Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Freewheeling => Racing => Topic started by: bludger on 27 June, 2019, 03:13:10 pm
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I want to get into long distance bike racing (unsupported races of >400km), but it looks like I've missed the boat for 2019. So I'm planning my 2020 calendar instead.
Right now I am committed (though haven't paid for) Race Across the Netherlands, but I'm also interested in 'gravel' racing, with my beloved chonkster being suitable for moderate off-roading, particularly if I put stumpy wheels and wider tyres on it, though I don't think much wider than 35mm. However I can borrow a 26"er hardtail with room for much fatter tyres if things are looking dramatic. I could also potentially get a wider fork, with 650b or 26" wheels there would be lots of clearance front and back.
I do not fly so everywhere would need to be within convenient riding, train or ferry distance from London.
Some other races I'm interested in, maybe they'll be of interest to you too:
Gravel Tro Greizh (early May), a 1400 km gravel race in France http://graveltrobreizh.fr/
Across the 3 (early May), a 500 km gravel race across Belgium, Luxemburg and Germany https://www.act5.be/copy-of-about-act3-2 - I think this may be a better pick than GTG for training purposes.
All points North (late May), the well known road race in England.
Transatlantic Way (early June) in Ireland - this one interests me but it's seemingly very soon after APN so unsure if it would be a wise move https://www.transatlanticway.com/the-route/
Tannus bikepacking race (late June) in Germany - more an off road MTB race, 800 km long, with 14,000m climbing. https://taunus-bikepacking.com/
GBduro (late June), 2000 km gravel across the UK so obviously that's a clash with the German one. https://www.theracingcollective.com/gbduro.html
The transcontinental race (early July), >3000 km, start/finish unknown. I am unsure if I would want to do it next year, might rather do GBduro and the panceltic instead and aim for TCR in 2021.
Pan celtic race (early July), 2400 km across Scotland/Ireland/Wales https://www.pancelticrace.com/route/
Across the 5 (late July), 1200 km, 19,000 of climbing, off-road across Belgium, France, Luxemburg, Germany and the Netherlands https://www.act5.be/copy-of-about-act3
Transiberica race (early September), which goes right the way around Spain and Portugal, free route https://www.transiberica.cc/transiberica-2019/
The Trans Pyrenean (unconfirmed, probably early October), 1500 km across the Pyrenees and back https://transpyrenees.cc/ I am supporting the 2019 one as a volunteer so hopefully would get a place if I felt up for it.
Preparation
I aspire to do the best I can, so in the time between now and the 2020 race season, will use a mixed calendar of Cyclocross, road criterium and XC MTB racing and audax rides to get quicker and stronger. Ideally I'd resume twice/thrice weekly barbell strength training to resist injury. I will be adopting a training place from Ridefar https://ridefar.info/rider/training/training-plan/
And of course I'll have to save up cash in order to compete in the races :facepalm:
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Why not do the Mersey Roads? It's only £35 to enter. AUK membership makes you eligible, and you've got up to midnight today.
They're useful as a calibration for participants and observers. I never did more than 396 miles, so I don't take myself seriously.
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This is kind of where I am heading next year and I've already entered RaTN. My time in time trialling is coming to an end by the end of this season so it is time for something else.
My tentative plans for next year include a sabbatical of at least 6 months but my employers don't now this yet. The official reason is that we are relocating, only about 50 miles but it's still a sizeable project.
I'll be on the lookout for longer rides across the Summer, but I quite like the look of the lower key events. Also I need a new bike as none of mine are remotely suitable.
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OP, there is still some interesting stuff with places available for this year, eg:
Trans Iberica in September
Morocco off-road in (I think) November
Two Volcanoes (Julian Buhring) in Italy November
Rob, exciting - look forward to seeing what you go for! One big advantage you will have is that not that many ultra racers have a TT background so appreciation of potentail aero gains is limited.
If either of you have not seen it (it may be where the OP list came from) a useful resource is the comprehensive list of races compiled on the Blue Dot riders group in Facebook (which is organised by Jack_P)
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If you are looking for more of the off-road style events, bikepacking.com is a very useful source for inspiration. They include a list of events at https://bikepacking.com/events/ (https://bikepacking.com/events/), but also have many other routes across Europe that may be of interest elsewhere on the site.
