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Get you entries in soon. The closing date is July 1st.
I'll be booking a hotel either in Wrexham or Chester theday before and willing to share to cut the cost. Wrexham is nearer to the start.
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Steve,
What's the likely drill with start times for this one? Trying to plan the logistics.
Thanks,
AC
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its a 1300 start. Everyone away by 1440-ish? (based on old start sheets)
Steve,
I haven't organised any "crew" yet (but have several keen fools possibles!).
Could you give us some idea what an unsupported rider can expect (e.g. I've read about food musettes - are these a reasonable supply to subsist on)?
Can you recommend any good warm-up events in my neck of the woods?!?
p.s. I've been given some old result/start sheets - Ms Simpson wasn't slow, was she?
-
Anyone know where to get entry forms etc. from? I've had a google but can only find stuff from previous years.
-
Anyone know where to get entry forms etc. from? I've had a google but can only find stuff from previous years.
It's just the standard form:
http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/forms/CTTEntryForm.doc (http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/forms/CTTEntryForm.doc)
Make sure that you enter the tandem event, which is listed separately to the main one.
AC
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Brilliant, thank you.
I assume we both pay a separate entry fee?
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Brilliant, thank you.
I assume we both pay a separate entry fee?
I hope so - I bet you'll eat two riders' food! ;)
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Brilliant, thank you.
I assume we both pay a separate entry fee?
Yes and I think you need separate forms too. There is a bit on there for tandem riders to name their partner.
AC
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Erk, I need to join a club and get my entry in.
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Could you give us some idea what an unsupported rider can expect (e.g. I've read about food musettes - are these a reasonable supply to subsist on)?
You've never done one before and you're going to do your first one un-supported?!?!?!?
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Yeah, why not? Treat it as an audax and ride it steady.
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Yeah, why not? Treat it as an audax and ride it steady.
Have you tried riding the tandem with tri bars?
..d
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(n.b. I don't believe Liz and C are doing this unsupported, but I could be wrong...)
If I can ride for 24 hours across Wales and (partly) back without support, I think I can manage the same period up and down the A41.
But currently I'm undecided - support will most certainly increase my distance, so I need to decide what my target is, and just how much effort I want to make recruiting. The logistics are in many ways simpler unsupported (just like PBP, but with less clobber). Personally I reckon a clueless, sulky support team would detract from the ride, even if I ended up riding further. I don't expect to win any prizes for this!
The bike I'm using will work in both scenarios (although support would also allow me to bring a spare!).
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Yeah, why not? Treat it as an audax and ride it steady.
Have you tried riding the tandem with tri bars?
+1 for Charlotte's philosophy; this seems to be one event where the two disciplines cross over, riding it unsupported is no big deal to an Audax rider.
The question was serious. Soting out an alternate position, especially when you are aiming for a time (even if you are not really aiming for a time) could be useful.
..d
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Sorry; incorrect quoting, I meant +1 re riding unsupported. I did my first 600 with tri-bars and they can be a great help. I'd find it very hard to do that sort of distance on flat bars.
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Yeah, why not? Treat it as an audax and ride it steady.
+1 for Charlotte's philosophy; this seems to be one event where the two disciplines cross over, riding it unsupported is no big deal to an Audax rider.
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As it happens, we're hoping to have some support on the event.
No, I've not ridden the new tandem with tribars, but I had them on Margaret Hilda for a while and they were okay. I'm more likely to spend time on the drops than on tribars, though.
I know I can ride for 24 hours straight. So can Liz - in fact, she's far better at sleep dep than I am on a bike.
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Brilliant, thank you.
I assume we both pay a separate entry fee?
Yes and no. The solo entry is £15, whilst the tandem entry is £30. So yes you both pay, but it is £30 for both of you, not £30 each.
If it's a 1pm start we may drive up on the day. We will probably be unsupported (I can't imagine anyone I know being willing to give up a weekend to chuck food at us).
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We will probably be unsupported (I can't imagine anyone I know being willing to give up a weekend to chuck food at us).
<Love is ...>
Supporting each other on a tandem!
<pass sick bucket>
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Yeah, why not? Treat it as an audax and ride it steady.
+1 for Charlotte's philosophy; this seems to be one event where the two disciplines cross over, riding it unsupported is no big deal to an Audax rider.
I think Martin's sounding a bit keen on this event ...
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Yeah, why not? Treat it as an audax and ride it steady.
+1 for Charlotte's philosophy; this seems to be one event where the two disciplines cross over, riding it unsupported is no big deal to an Audax rider.
I think Martin's sounding a bit keen on this event ...
about as keen as LEL 2009...
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As it happens, we're hoping to have some support on the event.
Hope is the current stage; all volunteers welcome. :)
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When is it?
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26th - 27th July.
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Anyone know where to get entry forms etc. from? I've had a google but can only find stuff from previous years.
It's just the standard form:
http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/forms/CTTEntryForm.doc (http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/forms/CTTEntryForm.doc)
Here is a light-hearted tutorial from an organiser:
How to fill in an entry form - Timetrialling Forum (http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=20690)
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26th - 27th July.
Damn. I might be at the Rhayader cycling festival that weekend, otherwise I'd offer to help out.
-
Anyone know where to get entry forms etc. from? I've had a google but can only find stuff from previous years.
It's just the standard form:
http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/forms/CTTEntryForm.doc (http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/forms/CTTEntryForm.doc)
Here is a light-hearted tutorial from an organiser:
How to fill in an entry form - Timetrialling Forum (http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=20690)
That is excellent and neatly encapsulates the problems I regularly see. As an organiser I am supposed to reject wrongly filled in forms - that would be 90% and more of the field.
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We use the same form for road races and time trials, but that is becasue they are all run under scottish cycling (no RTTC up here) and charge a hefty levy. Club series are a min 4 GBP. The open tonight was 10 quid (plus 9 if not a BC member).
..d
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We use the same form for road races and time trials, but that is becasue they are all run under scottish cycling (no RTTC up here) and charge a hefty levy. Club series are a min 4 GBP. The open tonight was 10 quid (plus 9 if not a BC member).
..d
Ouch. £2.50 here up from £2.00 a few months ago for the club series.
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its a 1300 start. Everyone away by 1440-ish? (based on old start sheets)
Steve,
I haven't organised any "crew" yet (but have several keen fools possibles!).
Could you give us some idea what an unsupported rider can expect (e.g. I've read about food musettes - are these a reasonable supply to subsist on)?
Can you recommend any good warm-up events in my neck of the woods?!?
p.s. I've been given some old result/start sheets - Ms Simpson wasn't slow, was she?
Warm up events?
I don't know. I only do 24s and occasional 12 some years. I've never ridden any distance between 25 ( my last one was in 1993) and 12 hours.
Unsupported riding?
You'll be OK riding unsupported if you have the right mental approach. Some people can't handle being alone for that long. I live alone so it's no deal to me. If you can keep yourself going, then you'll be OK. It's very tough mentally, especially if you are not ised to it. Havig encouragement can make a very big difference. But' you get that from other riders and supprorters quite often. Even the 24 hour TT Gods like Wilko, Butler, the Boons and Cormak to name a few, come out to marshall or support clubmates. I often see them giving people encouragement. This aint you average time trial, this is a real event with an atmosphere.
At Prees Heath Island, there is a bag drop and feed station. Put food that you like in the bag drop incase they don't have what you want. There is another feed station at Hodnet at the roundamout with the A442? (New bypass, so won't be on an old map)
The custard tarts are very good with coffee at night. I smtimes have the hot dog sausages at Prees Heath for breakfast, while getting told off for not putting them in bread.
You don't get the same thing every year, but you usualy get unchewable energy bars which taste disgusting. They do have some sort of proper food and sandwiches. A sit down feed in the cafe in Prees Heath, which isn't much good if you don't want to stop. I've never used it.
Sheila Simpson?
She was very fast. She was riding the Mersey when I started Audaxing and she was often one of the first finishers on Audax rides. She's not as quiick as she was, but she can still shift. Very good rider is Sheila. Ladies Champion a few times. It took me 9 years to top her PB.
I've never had suppoert in a 24 and I would guess that it costs me 5-10 miles. But I don't need the mental supprt, it's only practical stuff like putting on night clothes and preparing my bottles etc.
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Sheila is still pretty bloody fast. I rode her Plains 400 km ride in May and she was going like a train then. We saw her at every control until 340 km. She was gradually getting a little bit more in front. I imagine she will have finished first. The really scary thing is every time we saw her she appeared to exclusively consume cans of coke. 400 km on just coke??!! No cake or nuffink.
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No cake? :o
I only audax for the cake... ;D
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As it happens, we're hoping to have some support on the event.
Hope is the current stage; all volunteers welcome. :)
I need to look in my diary but I think I am free that weekend. Do you want me to provide you with support?
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As it happens, we're hoping to have some support on the event.
Hope is the current stage; all volunteers welcome. :)
I need to look in my diary but I think I am free that weekend. Do you want me to provide you with support?
Would you? That would be brilliant, if you are free that weekend & it doesn't interfere with any other commitments. :-*
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<eric morecambe>
I'd lend you my support but I'm wearing it at the minute.
</eric morecambe>
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As it happens, we're hoping to have some support on the event.
Hope is the current stage; all volunteers welcome. :)
I need to look in my diary but I think I am free that weekend. Do you want me to provide you with support?
Would you? That would be brilliant, if you are free that weekend & it doesn't interfere with any other commitments. :-*
That's a done deal then. You need to let me have all the details and what you want me to bring etc in terms of food and drinks. Obviously I have stoves, kettles and so on.
The pleasure will be mine.
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As it happens, we're hoping to have some support on the event.
Hope is the current stage; all volunteers welcome. :)
I need to look in my diary but I think I am free that weekend. Do you want me to provide you with support?
Would you? That would be brilliant, if you are free that weekend & it doesn't interfere with any other commitments. :-*
That's a done deal then. You need to let me have all the details and what you want me to bring etc in terms of food and drinks. Obviously I have stoves, kettles and so on.
The pleasure will be mine.
:D
Thank you!! I will scratch my head, consult Charlotte and send you details by PM...
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Can someone with a CTT handbook PM me with the organiser's address please. I have an entry, but the online system doesn't appear to list an address for him.
Thanks,
Jasmine
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Supporting on a 24 is a bit of an art, you can never really know where your rider is and they need you most when you are at your most depleted. The real function of helpers is to stop the riders wasting time in the official feeds which are much nicer places to be than than out on the road.
Damon.
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Can someone with a CTT handbook PM me with the organiser's address please. I have an entry, but the online system doesn't appear to list an address for him.
Thanks,
Jasmine
Just to say that we got this from one of the guys in our club, so if anybody else needs it, PM me.
AC
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Anyone else riding the Mersey 24 with support?
Maybe we could combine our supproters efforts?
Liz/Charlotte, it may be handy to practice taking a bottle on the move.
Annie, you need to hold the bidon at the bottom and hold it upright.
then the snatcher can grab the bottle by the thin section three quarters of the way up the bottle. It's easier if you do this on an uphill section so that the riders are going slower when they grab the bottle*, but not too steep.
*Allthough, I have taken a bottle at 27mph before.
The officials are no longer allowed to do this. it costs me time and is a pain if you are riding without hep, to have to keep stopping to fill your bottles.
Annie, also bring two foldable as comfy as possible chairs, warm blankets, a watch to make sure they don't stop too long (you have to be mean sometimes) any food they will like.
It's worth learning some coded signals so that you have a choice of drinks to hand up. EG 2 fingers or shoutng "Two" means they want tea. You get the bidon with tea ready for them before they reach you. "One" could mean orange juice, or whatever.
Wet sponges are very good if it's hot. You basically have to do all the practical stuff for them, even dressing them will help. Marina Bloom put about 2 miles on me once, by having her support crew put her clothes on, whereas I had to jump off my bike and dress myself at the bag drop.
You'll probably need to shout at the a lot at night too.
If you can get help as a supporter, then do. It's not easy helping. The more the better, usualy.
I think that you would enjy helping Charlotte and liz on a 24. There's a good atmosphere on this event and most people tend to help each other out as much as they can.
Hope to see you there Annie :thumbsup:
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Right, I'm now a paid-up member of the Liverpool Century, and my entry will go in tomorrow. Apparently the club record stands at 420.87 miles, so I'm aiming (with no expectation of success) for 421.
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Anyone else riding the Mersey 24 with support?
Maybe we could combine our supproters efforts?
How would that work then? 3 supporters to hold out 3 different flavours of pie, err, I mean isotonic sports drink bidons?
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I believe I may have volunteered my services to Liz & Charlotte in this affair as well...
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I'm aiming (with no expectation of success) for 421.
Good luck, that is serious hard-core riding. I didn't even reach 375 miles unsupported a few years back.
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Anyone else riding the Mersey 24 with support?
Maybe we could combine our supproters efforts?
How would that work then? 3 supporters to hold out 3 different flavours of pie, err, I mean isotonic sports drink bidons?
Have the bidons prepared. (I've seen special racks for storing bidons, a bit like mini milk crates)
As the rider approaches, they shout or indicate their choice. You whip the correct bidon out of the crate and hand it up. You could wear a cycling jersey and put the bottles in your 3 rear pockets and hold 2 others in your hands. Throw the ones away that you don't want to free your hands.
It helps if the rider is going slightly up hill. Enough to slow them down to around 15 mph or less, without them needing to pull on their handlebars. Don't try and feed someone when they are barrelling down a hill at 40mph ;D
Then you do a stock replenishment to keep it going.
It does work, I've seen it done.
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I believe I may have volunteered my services to Liz & Charlotte in this affair as well...
Fab. :D
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I'm aiming (with no expectation of success) for 421.
Good luck, that is serious hard-core riding. I didn't even reach 375 miles unsupported a few years back.
A steady 20kph average including stops / breaks / toilet stops gives 300 miles. Any more than that and I'll be delighted.
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Sheila is still pretty bloody fast. I rode her Plains 400 km ride in May and she was going like a train then. We saw her at every control until 340 km. She was gradually getting a little bit more in front. I imagine she will have finished first. The really scary thing is every time we saw her she appeared to exclusively consume cans of coke. 400 km on just coke??!! No cake or nuffink.
