the girlfriend.
As for cycling 100 miles or more in a semi-competitive race... sod that!
Can't wait until next year's Tour de France, starting in Yorkshire. If I'm lucky I'll get to cover a bit of it.
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Andrewlang
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Post by Andrewlang on May 16, 2013 8:59:30 GMT
Yeah, cycling is a personal thing for me too...a very solipsistic feeling. I like strapping a tent and sleeping bag into my panniers and heading off for a couple of days. This is an excellent website for planning routes if you're into any sort of cycle touring routes.bikehub.co.uk/Andrew
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Post by Russ Greaves on May 16, 2013 9:12:36 GMT
Superb site. Amazing level of detail.
I might have to invest in a better bike.
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Post by fatboyron on May 16, 2013 11:09:47 GMT
With the Vess - I cycle commute and then every now and againweekend try to get as far away fro other people as poss at the weekend. Try to get down to the smoke a couple of times - not on an event just for my own satisfaction.
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Post by kdwyellow on May 16, 2013 13:09:26 GMT
I've made a return to cycling from my youth and have for the last 3 years been racing XC offroad in the MSG Eastern Region races. Living close ish to Thetford the trails are pretty good. I've done some of the black routes in Wales though and very neatly shat myself on every obstacle.
I have a carbon road bike too and I've done several sportives and charity rides. I think the Sky rides are designed more for beginners and not for serious competition. I tend to steer clear of charity rides as much of the money raised ends up going on costs for marshalling.
The British Cycling website has an event calendar. The best sportives for testing your mettle are the ones organised by local racing clubs.
I did the Norwich Cycle Swarm a few weeks back and did the 70 mile route in 3 hours and 27 minutes which was an average speed of 20.9 mph which I was quite pleased with. There's always something happening every weekend if you don't mind travelling around a bit.
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rocky
Youth team substitute
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Post by rocky on May 16, 2013 13:37:39 GMT
I've ...very neatly shat myself ... I don't really think that's possible.
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Post by kdwyellow on May 16, 2013 18:27:52 GMT
Nearly shat myself. Bloody auto correct. I've only ever neatly shat myself in the comfort of my own trousers.
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cambcam
Reserve team substitute
Posts: 2,590
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Post by cambcam on May 17, 2013 10:20:08 GMT
Some interesting posts there. To be honest, the mountain-biking in pretty surroundings sounds fantastic, but sadly apart from the black run at Thetford there's not much fun to be had in this part of the world, (unless anyone knows differently?) which is a shame as I'd quite like a nice mountain bike to sit alongside the road bike.
I think I'll stick with the plans for a few fun road events this year. I don't want to enter competitions or have to build up stamina etc, just jump on the bike and have a blast. Luckily, I seem be naturally quite fit and am confident of doing a '50' at a decent pace without any major problems, but a '100' just feels like a hell of a distance and a huge step up.
I did the London to Cambridge a few years back in a decent time (3hrs 26 mins), but on a mountain bike with knobbly tyres, wearing a t-shirt, Cambridge United shorts and a carrier bag over the handlebars blowing in the wind! There were no ill-effects other than having a backside like a baboon for a few days - never again so hence the lycra this time!
Anyway, on that note, anyone got any tips for the longer rides? At the moment I tend to ride to St Ives along the busway when the sun is shining, have a spot of lunch and blast back - I might be having it too easy. Thing is, it's billiard table smooth and probably not much preparation for hours on a bumpy road with the vibration coming up through the wrists/shoulders etc, and I've also noticed with the shoes 'clipped-in' the lack of movement can cause the feet to get a bit stiff - the sort of things that may really cause a problem on bumpy roads on a high mileage event and punish the lack of preparation.
Oh and kdwyellow, I'm not especially big on numbers but your time and av speed (20.9) over 70 miles is amazing. On the return from St Sves the other day with a slight tail wind I gave it everything for the full 12 miles and got back in 40 minutes - apparently that's av 18 mph which was quite enough for me!
Good to hear others do their own thing, healthy recreational fun can't be a bad thing at all.
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