I'm riding the Bikepacking Trans Germany event starting on 7th July. 1650km of off-road fun in the more remote parts of Germany, traversing from Basel up to the Baltic, along the eastern borders of Germany. It's a turn up and ride style event, with no commercial side. You can use a Spot tracker though, particularly useful if you're participating in the mass start event rather than riding it as a time trial.
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I want to get into long distance bike racing (unsupported races of >400km), but it looks like I've missed the boat for 2019. So I'm planning my 2020 calendar instead.
Is there space on this years Trans Hermen race? That is in September IIRC.
Right now I am committed (though haven't paid for) Race Across the Netherlands, but I'm also interested in 'gravel' racing, with my beloved chonkster being suitable for moderate off-roading, particularly if I put stumpy wheels and wider tyres on it, though I don't think much wider than 35mm. However I can borrow a 26"er hardtail with room for much fatter tyres if things are looking dramatic. I could also potentially get a wider fork, with 650b or 26" wheels there would be lots of clearance front and back.
I do not fly so everywhere would need to be within convenient riding, train or ferry distance from London.
Some other races I'm interested in, maybe they'll be of interest to you too:
<snip>
Damn, there's a list of temptations... Wonder what I'll do next year.
Preparation
I aspire to do the best I can, so in the time between now and the 2020 race season, will use a mixed calendar of Cyclocross, road criterium and XC MTB racing and audax rides to get quicker and stronger. Ideally I'd resume twice/thrice weekly barbell strength training to resist injury. I will be adopting a training place from Ridefar https://ridefar.info/rider/training/training-plan/
And of course I'll have to save up cash in order to compete in the races :facepalm:
The thing I found really helped: RRtY. I rode in all sorts of shit conditions to get my RRtY, and this really helped on RatN. When the hail started falling, the wind picked up, and when my toes went numb, I said to myself "I've done this before, I've even done worst, I can do this"
And for RatN, experience of navigating round gormless students will be really helpful for the Friesland leg of the route... The sheep are like tourists, but with a better sense of direction...
Make sure your position on the bike is really dialled in. My first RatN attempt was a scratch because I screwed up my position on the bike.
Other events to tempt you:
- Round Denmark Bike Race
- Trans Germany Bikepacking Race (I tried riding the route as a tour, decided I didn't like the offroad, so went off on a road adventure instead.)
- Trans herman - MTB race just over the border in Germany, run by the people who do RatN
- Racing collective do a number of UK based races, most are quite short by standards of the others, but still.
- Ht550 ?
Good luck!
J
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Why not do the Mersey Roads? It's only £35 to enter. AUK membership makes you eligible, and you've got up to midnight today.
Looks like a terrific ride but I'm booked out those days!
As for September, my msc dissertation is due right bang in the middle of it so it's pretty much a write off too. I will be par-taying after and might do an audax before riding to Spain on Sep 29. I'm more planning for post-October (as I am touring and supporting the trans pyrenean for much of that month https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=112345.0)
Thanks everyone for your suggestions, they are appreciated. I will also be doing cyclocross racing for intensity and fitness purposes, so I will ideally have a double whammy of long distance endurance grinding and short distance puffing and panting to turn me into a sleep deprived petrol station croissant-munching hardened speed demon ;D
Especially interested in doing RRTY, might as well start next month as I'm doing a 300 (the London Orbital) and can always do perms. A 200 is a fun day out on the bike for me right now, maybe matters will change come December/January though!
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sleep deprived petrol station croissant-munching hardened speed demon
Love the description.
As for RRtY, I would agree that is a good way to get the long distance endurance and commitment in whatever the conditions throw at you sorted. I found a double RRtY even better, as with a single one you can go 6 or 7 weeks between long rides, and avoid most of the bad weather. Also the double RRtY built my fitness better through the winter, making the step up in distance in the spring that much easier with a stronger base. Living in the south east of England does help, experiencing less of the weather extremes.
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Especially interested in doing RRTY, might as well start next month as I'm doing a 300 (the London Orbital) and can always do perms. A 200 is a fun day out on the bike for me right now, maybe matters will change come December/January though!
