Author Topic: Ratn 2019  (Read 17791 times)

Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #100 on: 09 May, 2019, 03:38:49 pm »
Wow, that was some ride - well done.

Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #101 on: 09 May, 2019, 03:43:36 pm »
Well done!

Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #102 on: 09 May, 2019, 03:49:16 pm »
Wooo! :)
Chapeau! :thumbsup:

Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #103 on: 09 May, 2019, 05:32:32 pm »
Huge congrats!  Hope there is a beer with your name on it.  Look forward to hearing more about the ride and looking at that Veloviewer score...

Phil W

Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #104 on: 09 May, 2019, 05:47:13 pm »
Well done Q , steady effort to the finish.

Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #105 on: 09 May, 2019, 06:39:14 pm »
Great effort, QG! Especially given the unseasonally cold weather the past nine days. It definitely would be nice to see a ride report (once you've recovered a bit).

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #106 on: 10 May, 2019, 11:24:22 am »

Thank you everyone for your messages of support, really helps.

I made it to the finish in 199 hours 49 minutes. I realised at about 12km to go that if I really gave it some, I could just make it in under the 200 hour mark. I emptied the tank in the last 8km (got slowed down by the worlds slowest traffic light), made it to the finish, and all the finish photos are of me laying on the floor in agony. My left achilles exploded in pain about 60km from the end, I found a position for that leg in the last 30km where it balanced the knee and achilles pain, then just didn't remove that foot from the pedal till I got to the finish.

Amazingly, no saddle sores, but I've got a number of areas else where from chaffing, I've had to put nappy rash cream the front of my thigh (rubbing from silicon strip of leg warmers), arm pit (rubbing of wet bra after getting caught in a monsoon), ears (rubbing of head phones).

I discovered my sleeping quilt is nowhere near warm enough for sub 5°C bivving, after waking with hypothermia, I had to adapt my plan, and use hotels through out, which cost me about €500 more than I had hoped for the race.

My wahoo died in Limburg too (tho it seems to have come back to life once the battery discharged fully), I had to visit 3 bike shops to get a spare.

I'll write a proper report when I can type properly (I hands are still fixed in a claw config from gear shifting...), but in the mean time:

Two riders behind QG are having a mad dash to try to be on time before the cut off. QG should make it comfortably, barring accidents or mechanicals. 2 other ones have no chance at all. One seams to have disappeared

Ivo, you utter utter bastard, about 10 minutes after the time stamp of this post, I went past some road works, they were dressing the top surface with a sort of fine gravel. I got a flint shard through my rear from this. Kindly not to be cursing me like that :p

Used my last tube, my pump failed, wouldn't inflate in Presta mode, fortunately I have shraeder adapters for my valves so I can inflate in gas stations, flip the pump valve to schrader, and bingo, we have inflation. It was almost a show stopper there.

I did most of the last 200km with a dry chain, and most of the 100 before that with a chain lubed with water. The monsoon in Limburg washed all the lube out the chain, with so little distance to the finish, I just rode as was, perhaps not ideal, but the chain isn't at 095% after this, (hippy's 11 speed lasted the race, but is worn to beyond 0.75).

Can we all have a Go QG Go chant or something?

Bit of a following on Twitter, but I really think she should stay off it for a while and concentrate on getting over the line.

It's a fine balance. I hit some real emotional lows, but turning data on on my phone and getting a number of messages of support really helped drag me back out. Getting a message from Emily Chappell with just over 30km to go was a massive boost. I may have got in an hour earlier had I not tweeted as much over the whole race, but I may not have made it at all as I didn't get the cheer squad effect from checking it.

I've a physio appointment booked for this afternoon, "may I ask what the injury is?" "everything", I'm not looking forward to the 2 flights of stairs to get there. Will allow an extra half hour...

Will give more info later, for now: thank you everyone for your kind messages, it really means a lot.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Phil W

Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #107 on: 10 May, 2019, 08:06:29 pm »
It very much varies by person.  Outside contact during a long event detracts from the event for me. I go into radio silence. Where as others like yourself need that outside contact. We each find what works for us and clearly it works for you.

zigzag

  • unfuckwithable
Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #108 on: 10 May, 2019, 10:38:44 pm »
great effort and a proper training/testing ride for the tcr, well done for digging deep and finishing it!

Karla

  • car(e) free
    • Lost Byway - around the world by bike
Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #109 on: 10 May, 2019, 10:48:09 pm »
Enjoy those stairs tomorrow - I reckon I'll be able to hear the sound of your Achilles tendons from here  ;)

bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #110 on: 10 May, 2019, 11:50:54 pm »
Chapeau QG
YACF touring/audax bargain basement:
https://bit.ly/2Xg8pRD



Ban cars.

Jack_P

  • It's just dicking about on bikes
    • Cycling hobo
Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #111 on: 14 May, 2019, 10:13:43 am »
oops a bit late to this party. Congratulations on finishing QG. those were tough conditions out there.

I used my Bivy each night and with the combination of never really warming up all day I burned a huge amount of calories.
Well organised event and great fun with the riders and new friends met.

Cycling back in the UK will never be the same again.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #112 on: 30 May, 2019, 08:14:40 pm »


I've uploaded the photos I took while riding. They can be found here:

http://photos.quixotic.eu/TG5/2019/05/RATN/

They are pretty much all taken as I was riding along, so quality isn't great.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

Phil W

Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #113 on: 31 May, 2019, 06:11:19 pm »
Looks like recumbent heaven

rob

Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #114 on: 03 June, 2019, 09:44:00 pm »
Just registered for 2020.  Let’s hope I make it to the start line this time.

bludger

  • Randonneur and bargain hunter
Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #115 on: 26 June, 2019, 06:18:42 pm »
Thread so dead, writhing in pain. Arise, arise, to post again!

I am going to register for 2020 once I scrape the cash together ☺️🇳🇱
YACF touring/audax bargain basement:
https://bit.ly/2Xg8pRD



Ban cars.

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #116 on: 26 June, 2019, 06:41:22 pm »
Thread so dead, writhing in pain. Arise, arise, to post again!

I am going to register for 2020 once I scrape the cash together ☺️🇳🇱

I don't think I'll race again, but have already volunteered to help with the start next year.

See you all there!

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/

quixoticgeek

  • Mostly Harmless
Re: Ratn 2019
« Reply #117 on: 08 July, 2019, 10:37:56 pm »
Great effort, QG! Especially given the unseasonally cold weather the past nine days. It definitely would be nice to see a ride report (once you've recovered a bit).

Finally got to the state where I could process everything to write a ride report. It's 5600 words. It needs proof reading, and probably some editing. But I'll do that once I've recovered from writing it. Writing it down involved reliving a lot of the ride. It's been a rather intense couple of hours.

J
--
Beer, bikes, and backpacking
http://b.42q.eu/