Sheila and her cans of Coke ;D Coke is the staple fuel of Sheila. I remember her munching her way through a Kendal Mint Cake years ago. I went out and bought some. It's bloody evil stuff! :sick: She has been known to down a few Guinnesses in her time.
Yes, she still is quick, but you should have seen her in the early to mid 90s. She was even quicker then. You don't become a ladies 24 hour champion by beeing slow.
Right, I'm now a paid-up member of the Liverpool Century, and my entry will go in tomorrow. Apparently the club record stands at 420.87 miles, so I'm aiming (with no expectation of success) for 421.
Good luck Phil
See you there. I'll buy you a pint at the finish if you beat Charlotte and Liz. :thumbsup:
A steady 20kph average including stops / breaks / toilet stops gives 300 miles. Any more than that and I'll be delighted.
After what I've read about Charlotte's End to End, I reckon you'll be doing more like 400 and won't even have to pedal. ;D
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Anyone else riding the Mersey 24 with support?
Maybe we could combine our supproters efforts?
How would that work then? 3 supporters to hold out 3 different flavours of pie, err, I mean isotonic sports drink bidons?
Have the bidons prepared. (I've seen special racks for storing bidons, a bit like mini milk crates)
<snip>
Is THAT what you meant by "combining our supporters efforts"?
Did you not have a more sophisticated plan in mind?!?
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A steady 20kph average including stops / breaks / toilet stops gives 300 miles. Any more than that and I'll be delighted.
I read years ago that 300 miles was a respectable 24hr distance for a woman and 350 miles for a man. Having always been an equal rights supporter, I was aiming for 300 miles myself but went a bit quicker than expected in the first half. I didn't know my distance at the time but now I'm quite happy I just scraped over the 600 km mark. an anorak's delight
Don't just aim at pootling round, get the bit between your teeth and find out what you can really do. You are aiming to set a women's tandem competition record after all.
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Our club record is 461 miles. With that in mind, we will be aiming for 330-350 miles.
Liz - with the speed Charlotte is going at this week, bearing in mind that tandems are faster than solo, you'll probably get to 400 miles ;).
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Liz - with the speed Charlotte is going at this week, bearing in mind that tandems are faster than solo, you'll probably get to 400 miles ;).
Which brings me to a whole new thread (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=4721.new#new)...
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What you really need are musettes like the pro teams have. The helper fills it with all the goodies you've phoned ahead to order and then holds it out with the loop accessible. You ride past with an arm out, scoop it up and nothing gets dropped.
At a race a couple of years back, I watched a guy fail (on 3 separate laps) to pass up a bottle!
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Would somebody be able to PM me the organiser's address?
Edit: now sorted, thanks to andy and teethgrinder
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What you really need are musettes like the pro teams have. The helper fills it with all the goodies you've phoned ahead to order and then holds it out with the loop accessible. You ride past with an arm out, scoop it up and nothing gets dropped.
At a race a couple of years back, I watched a guy fail (on 3 separate laps) to pass up a bottle!
We always used to get them given at the start of the 24. Then they would be handed up at various points around the ride. The all-time worst thing they ever handed up were 'Frosties' bars, absolutely inedible. Safety issues and lack of helpers put paid to hand ups, last year we got a bottle from a firm of accident lawyers, in a nylon bag.
Damon.
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It's better often to hand up a mussette with one or two bidons in. Don't forget the knot an inch or two from the top of the string to stop it slipping when handed up.
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I believe I may have volunteered my services to Liz & Charlotte in this affair as well...
Fab. :D
I'm 80% sure I'll be available on that weekend too, and I'd be happy to help any or all of the yACFers in whatever capacity I can.
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It's better often to hand up a mussette with one or two bidons in. Don't forget the knot an inch or two from the top of the string to stop it slipping when handed up.
Ahhhh, I wondered why my helper had tied a knot in it on my last 12 hour!
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Entrants in the Mersey Roads 24 might want to think about joining The 24 Hour Fellowship (http://www.24hf.org/). I only noticed the organisation while riding my only Mersey Roads, they don't advertise much. Their journal is a good read, containing plenty of history, along with current long-distance road record attempts and the Mersey Roads result, of course. The 24 Hour Fellowship run the Long Distance Best-All Rounder competition, requiring riders to complete at least one each of 24 hr, 12 hr and 100 mile time trials. I rode the other distances after doing the Mersey Roads (my first British open TT), it helped that the distances kept getting shorter. Of course you have to be a member to show up in the list. You'd be surprised how many AUKs are there.
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OT diversion:
My preparations seem to be going (slightly) downhill:
Polar have just told me they cannot service my obsolete HRM, and last night I sheared my seatpost-bolt (something I thought only ever happened to Other People) so I'll have to use the other bike for my first '25' tonight - won't be much of a shakedown test using a different bike, will it?
... grumble ...
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Startsheet (http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/StartSheets.asp?ID=1475) now up on CTT website. :D
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Good spot, thanks! I'm quite excited now - this has to be more interesting than the start of Le Tour, n'est-ce pas?
(The bike shop didn't have any spare spokes for my "good" back wheel, so hopefully that's my 3-some of bad luck out of the way ... )
Are the Normans the only siblings in it? Is there a precedent?
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My forecast is for Nik Gardiner to lead for about 22 hours, only to be overtaken by the power and glory that is No 63, Barnes and Norman, who set a comp record of 540 miles. :thumbsup:
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Main points of interest are a strong VC167 presence, Mike Wigley has done it before, Mike Thompson is strong and will show well, Aidan Hedley has ridden with Steve Bateman before on Tandem and Solo, and now rides with the very strong Andy Southworth on Tandem. Joel Sothern makes a return visit from California. Marc Veorinelle from St Cyr Tri Club in St Quentin is probably the first Frenchman to ride, perhaps a RAAM hopeful. Derby Mercury and Edinburgh RC have big teams, John Warnock is one to watch as are Nikolaus Gardiner, Jose Pinon Shaw and Karl Austin. It's nice to see Jim Gresty back.
Damon.
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Main points of interest are a strong VC167 presence, Mike Wigley has done it before, Mike Thompson is strong and will show well, Aidan Hedley has ridden with Steve Bateman before on Tandem and Solo, and now rides with the very strong Andy Southworth on Tandem. Joel Sothern makes a return visit from California. Marc Veorinelle from St Cyr Tri Club in St Quentin is probably the first Frenchman to ride, perhaps a RAAM hopeful. Derby Mercury and Edinburgh RC have big teams, John Warnock is one to watch as are Nikolaus Gardiner, Jose Pinon Shaw and Karl Austin. It's nice to see Jim Gresty back.
Damon.
Quite a few foreign riders this year. Maybe because it is now a valid ride for UMCA?
My favourite is Nik Gardiner, then I think it will be between John Warnock and Jose Pinon Shaw.
Notable by their absence are Lynne Taylor, Chris Hopkinson and the Cardif Byways team. Also a lack of Willesden.
For the tandems, I reckon that the VC167 will have a comfortable victory, but I think second and third could get very close.
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Interesting to see Marina Bloom riding for Rugby CC after a few years with Walsall CC.
Damon.
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Interesting to see Marina Bloom riding for Rugby CC after a few years with Walsall CC.
Damon.
Marina used to ride for Crawley (road club/wheelers or whatever) She asked Lynne Taylor to join, but Lynne refused. (I think that Lynne is the Walsall RC president, but she had a good reason) So, Marina joined the Walsall. I think that Lynne may have retired and might explain Marina not being in the Walsall. Not unlikely, she's done a lot and rode a very good ride last year with her second fastet ever female British 24 hour. Plus her End to End, 1000 mile and numerous other RRA records. But Rugby?
Without Lynne riding, I think that Marina has to be the obvious ladies favourite. It won't be the same without Lynne though. It'll be my first Mersey when Lynne isn't riding.
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I see that there is a 'Jim Rees' off at 57, is this the guy from RAAM film?
Damon.
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Gosh, we're in illustrious company. I'm rather looking forward to it.
Is there any rule about not singing filthy songs whilst time trialling?
:D
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Gosh, we're in illustrious company. I'm rather looking forward to it.
Is there any rule about not singing filthy songs whilst time trialling?
:D
Not AFAIK, but you cannot listen to filthy songs (or songs of any nature) with a ipod where both ears have headphones on/in
..d
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44:48 52 VEDRINELLE Marc FR M VE Amicale Cycliste Méré Montfort
From the 2007 PBP results. Looks like a good bet, he would probably have been in a group to acheive that time, but he's a triathlete so he should be able to time trial. (Edit) He was in the group which came in 15 minutes behind the fastest rider, Michel Mangant.
Damon.
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Not AFAIK, but you cannot listen to filthy songs (or songs of any nature) with a ipod where both ears have headphones on/in
I know. That's a bit crap, 'cos Liz and I work well when we're listening to some banging choons.
Could we just listen to an iPod in one ear each?
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how can tandem riders start a minute apart?? <confused>
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how can tandem riders start a minute apart?? <confused>
S&S couplings :D
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Not AFAIK, but you cannot listen to filthy songs (or songs of any nature) with a ipod where both ears have headphones on/in
I know. That's a bit crap, 'cos Liz and I work well when we're listening to some banging choons.
Could we just listen to an iPod in one ear each?
Just embed the ear pieces into your helmets and have them as 'external' speakers.. Almost subliminal..
(edit: just remembered it is RTTC so no lid law - unlike SC.)
..d
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Helmets?
::-)
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Bluetooth connection into aural nerves, or phono socket behind the ear ?
</William Gibson>
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Helmets?
::-)
Don't panic - they're just "strongly advised" or somesuch.
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Bluetooth connection into aural nerves, or phono socket behind the ear ?
</William Gibson>
I'm just going to wetwire my eeePC into my frontal lobes, baby :D
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Helmets?
::-)
Don't panic - they're just "strongly advised" or somesuch.
Under RTTC rules. Unfortunately RTTC are strictly an England and Wales operation so we get stung with the full British Cycling / UCI regs, levies, need a license etc. Turn up and have a go? cost you a minimum of 13 GBP for a series event or more for an individual event (4 quid plus 9 quid day license levy). And helmets must be worn ;-(
Even so, the series has still been v. popular this year with lots of riders out.
..d
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I've booked a room here (http://www.premierinn.com/pti/pTiibsRedirect.do?INNID=WREBEE&iscsell=true[/url) for the Friday night before and the Sunday night after the race. There is a spare bed going if anyone wants it on whichever night.
PM me if you are interested. I'd reccommend the eat as much as you can breakfasts too, especialy before the ride on Saturday morning.
It is about 8 miles from the race HQ.
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So what is the drill on tandem teams having different start times for captain and stoker. Do you go on the earlier or later time?
I guess it doesn't matter a lot in the grand scheme of things, and presumably it's going to be the same protocol to finish as to start, but just curious.
AC
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The stoker just has to pedal really hard to catch the captain up, I suppose.
;)
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No, you'll be OK so long as you stay the same distance apart throughout, you'll both get the same distance for your 24 hours then ;)
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I think that Lynne may have retired
From 24hr maybe, but not completely. She's on the startsheet for the national 100m champs on 20 July. Clash of dates? I'm not sure when the Mersey 24 is exactly.
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I have looked at the website but am unable to find the address for the start, can someone please send me in the right direction?
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Mersey 24 is 26th/27th July.
Start will most likely be at Farndon, a few miles East of Wrexham (although I guess this is unofficial until we're notified). It's a small place, so finding a TT HQ shouldn't be hard - we can post exact address when we get it.
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I have looked at the website but am unable to find the address for the start, can someone please send me in the right direction?
Junction of the B5130 and Barton Road, Farndon, Cheshire.
Damon.
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Is there a map of the course anywhere? Well obviously there is but you know what I mean.
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Is there a map of the course anywhere? Well obviously there is but you know what I mean.
Not online, that I know of.
But it starts at Farndon, then you join and follow the A41 to Prees Heath roundabout (south of Whitchurch) then continue on the A41 to Tern Hill where right to Hodnet where left on the A442 almost to Telford, then retrace to Prees Heath for the day circuit which is left from the Whitchurch by pass to follow the B5476 south then left in Quina Brook, along the lane to the A49 then back up to Prees Heath. We do this circuit until it gets dark, then go back down to Hodnet and Telford and back to Prees Heath. We do this all night, then back to the day circuit again. With about 2-3 hours left, we go north along the A41 again to Handley for the finishing circuit. Rejoin the A41 (we have to go through the village to pass the timekeeper and enter the finishing circuit) then left to the B5130. Left pass the race HQ then left on the A534. Left at the top of the short hill in Cock O Barton and back to Handley.
That's roughly it, unless they change it.
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Is there a map of the course anywhere? Well obviously there is but you know what I mean.
Not online, that I know of.
But it starts at Farndon, then you join and follow the A41 to Prees Heath roundabout (south of Whitchurch) then continue on the A41 to Tern Hill where right to Hodnet where left on the A442 almost to Telford, then retrace to Prees Heath for the day circuit which is left from the Whitchurch by pass to follow the B5476 south then left in Quina Brook, along the lane to the A49 then back up to Prees Heath. We do this circuit until it gets dark, then go back down to Hodnet and Telford and back to Prees Heath. We do this all night, then back to the day circuit again. With about 2-3 hours left, we go north along the A41 again to Handley for the finishing circuit. Rejoin the A41 (we have to go through the village to pass the timekeeper and enter the finishing circuit) then left to the B5130. Left pass the race HQ then left on the A534. Left at the top of the short hill in Cock O Barton and back to Handley.
That's roughly it, unless they change it.
Thanks TG :)
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Should we expect any further details of the race arrangements in the fulness of time, or is it a turn-up and hope job?
AC
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Should we expect any further details of the race arrangements in the fulness of time, or is it a turn-up and hope job?
AC
You usualy get a booklet with the course details, race info and start sheet (Who is riding and at what time and what number you are) in the week before the ride. Probably Tuesday.
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It's all ludicrously top-secret, isn;t it? I mean, any rider not on this forum wouldn't have a clue what to expect.
I'm doing a 25 on Sunday, and the "official" word doesn't even include whether the start time is am or pm. (start sheet not arrived yet). [we phoned the organiser cos we thought this was getting silly.]