Start now, Do a DIY over the weekend, and then your 12th ride would be May, which you could do as a DIY of the first 200km of RatN. I started mine in July last year, and after RatN I was very broken and worried that I'd lose the 11 months I had because I wouldn't be fit enough in time to do the 12th. A 200 is pretty simple for you by now, so throwing one together over the weekend shouldn't be too hard, and it starts the counter.
J
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Especially interested in doing RRTY, might as well start next month as I'm doing a 300 (the London Orbital) and can always do perms. A 200 is a fun day out on the bike for me right now, maybe matters will change come December/January though!
I think you actually started RRTY in May...
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Rrty can help if people don't have experience of, or confidence to do, long rides but it is not a great way to train for doing well at long distance racing.
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Rrty can help if people don't have experience of, or confidence to do, long rides but it is not a great way to train for doing well at long distance racing.
How so? I see it as getting the mental space to just keep going what ever the conditions.
But then I tend to race to make it to the finish, rather than to win. Coming 2nd in RatN was totally unexpected
J
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Dirty Reiver might be a useful early-season test of your off-road endurance. Usually around mid-April.
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Rrty can help if people don't have experience of, or confidence to do, long rides but it is not a great way to train for doing well at long distance racing.
How so? I see it as getting the mental space to just keep going what ever the conditions.
But then I tend to race to make it to the finish, rather than to win. Coming 2nd in RatN was totally unexpected
J
I did RRTY once and just couldn't get that bothered about doing it again. I do commute 24 miles a day every day and it's a rare weekend where I don't do at least one ride outdoors of 3-4hrs. For me RRTY would make rides a chore for me. Getting outside in poor conditions is something I do regularly so, personally, I don't feel I need the extra motivation.
Another point, though, is that going for lots of long rides doesn't, necessarily, make you a better/faster long distance rider.
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I want to get into long distance bike racing (unsupported races of >400km), but it looks like I've missed the boat for 2019. So I'm planning my 2020 calendar instead.
Some other races I'm interested in, maybe they'll be of interest to you too:
Transatlantic Way (early June) in Ireland - this one interests me but it's seemingly very soon after APN so unsure if it would be a wise move https://www.transatlanticway.com/the-route/
When it first ran in 2016, it was the same time the Wild Atlantic Way Audax (WAWA) ran. The Audax goes south to north and only covers Kinsale to Derry, the Wild Atlantic Way bit. The second edition of the WAWA is running next year and mooted as 2200km. This was later in June in 2016. So it may work for you. Depends on whether Adrian decides to overlap it with the WAWA etc. It was nice in '16 having riders going the opposite way.
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Dirty Reiver might be a useful early-season test of your off-road endurance. Usually around mid-April.
Looks ideal, and not bad value for money either! Assuming it doesn't go much further north than its current £60
As for RRTY, yeah since I did a 200 last month and a 600 this month I think I may as well crack on with it, just use DIYs for a month where events are scarce. Should keep me in trim. Might even do some DIY 500s-600s to get that important bivvying practice. I could ECE for my Tour of the Hills grimpeur in August.....
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Rrty can help if people don't have experience of, or confidence to do, long rides but it is not a great way to train for doing well at long distance racing.
How so? I see it as getting the mental space to just keep going what ever the conditions.
But then I tend to race to make it to the finish, rather than to win. Coming 2nd in RatN was totally unexpected
J
I agree that if you don't have the experience of long rides in all weathers it's a way off getting it. But I don't think it's a good way, mostly what Rob said. People largely use it to practice riding slowly and faffing, the two skills that you really don't want for racing.
Also it ignores the seasons, like supermarket cherries in December, when the most basic thing about training is that, like life, it is seasonal.
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Also it ignores the seasons, like supermarket cherries in December, when the most basic thing about training is that, like life, it is seasonal.
Which could also be a positive, since it can act as a motivator through the winter when a lot of base miles are good.
I agree that it's not for everybody though, depending on training needs.
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I agree that if you don't have the experience of long rides in all weathers it's a way off getting it. But I don't think it's a good way, mostly what Rob said. People largely use it to practice riding slowly and faffing, the two skills that you really don't want for racing.
