Advice on ECEing a BRM600 to 1000k?

[Bobby]

Split from the WCW thread

Inspired by Steve A's 2015 challenge, I've just entered the WCW but plan to ECE it up to 1000k (mainly because I like the colour of that medal  )

I've only ECE'd short rides up to 300k before so this is obviously a little different.  My current thoughts are a slow/flat 200k to the start, aiming to eat & be in a hotel nearby before midnight, ride a full value WCW starting from 6am, then leave myself about 18hours to get some sleep at the arrivée before doing a 200k home...

For the WCW600 I have 40hours, but for the entire 1000k I have 75.2 hours, I've asked Martin a couple of questions (like does intermediate control times matter), but wondered what advice there is out there on ECEing a BRM600 this far? 

[aidan.f]

A slow flat 200 and night in a hotel will almost certainly put you out of time, you have to average 15kph through all controls.
so you have app. 13.5 hours to get to the start of your 600.
Trick to maximise rest is to control, sleep and be out of time before riding at 28 kph average to the next control another 80k up the road.
One 1000k plan is 500 over a night and day, nights rest, 300 the next day and then a 200. day 2 will be the hardest. and the whole plan relys upon being fast enough on the bike  to bank substantial rest time.

The plod round on minimal sleep is the only practical option for some.

[Cycling Daddy]

A slow flat 200 and night in a hotel will almost certainly put you out of time, you have to average 15kph through all controls.
so you have app. 13.5 hours to get to the start of your 600.
Trick to maximise rest is to control, sleep and be out of time before riding at 28 kph average to the next control another 80k up the road.
One 1000k plan is 500 over a night and day, nights rest, 300 the next day and then a 200. day 2 will be the hardest. and the whole plan relys upon being fast enough on the bike  to bank substantial rest time.

The plod round on minimal sleep is the only practical option for some.

This is far more complicated than I can usefully help with but surely on a 1000 the average would be 13.5kph (9.7.1) or 13.3kph (10.1.3) does this only apply when the controlled at 600?  Or from the start.  At 13.3 kph it should be possible to plan for a sleep after 200 depending on your usual speed (although the gap to the next control is quite small) .  I suspect that since you have asked Martin you probably have an answer to this.  Having said this you are more likely oto have a 'hotels worth of sleep time' on your return to Windsor (since this will have been at a min of 15kph).  I have often heard people say that 3 hours a night is  desirable minimum.

L

[simonp]

I asked Martin a similar question for my attempt to ECE the Kernow and South West 600k to 800k. This has the same minimum speed as 1000k but 100k either side allows less time to sleep. My question was could I take longer than the allowed 7.5h for the 100k to the event to allow for more sleep. I was told I could do what I wanted as long as overall was inside 13.3 and I completed the 600k in time. In the end I packed the 600k so was never able to test this.

I'd be careful to confirm with Martin that what you intend to do is permitted. 200k at 13.3 is 15h which means you can leave home at 3pm, and be in time when starting the 600k, and if you ride the 200k in 10h you have time to sleep for 4h in theory. Then ride the 600k, sleep for 4h and finish with 2h in hand, sleep 4h at the finish.

When I did the BCM ECE to 750k or so I started at 3.15am and got 2h sleep on the event and no sleep on the way back, finishing at 2am. I think I had 6h in hand.

[Bobby]

Yep, the overall 1000 needs 13.3 min speed, but the middle 600 has 15.  I'm thinking of doing a bit more than 200 to get there & Martin confirmed:

My strategy would make my first leg very long in time (ride to the hotel in 10 hours, sleep for 6, then go to the start = 16hours for 220k) which in terms of the overall 1000k may well put me out of time at intermediate controls... does this matter for ECEs, I hope you are OK as long as everything fits in the overall time limit of 75.2hrs?

no problem, the time you spend between conrols on the ECE is academic all that matters is completing the calendar event within time and also the overall ECE


My initial thought was to eat into my time before the WCW so I'm not in real sleep deficit before a BRM 600.  Dragging my sorry arse home on sleep deficit will hopefully be ok

That said, it's only 50k home, and we'll ride past it on the WCW so I'm going to need some strong determination not to whimp out!