To be honest, I think this is going to be rather PBP-like - impossible to get all the info you need without hindsight (and I'm not knocking all the advice already handed out by helpful posters here). Has anyone ever won at their first attempt?
Still, I don't expect to be bothering the podium girls so I'm not too worried!
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It's all ludicrously top-secret, isn;t it? I mean, any rider not on this forum wouldn't have a clue what to expect.
I'm doing a 25 on Sunday, and the "official" word doesn't even include whether the start time is am or pm. (start sheet not arrived yet). [we phoned the organiser cos we thought this was getting silly.]
To be honest, I think this is going to be rather PBP-like - impossible to get all the info you need without hindsight (and I'm not knocking all the advice already handed out by helpful posters here). Has anyone ever won at their first attempt?
Still, I don't expect to be bothering the podium girls so I'm not too worried!
They do have to check the course before the event. There is a lot of planning in a 24 hour. You'll probably appreciate how much planning is involved when you ride the event. They get virtualy no help from cycling clubs or CTT. Some CTT people have tried to stop it being run. That's why I try and encourage people to have a go. The more people ride, the less excuse the CTT have for not running it. Having Charlotte and Liz set a new ladies tandem record will be a very good argument for it to be kept running. We can now say that 24 hour TTing is breaking new ground.
I think that in the past, most people riding a 24 would have done a considerable amount of time trialing before they rode their first 24 and knew what to do and expect. But for 24 hour TTers these days, AUK is bringing a number of riders to the scene, who wouldn't normally ride a TT, so have a much steeper learning curve.
We do have this forum, but in the old days, you got this advice down the cycling club room or on clubruns.
First timers winning?
Brian Walker came second in his first 24. Very impressive, he beat Gethin Butler, who came thrid. Andy Wilkinson won the event with his record breaking 525 mile ride!
Whoever won the first ever 24. They won their first 24 hour TT.
I think that Roy Cormack's record breaking 509 mile ride, which stood for 27 years (broken by Wilko) was his one and only 24.
Ian Butcher may have won his first ever 24. His 1998 North Road 24 was his second 24, I think.
Ian Dow may be another. Both, I think (Ian Butcher definitely) broke the 500 mile barrier on one of their rides.
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It's all ludicrously top-secret, isn;t it? I mean, any rider not on this forum wouldn't have a clue what to expect.
I'm doing a 25 on Sunday, and the "official" word doesn't even include whether the start time is am or pm. (start sheet not arrived yet). [we phoned the organiser cos we thought this was getting silly.]
To be honest, I think this is going to be rather PBP-like - impossible to get all the info you need without hindsight (and I'm not knocking all the advice already handed out by helpful posters here). Has anyone ever won at their first attempt?
Still, I don't expect to be bothering the podium girls so I'm not too worried!
We are back in the territory of 'pre-potency' you can't understand what is going on without having done the event. Savour this first experience because it adds excitement to what is, after all, a test of endurance. The 24 was run for many years by Jim Turner and he had a network of contacts which delivered such wonders as a feed station constructed from scaffolding and polythene at Hodnet. There was a dedicated feeding team which largely organised itself and lots of volunteer helpers. These came from the two great peaks inthe cycle demographic, the post war cycle boom and the unemployment linked group from the early 70s and 80s. The older group is now fading away and the younger are busy with their lives. The result is that TTs are not as intensively organised or well attended as they were.
Another interesting aspect is the age profile of the participants, two of the riders entering for the first time are 45, one was in the first 10 in PBP and the other has finished RAAM solo twice. I know that there is a new organiser for the 24 this year so I'm expecting a little 'bedding in'. Mersey Roads as a club does not exist, but is a federation of local clubs which come together to run a number of events, the 24 being one of them. If the Mersey Roads 24 ever folds I have always thought that a similar event would best be organised in the Scottish Borders or the Northern Highlands. I'm terribly unreliable at organising things, so I'm always appreciative of anyone who puts themselves out so that others can enjoy themselves.
Damon.
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It's all ludicrously top-secret, isn;t it? I mean, any rider not on this forum wouldn't have a clue what to expect.
I'm doing a 25 on Sunday, and the "official" word doesn't even include whether the start time is am or pm. (start sheet not arrived yet). [we phoned the organiser cos we thought this was getting silly.]
They do have to check the course before the event. There is a lot of planning in a 24 hour. You'll probably appreciate how much planning is involved when you ride the event. They get virtualy no help from cycling clubs or CTT.
I guess my frustration is more about the Secret World of Time Trialling in general. I'm damn sure a 24 takes a lot of planning!
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Had a nice little booklet in the post today which seems to give all of the info needed and settles a few concerns. Any thoughts on the Cafe at Prees Island as a viable option for self supporting folk? Our game plan will probably be to stop 3 times at 6, 12 and 18 hours for a proper meal at each and fresh water. Is the turnaround on hot food quick enough for this to be viable?
Also if it's written down I've missed it, but is the route way-marked or should we carry a route sheet?
Thanks,
AC
(Feeling a little better about doing this now).
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Also if it's written down I've missed it, but is the route way-marked or should we carry a route sheet?
There are people at every turn telling you which way to go. You should call out your number to them.
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Had a nice little booklet in the post today which seems to give all of the info needed and settles a few concerns. Any thoughts on the Cafe at Prees Island as a viable option for self supporting folk? Our game plan will probably be to stop 3 times at 6, 12 and 18 hours for a proper meal at each and fresh water. Is the turnaround on hot food quick enough for this to be viable?
Also if it's written down I've missed it, but is the route way-marked or should we carry a route sheet?
Thanks,
AC
(Feeling a little better about doing this now).
I got mine today too, that's it, thats all you get.
Firstly, the bit in the book thats says there is food at the start HQ. Don't expect a good meal. Eat well before you arive and bring food with you. You don't want to faff around in queues. I don't remember there ever being much food around at the start, it's usualy just energy bars and stuff.
You can get your water t the feed stations (Prees Island and Hodnet) Hodnet is only a night feed station. It's early on in the day section and the day circuit is only about 13 miles so you pass Prees Island in under an hour per lap.
I've never used the cafe in a race so don't know about the speed of food. As a visitor of the cafe while not racing, it's pretty good, but I know faster. But not many. You'll lose about 4 minutes going in and out of the cafe because it's off the road. By the time you've ridden there (about 30 meters) and faffed around, I reckon 2 minutes each way.
Just a brief sit down can be enough. I generally aim to break the ride into 4 6 hour sections. Andy Wilkinson was helping a clubmate last year and told him to break the ride into 4 hour sections and have a short rest every 4 hours. He rode over 400 miles.
No routesheet needed. Listen to the Marshals, they may turn you around so that you miss some of the course. They aim to keep the riders close together so that marshals don't have to wait at a roundabout for hours for a single rider. (That's why your distance at the finish may not be correct, they have to take note of who went where and add all the distances up, they barely have enough time to do it right for the top distances and the others are all rushed)
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I've booked a room here (http://www.premierinn.com/pti/pTiibsRedirect.do?INNID=WREBEE&iscsell=true[/url) for the Friday night before and the Sunday night after the race. There is a spare bed going if anyone wants it on whichever night.
PM me if you are interested. I'd reccommend the eat as much as you can breakfasts too, especialy before the ride on Saturday morning.
It is about 8 miles from the race HQ.
Just to be different, I'm staying at the Other Lot's hotel:
Travelodge - Directions and map (http://www.travelodge.co.uk/search_and_book/directions_map.php?hotel_id=194)
(only booked Friday night so far) 12 noon checkout, which I intend to make maximum use of.
Toothy's hotel has no cheap rooms left.
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I've booked a room here (http://www.premierinn.com/pti/pTiibsRedirect.do?INNID=WREBEE&iscsell=true[/url) for the Friday night before and the Sunday night after the race. There is a spare bed going if anyone wants it on whichever night.
PM me if you are interested. I'd reccommend the eat as much as you can breakfasts too, especialy before the ride on Saturday morning.
It is about 8 miles from the race HQ.
Just to be different, I'm staying at the Other Lot's hotel:
Travelodge - Directions and map (http://www.travelodge.co.uk/search_and_book/directions_map.php?hotel_id=194)
(only booked Friday night so far) 12 noon checkout, which I intend to make maximum use of.
Toothy's hotel has no cheap rooms left.
Travel Inn don't do cheap deals like the Travelodge do. But they have a pub on site, which will serve food till late, plus you get an eat all you can breakfast for £5. Still cheaper to go to Travelodge and stock up for your breakfast, but even I like some luxury sometimes. I just prefer Travel Inns.
Still a bed going on Friday night if anyone wants it. Maybe Sunday too if mattc doesn't want it.
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Heather's just been chatting to the organiser and we're down to marshal at the turn to Shawbirch from 10pm on. Riders should start coming off the Quina Brook circuit at 9pm. All riders to do the Shawbirch leg apparently, last year the surface on that leg was very wearing and felt like it dropped the speed by 1mph.
Damon.
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Edit: will be available to help but awaiting instructions.
Not booked hotel for the Fri evening yet.
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I am commited to an Audax during the day but may be able to help Saturday night.
If I get to Prees Heath approx 2100 hrs Saturday who/where should I make myself known?
Perhaps someone might PM a mobile number to contact?
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Edit: will be available to help but awaiting instructions.
<AOL>
Is it a 13:00 start?
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I am commited to an Audax during the day but may be able to help Saturday night.
If I get to Prees Heath approx 2100 hrs Saturday who/where should I make myself known?
Perhaps someone might PM a mobile number to contact?
I think there are maybe 3 ways for "part-time" support like yourself to help:
- Make yourself available to any (YACF) rider i.e. have water, energy food, shelter, (spare windproof?), shoulder to cry on, to hand. We'll need some way to identify you e.g. flag, vehicle reg no. OR
- Go and help an existing crew. (e.g. I could do with some night cover for my guy so he can grab some uninterrupted sleep for an hour or two- I don't want both of us to be grumpy on Sunday morning!). You'd need to be able to contact us. OR
- Be available for unsupported rider(s) - bit like option 1 & 2, I guess.
Note this is NOT based on experience, just on how I see myself co-ordinating things from my position of ignorance.
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Edit: will be available to help but awaiting instructions.
<AOL>
Is it a 13:00 start?
First rider is off at 1300.
Phil Norman #21 is off at 1321 (being #20, I'll have to pedal extra fast so that he doesn't catch me)
Charlotte and Liz are last ones off at 1403.
You'll need to ask the marshals where they have been sent. Not everyone does exactly the same route because they try and keep all the riders reasonably close together.
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Heather and I will be around in the afternoon, later on we'll be on the night circuit, marshalling at the Espley Island. I've been to Ribble Cycles today and got a number of 19 to 23 mm tubes so if anyone needs spares I'll have some at £2.50 each, only standard valve stem length so will not suit deep section rims. We'll bring bikes along, Heathers will suit someone 5 foot eight and mine someone over 6 foot two, if you find yourself with wheel problems we will have nine speed shimano and eight speed campagnolo. We'll give you a wave as you come past.
Damon.
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Is there a map of the course anywhere? Well obviously there is but you know what I mean.
Not online, that I know of.
But it starts at Farndon, then you join and follow the A41 to Prees Heath roundabout (south of Whitchurch) then continue on the A41 to Tern Hill where right to Hodnet where left on the A442 almost to Telford, then retrace to Prees Heath for the day circuit which is left from the Whitchurch by pass to follow the B5476 south then left in Quina Brook, along the lane to the A49 then back up to Prees Heath. We do this circuit until it gets dark, then go back down to Hodnet and Telford and back to Prees Heath. We do this all night, then back to the day circuit again. With about 2-3 hours left, we go north along the A41 again to Handley for the finishing circuit. Rejoin the A41 (we have to go through the village to pass the timekeeper and enter the finishing circuit) then left to the B5130. Left pass the race HQ then left on the A534. Left at the top of the short hill in Cock O Barton and back to Handley.
That's roughly it, unless they change it.
I think this shows the main points of the route:
Google - Almost Telford to Cock O Barton Hill (http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=12530830849044814366,52.718400,-2.524710%3B4389113692226742763,52.951350,-2.680270%3B5400186305340415375,52.888013,-2.690470%3B144175852617632835,52.928567,-2.660920%3B12211266954161243059,53.114004,-2.796479&saddr=A442+%4052.718400,+-2.524710&daddr=Ternhill,+Moreton+Say,+United+Kingdom+to:B5476%2FTilstock+Rd+%4052.951350,+-2.680270+to:Unknown+road+%4052.888013,+-2.690470+to:A49+%4052.928567,+-2.660920+to:Whitchurch+Rd+%4053.114004,+-2.796479+to:Bruera+to:churton+to:Barton&sll=53.128646,-2.842026&sspn=0.111446,0.256805&ie=UTF8&ll=52.935397,-2.621613&spn=0.447784,1.560059&z=10)
This is last year's official routesheet:
CTT (http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/startsheets.asp?Month=200707&Page=1&ID=1005)
I think this year is the same, but they've tweaked the finish circuit ever so slightly.
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I have now ridden with Aiden on the Tandem (Borderline 600), Mersey Roads here we come.
Must go and carbo load [1]
Andy S
[1] Thwaites Bitter
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Heather and I will be around in the afternoon, later on we'll be on the night circuit, marshalling at the Espley Island. I've been to Ribble Cycles today and got a number of 19 to 23 mm tubes so if anyone needs spares I'll have some at £2.50 each.
Thanks Damon. This is my first "24" and I have a recurring nightmare that I carry 1 spare tube and get 2 punctures before I reach the sanctuary of my car.
I'll give you and Heather a wave on my way past although I'll be going quite fast. ;)
I'm # 32.
Graeme Wyllie
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Lighting Up Question:
I'm wondering how likely it is to be "caught out" without lights after the curfew?
My guess is that we'll be kept on the Quina Brook circuit until dark, then only lit riders will be allowed to continue onto the Telford Loop.
That way you'll only ever be risking another-12-miles without your lights on if you pass your bag-drop/support near dusk.
Is that about right? Is there a curfew time declared beforehand, will a "lighting official" wave a special flag, or is common sense applied (somehow)?
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Dunno. When I did support, we lit our riders well before dark.
Liz and I are on Solidlights, so they'll be on the bike the whole time. Ditto the Cateye blinkies on the back.