Also it ignores the seasons, like supermarket cherries in December, when the most basic thing about training is that, like life, it is seasonal.
I'm not fast, and I do faff too much. This I admit. I'm working on these.
The reason I suggest RRtY, is that I found it really useful on RatN. This years RatN was unseasonably cold, with atrocious weather. I got frost injuries to my toes. I was able to keep going, and keep most of me warm, because of the skills I learnt doing a -6°C BRM in Belgium in December for my RRtY, as well as my Festive500 attempt, and the rides in Jan and Feb in .NL. I wouldn't have done those rides had I not been trying to do the RRtY, and as such, may not have picked up the knowledge and skills I needed. Yes it can encourage slow and faff, but it can also encourage stubbornness and determination, which are kinda important too. It's also worth remembering not all ultra events happen in the middle of summer. In May a lot of stuff in .NL wasn't open because tourist season hadn't started yet.
Some people do all their winter training indoors on the turbo, which is fine if that works for you, but it can be a shock when you've got a 30kph headwind, it's 2°C, the hail is falling in Friesland, and you're dodging the bloody sheep! Having the discipline to get on the bike and go ride, when every sane part of you is saying "curl up under this warm duvet, and sleep till spring", can be hard. If you don't have a long commute to get used to going out in all weathers and all mental states, then a RRtY might be useful
As always YMMV.
J
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RRTY also gives you a monthly reminder through the winter of "fucking hell I'm unfit" while there's still time to do something about it.
It sure beats finding that out in March or April if you've got big events a few weeks later.
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I do not fly so everywhere would need to be within convenient riding, train or ferry distance from London.
No comment on the racing, other than good luck.
But if you're time rich/cash poor you might add the coach to your travel options. Amongst others, Flixbus take unbagged bikes for 9 Euro, or bagged as oversize luggage for the same price. I've used them and Eurolines a couple of times, though I take a bagged folder rather than a full size bike, just booked London > Bilbao for £28 inc the deliveroo/portify 15% discount!
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I have a place for RAtN but got a rejection e-mail from Transalba.
Thinking Pan Celtic, possibly. I also like the look of the Bordeaux to NL 1200k with thoughts of riding to the start and then home afterwards.
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I've confirmed for a place on the Transalba!
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Great news grams :thumbsup:
Unfortunately my training has had to go on pause for a bit owing to injury. I hope that I'll be well enough by the end of October to keep my rrty going. I've now got access to a turbo and testing, which is a good bit of progress.
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Great news grams :thumbsup:
Unfortunately my training has had to go on pause for a bit owing to injury. I hope that I'll be well enough by the end of October to keep my rrty going. I've now got access to a turbo and testing, which is a good bit of progress.
I think the hardest part of training is not over training and getting an injury. Add in the extra risk of injury when things freeze up, it can really screw the season up.
J
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I have a place for RAtN but got a rejection e-mail from Transalba.
Thinking Pan Celtic, possibly. I also like the look of the Bordeaux to NL 1200k with thoughts of riding to the start and then home afterwards.
Registered and fee paid for Pan Celtic. Course is different this year with no Scottish leg.
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OP: The guys that run Transiberica also do a Transpyrenees, shorter than Lost Dot's one, going from East to West. They're also running Badlands gravel race in Spain.
