Author Topic: Mersey Roads 24TT  (Read 48322 times)

cygnet

  • I'm part of the association
Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #25 on: 01 December, 2015, 07:01:43 pm »
Including tips on how to run sideways at 20kph whilst holding out Nutella Sandwiches and a new bidon to a tired cyclist  ???

Strap sandwich to bidon with tape/elastic, hand up as rob says (preferably with food facing forwards e.g. away from cyclists hungry hand)
I Said, I've Got A Big Stick

zigzag

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Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #26 on: 01 December, 2015, 09:50:15 pm »
i've been nudged many times to give this a go, so might just do it in 2016. my only tt experience so far was one 10mile tt last winter. it will be a steep learning curve including bike fit, training, nutrition, getting suitable kit, planning, figuring out the ctt system..
ideally i'd need to spend a day or few with someone who knows the game and would like to share their wisdom. so - who do you know who could help me? :)

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #27 on: 02 December, 2015, 10:42:49 am »
i've been nudged many times to give this a go, so might just do it in 2016. my only tt experience so far was one 10mile tt last winter. it will be a steep learning curve including bike fit, training, nutrition, getting suitable kit, planning, figuring out the ctt system..
ideally i'd need to spend a day or few with someone who knows the game and would like to share their wisdom. so - who do you know who could help me? :)

Would be delighted to help!

zigzag

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Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #28 on: 02 December, 2015, 01:53:27 pm »
thank you Frank, i'll get in touch!

rob

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #29 on: 03 December, 2015, 09:21:51 am »
I scraped my way to 410 miles in the ESCA, but lost a lot of time in the 2nd half with numerous problems including an attack of Shermer neck for the last 2hrs

So, the Mersey is a bit flatter and I now have more experience of staying in the TT position.   I have since improved my 12hr PB to 258 miles.   I'm going to schedule for a bit more than last time and then see how I go.   The club record is 463 miles, set in 1952.

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #30 on: 03 December, 2015, 10:03:23 am »
Good luck, Rob. The record should be possible for you, but you'll have to earn it!
FWIW I reckon the mersey course is slower than Newbury. Maybe 10 miles over 12 hours. 
My club record is 453 and I DNF'd in 2014 when I felt I was not likely to get it (and a few other things wnet wrong!)

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #31 on: 03 December, 2015, 10:52:44 am »
My club has no ladies records. This makes targets very attainable  ;)

rob

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #32 on: 03 December, 2015, 10:58:02 am »
Cheers, Frank

I'll treat this a bit like I did the Newbury 12hr last year.   My PB was 230 miles so I scheduled for 240 with a stretch target of 250.   The club record was 256.5 and it was only at about 8hrs that I thought I might get it.   I set off not even thinking about the record and that's the way I'll treat the next 24, should I make it to the start line.

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #33 on: 03 December, 2015, 09:18:41 pm »
My club has no ladies records. This makes targets very attainable  ;)

I may have a couple of Sandie Shaw's in the loft.  Would they be any good to you.  There could be some Kathryn Tickell in the charity shop, if you'd like me to look!?

Chris S

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #34 on: 03 December, 2015, 10:01:42 pm »
My club has no ladies records. This makes targets very attainable  ;)

I may have a couple of Sandie Shaw's in the loft.  Would they be any good to you.  There could be some Kathryn Tickell in the charity shop, if you'd like me to look!?

My parents had some singles from The Singing Nun; she seemed quite popular in the household :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO7cD6qmydo

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #35 on: 13 December, 2015, 05:41:39 pm »
To give you an idea, here's my (incomplete) planning doc from the Mersey 24 in 2013.

Here's my instructions to my helper for the RTTC 12 in 2015


Good docs, very generous of you to share.

I'll be riding it next year, aiming to better my previous distance - though I think that the main target with an event like this is just finishing, whether or not you've done it before! My club record is held by Mick Potts, so well out of my league (for now at least!).

One problem I'm yet to work out how to solve is how to ensure my Garmin battery lasts the distance as I have delusions of riding to power this time, though I expect, after 12 or so hours, that power will just be whatever I can manage!

Didn't manage to do a 12 last time as LEL left me too knackered, but I'm hoping to do one this time round to get the full series in. I think I saw in the CTT annual report that next year's national is in South Wales, though I have no idea how hard that would be to get in.

Karla

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    • Lost Byway - around the world by bike
Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #36 on: 13 December, 2015, 09:28:24 pm »
You did 420 on your first attempt, IMO you should aim for at least 450 this time.

I doubt the S Wales course will fill.

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #37 on: 14 December, 2015, 08:50:25 pm »
Ahem...it was 425 thanks ;-)

I'd be thrilled with anything better than that to be honest. All I meant above was that an event like this is so much at the mercy of weather and any little thing going wrong, so just finishing it is the first target! I know very strong riders who didn't do as well as they could have in this year's one due to the awful weather, in part at least.

You not fancy it next year? I have fond memories of our little duels on the Quina Brook circuit.

Karla

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    • Lost Byway - around the world by bike
Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #38 on: 15 December, 2015, 11:57:28 am »
If I'm at the Mersey this year I'll probably be supporting a friend, in which case I'll wave at you.  As I said upthread, my main aim this year is going to be the BBAR, including the Anfield and National 100s and the Breckland 12, and other stuff is going to fit around that.

rob

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #39 on: 06 January, 2016, 09:20:11 am »
If I'm at the Mersey this year I'll probably be supporting a friend, in which case I'll wave at you.  As I said upthread, my main aim this year is going to be the BBAR, including the Anfield and National 100s and the Breckland 12, and other stuff is going to fit around that.

CTT events are up.   Looks like the Breckland 12hr isn't on after all.