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Dunno. When I did support, we lit our riders well before dark.
Liz and I are on Solidlights, so they'll be on the bike the whole time. Ditto the Cateye blinkies on the back.
What, you mean you only have the one bike for day and night?
Bloody amateurs ...
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:D
The real dilemma is; when I fettle the bike tonight and set up the tribars - do I leave the fairy lights from the Dunwich Dynamo on?
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Definitely.
Or at least the flashy LED wires, if not the ones on the rack.
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I may rig the EL wire onto the rack so it doesn't interfere with the S&S couplings. We have red, white and blue - club colours, y'see...
Has there ever been a bike with a rack on the National 24? We need somewhere to put the bag with all the cake in :D
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Has there ever been a bike with a rack on the National 24? We need somewhere to put the bag with all the cake in :D
Heather Swift rode in 1999 with her bike in full PBP rig; mudguards, dynamo and rack. Joe Applegarth had the same and I think a pannier last year. Someone will be riding a bike in full touring rig. I'm sure.
Re lights, the bag drop is at Prees Island, this is on the Quina Brook circuit and the night circuit so just stop and pick up lights or change bike as conditions dictate.
The tubes I got from Ribble are in fact long stem so are suitable for all rims.
We'll bring all our lights as possible spares and our stock of AA batteries.
Damon.
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Lighting Up Question:
I'm wondering how likely it is to be "caught out" without lights after the curfew?
My guess is that we'll be kept on the Quina Brook circuit until dark, then only lit riders will be allowed to continue onto the Telford Loop.
That way you'll only ever be risking another-12-miles without your lights on if you pass your bag-drop/support near dusk.
Is that about right? Is there a curfew time declared beforehand, will a "lighting official" wave a special flag, or is common sense applied (somehow)?
More like a risk of 40 miles loop if you don't pick your lights up.
I keep my lights mounted for the whole event. Any time I gain from not carrying them will be lost by having to stop and put them on my bike. I'd probably lose more than I gained from not carrying them.
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A lull in workload & an improving weather outlook has pursuaded me to get away for a few days so I will not be attending.Apologies for absence.
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Everything is now ready, the cake is in the oven, I have directions. I will be leaving tomorrow morning.
I can provide text updates if necessary, is anyone willing to receive them?
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Everything is now ready, the cake is in the oven, I have directions. I will be leaving tomorrow morning.
I can provide text updates if necessary, is anyone willing to receive them?
I can, Annie, but I'll be away from the PC for most of Saturday afternoon (sis-in-law's 60th bash). What time do they start riding?
Edit: just read the answer to my own question upthread.
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Everything is now ready, the cake is in the oven, I have directions. I will be leaving tomorrow morning.
I can provide text updates if necessary, is anyone willing to receive them?
perhaps set up a Twitter site ?
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Everything is now ready, the cake is in the oven, I have directions. I will be leaving tomorrow morning.
I can provide text updates if necessary, is anyone willing to receive them?
perhaps set up a Twitter site ?
erm a wot?
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Everything is now ready, the cake is in the oven, I have directions. I will be leaving tomorrow morning.
I can provide text updates if necessary, is anyone willing to receive them?
perhaps set up a Twitter site ?
erm a wot?
'tis a form of Automatic Diary, wrought in wondrous fashion from the Liver of the Elephant by the Natives of Accrington San Francisco. You can keep fags in it update it with the text-o-thing on one's portable wireless device.
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Everything is now ready, the cake is in the oven, I have directions. I will be leaving tomorrow morning.
I can provide text updates if necessary, is anyone willing to receive them?
I can, Annie, but I'll be away from the PC for most of Saturday afternoon (sis-in-law's 60th bash).
I'm not sure how much info there will be - it's not like Audax where you can tell when people have reached certain controls. I suspect the only info that will be officially declared will be the 100 mile times, and I'm not even sure that will be displayed in "real time".
So updates might be of the form:
67 - still riding
1 - packed
0 - RTAs.
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Right folks, I'm probably offline until next week, so good luck if I don't see you first.
(I don't think any ACFers are close to my start time, so we'll probably pass at some odd times - Phil and Steve should see me as I head down to Telford the first time, I think).
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Look forward to seeing you there Matt, I won't be online now til Sunday night or Monday morning.
Good luck to you all.
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Route is available at here: Clicky (http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/startsheets.asp?Month=&Page=1&ID=1475)
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Charlotte and Liz are breathing down the neck of their Twickers clubmate John Warnock. They'll need to remove the rack and mudguards if they want to have a realistic chance of catching him for 5 minutes.
:)
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Remove our mudguards?
You can take our fairy lights, Sir - but you'll never take our mudguards!
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Remove our mudguards?
You can take our fairy lights, Sir - but you'll never take our mudguards!
Remove teh Fairy Lights and I shall go hoem and get drunk in peaec.
(Hic)
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It's a very long tandem but its a bit of a worry that according to the start sheet they are starting a minute apart ;D
http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/startsheets.asp?Month=&Page=1&ID=1475 (http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/startsheets.asp?Month=&Page=1&ID=1475)
Good luck to you both
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Right, we're about to pack the car and head off.
Wish us luck!!
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Knock 'em dead kiddas. :thumbsup:
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Goodluck!
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A belated "good luck" and "you're mad"!
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Hello. Elleigh and Annie here. Mega10, Charlotte & Liz, Andy & Jasmine, the VC167 gang and Teethgringer have all started. We past C&L and A&J on our way to the Prees Heath pit stop. They were going great guns. Just waiting for them at prees now. Annie is preparing sandwiches and drink fo them. Will up date with more news soon.
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Mega10 has arrived at the pit stop. C&L are due in any minute. Phil (Mega10) is in good spirits and doing well.
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Good luck to all riding. A lovely day for it!
Kudos to the support crew as well.
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Good luck alll of you, wish I was there :)
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Good luck everyone!
*Worst thing about YACF is I read threads like this, and think I should have a go at this next year. Fortunately next year is LEL so it will have to wait a year ;D
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Annie says thanks for all the texts. We're a bit busy atm tending the walking wounded, giving massages, putting cream on sore bits and putting food into people.
Mr Wow, your daughter is busy kissing blokes on bikes. Moral support we will have you know.
More news later.
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Moral or morale?
I wouldn't like to think of any daughter of mine as being moral.
As long as it's only their morale she's raising that's OK! ;)
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Would you please be ever so kind Elle and let the boys and girls know that I'm about to go and get in a nice comfy bed? ;)
Anyhow, I'm out for over 9 hours tomorrow, so I won't see this again until after they've finished, so good luck!
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Thanks Gonz. It's kind of you to let us know.
Just seen Y lee G, he's going great guns.
Steve A has found a second wind.
Charlotte and Liz are in and both going good
Mr Wow. It was definitely MORAL.
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Gonz. Charlotte has just called you a rude name.
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Teethgrinder, Charlotte and Liz have been in and gone back out again. Jasimine and Andy have just arrived. Phil is sleeping. It's very very foggy here, but they are all doing brilliantly.
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MattC is also doing ok. V126 crew are all going strong too
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So only another 5 or so hours to go now?
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Cheering you all on from Norfolk. Go go go all yACFers.
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Liz and Charlotte are now on their last lap before starting the finishing circuit route. Liz has been having some leg trouble but is doing amamingly well. She one brave and determined lady. Charlotte is as strong as ever. Jasmine and Andy were last seen flying past Prees Heath Island. Teethgrinder has done a quick change and went straight back out again.
All are doing fabulously well.
We've also managed to catch sight of Y lee G and H Exile, but didn't manage to sing cum by yah (sp?)
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Just heard from Annie. Message read:-
"My girls are heroes. Flying along. Nearly 480kms. Hot day. Vc167 r flying. Jasmine n andy r gng like a steam train. Phil worked very hard. x"
That seems to me like an amazing performance, especially in this heat.
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Text from Charlotte her and Liz have set a new Tandem record of 325 miles :thumbsup:
I'm having a celebratory beer on their behalf ;D ;D
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Had a word with Annie and another with Charlotte. All pretty emotional by all accounts. A brilliant ride by C & L, faced with pain, sleep deprivation etc. Brilliant rides by others too.
Annie has had an exhausting night. She was near Stoke last time we spoke and I think her next port of call is Corley services. After she leaves the M6 she's on the A14 and that leads almost straight to her door.
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Text from Charlotte her and Liz have set a new Tandem record of 325 miles :thumbsup:
I'm having a celebratory beer on their behalf ;D ;D
Bloody hell! Well done. I'll raise a glass to them too ;D :thumbsup:
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I think Annie said that Andy & Jasmine did over 500k and that some of the VC167 bods did even more. It just doesn't bear thinking about.
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They picked a helluva weekend to hold the 24; I was only out for 9 hours today, but had to stop in the shade twice and even then felt woosy. I really feel sorry for you lot who were out for 24 hours!
Congrats btw!
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Only just realised this was going on. Fantastic effort by everyone by all accounts :thumbsup:
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We're just back from the 24 , the results were in some disarray due to a wide spread, with many riders doing less than the usual distances. There were certainly more riders doing the 24 as their first time trial and treating it as more of a randonnee. Traditional time triallists ride steadily and by expressing their performance graphically, any discrepancies in recording of numbers of laps of circuits can be easily identified. Randonneurs, especially in the demanding conditions of this weekend, are more erratic, taking long breaks and and experiencing low spots and purple patches. This puts an onus on the marshals to correctly record the riders passing them. Heather and I found that many riders numbers were poorly displayed and some riders did not shout their numbers. The only certainty when we left was that Nik Gardiner had won, that Rose Leith had won the ladies prize (the other solo lady Did Not Finish .) and that her ride was a new Irish record (no previous ride for an Irish Woman) Charlotte and Liz's record was also a new record. Charlotte and Liz pulled out an amazing last lap of the finishing circuit. So amazing that they went into a sector where the signs were being removed. I sensed Charlotte was a bit irritated at being underestimated, quite right too.
The weekend was one where it paid for support teams to have a strong relationship with their riders built up in 100 mile, 12 hour and 24 hour rides in varied conditions and to be very mobile. Most crews were moving forward between 10 and 20 miles at a time to service their riders. Riders frequently have to be tricked into eating and drinking what is good for them and lied to about their performance and appearance. The yACF team seemed to be doing a great job in difficult circumstances and I hope it forms the basis for a tradition at the distance to rival such great clubs as Derby Mercury and Walsall Roads.
Damon.
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It was great to have the experience of Mr Larrington and DKahn400 on the support team. Having cycled lots of miles, lots of times, they knew just what to do, just when it was needed. :)
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Text from Charlotte her and Liz have set a new Tandem record of 325 miles :thumbsup:
And 5 AUK points is useful for an SR2000. :)
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Text from Charlotte her and Liz have set a new Tandem record of 325 miles :thumbsup:
I'm having a celebratory beer on their behalf ;D ;D
:thumbsup:
Congratulations! A pity there are no tandem events in the Olympics...
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Very well done Charlotte and Liz: a hell of an achievement physically and mentally. :)
I look forward to reading about it.
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(http://www.planet-smilies.de/a_smilies/award_1.gif)
Congratulations! Well done! (http://img246.imageshack.us/img246/8399/thumbsup4kk.gif)
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Text from Charlotte her and Liz have set a new Tandem record of 325 miles :thumbsup:
And 5 AUK points is useful for an SR2000. :)
apparently not I enquired about this last year you have to have done it in 2000;
congrats to all yacfer's who finished ;)
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And 5 AUK points is useful for an SR2000. :)
apparently not I enquired about this last year you have to have done it in 2000;
I did a 500 km permanent (Les Lowe's Edge to Edge) in 2003 to get a SR2000. I had to pay for the medal, the medals were free in 2000.
IMHO, a 24hr TT is different to a brevet but there is a lot of overlap with the way AUK rules are drafted and interpreted.
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And 5 AUK points is useful for an SR2000. :)
apparently not I enquired about this last year you have to have done it in 2000;
I did a 500 km permanent (Les Lowe's Edge to Edge) in 2003 to get a SR2000. I had to pay for the medal.
I did a SR and another 600 which should have qualified; although I'm happy with the ACP medal to go with my other 2; I only ever collect one medal per ride / award
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Outstanding. Truly impressive stuff.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2149/2305437662_80db5d17c1_m.jpg)
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IMHO, a 24hr TT is different to a brevet but there is a lot of overlap with the way AUK rules are drafted and interpreted.
You'd have liked the weather over the weekend Dave 13.5 Hours of sun on saturday, highs of 28c lows of 13c overnight. One time Oz resident and two times RAAM finisher Jim Rees was waxing wise about sunscreen, he packed at 70 miles. 50 year old Californian, Joel Sothern did over 440 miles entirely unsupported, other than Heather and me handing up sponges about 5 times in the whole ride. Awesome. Also awsome was Steve Abraham's consistent 1 hour 59 min times on four succesive 40 mile laps of the night circuit. It was like watching a metronome.
Damon.
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Just got in, and am surprisingly unknackered. Major big-ups to all the yacf riders; especially Phil, who had enough sense to pack. Even more major big-ups to the support mob - Dave Kahn, Elleigh, Roger (MattC's dad), the Gregory tribe of VC167'ers and especially Den Mother Annie who is amazingly organised even after a sleepless night, as well as being (in the nicest possible way) a complete loonhouse :thumbsup:
I am now going to collapse in front of Le Tour. Drinkohol may be involved.
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I did a SR and another 600 which should have qualified; although I'm happy with the ACP medal to go with my other 2; I only ever collect one medal per ride / award
From what I read, only a 500km ride counts. You can't substitute a longer ride.
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Well Done chapesses and chaps :P some of tis afternoons beers can surely be dedicated to you (especially as I've only done 50 today)
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We are back, we've had some chips and about to collapse in bed.
I think my foot may need amputating, in which case I'd like SPD cleats on the prosthetic please. (Actually, I've worked out what the problem was).
Proper ride report when I can type straight, but enormous thanks to Annie in particular for her amazing support, and to Elleigh and the Daves especially for cuddling me when I was in a state this morning.
:-* all round.
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:thumbsup: Chapeau all of you :thumbsup:
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Chapeau!
If your serious my ex makes prosthetics at the Douglas Bader Clinic, Roehampton - I could have a word....... other than that - Bl**dy well done! Both of you!