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Jack Petersen's spreadsheet of bikepacking events:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/e/2PACX-1vSh_UaCz6RGs43prmwnkZS0Mtn7YTxByXFqiqg9NQi7cSK26aNry6dDZYhhGrnvFtyTMlJIt7hAVj1l/pubhtml?fbclid=IwAR2hPjAWVtHJpyv9ccmP6X8Mz8V1vm4LgqpoNwMfvJv6MQpc7WJiJ93GIW0
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There's also more than just the GBDuro:
Provisional calendar for 2020 (to be confirmed 1 Jan 2020)
15 February 2020 - one-day tree-planting season opener at the Heart of England Forest near Stratford-upon-Avon
3-4 April 2020 - TransEngland - #transengland20
1-2 May 2020 - TransWales - #transwales20
6-7 June 2020 - TransScotland - #transscotland20
13 June 2020 - one-day ride - OxDURO - #oxduro20
27 June 2020 - one-day ride - CotsDURO - #cotsduro20
20 June - 30 June 2020 - GBDURO - #GBDURO20
4-5 July 2020 - WalesDURO - #walesduro20
1-2 August 2020 - EnglanDURO - #englanduro20
29-30 August 2020 - Social ride - pubduro North York Moors - #pubduroNYM
12-13 September 2020 - ScotDURO - #scotduro20
3 October 2020 - one-day ride - PennDURO - #pennduro20
https://www.theracingcollective.com/trials.html
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Looking further ahead, the Grenzsteintrophy runs for 1250km along the border between East Germany and West Germany. Formerly annual but now run every 'odd year', so 2021 next time. A much-missed friend of ours rode it a few times early on. Not really road bike friendly despite being about 30% asphalt, due to the effects of tanks and quite a bit of overgrown concrete block paved track.
https://grenzsteintrophy.de/
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Looking further ahead, the Grenzsteintrophy runs for 1250km along the border between East Germany and West Germany. Formerly annual but now run every 'odd year', so 2021 next time. A much-missed friend of ours rode it a few times early on. Not really road bike friendly despite being about 30% asphalt, due to the effects of tanks and quite a bit of overgrown concrete block paved track.
https://grenzsteintrophy.de/
That's an interesting one. Not a race though but still sounds cool (helped that I just read The Cyclist Who Went Out in the Cold).
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True, this event is an adventure, rather than a race. Google translation gives:
"Together with the Berlin Wall and the Nikolaikirchhof in Leipzig, the inner-German border ( 1,378 km in length) is perhaps the most historically significant patch of earth in the German postwar period. What kind of ideas does it trigger when you go over ground in complete freedom (after all, the GST has only a minimum of dependencies), which was mined just a few years ago and where more than 1,000 people died because they wanted to flee to freedom ? What kind of feeling does impressive nature leave behind when you know what kind of political framework it was just a few years ago? One thing is certain: this tour does not follow just one route, this trail does not just challenge your legs. But we would not be mountain bikers if we did not make driving demands on the terrain to be driven: the former German-German border strip is the longest green strip in Germany. It offers plenty of variety: starts at the sea, leads along rivers and climbs low mountain ranges. Also, this green area is the maximum of loneliness (prairie, width), which can be seen in Germany over a longer distance."
and
"The Landmark Trophy is not a race for many reasons:
1. A race is a race is a race: a ranking destroys solidarity among the riders, it promotes the use of money and the temptation to manipulate ...
2. We want to go with us and not mutate into a "race organizer"!
3. How do you want to design a 1,300 km route "cheating-free"?
4. After this kind of challenge, who needs an award ceremony with a sponsor's banner to be the winner?"
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Tenuous claim to fame: event founder Gunnar Fehlau used to be a semi-regular visitor to Larrington Towers when he lived in Brighton.
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I did RRTY once and just couldn't get that bothered about doing it again. I do commute 24 miles a day every day and it's a rare weekend where I don't do at least one ride outdoors of 3-4hrs. For me RRTY would make rides a chore for me. Getting outside in poor conditions is something I do regularly so, personally, I don't feel I need the extra motivation.
Another point, though, is that going for lots of long rides doesn't, necessarily, make you a better/faster long distance rider.
I think it depends where you're starting from. Someone who has already done a lot of long rides in most or all weathers won't gain much from a 200km monthly ride. It's not really a challenge that you'd get stuck into, as you say, just a chore unless it's a particular ride you fancy. But if a RRTY is a challenge, then it's worthwhile. You can always make it a challenge by doing a RRTY 300, 400, 600, 1000 and so on but that's time consuming.
I like to get a long, hard ride in over the Christmas holiday to keep my hand in. Just pick a 1000k or so ride that would be quite easy in summer and it'll be a hard ride in mid winter. I always appreciate having a roof over my head, warm bed and food to eat when I get home from those!
Then I hibernate until March, only coming out for any ride that takes my fancy and agree with Rob, the next thing would be to do the training to get fitter and faster.