I'm not riding the Newbury 12hr so have a choice of the ECCA (3 weeks after the 12hr - new course, fast) or the KCA (4 weeks after the 12hr - roads I know, bit slower).   The good news is there are 4 100s I can ride before the 24hr that are all pretty close to home.

Karla

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    • Lost Byway - around the world by bike
Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #40 on: 06 January, 2016, 10:19:16 am »
Eh?  I can see the Breckland on there.  It currently says it's not BBAR but they all currently say they're not BBAR (well the ECCA and Team Swift said that, then I stopped looking). 

12-06-2016   Newbury Road Club   H12h/8   0.00 Miles   IE   CBTan   £15.00
26-06-2016   RTTC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (Welsh Cycling Association) (Entries close 31/05/16)   R12/16   0.00 Miles   NSIE   B   £30.00
23-07-2016   Mersey Roads Club (Entries close 28/6/16)(Tandems)   D24HR   0.00 Miles   NSIE      £30.00
23-07-2016   RTTC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP (Mersey Roads Club) (Entries close 28/06/16)   D24HR   0.00 Miles   NSIE      £30.00
31-07-2016   Team Swift (YCF Points Series)   V12HR   0.00 Miles   IE   BTan   £15.00
14-08-2016   ECCA (Inc VTTA East Anglia Champs)(90 machines 2 events)(Entries close 26/07/2016)   E2/12hr   0.00 Miles   NSIE   HBTTan   £19.00
21-08-2016   Kent CA (inc VTTA (Kent Group Champs)   Q/12   0.00 Miles      BTan   £12.00
21-08-2016   Tricycle Assn (SE) (Tricycles only)   Q/12   0.00 Miles      H   £12.00
21-08-2016   WCTTCA & LTTCA (Incorporating Tricycle Association National 12 hour)   D12/1   0.00 Miles   IE   BTan   £15.00
04-09-2016   CC Breckland (District Championship)   B12/3   0.00 Miles   IE   BHTan   £15.00
04-09-2016   TA (East Region)   B12/3   0.00 Miles   IE   BH   £15.00

Anyway, tell me about this new ECCA course?

rob

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #41 on: 06 January, 2016, 10:50:11 am »
Balls.   Think I had my filtering wrong.   I could probably ride that then.   Plenty of recovery after the 24hr, fast roads that I know and the in-laws live down the road.

On the ECCA 12hr I meant new to me - I've ridden the KCA once and the Newbury once.


Rob

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #42 on: 06 January, 2016, 02:09:19 pm »
I have teh fear about this already.

Feck.

rob

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #43 on: 06 January, 2016, 03:08:59 pm »
I have teh fear about this already.

Feck.

Getting to me a little.   When it was in Sussex it was just down the road and my helpers lived near the course.   If it all went wrong I hadn't really let anyone down.   It was touch and go whether I would start on the Wednesday, but the issues settled down.   I was shaking an hour before the start and struggling to eat my pre-race meal.

The problem with this one is that I'm asking friends and family to go a few hundred miles out of their way to help me out.   Can't really pack or decide not to do it.

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #44 on: 06 January, 2016, 03:52:02 pm »
That makes it far easier to keep going.  Much easier to climb off in a moment of weakness if you are all on your own with no-one to feel guilty about!

cygnet

  • I'm part of the association
Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #45 on: 06 January, 2016, 09:02:17 pm »
That makes it far easier to keep going.  Much easier to climb off in a moment of weakness if you are all on your own with no-one to feel guilty about!

But also much harder when you're 30 miles from HQ with no-one to pick you up?! Much simpler to keep riding...

[Goes off to look at dates for 12's and 100's]
I Said, I've Got A Big Stick

rob

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #46 on: 01 February, 2016, 11:57:45 am »
A question for the veterans of this event.   Whilst I probably won't write a schedule, it's useful to estimate where you'll be and when in order to position helpers.

From the 2015 start sheet I can see a few sections :-

- ride to Prees
- Prees-Prees Circuit
- Quina Brook Circuit
- Prees-Prees Circuit (night)
- Quina Brook Circuit
- Finishing Circuit

Does anyone know what times each circuit opens and closes ?

Thanks


Rob

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #47 on: 01 February, 2016, 12:17:09 pm »
It depends how serious you are. The contenders stop every 10 miles in front of their riders until they get to Espley, Then they stay there until their rider gets sent to Quina Brook, the marshals can tell you when that will happen. They then shift to Prees Heath, then back to Espley for the night. Around 7 or 8 am they shift back to Prees Heath. About 10am the move to the finish circuit takes place. The contenders often base themselves at the Cock O' Barton.

If you want to make things easier for your supporters, just base them at Prees Heath, until the finish circuit, then base them at the HQ. It's more fun for them that way.

rob

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #48 on: 01 February, 2016, 12:28:18 pm »
Thanks.   I don't think I'd class myself as a contender.

My helpers have looked after me on the ESCA 24hr in 2014 and 3 * 12hrs.   I try to find somewhere that works for them so they don't get bored, but I still get fed and watered.

My plan currently looks like they should base themselves at Prees for most of the event as the caff is there and a lot of other supporters should also be based there.   Whilst Prees-Prees is pretty long I plan to carry a large-ish fuel pod and 2 bottles.   The weight penalty will make itself back in terms of convenience and lack of stops.

How much food is carried per stop will depend on how many laps I do of each circuit and the frequency of seeing helpers.

Re: Mersey 24hr 2016
« Reply #49 on: 01 February, 2016, 12:34:24 pm »
We'll look out for you at Espley. There's a feed station there usually. The danger is that riders with supporters at Prees skive at Espley. Having supporters at Espley stops that happening.