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Not serious about the prosthetic (I hope) it just feels that bad at the moment. Be right as rain after some sleep. :)
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Not serious about the prosthetic (I hope) it just feels that bad at the moment. Be right as rain after some sleep. :)
I guess nam-nams would be most welcome right now...
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I actually know three riders with one leg, "each that is"
Two rode my Grimpeur, one has a prosthetic complete with artificial knee joint and clip, thee other just rode with one leg.
Also one of our Catford CC riders has one leg with a prosthetic leg and uses toe straps still, he still rode a 28.30 10TT on Saturday at 65 :thumbsup:
http://www.catfordcc.co.uk/index.html (http://www.catfordcc.co.uk/index.html)
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Also awsome was Steve Abraham's consistent 1 hour 59 min times on four succesive 40 mile laps of the night circuit.
Incredible.
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I did a SR and another 600 which should have qualified; although I'm happy with the ACP medal to go with my other 2; I only ever collect one medal per ride / award
From what I read, only a 500km ride counts. You can't substitute a longer ride.
I was told 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 only, no substitutions.
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Also awsome was Steve Abraham's consistent 1 hour 59 min times on four succesive 40 mile laps of the night circuit.
Incredible.
The principal contender. Nik Gardiner was going round the same circuit at 1hour 50 minutes and his support team were very motivated, we saw them disappearing down the Shawbirch leg, which is 20 miles long, there and back, so he was probably being met at 10 to 15 mile intervals. Neil Skellern, John Warnock and Karl Austin were also circulating at a 20 mph average in the night. Nik's team also managed to hand up two bottles without Nik slowing much, using two successive runners, tending to suggest that he was using liquid feed and plain water, which he may have been pouring over himself for cooling, when it was needed during the day.
Damon.
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Also awsome was Steve Abraham's consistent 1 hour 59 min times on four succesive 40 mile laps of the night circuit.
Incredible.
Just thinking about that again: f*ckin incredible! Oh to be able to do 160 miles like that.
The principal contender. Nik Gardiner was going round the same circuit at 1hour 50 minutes
Impressed +++
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Also awsome was Steve Abraham's consistent 1 hour 59 min times on four succesive 40 mile laps of the night circuit.
Incredible.
Just thinking about that again: f*ckin incredible! Oh to be able to do 160 miles like that.
Yes and he was riding fixed!
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Yes and he was riding fixed!
Marin Bloom, the expected main contender for the ladies prize, also rode fixed, 89 inch, and was going well initially, she retired around the 12 hour mark after her pace dropped below 20 mph, she may have been trying for the ladies record, 461.45 miles. Karl Austin won the event on fixed in 1999 with 448.16 miles, a year when there were three 24s and the National was in Brighton, 90 inch rings a bell, but I wouldn't swear to it. Andy Wilkinson still holds the overall with 525.07 miles on a Giant MCR with a 'Superman' position. Andy worked with Mike Burrows to come up with a bike which enabled him to have his knees close together without brushing the frame, as this is one of the secrets of good aerodynamics.
Damon.
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Oh my crikey, I'm in a little world of hurt this morning :(
Mind you, my aches and pains pale into insignificance in comparison to how Liz is feeling this morning. When I went off to work, I had to leave her in bed with a cup of tea and a handful of Ibuprofen and I'm sure that as sure as she's compos mentis again, she'll have the laptop up and running.
Although Simon Doughty and I supported some riders a few years ago and I knew what the HQ, the course and the facilities looked like, I was still quite taken aback by the "amateur" feel to it all. I mean - here you are, with a once in a year event, bringing together some of the hardest men and women on the cycling scene, and the pre-ride facilities run to a greasy burger and a shabby looking loo.
That's not to say that the Mersey Roads club don't do an amazing job; the event is very, very slick indeed. It's just a reflection of the fact that 24 hour racing is such a specialised scene, that this year there were only sixty-three entries. When we arrived, sixty-two of them appeared to know what they were doing...
After signing on and getting our goodie bag (containing a banananana, a bar, a gel and a bottle of readymix SiS) we went and got Josephine put together. Although we're not too shabby at working the S&S couplings now, it's still a fifteen minute job to get her built up and tested, so we wanted to be sure that she was good to go before we were.
We met our clubmate John Warnock up at the start line, looking surprisingly sanguine for a chap who was about to put himself through such a protracted period of what can only be described as hell on wheels. He was fiddling with his silly Rudy Project TT helmet (the kind with the bug eye glasses built in) and suggested that as soon as the official photos had been taken, he was going to toss it in a hedge for his support crew to collect as it wasn't very comfortable.
Despite being a couple of numpties on a touring tandem with fairylights, Liz and I were given the full "held up and pushed off" treatment by the timekeepers. I was careful to zero my GPS at the crucial moment and then we were off. I'm not entirely sure of the need for a racing start on a 24, but it looks good for the photos and adds to the sense of occasion, so why not I suppose...
We went well to start off with. Too well, really. The problem with being last off in a time trial is that you've got the red mist telling you to see if you can catch the riders in front. In our case, this was Andy and Jasmine, so we had no hope of that, but we did have George "McNasty" Berwick in our sights as easy prey.
The other problem is that two reasonably fit riders on a tandem can go jolly fast indeed. In fact, for every extra percent effort we put in, Josephine rewarded us with a surge in speed. We were cruising along at 38kmh for much of the first hour and having what can only be described as a whale of a time.
For those not in the know, there are three circuits on the Mersey Roads. There's the "out to Telford and back" loop and the shorter Quina Brook circuit. Both pass Prees Island and Lynn's Raven cafe and it was here that the incomparable Annie had set up shop with the rest of Team YACF. The plan was that Liz and I would mark Prees on the GPS and Liz would call Annie when we were 5km away with what we wanted to eat and drink so she could prepare bottles and food for when we came in.
That worked well enough for the first few hours. We rode our first century in a smidgen over six hours and our first 200k in well under eight. The heat was fierce and we were both working hard to keep the hydration going in. I dislike the taste of SiS Go at the best of times, but we knew how vital it was not to get dehydrated or low on electrolytes.
We caught up with McNasty soon enough. Although he was a force to be reckoned with in his day, he's very much the tortoise to the fast boys' hares in the MR24 nowadays. What surprised me was how when Liz and I pulled in to get food and drink, he'd just wobble past and keep going. We played cat and mouse with him on a number of occasions and for a man riding a bike that appeared to be made out of parts scrounged from skips and I was very impressed indeed. To describe his style as smooth would be to lie horribly, though. His pedaling style produced a sort of lurching wobble on each revolution and I'm sure that he did an extra 25% on top of us all just through the sinusoidal pattern his wheels will have carved.
The fast boys were amazing though. Liz and I were riding on our limit on a number of occasions. We were giving it everything and hooning along at speeds I didn't think we'd be ever capable of.
Then we'd get passed by a Warnock or a Gardiner and it would be like we were standing still. I mean - these blokes are quite phenomenal. You can't mistake the rumble of the disk wheel as some nutter on a lo-pro bike comes up on your tail. They make this thrum-thrum noise on the tarmac and I swear if you listen carefully you can hear them cutting through the air as they blast past.
When we were pulled over at Prees Island, one of the best things was watching the real racers power round the roundabout. Twelve, eighteen, twenty hours into the race and they'd still be pulling out of the saddle to squeeze that last bit of oomph out of the corner. They're all bloody amazing.
After a long day's racing, our double century fell in the fourteenth hour and it was at about 4am that we decided to pull into Prees for me to have a rest. Liz can go without sleep for longer, but as captain, it was my call. I wasn't too woozy, but with a 40 mile loop out to Telford and back, I didn't want to be getting the dozies in the middle of nowhere. Fifteen minutes in the back of Annie's car with a blanket was what was called for, followed by a caffeine pill of Larringtonian proportions.
Whilst we were there, we learned that Phil had packed. He did bloody well, but said he wasn't enjoying himself and I think it was the right call. Next year, maybe Phil?
After our snooze, we had a great ride out to Telford and back. The dawn was breaking and the mist was cooling us down a treat. We were still going well and managing to snack on the bike. I was getting the best part of a bottle an hour down me and although this meant stopping for the odd rural pee, being properly hydrated really made the difference to my ride.
Unfortunately, some while after that, it all started to go wrong. Liz was in some pain with her shin. We now know that the cause of it was her SPD sandals being too tight over a tendon in her left ankle and this caused some swelling and discomfort which just got too much for her to carry on with. I thought it might be the end of her ride, but when we got back to Prees again; I handed her over to Annie and the gang to look after whilst I took the opportunity to get some more shut-eye. Although my stoker was hurting badly, I knew that I couldn't help much so I resolved that if she restarted, I'd be as strong as I could be for her.
We were probably stopped for at least an hour and a half whilst Annie iced and elevated Liz's leg. She looked like a mummy, wrapped up in all the blankets. Eventually, someone came to wake me up and tell me that a handful of pills and a slosh of voltarol gel had got Liz to the point where she was going to try another lap of Quina Brook with me. I couldn't believe it - I really did think that she was out of it for the rest of the race, such was the pain she was clearly in. My plan was to wait until lunchtime, get her back on the bike and to ride her up to the finishing circuit so we could at least get on the results sheet. Even if she didn't put in another pedal stroke!
But we set off and got back into the groove. Our riding style had to be altered quite a lot because it was spinning hard that really hurt Liz's leg and we're definitely spinners, not mashers. I had to keep up in a lower gear than usual and this meant working very differently - especially up the hills. There were a surprising amount of hills on the Mersey Roads and I think they got the earth movers in towards the end to make them bigger than they were at the start.
After a lap of QB, we came in again for more blankets and Annie-style care. I knew then that Liz wanted to finish, but it was just a case of not pushing things to the stage where we'd have to pull out. We'd been aiming for a conservative 480km or three hundred miles and to do this, the GPS had to record an overall 20kph towards the end of the ride. With four hours to go, it was not doing this.
In reality, I'm surprised it was doing anything at all as we managed to dump it off the tribars on the way up that nasty hill on Quina Brook. The Garmin mounting is utterly shite, but the Legend unit itself is as robust as anything and although it's bashed and scraped, it didn't even go off - we found it in the dark by the light of it's own screen!
A second and a third lap of the smaller circuit confirmed that we were still in the runnings, but I doubted we could make it to our target. We didn't care, though - we were just going to give it what we could and keep riding. They shunted us off to the 15 or so mile ride to the finishing circuit and this was the least pleasant part of the whole course. We got buzzed by a number of juggernauts and when you're tired and riding hard, this isn't funny.
Eventually, we turned onto the finishing circuit and started our last couple of hours. When we met up with the YACF crowd at the HQ, I pulled us in and we realised that according to the GPS we were on 19.7kph overall average. What this meant was that we had about an hour and three quarters to do 38km. Maybe not a hell of a distance when you're fresh, but in the state we were in, I doubted we'd make it. I told Liz that we could go for it, but that it was her call.
She went for it like the bloody hero that she is.
Whilst Team YACF filled our bottles for one last time, we loaded up on carbo gels. A little group of wellwishers held us up whilst we clipped in and we were off. Death or Glory and all that. I won't pretend it wasn't agony. Although I know it was harder for Liz, I was in a lot of arse-related discomfort. At least the tribars gave me some relief - she didn't even have that.
When we passed the HQ the next time, we got the most amazing cheer. Clearly the word had gone out that we were going for it and the support was magnificent. In fact, during the whole event, everyone we passed clapped us and shouted encouragement. The atmosphere is just the best.
When the GPS clicked over onto Kilometre 480, we had twenty minutes left. It was a strange mixture of elation and a feeling of, "OK, what now?" We knew that we needed to make sure that any discrepancies between our computer and the time keepers' kit was in our favour, so we kept riding.
We ended up passing the HQ again with about fifteen minutes to go and we were still going quite hard there as it's a downhill section so we must have been going quite fast. I was down on the tribars and although we were strung out in the most horrible way, it still felt good. The cheer was just the best.
Our finish was a bit crap. You have to ride past the timekeeper at 24 hours and then the next one pulls you in and the distance is interpolated back to where you would have been when the clock stopped.
We passed the timekeeper at the top of some bastard hill at T-30 seconds, so we had to keep going. By the time we got to the next turn, the marshals had packed up and gone home, so in our confused state, we didn't know where to go. Because we were last to start and therefore last to finish, this happened twice more before we got to the timekeeper who finally stopped us.
Damon was there with his video camera and captured me saying some very rude things about the marshals who deserted their posts. I fully expect that clip of film to stay on the cutting room floor as it doesn't show me at my best.
However, when the timekeeper told us our distance, I was quite taken aback. He was stationed at what was for us, 330 miles. The GPS was as much as 25 miles out. I couldn't understand it. We were finally credited with a provisional 325 miles by a process I can't begin to fathom.
After collapsing on the grass and finishing our bottles, we limped back to the HQ to the arms of the fabulous Team YACF.
Annie, Elleigh, Mr Larrington, Dave Khan and everyone else who supported us deserve much of the credit for what we did. They were all bright shining starts in the firmament of cycling loveliness and I owe each one of them a good many pints.
The post-ride drill was pretty much as expected. Shower, food, gong ceremony and a snooze, followed by tag-team driving back to London Town.
Aim to ride the Mersey Roads one day. You'll not regret it :)
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absolute heros, all. :-*
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Yay! :) Liz, hope your foot gets better soon.
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Chapeau :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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Bloody hell that was hard.
Hot
then cold anf foogy
then even hotter.
Think I ended up just under 340 miles but I was so nervous beforehand I didnt reset my bike computer.
Had crazy notions of a 600k but knew that was a non starter when I'd reached 190 miles just before 12 hours with waning legs. Audaxed the rest of the way round making sure I'd enough fluid and food stops to manage 24 hrs. Big up to Annie, Elleigh, Mr Larrington and Dave Khan - their encouragement and that of other spectators at Prees was a real morale booster and made teh lgs feel not quite so leaden.
Utmost respect to to those at the elite end of the field, I was delighted to do the 40 mile lap in 2h 20 mins with a lie down between each one!
Would definitely try this again.
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Brilliant! Congrats to all. Thanks especially to people who managed not only to ride or support, but also to write about it!