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True, this event is an adventure, rather than a race. Google translation gives:
I wonder if this will happen more and more, with this and the Trans Atlantic Way transforming into a non race. A lot of riders on these races don't really seem to be racing and are doing it more for the adventure (some riders have told me that about themselves) and as Adrian said about his TAW, he knows that people will race it and he admits that he notes who is "winning" he just doesn't want his event classified as a race. This is because of Mike Hall and other tragedies and them being possibly related to sleep restriction and how riders will push themselves to extremes beyond rationality in the pursuit of victory (or even just a result they are after)
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It was pretty clear on TPR that many riders just wanted to make the cutoff (with a backup plan of making the party about 12 hours later). The spread of finish times was very similar to what you see on an hard+long Audax.
Having tasted the "race" thing, I currently plan to ride long "adventures" in the near future. My races will be restricted to short stuff (possibly entirely under 2 hours). But never say never of course ...
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I do question how much research some people put in before entering something challenging. I entered the Pan Celtic a few weeks back and joined the Facebook group.
Some of the questions posted the first few days showed a complete lack of understanding of the challenge involved.
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I do question how much research some people put in before entering something challenging. I entered the Pan Celtic a few weeks back and joined the Facebook group.
Some of the questions posted the first few days showed a complete lack of understanding of the challenge involved.
I chatted to two younger riders on the ferry on my way to TAW. They were pretty much novices. Never slept out before and not been cycling very long. IIRC, one of the two hadn't ridden over 200km in a day before but my memory there isn't reliable.
But they seemed to have done a reasonable job of planning (except for how they would follow the various loops in the correct order and direction) and got a pretty good set up of brand new looking kit and some decent looking bikes that didn't appear to have done big miles.
I did sometimes wonder how they got on. Not sure if I saw them at the finish with my bad memory for names and faces, or if they completed the ride. But even so, I couldn't help but have respect for them having a go and it must have been some experience for them.
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i was a novice cyclist on lel2009, nothing wrong with that. being naive but determined and resourceful can take someone very far.
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True, this event is an adventure, rather than a race. Google translation gives:
I wonder if this will happen more and more, with this and the Trans Atlantic Way transforming into a non race. A lot of riders on these races don't really seem to be racing and are doing it more for the adventure (some riders have told me that about themselves) and as Adrian said about his TAW, he knows that people will race it and he admits that he notes who is "winning" he just doesn't want his event classified as a race. This is because of Mike Hall and other tragedies and them being possibly related to sleep restriction and how riders will push themselves to extremes beyond rationality in the pursuit of victory (or even just a result they are after)
Not even the police or the coroner in Canberra suggested that Mike's death was because he was tired. Did Adrian suggest it was? I'd be very surprised and disappointed if so.
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True, this event is an adventure, rather than a race. Google translation gives:
I wonder if this will happen more and more, with this and the Trans Atlantic Way transforming into a non race. A lot of riders on these races don't really seem to be racing and are doing it more for the adventure (some riders have told me that about themselves) and as Adrian said about his TAW, he knows that people will race it and he admits that he notes who is "winning" he just doesn't want his event classified as a race. This is because of Mike Hall and other tragedies and them being possibly related to sleep restriction and how riders will push themselves to extremes beyond rationality in the pursuit of victory (or even just a result they are after)
Not even the police or the coroner in Canberra suggested that Mike's death was because he was tired. Did Adrian suggest it was? I'd be very surprised and disappointed if so.
Adrian's real point was that people will push themselves beyond rationality and to extremes when they are "racing" each other.
It's only a bike race at the end of the day.
When you're engaged in racing your brain seems to forget that fact and you behave as if it's a matter of life and death and will go to any extreme believed to be necessary. "Perspective is lost in the spirit of the chase"
Adrian doesn't want to lead people on a path he believes could push people to make extreme decisions that could have serious or fatal consequences all for the sake of a bike race. It' not just pushing through sleep restriction, also injury and illness etc.
He understands what a tough game this sort of riding is. He's just trying to keep some perspective and not have people push themselves past a certain point.
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When I heard Adrian speak on this, he was incoherent to the point of hypocrisy. I couldn't conscionably support any event run by him.
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When I heard Adrian speak on this, he was incoherent to the point of hypocrisy. I couldn't conscionably support any event run by him.
I got the impression that it was an emotional response to recent KSIs on adventure races. Maybe he just wasn't sure how to express his thoughts? I can see the contradiction. There was a bit in the briefing about Mike Hall and other riders, plus helmets, ankle bands and additional reflective tape and high viz being mandatory. I don't agree with all that but wanted to do the ride enough to ignore my disagreements. YMMV.
It was a great ride and the highlight of my year.
But you can always ride WAW, which should be just as good and probably without the extra rules.
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Yes, no extra rules for WAWA.
I took my PBP 2015 high viz gilet last time but when the zip on it failed in the rain on day 3, and I dumped it at that nights control; there was no mashing of hands and oh you must get another...
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Friend of mine pointed me at this the other day :-
https://www.twovolcanosprint.com/
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Friend of mine pointed me at this the other day :-
https://www.twovolcanosprint.com/
That looks a gorgeous route !!! Are they definitely running it next year?
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I see Adrian O'Sullivan took part in that race.
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Friend of mine pointed me at this the other day :-
https://www.twovolcanosprint.com/
If I'd had no family commitments I'd love to have done it. However, it would be tough. Not just the climbing but the short days in November mean lots of plodding along in the dark and that is always much harder than riding in daylight.
Here's a report:
https://dotwatcher.cc/race/two-volcano-sprint-2019 (https://dotwatcher.cc/race/two-volcano-sprint-2019)
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When I heard Adrian speak on this, he was incoherent to the point of hypocrisy. I couldn't conscionably support any event run by him.
I got the impression that it was an emotional response to recent KSIs on adventure races. Maybe he just wasn't sure how to express his thoughts? I can see the contradiction. There was a bit in the briefing about Mike Hall and other riders, plus helmets, ankle bands and additional reflective tape and high viz being mandatory. I don't agree with all that but wanted to do the ride enough to ignore my disagreements. YMMV.
It was a great ride and the highlight of my year.
But you can always ride WAW, which should be just as good and probably without the extra rules.
I don't know what Adrian's cycling background is, but he's just posted this about the Two Volcanos:
'Although I was out of the Official Race and skipped a section, took a 5k ride off the mountain in a car. it felt like a Race.'
It suggests to me he doesn't have a racing background so perhaps doesn't 'get' racing. I can believe that what he did felt like a hell of a ride, a really dramatic experience, etc - but can skipping a bit of the course then riding the last bit in a car really feel like racing?
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How different do those with experience find these rides in comparison to a long Audax (where I typically ride solo)? I'm not going to be at the pointy end of any event, but some of these really appeal :)
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How different do those with experience find these rides in comparison to a long Audax (where I typically ride solo)? I'm not going to be at the pointy end of any event, but some of these really appeal :)
My assumption is that there's not much difference from a long solo DIY or a no-frills calendar event where you have to look after yourself and plan properly. I'll be able to confirm or correct this around this time next year.
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So far I have just one bikepacking race under my belt. There were many similarities to an Audax, with the main exception being the time element. I chose a mountainous off-road event, which was much slower and draining than a road equivalent. The chance to have a good rest each night (I was still underway by 4am, so not exactly touring!) and not be particularly pressured by time limits was a benefit in my opinion.
It took me 10 days to complete the route. During the first few days I did see other riders, and rode with some for short periods which was good. Later on I had whole days without seeing any other riders (although I could roughly judge where they were from their trackers). Indeed it got so remote in eastern Germany that I could spend most of the day without seeing anybody whatsoever.
For off-road events, the biggest difference is the difficulty in planning each day, as the surface and type of path can vary so much. For most long-distance Audaxes I have a plan that I tend to follow, deviating by exception. Off-road I took the first few days as they came, but later in the ride I was planning the following day the night before, and adjusting my start time to ensure I reached my intended destination 'not too late'. I guess through experience you pick up an understanding of what the average speed might be, but it'll fluctuate wildly.
With that experience under my belt I have a few similar rides next year. This time I will have more practice events before the big ones, to hone equipment and my routines. I'll also be slightly more in 'race' mode, so the sleep stops might reduce.