Hoping to be able to ride next year.
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Of all the pieces of advice you have ever given, Charlotte, that last is one I intend to ignore.
I have no desire to ride the Mersey Roads 24. However, I'm perfectly happy to offer support next year under Annie's orders to any raving loon ambitious YACFer who thinks I might be useful.
And of course I offer my totally incredulous congratulations.
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I'm hurting today. Quite a lot.
The first 100 miles of that ride were brilliant - my fastest ever century (and Charlotte's, I think). First 200k in eight hours, and if we'd kept that up we could have been on for a 400 mile total. Obviously, we couldn't keep that up, though - partly because that is Silly Speed (at least for two numpties on a steel tandem) and partly because I'm broken.
I have worked out what broke me so much, though - my sandals, which were so comfortable on the Dun Run, put pressure on the top of my tibial tendons, and stopped them from flexing properly, so every time I turned the pedals, my tendons were being strained a little bit. That in turn put pressure on the medial plantar nerve and sent shooting pains up my left leg. The entire area has swollen up today like a little balloon, and is going an interesting colour. The photos don't really do justice to the discolouration, but you can see the little dot where my sandal strap rubbed:
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/liz1848/Leg%20280708/P7280076.jpg)
(http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g219/liz1848/Leg%20280708/P7280079.jpg)
I couldn't sleep properly last night because it was so painful. Charlotte fed me some ibruprofen this morning and I'm upright, but I can't move my leg at all - at least yesterday it was just weight-bearing that was a problem. Today, even moving without putting pressure on it is agonisingly painful. Charlotte's just eating lunch and then she's going to take me to casualty.
If I ever do anything this daft again, remind me not to wear new shoes, will you? ::-)
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Well, mixed bag for me really.
Firstly, many many eternal thanks to those yACFers who came out to support. Although Charlotte & Liz had planned for Annie & co. to support them, on our first stop Annie directed us towards the camp and offered her much welcomed help.
As we arrived at the HQ, it suddendly seemed like not such a good idea. We arrived quite early and all the other people surrounding us we very serious looking. Many of them had very professional looking support crews with multiple bikes and 3-4 spare wheels. A couple of riders had RAAM 2008 on their helmets or support vehicles. I was slightly relieved when the rider parked next to us said he was self supporting. I noticed his bike had a dent in the top tube. Nice American man... he did 440 miles in the end.
At the start I was starting to feel very scared. When the marshals held the bike up for the start, if I could have got off the bike and hidden behind a hedge I would have. But the marshal shouted go and it was too late. The first few hours were quite exciting and reasonably enjoyable. It was about 3 hours in before I had any idea where we were geographically. We rode the first 4 hours at about evens around the large circuit. At the first turn we calculated that we were 15 minutes behind the VC167 pair of Aiden and Andy S, so they were long gone. Unfortunately the heat had taken its toll and we ran out of drinnks about 10 miles short of Prees Island. When we arrived, looking somewhat dazed and confused, Annie took us in and gave us some water. We stopped for some food from the drop bag, as Andy isn't a great fan of eating on the tandem. As we left we started the Quina Brook circuit, which being shorter meant we had more access to water etc. if we needed it.
Many circuits of QB later, we pulled in for some more water and food and for Andy to put on his leg and arm warmers. We stopped for about 25 minutes and then started night circuits of the large loop. This is where the wheels fell off a little bit. We'd stopped long enough for me to feel cold on the bike and by the time we got half-way through the second lap I was starting to drift off (I typically sleep for 9-10 hours a day - when my designated awake time is up I fall asleep - no matter how inappropriate it is). We stopped at about 3am in Prees for a sleep. We intended to stop for about 20 minutes, but I got cold and we ended up staying there for about 45 minutes (big thanks to the yACFers again for getting me a hot drink and then stopping my from pouring it over myself). The 3rd lap was still desperately slow so we stopped for breakfast before attempting Quina Brook again. Chocolate pudding and cole later and we were back moving. Not as fast as the start, but a significant improvement. We really got back into the swing when we reached the finshing circuit. Whilst we were still being passed by the fast boys, we were actually catching some others as well. I was counting down the time from about 3 hours to go, both wishing for it to be over, but also desperate to get to our target of 350 miles. We passed a marshall at 7 minutes to go and pressed on to the next to reach it with out 10 seconds left. We stopped there and then, only to find we were almost exactly halfway round the circuit from the HQ, so we had an agonising 30 minute ride back at slower than slow. We clocked 354 in the end, although Andy's (usually conservative) bike computer has a few more miles.
It's a serious ride, both physically and emotionally. It's amazing to have so many supporters cheering you round, especially as you crawl past in the night. I was also a little surprised that even the serious riders acknowledge you as they pass.
Well done to everyone who took part, it was a hard ride.
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Jasmine has said it all really but just to extend my thanks to Annie, Elleigh, His Worship and the other helpers who I was too dazed to identify.
Two points to add:
- It was hot
- My arse hurts
GWS Liz and very well done to you and Charlotte. By the look of Liz when we last stopped at Prees, I thought you were going to really struggle to make it down to the finishing circuit let alone complete a lap!
Well done to every one else who had a go and if you're reading this and thinking about having a stub next year, go on, it has a sense of occasion unlike any Audax I've ridden barring the French one. We hung around for the prize giving and can report that all of the big hitters were limping heavily and generally looked worst than we did.
AC
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Solo results are up CTT (http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/results.asp?Month=&Page=1&ID=53308)
The Tandem event is seperate, I don't know where I would find that. I would think that there is a bit of head scratching going on there as the times off the bike match some of the leg times, so they have to double check the marshal's sheets.
The winning distance of 510 is very good in the circumstances. We never saw Nik falter, he always had his aero hat on and maintained a good position. I have one shot of his helpers holding up a board like in the Tour, so he was probably up for a shot at the overall record and was being updated on his pace against target. Other results are expressed down to 160 miles, some of those are DNFs.
An impressive result is Mike Thompson of the VC167, 417 miles in not only his first 24 but his first time trial of any description.
Damon.
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Cheers Damon.
Thanks to you and Heather for the sponges - they were wonderful!
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A large number of the ACF riders were on the Bryan Chapman, I remember chatting to Mattc about his aero bars and the 24 hr TT, and thinking at the time, there'd be nothing I'd like to do less than a 24hr TT, after this thread, I don't there's anything I'd like to try more... (in the cycling world anyway ;D)
Well done everyone!
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Get well soon, Liz. That looks really painful.
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My boss told me he thought I might have "overdone it" cycling this weekend. If I had proper function of my legs I would have kicked him in the head >:(. As it is, I'm struggling because I've lost the feeling in my 3rd-5th fingers of my right again. Major bummer as the feeling only came back about 2 weeks ago from the BCM. Ho hum.
Liz - nasty, but did you paint your toenails especially for the event?
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Well done, all you
utterly crazy people super-swift cyclists, and patcher-ups, feeders and minders of the utterly crazy people super-swift cyclists.
Liz, ouch! All paws crossed for a swift recovery.
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I'm overjoyed to hear Liz and Charlotte finished, and finished well, with a respectable distance to establish the record which they themselves will probably smash next time they tackle the event. One of the officials had advised us to stop them at the end of their next circuit and hold them until the finish opened to make sure they would reach it. When they came in, however, they were going better than we had expected and it seemed a bad idea to delay them unnecessarily. We were also worried that Liz might seize up totally if she were allowed to stop for too long again. So after a quick conference with them we sent them round again. At that point I had to tear myself away as my young organist was finishing a week-long course in Cambridge and had to be collected at 1 o'clock when he would be cast onto the streets.
The heat on the first afternoon made this event very tough. Scratch that. This event is very tough, full stop. The heat made it even tougher. At the start riders are physically strong and mentally fired up, and the temptation is to set off too fast. Many of the yACF contingent fell into this trap and, after a few hours, we had a number of cases of heat exhaustion. As the temperature fell during the night, suffering increased as the people who had been affected were sensitive to the cold and quickly became shivery whenever they stopped.
Teethgrinder, who of course had ridden out to the event the day before, was unwell even before the start. He'd also developed a dental problem earlier in the week and this was affecting him whenever he tried to eat. A normal person would probably have DNS'ed and gone straight to bed. Within a few hours of the start he was looking very tired and was obviously suffering. Steve, however, does not understand the concept of giving up and gradually rode himself into better form. Quite simply, the man is a hero.
Phil was riding strongly from the start but was one of those who was affected by the heat. I'd expected him to have become a finely honed time-trialling machine but it transpired he had done very little serious riding since PBP eleven months earlier, and had done no training at all specifically for the event. The 24 is not to be taken lightly, and it was inevitable that it would take a dim view of the young man's laid back approach, and punish him for it. And so it proved. At 95 miles he was suffering mightily and took a longish rest at Prees Island. He admitted the toughness of the event had caught him by surprise.
In the middle of the night he arrived back at Prees feeling desperately sleepy and obviously exhausted. He was put into Annie's car and he asked to be allowed to sleep for 20 minutes and then woken. We had a conference and decided he needed protecting from himself. We accidentally-on-purpose forgot to wake him, and he remained deeply asleep for many hours. In the morning he wanted to go out again and try to reach the finishing circuit but was sensible enough to listen to the advice he was getting from all sides and stay off the bike. It was not lack of heart that caused him to pack; he had to be persuaded. Another time, properly prepared, he has the potential to record a serious distance.
MattC was another of the heat casualties. He came into the Prees stop looking and feeling terrible, and promptly threw up all the calories he'd carefully been putting into himself. We assured him that this was actually a good thing and would make him feel better, and sent him out again after a brief rest.
The VC167 tandem of Aidan Hedley and Andrew Southworth were also hit by heat exhaustion with Andy in a state of near collapse in the evening. He took a rest and they went back out, continuing to ride convincingly through the night and the next day.
The all female tandem was our main concern. The last of the starters, they too had gone off fast and were soon paying the price. They had fast people immediately ahead of them and it would be many miles before they started to reel any of the slower riders in. This psychological factor may have contributed to their over-exerting themselves early on. When they came in to the Prees Island stop the first time their main concern seemed to be getting quickly to the loos. It was Liz who was affected most, another casualty of the early heat. After a lengthy stop they got going again. Just before they did, there was an anguished cry from Charlotte of, "We've lost McNasty". George "McNasty" Berwick, whom they'd earlier reeled in, had just sailed past the Prees Island station without stopping. Charlotte's aggression-o-meter was registering "very high" and the pair set off in hot pursuit.
They continued to circulate at a respectable pace but were also making longish stops at Prees Island. Both of them were tired and hurting but Liz was clearly in worse condition. Apart from the lasting effects of the earlier heat she was in severe pain from an injury that had developed in one of her shins. For a little while there was talk of throwing in the towel but it was obvious that Liz wanted to keep going if it was possible.
I had slung a camping hammock between two trees on the island and at around 11 o'clock I decided to get some shut-eye, much to Annie's amusement. I woke up once during the night to note that it had become quite foggy. Annie's car battery had died during the night and I was finally roused by the early dawn efforts to jump-start it. A little while later the girls were in again and Liz was clearly in distress. She was in pain from her leg injury and from saddle soreness, and she was cold, tired and demoralised. Charlotte was tired and saddle sore too, but was clearly still strong. The question was whether Liz would survive.
She was wrapped in blankets and shivering, and I suggested transferring her to the hammock. She accepted the suggestion gratefully but was still sufficiently in control of herself to baulk at the idea of climbing into my recently vacated sleeping bag, so we helped her onto the hammock and just laid a couple of sleeping bags over the top of her. I laid a towel across the hammock to cover her face, both to reduce the light and to give her some privacy, and presently she drifted off to sleep. A while later I noticed that she had moved the towel away from her face and was showing signs of wanting to get up. We helped her up but this was probably the lowest point of her race. She was barely able to walk, and obviously in far greater pain than she was admitting to. We knew she was going to get back on the tandem but at this point the thought of it seemed to overwhelm her. A long gentle hug was administered and this seemed to do the trick, the pair finally setting off to general applause.
I was only able to see them through one more time before I had to leave but I was now reasonably confident they would keep going. Considering how much time they had spent off the tandem the distance they finally recorded is most impressive and shows how hard they must have ridden to the end.
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get well soon Liz ! :-*
I think ye are both heroes for doing it - I actually am *stoked* about the fact you were the first all-female team to compete in the race, and can only wish you bigger and better successes in the future!
It sounds like it was a really tough 325 miles - but that record itself is brilliant! You are absolute legends amongst women!
Really hope your leg gets better soon, Liz. I hope despite the injury you'll look back on it with fond memories (ye were both brilliant!)
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A BIG Thank you to Annie, the "Mayor", Ellie , Dave for the TLC and Heather & Damon for the sponges and encouragement.
from Myself and Aiden.
What started out being ridden as a long time trial ended up after an attack of heat exhaustion , as a quick 600km audax, with off the bike stops every 40miles, for usually longer than I stop when ridding a 600km Audax!.
Andy S
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I'm on hols in San Francisco but have been following this epic thread assiduously.
This is just a great effort by all concerned, riders helpers and organisers. Kudos to everyone who entered and completed. Better luck next time to the honourable DNFs.
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However, when the timekeeper told us our distance, I was quite taken aback. He was stationed at what was for us, 330 miles. The GPS was as much as 25 miles out. I couldn't understand it. We were finally credited with a provisional 325 miles by a process I can't begin to fathom.
It will be interesting to examine the gps trace and see if you can spot what caused the discrepancy. It should at least be possible to check the number of circuits you did and verify your true distance from the map overlay.
I'm always a bit surprised when audaxers say they continue to navigate from route sheets and use their gps as a computer. Use the gps to navigate and use a computer as a computer. A carefully calibrated computer counting your wheel revolutions is very hard to beat for accuracy whereas a gps is prone to a number of sources of error for recording distance covered.
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However, when the timekeeper told us our distance, I was quite taken aback. He was stationed at what was for us, 330 miles. The GPS was as much as 25 miles out. I couldn't understand it. We were finally credited with a provisional 325 miles by a process I can't begin to fathom.
Did you do what I did when doing a 12; stopped to get food and forgot to restart the computer? I spent the last hour desperately trying to reach my target only to find that I'd passed it an hour ago!
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I'm puzzled re the GPS. I'd have expected it to be over distance (you've only got to look at your "position" constantly travelling around the screen when stopped) but the implication above is that it's under distance.
<luddite>
That's why I stick to maps :P
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Mercator or Ptolemy?
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My stoker is broked (http://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6222.msg107587#msg107587) :(
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Enjoy all the fun of the 24 on Youtube, YouTube - Mersey Roads 24 Hour 2008 (http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OI0t_ucb9F8) or for the true fan on Vimeo in HD Mersey Roads 24 Hour Time Trial 2008. on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/1422942)
Heather and I are inspired to do it again on a tandem, on the Wii Fit version I am developing, includes shouts of encouragement, simulated sleep deprivation etc. etc.
Damon.
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Well done to all of you - riders & helpers! Inspirational stuff.
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My boss told me he thought I might have "overdone it" cycling this weekend. If I had proper function of my legs I would have kicked him in the head >:(. As it is, I'm struggling because I've lost the feeling in my 3rd-5th fingers of my right again. Major bummer as the feeling only came back about 2 weeks ago from the BCM. Ho hum.
Oooh, I hate the numb finger thing - hope you regain feeling soon.
Liz - nasty, but did you paint your toenails especially for the event?
Yes. :-[
I'd never normally bother but I knew I was going to be in my Shimano sandals. ;D
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Another well done and great write ups all round.
Liz get to the Doc's and get some Ultra-sound treatment on that it really helps with tendon immflamation
and the usual R.I.C.E :thumbsup:
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I'm hurting today. Quite a lot.
Virtual Ouch :'( That's what my legs looked like after PBP (with a different colour nail varnish natch) Hope it's better soon and Well Done again :)
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I'm puzzled re the GPS. I'd have expected it to be over distance (you've only got to look at your "position" constantly travelling around the screen when stopped) but the implication above is that it's under distance.
The software inside the GPS is designed to take this into account, only it often goes too far the other way and you end up under-distance.
+1 to GPS for navigation and computer for distance/speed/timing.
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Another well done and great write ups all round.
Liz get to the Doc's and get some Ultra-sound treatment on that it really helps with tendon immflamation
and the usual R.I.C.E :thumbsup:
I don't think you should use ultrasound in the presence of suspected infection, but I'm no physio.
Here's hoping for a rapid recovery...
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Another well done and great write ups all round.
Liz get to the Doc's and get some Ultra-sound treatment on that it really helps with tendon immflamation
and the usual R.I.C.E :thumbsup:
I don't think you should use ultrasound in the presence of suspected infection, but I'm no physio.
Here's hoping for a rapid recovery...
OOps! I didn't read the bit about the infection ::-) I'll stick to fixing cars ;)
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Got home from the Mersey 24 at around 2300ish. Had a leisurely breakfast this morning, so a late start, then stopped at Lynn Taylors' shop on the way home and idn't lkeave until they shut up shop. then rode the last 70 miles home.
I'm pretty sure that my provisional distance is less than I rode. I think that I got over 400 miles.
Lynn Taylor told me that i have to do a write up for the 24 hour fellowship, so I'll put it in our RRswhen i've done it, but a few things.
I had toothache on Wednesday, so I tried to remove the bad tooth, but only managed to remove half of it. I spent most of Wednesday night shaking and feeling dizzy from the pain, until I tried warming my mouth with a fan heater, which did the trick. (Probably because it made me salivate) My tooth hasn't hurt since then. At least, not enough to cause me any problems. I took a day off work on Thursday to catch up on my sleep. I decided against seeing a dentist. i guessed that they'd sort my tooth out and tell me not to eat in the next day, which would have been a problem and besides, my tooth didn't hurt much anymore.
Friday, I set off for the start. I usualy weigh 11 stone before a 24, but was down to 10.5 stone this year.
I then rode 135 miles to a hotel in Wrexham. But I never drank or ate enough on the way up. I felt OK on the bike and did stop at 55 miles for a drink, then again at 75 miles at Hollies Cafe, but by then, I was getting quite bad. I was getting cramp and my shoulders were tired on the bike (which only happens when I'm in a bad way) and when I walked into the cafe, I felt dizzy and my legs were wobbly, so I was holding onto the counter so that I didn't fall over. I got to the hotel at Wrexham and felt very tired. I did eat something, but nothing like as much as I usualy do the night before a 24. I just felt ill.
Next morning, I felt a bit better. I had some breakfast, then rode to the start. But I never really felt like riding, but since I was there, I might as well ride, so I started.
First 50 miles wasn't too bad. A bit slow at evens, but was intending to ride steady this year and try and keep up evens for as long as I could. I still had some cramp and my strength was low. But I was feeling OKish. But after 50 miles I started fading fast.
I dropped my speed and hoped to recover, but I was just getting more tired. At around 70-80 miles I was badly dehydrated and only had my two now empty bottles. I wouldn't be able to get a drink for another 20 miles or so. When I did, it was too late. I took a long stop at Prees in hope that I would recover enough to be able to drink and hopefully bring myself round to be able to eat again. I rode a lap or two of the Quina Brook circuit, then stopped again. My riding speed was slower than I usualy go at night. I was breathing hard and my lungs were burning just doing 15-16mph on roads that I know I can comfortably ride on at around 21mph. I was about 4mph off pace on parts of the Quina Brook circuit. I was seriously thinking of packing because I thought I was going to get worse and also start getting very sleepy. I ummed and ah-ed for a long time at Prees Heath. Annie and Elliegh were making a big fuss over me and trying their best to help. I was trying to get as much drink in me as I could, which never seemed like was enough. I felt rough, but I didn't feel too bad. I wasn't confident that I would improve though. I couldn't see the purpose in flogging myself to do my worst 24 hour distance. I started to feel a bit better and decided to try to ride for a few more hours and see what happened.
I set off again and was comfortable at around 17mph. After a lap of the Quina Brook Circuit, I was getting a bit faster again and was drinking more. I decided on trying to get myself recovered enough to be able to eat again, then get myself refuelled which would help my speed. At this point, I was about 9 hours into the ride and had only eaten a few biscuits and an apple.
I did go on to recover enough to drink, but never ate much for the whole ride. My total food intake for 24 hours was, half a pack of Shortbread, an apple, a hot dog, a chicken breast and a custard tart.
I was about 30 miles off pace at 12 hours with around 200 miles. My night riding went very well for me, but I did stop more than usual because my strength was low and I was trying to revive myself. I never recovered, but I managed to maintain what I had until the finish. It was probably one of my best night rides in a 24, but it was spoiled by the stopping. I passed Karl Austin and held him off for about 40 miles, but he soon put me in my place when I started to fade again and had one of my stops. I'm not surprised that Damon said I was one of the fastest on the night circuit. I had no sleepy issues.
I was also reckoned to be the fastest on the finishing circuit and the only rider (just) scraping a lap at under 40 mins.
Well done to Liz and Charlotte. I had them marked as doing 330 miles and they provisionally got 325. With Liz having tendonitis as well as stomach trouble, they did very well and would have probably done more like 350ish if everything had gone their way.
Lynne Taylor was pleased with your ride and gave you the thumbs up.
Marina Bloom, riding fixed, crashed twice according to Lynn Taylor. She got sleepy and I guess that she stopped pedaling.
Phil put in a good effort, but unfortunately, didn't put in many miles before the event. He didn't give up easily, but I could see that he was trying hard at around 50 miles and he seemed to be worn down by the miles.
John Warnock looked very strong at the start and looked to be on for a 500 mile ride, but grew weary as the ride went on. He said himself at the finish that hestarted too fast. I'm not sure about that, he looked very good and relaxed, although he certainly wasn't henging around!
Nik Gardiner, gets faster every time and now has the second best 24 hour with 510 miles.
Karl Austin was first fixer. He usualy rides a 92" fixed (I think) and was using a rear disk for the ride this year.
VC167 tandem crew looked to be flying at the beginning but seemed to lose time somewhere. Very good lighting set up though.
Andy and Jasmine looked very good when I saw them. They flew past me when I was going through my bad patch.
Mc Nasty was his usual self. He does stop though. The man at the feed station was telling me that he's a bugger for eating all the custard tarts. "He had 6 off of me this year! He takes a bite out of his custard tart, then drinks some coffee, then another bite, then drinks some soup, he just sits there taking them in turns."
But George is an old favourite on the 24 hours. He told me that he rode a 24 without stopping.
You do get acknowledged by the top class riders too. Not just those who are riding either. Some of those marshals are former champions and record breakers. Not to mention their supprt crews. I pointed out the womens' record holder, Christine Roberts and Lynn Taylor to Liz and Charlotte. There were several other legends and significant support crew members of record attempts in the room at the ceremony after the event.
Hope the leg gets well soon Liz, very well done to you and Charlotte.
Last, but not least, thanks to the YACF support crew.
I think that you made the ride for everyone you helped. (You can tell that Annie is a mum) Sorry I never got to thank you all properly at the finish (the bar didn't take debit cards and my wallet was it's usual empty self so you'll have to nab me if you see me again)
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Blimey.
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I've been rather preoccupied and forgot it was the 24. Well done everyone. Steve, I can lend you some better pliers.
Was Jim on the trike? Results don't say so.
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Was Jim on the trike? Results don't say so.
Yes and seemed to be riding very solid when we saw him.
AC
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I tried to remove the bad tooth, but only managed to remove half of it
'Blimey' indeed. Was some sort of griding implement used?
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Was Jim on the trike? Results don't say so.
Yes and seemed to be riding very solid when we saw him.
AC
That's a bloody good distance for an OAP on a barrow.
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Jim Gresty was impressive for a 63 year old.
9th Jim Gresty North Shropshire Wheelers 437.87
Damon.
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Jim Gresty was impressive for a 63 year old.
For any age if you ask me.
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Some pix:
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0978.jpg)
Phil lines up at the start
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0979.jpg)
And he's off...
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0980.jpg)
Liz assumes The Position
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0981.jpg)
Liz attends to Those Shoes. Elleigh is txtng agn.
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0982.jpg)
Shortly before the start...
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0984.jpg)
John Warnock's bum (for Annie)
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0985.jpg)
Jasmine and Andy wait their turn
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0986.jpg)
Aidan (captain) and Andy prepare for the off
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0987.jpg)
You really should have a hat, Andy...
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0988.jpg)
The final two crews prepare to set forth upon the Great Adventure
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More pix:
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0989.jpg)
Andy and Jasmine are go...
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0991.jpg)
Charlotte displays her Serious Face
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0992.jpg)
Liz and Charlotte head for the hills a near-death experience
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0993.jpg)
Early pit stop for Phil
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0994.jpg)
Dave Kahn holds the vélo, Annie supervises operations, Charlotte sez "Nom nom nom"
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0995.jpg)
Liz gets her leg over (fnarr fnarr)
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0997.jpg)
A collapsed captain
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0998.jpg)
A slumping stoker
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_0999.jpg)
Phil rides into the sunset, sort of
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1000.jpg)
Time off for tea and seed cake. Or something.
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Even yet more pix part deux:
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1001.jpg)
Crank up your Junior Pocket Microscope (Model 3a) to observe the Elastoplasttm adorning Aidan's nipples
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1002.jpg)
Annie and Aidan get down. Heather is filming...
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1003.jpg)
Annie and Aidan are still getting down
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1004.jpg)
No wonder Aidan is looking cheerful ;D
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1005.jpg)
Let sleeping cyclists lie
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1006.jpg)
Drake Liz is in his Dave's hammock an' a thousand miles away...
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1007.jpg)
Annie poses regally with Steve Abraham's steed
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1009.jpg)
Steve advances on Your Photographer with a Lean and Hungry look...
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1010.jpg)
Happy is the Teethgrinder when he's got the scent of the finish in his nostrils
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1011.jpg)
The Dynamic Duo make their final stop...
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Last lot:
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1012.jpg)
Andy has finally covered his bonce!
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1013.jpg)
Charlotte and Liz are not stopping for anything :thumbsup:
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1015.jpg)
Steve returns to HQ after ~382 miles of Teethgrinding
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1016.jpg)
Matt demonstrates his Lifesaver technique after ~322 miles of avoiding trucks
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1017.jpg)
Matt (telling Your Photographer to have a go if you think you're hard enough) and Roger
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1018.jpg)
Aidan and Andy head for the bar
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1019.jpg)
One Ladies' Tandem record later...
(http://www.legslarry.beerdrinkers.co.uk/MR2008/IMG_1020.jpg)
Last man team standing - Jasmine and Andy finally make it back to HQ
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I tried to remove the bad tooth, but only managed to remove half of it
'Blimey' indeed. Was some sort of griding implement used?
No. I used the universal tool AKA a screwdriver. I didn't have enough tooth left to get a purchase on with the pliers. It didn't help that it was right at the back either. The very last one in fact.
I put the screwdriver against the side of my tooth and thumped the end of the screwdriver with the heel of my hand, in hope that it would become wobbly enough for removal. Unfortunately, after about an hour of thumping, only a piece of tooth became free. My broken tooth is now flush with my gum, so it'll probably need drilling out. I might see a dentist for that though (Cos I don't think I have the right size drill bit ;) ;D)
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Hell's bells, Steve - I thought I had a cavalier attitude towards injury :o
Get yourself down to the dentist!
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Teethgrinder by name...
Steve - get yourself to a dentist pronto; or I shall have to come up to Milton Keynes and slap you upside your head for being so daft...
::-)
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Steve, I always thought you were Bonkers in the Nut1. This proves it. Get thee to a
nunnery Tooth Terrorist before it all goes sceptical and your jaw falls off, man!
1 - technical term
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Argh, damn you all. I'm doing a 12 in two weeks and now I might just have to take it semi-seriously to make sure that I do more than half your distances!
PS. Teethgrinder; you nutter!
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The photos make it look fun ... but I've done enough [short] TT's to know that it must have been Bloody Hard. Congrats to you all.
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I'm working my way through the footage I have. The night stuff is difficult to get a handle on, I have the moment when Marina decided to stop, it is so evocative of what it feels like that I have included it. Meanwhile here's the list of the all time greats. 24 hours - 480/400 + miles men/women - Timetrialling Forum (http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=14651http://www.timetriallingforum.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=14651)
Film at Mersey Roads 24 Hour Time Trial 2008 Night Footage. on Vimeo (http://www.vimeo.com/1431701) 1 min 41 secs.