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How different do those with experience find these rides in comparison to a long Audax (where I typically ride solo)? I'm not going to be at the pointy end of any event, but some of these really appeal :)
Incredibly similar (the terrain/route makes more difference than isthisanAudaxorarace) - of course I speak from the back of the field!
Big difference is that obviously Ultra-Racing is more cool 8)
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I’m still deeply uncomfortable being included in activities that are classed as cool.
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Now they’re letting dorks like me do ultra cycling I can only assume the cool kids are doing something new we haven’t heard about yet.
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Now they’re letting dorks like me do ultra cycling I can only assume the cool kids are doing something new we haven’t heard about yet.
;D
(I think - rather boringly - that its more that there are shitloads of events now, so they're having to widen the net to get enough riders. Have you looked into fixed gear crit racing? That's still pretty unpopular.)
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I think that's what Rob is going to do now he's bored of fixed gear time trialling.
Right Rob?
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Now they’re letting dorks like me do ultra cycling I can only assume the cool kids are doing something new we haven’t heard about yet.
;D
(I think - rather boringly - that its more that there are shitloads of events now, so they're having to widen the net to get enough riders. Have you looked into fixed gear crit racing? That's still pretty unpopular.)
It seems a bit variable. TCR as the original event is always oversubscribed. The Transalba had 500 entries for 80 spots (at least that’s what my Dear John e-mail said). The Pan Celtic took a few days to fill.
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I think that's what Rob is going to do now he's bored of fixed gear time trialling.
Right Rob?
Bike handling - no
Top end power - no
I do have a couple of bikes that would be suitable but I think not.
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Have you looked into fixed gear crit racing? That's still pretty unpopular.
Seems to be plenty of people doing it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZR6HK9xEVw
That crash is from the very corporate, not really cool anymore Red Hook Crit in 2016, so definitely not cool now. About time I took it up, really.
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How different do those with experience find these rides in comparison to a long Audax (where I typically ride solo)? I'm not going to be at the pointy end of any event, but some of these really appeal :)
It's really very similar to an audax where you are pushing yourself to get round as quickly as you can and riding solo. It just goes on a bit longer and you don't get as much support at the controls.
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How different do those with experience find these rides in comparison to a long Audax (where I typically ride solo)? I'm not going to be at the pointy end of any event, but some of these really appeal :)
The hardest part I find is the not helping others bit. As the lantern rouge on an Audax, and someone who carries quite a substantial tool kit, I often find riders with mechanicals, or navigation issues, and help them. On several audaxes this season there are riders who finished purely down to me being there. I navigated for 3 others on the Groningen 300, because they all had nav failures. On an ultrarace, you find a rider on the road, you ask "Are you ok?" "are you safe?" and then ride on, you can't offer them a spare tube, you can't hold this bit while they tighten that screw. As someone who is generally helpful, I find this hard.
I wonder in the mid field and nearer the back, if there is a bit more assistance between riders than the rules would like, stories of a rider all out of tubes and patches, and another rider "forgetting" a spare tube on the bench next to the rider with no tubes... I don't know if any of them are true, and none of them have ever mentioned riders by name.
Oh, and having to fight the usual habbit of when an ebike goes past, grabbing the wheel and hanging on for as long as possible. Fine on an audax, not fine on an ultra race...
J
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Have you looked into fixed gear crit racing? That's still pretty unpopular.
Seems to be plenty of people doing it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZR6HK9xEVw
That crash is from the very corporate, not really cool anymore Red Hook Crit in 2016, so definitely not cool now. About time I took it up, really.
Red Hook is the same series that I read about (in fact it's the only one - but then I haven't tried researching the subject). I've got a really nice (print) magazine article on them if anyone is super-interested.
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Friend of mine pointed me at this the other day :-
https://www.twovolcanosprint.com/
If I'd had no family commitments I'd love to have done it. However, it would be tough. Not just the climbing but the short days in November mean lots of plodding along in the dark and that is always much harder than riding in daylight.
Here's a report:
https://dotwatcher.cc/race/two-volcano-sprint-2019 (https://dotwatcher.cc/race/two-volcano-sprint-2019)
Another report here :-
https://www.bespokecycling.com/blog/events/two-volcano-sprint-ultracycling-ride-report