Damon.
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The photos make it look fun ... but I've done enough [short] TT's to know that it must have been Bloody Hard. Congrats to you all.
Wait until Annie's photos show up. Her camera is a Several of orders of magnitude better than mine, plus she took approximately seven thousand million individual pix...
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I might see a dentist for that though (Cos I don't think I have the right size drill bit ;) ;D)
Would a dremel not do the job for you? ;)
But seriously, see a dentist. And please do report back on the dentist's reaction when you show them your mangled mouth and explain how it came to be so!
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I thought I was doing badly in having not been for a bit too long, until I got toothache and went to see the dentist. Eventually it had to have the root canal done.
Anaesthetic failing to work: not good.
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Nutters, all! :o ;D
Jolly well done all round. :thumbsup:
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A dentist is just someone who has undergone 6 years of training on how to use a screwdriver to remove a tooth, and use some glorified polyfilla.(*) The last extraction I had was done with something not disimilar to a bradawl. Completely and utterly painless though.
(*) I jest about their training.
I thought I was doing badly in having not been for a bit too long, until I got toothache and went to see the dentist. Eventually it had to have the root canal done.
Anaesthetic failing to work: not good.
Root canal is easy. Any pain I had during my root-canal was nothing in comparison to the pain I was in pre-anaesthetic. And until you've spent two 6 hour sessions in the dentist's chair having *major* dental work you really don't know what pain is. I can't begin to describe the pain in the gums that comes from having 40+ injections to put in 10 crowns. Or the pain in the jaw muscles from holding your mouth open for 6 whole hours.
As I said, a simple extraction, even if it's bits of a tooth, should be nothing more than painless. If it ain't then find a new dentist. Teeth don't fix themselves, it's worth getting it done properly, but there's no reason that means £££.
Mersey 24 you say?
Well done mattc! Chapeau!
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I had little pain. Until the tooth was being drilled. Sans working anaesthetic.
Once the nerve had been exposed, it was possible to inject anaesthetic directly onto the nerve, at which point it started working, and from then on it was painless.
After the procedure, the dentist said I must have been in agony given how inflamed the nerve was, but I wasn't; so he concluded that I must be very tough. It simply wasn't that painful except when either he blew cold air at the tooth or (much worse) he attempted to drill it. He had given me several injections in different places by the time he gave up and announced he would just have to start drilling.
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I've just spotted this comment from Andy on page 1:
Steve,
What's the likely drill with start times for this one?
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Does anyone how the Derby Mercury riders Jim Crew and Mark got on?
I rode to PBP with them both and we chatted at the start on Saturday, but no sign of them since (except a 172 miles and DNF respectively in the results).
I know they were members on the Other Place, but haven't seen them Over Here.
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Does anyone have the link to the results of the event ?
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Results (but doesn't include Tandems): CTT (http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/Results.asp?ID=53308)
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Does anyone how the Derby Mercury riders Jim Crew and Mark got on?
I rode to PBP with them both and we chatted at the start on Saturday, but no sign of them since (except a 172 miles and DNF respectively in the results).
I know they were members on the Other Place, but haven't seen them Over Here.
I was chatting to Steve Massey at the finish and apparently Mark packed early on and nobody was quite sure what happened to Jim but his vehicle had gone by the time they got home.
They're good guys - we got the same ferry back to Blightey after PBP.
AC
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Tandem Result is still AWOL, so here is what I've pieced together:
61 Aidan Hedley VC 167 14:01:00 Tan 47 - 396 miles*
61 Andrew Southworth VC 167 14:02:00 Tan 43
62 Jasmine Sharp Ystwyth CC 14:03:00 W Tan 26 - 354 miles
62 Andrew Cox Ystwyth CC 14:04:00 Tan 29
63 Charlotte Barnes Twickenham CC 14:05:00 W Tan 34 - 325 miles
63 Elizabeth Norman Twickenham CC 14:06:00 W Tan 26
(*This is Andy S's estimate, slightly more than the provisional result. Either way, the winning tandem, but under 400 miles!)
Incidentally, I think the 24hr is the only distance where solos have still gone faster than tandems (in the mens records - Beryl Burton stuffed the female tandemists at various distances).
I guess this is because it's hard to organise two VERY good riders into a tandem team that works well together, through good and bad patches on a day-night ride. 12 hours is probably much much easier.
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Tandem Result is still AWOL, so here is what I've pieced together:
61 Aidan Hedley VC 167 14:01:00 Tan 47 - 396 miles*
61 Andrew Southworth VC 167 14:02:00 Tan 43
62 Jasmine Sharp Ystwyth CC 14:03:00 W Tan 26 - 354 miles
62 Andrew Cox Ystwyth CC 14:04:00 Tan 29
63 Charlotte Barnes Twickenham CC 14:05:00 W Tan 34 - 325 miles
63 Elizabeth Norman Twickenham CC 14:06:00 W Tan 26
(*This is Andy S's estimate, slightly more than the provisional result. Either way, the winning tandem, but under 400 miles!)
Incidentally, I think the 24hr is the only distance where solos have still gone further than tandems (in the men's records - Beryl Burton stuffed the female tandemists at various distances).
I guess this is because it's hard to organise two VERY good riders into a tandem team that works well together, through good and bad patches on a day-night ride. 12 hours is probably much much easier.
Am I reading this right, it appears that the stokers set off and/or arrive a full minute behind the captain. Must need very long tandems to do that :)
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S&S couplings, innit?
:D
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PMSL, and elastic brake cables I guess
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Am I reading this right, it appears that the stokers set off and/or arrive a full minute behind the captain. Must need very long tandems to do that :)
I reckon a minute might be about right - have you seen the video of Charlotte and Liz from a standing start?
;)
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Am I reading this right, it appears that the stokers set off and/or arrive a full minute behind the captain. Must need very long tandems to do that :)
I reckon a minute might be about right - have you seen the video of Charlotte and Liz from a standing start?
;)
You're a brave man, mattc.
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Ah, he's just teasing us 'cos we overtook him. ;)
For about ten seconds, downhill with the wind behind us.
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Ah, he's just teasing us 'cos we overtook him. ;)
For about ten seconds, downhill with the wind behind us.
Twice in 2 miles! But then we reached the A49 climb ...
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And we died on our arses :D
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The great virtue of HD Video is that I can see what gear people are using, Mike Thompson was climbing the hill on the A49 in next to biggest cog on the big ring. Joel Sothern was on the third cog down on the big ring climbing the Cock o' Barton hill, Karl Austin of course was on 92 inch fixed. The vimeo HD is 1280x720, the camera shoots at 1440x1080 so there is a lot more detail than you can see. Charlotte and Liz weren't even in their biggest cog on the middle ring.
Damon.
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I've put together some chatty bits on a 4.30 min Video.
http://www.vimeo.com/1442896
Damon.
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And finally some pics in no particular order. After downloading several hundred pics I had a major computer issue and lost everything. 48 hours later everything is ok, thanks to some excellent technical help, payment may have to be in kind. ;)
Dave Kahn settling down for the night
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3215/2720031088_cc40e7f2b1.jpg?v=0)
Matt and Roger Chambers at the finish
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3071/2719981912_69f0ebdc3f.jpg?v=0)
Jasmine and Andy at the finish
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3248/2719164767_79e8e2d029.jpg?v=0)
Girls do good
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/2719153525_7646881a11.jpg?v=0)
Teethgrinder
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3263/2719978660_55ef12d296.jpg?v=0)
Andy and Aidan (Captain)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/2719971792_1d42bc4309.jpg?v=0)
Tom
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3031/2719969474_2f3a73f796.jpg?v=0)
Phil having fun waiting for the girls to finish
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3284/2719136907_5aa90454cb.jpg?v=0)
Good old Brooks
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3131/2719706466_5caa26f32f.jpg?v=0)
Charlotte and her cheeky smile
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3080/2719707206_a9da6758b5.jpg?v=0)
The gorgeous Liz
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3254/2719707780_7d1bc94e84.jpg?v=0)
last but not least, Elleigh
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3175/2718880121_9380d1a1f1.jpg?v=0)
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Is this a race or wot?
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3146/2719703570_65141f9dce.jpg?v=0)
MattC
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3146/2718882301_a2e33937b0.jpg?v=0)
Andy - VC167
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3120/2713345281_29a1d23e83.jpg?v=0)
While the cats away the boys will drink beer
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3187/2714159666_23260d394b.jpg?v=0)
Charlotte and Liz
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3016/2714149660_88dd3132ce.jpg?v=0)
Dave Kahn
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3176/2713338915_26a8663c90.jpg?v=0)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3040/2720182100_2ca90c2358.jpg?v=0)
Phil, looking a bit hot
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2713837542_5cf0b5432d.jpg?v=0)
Not forgetting the sandals
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3154/2713720678_3112e5f933.jpg?v=0)
Charlotte getting ready
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3155/2713721170_987a529d9d.jpg?v=0)
The Mayor, aka Larrington
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3008/2714147980_0f452b3a26.jpg?v=0)
Andy, Aidan and Mike
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3233/2712904109_6002d4c869.jpg?v=0)
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3102/2713725670_f6fbec6f62.jpg?v=0)
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The link to the rest of the pics is here (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fixiepixie/sets/72157606436964085/)
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Hi Annie, Just seen your photos thank you and well done!!! Hope you have caught up on sleep! Thanks again for your support and tlc during my 'rough patch'.
Tomsk.
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Great photos Annie!
Tell me, where are these "off-roading" shots taken e.g.
IMG_2425 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fixiepixie/2713834446/in/set-72157606436964085/)
?
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Heather took a few Stills, I like this one, it has a certain Biblical quality.
(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2259/2721426261_c251a0faca.jpg?v=0)
More here.
Flickr: damon.peacock's Photostream (http://flickr.com/photos/26102994@N05/)
Damon.
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If your idea of Biblical is a white box with a red 'x' in, it certainly is! ;D
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Oh ye of little faith, Matthew chapter 6, verses 25 to 33,
Damon.
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Great photos Annie!
Tell me, where are these "off-roading" shots taken e.g.
IMG_2425 on Flickr - Photo Sharing! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/fixiepixie/2713834446/in/set-72157606436964085/)
?
Hi Matt
That was taken just off Prees Island.
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Just read elsewhere that there's a loophole that might let recumbents in.
Ultracycling allow recumbents to ride in their events and as this is a joint event between CTT and Ultracycling.
Maybe I'll join ultracycling and try and enter next year :D
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I saw that as well.
B'gger!
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*mirth*
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Has anyone seen a result for this yet?
Damon.
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Has anyone seen a result for this yet?
The solo results are here (http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/results.asp?Month=200807&Page=1&ID=53308), but they seem to have forgotten about the tandemistas ???
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That's a provisional result, always a bit of a work of fiction outside the top 10. The official result in 2007 was rushed and John Warnock's distance is still wrong on the CTT website. It is usual to receive the result in a little booklet, anyone got one yet?
Damon.
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I've heard nothing yet myself Damon and I was beginning to think the same.
Graeme
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Got my results booklet & photo this morning.
My final credited distance is incorrect, 322 rather than 339. :(
Hey ho, will make it easier to improve next year :D
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Results are on AukWeb - 500 is by far the most popular distance. This makes my SR for the year - 200-300-600-500.
I didn't know Mr Gardiner was an AUK - good for him!
The results booklet omits all but 2 of the riders who were behind me in the provisionals (so my 35th place looks even less clever!). Anyone know what the criteria are for a finish?
(AUKs took the last 7 places in the final results - as well as 1st. I think Mr Abraham was the slowest rider to get past 600km!).
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Anybody know who takes responsibility for getting these onto the AUKWeb? They appear to be based on the provisional results and therefore omit those of us who rode tandems.
Thanks,
AC
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Results are on AukWeb - 500 is by far the most popular distance. This makes my SR for the year - 200-300-600-500.
I didn't know Mr Gardiner was an AUK - good for him!
The results booklet omits all but 2 of the riders who were behind me in the provisionals (so my 35th place looks even less clever!). Anyone know what the criteria are for a finish?
(AUKs took the last 7 places in the final results - as well as 1st. I think Mr Abraham was the slowest rider to get past 600km!).
Drat! and double drat!
I had a bad day. I did have a good night, but not enough to make up for the bad day. I never got 400 miles after all.
Maybe next year?
Good ride by Nik Gardiner! Second fastest Britiish ride ever. John Warnock is getting faster too, maybe we'll see him crack 500 miles soon?
Charlotte and Liz ride about 4 miles further than they thought.
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Hi everyone,
First post here. I was one of the three people doing support for the three Sorrento riders, Paul O'Donoghue, Rose Leith and my namesake John O'Sullivan. I have posted up pictures on our website at Photos at Sorrento Cycling Club (http://sorrentocyclingclub.com/site/photos/)
It was my first experience of the event...and what an event it is. Thanks to all the "locals" for the various friendly helping hands, advice and directions over the two days. I know we will be back again for sure (I think I will stick to support!!).
Huge respect to all who took part.
John
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Anybody know who takes responsibility for getting these onto the AUKWeb? They appear to be based on the provisional results and therefore omit those of us who rode tandems.
I'm sure it's been mentioned earlier in this thread - one of the AUK commitee I think - but I can't find the post, sorry!
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The tandems have now been credited with AUK points. :thumbsup:
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Hi everyone,
First post here. I was one of the three people doing support for the three Sorrento riders, Paul O'Donoghue, Rose Leith and my namesake John O'Sullivan. I have posted up pictures on our website at Photos at Sorrento Cycling Club (http://sorrentocyclingclub.com/site/photos/)
It was my first experience of the event...and what an event it is. Thanks to all the "locals" for the various friendly helping hands, advice and directions over the two days. I know we will be back again for sure (I think I will stick to support!!).
Huge respect to all who took part.
John
Great pics John. :thumbsup:
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Anybody know who takes responsibility for getting these onto the AUKWeb? They appear to be based on the provisional results and therefore omit those of us who rode tandems.
I'm sure it's been mentioned earlier in this thread - one of the AUK commitee I think - but I can't find the post, sorry!
Drat - this is already in the Audax FAQ.