Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => The Knowledge => Further and Faster => Topic started by: Notsototalnewbie on 21 March, 2014, 10:22:27 am
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I'm doing the RideLondon 100 in August. Whereas I have no doubt that I can get round 100 miles, the question is whether I can do it under the time limit (eight hours). If I don't make the three checkpoints in time, I'll be taken off the course (because the pros are coming through on a similar course after). I would be pretty devastated if this happened, particularly because I'm doing it for a charity.
The Surrey hilly bits in the middle will be my problem, I suspect. I go up them, but very slowly. My bike is a Surly LHT, which has its own gravitational pull, but I love it because it's a comfortable ride and I feel confident on it, and the low gears mean I hardly ever have to resort to the 24 inch gear.
People's reactions when I tell them that I'm planning to do the RideLondon 100 on it usually involve them looking at me like I'm a lunatic. I went out with Rob, Jane and two of Rob's speedy roadie friends last weekend, and while I kept up with them reasonably well on the flat, they left me for dead on even smallish hills. Rob keeps insisting I should use one of his road bikes instead (he's not much taller than me), but I'm not really a fan of twitchy road bikes, especially when descending so I'm very reluctant.
Am I absolutely mad to want to use a heavy tourer for this ride?
I have at least 10kg of weight to lose that has crept on over the last two years, which I am already shifting and will hopefully be gone by August. I'm cycling to work and around all my sites four days a week (15-20 miles a day), attending spin classes three times a week where they make you do lots of 'hills', and doing longer rides at the weekend when I can (I'm doing a Masters part time and term finishes in May, so I'll probably be doing them most/all weekends by then).
Advice welcome. I know some of you are well 'ard and think nothing of riding 100 miles or more each weekend, but bear in mind I'm not in that category.
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I maintain that you will ride further and faster on something you are comfortable with than on featherweight that makes you uncomfortable be it physically or confidence.
I remember preparing my bike for my first CTC 100 in 8 standard ride at the age of 16. It was a gas plumber's Claud Butler with all steel equipment. I stripped off all the gearing and turned the wheel around to ride fixed, took off the mudguards and carrier - everything I could think of. My father was not impressed and made me put it all back. Almost 50 years on I tend to do a number of short rides, cannot be bothered with set rides like 100 in 8, cycle camp at 60 miles a day and sometimes step it up to 90 miles a day. For me, it is as much between my ears as it is in the legs.
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Fit fast-rolling tyres, it'll make a noticeable difference.
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Riding 100 miles on an LHT is not a problem, as long as you feel comfortable on it! You will probably be faster on your own bike than on someone else's top-of-the-line racing bike that does not fits you well.
From now until august, you have 4 months ahead. If you can already ride 20 miles, 4 times a week, and have no medical problems, 4 months should be well enough.
Do a a couple of 30-40 miles rides in April, a couple of 50-60 miles in May, 70-80 miles in June, and you will be ready for your first 100 miles!
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Could you borrow the bike Rob would lend you and try a ride to Brighton on it about a month before the event? If you decide the handling, comfort, gearing and whatever else is ok for you, great; if not, you still have a month to lose weight from your LHT by taking off the rack and so on.
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My advice, as someone who's probably in a similar boat to you:
- If you're riding those kind of distances each week then you're probably quicker than you think.
- Try a lighter bike if one's on offer, but if you want to stick to the Surly then I'd second the advice to lose some of the excess weight from the LHT - rack and panniers, mudguards, etc. and maybe try some faster tires
- Don't faff about at the first couple of checkpoints if you can help it, if you can build up a bit of a buffer between you and the broomwagon.
- Similarly, and I have to work at this, don't freewheel on the downhills (if it's safe to pick the speed up, of course). Get in the big ring and tick a couple of miles off with gravity and legs on your side :)
- +1 TheFrenchTandem's advice for building up the "in-one-go" miles gradually over the next half-dozen weekends or so
- Don't forget to enjoy it!
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I'm doing the RideLondon 100 in August. Whereas I have no doubt that I can get round 100 miles, the question is whether I can do it under the time limit (eight hours).
The answer is yes unless you have a medical condition, are not an adult or very very old
Just try and ride your bike a bit between now and August, you'll be fine
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Do the maths, and you'll see that speed of hill climbing is important, but still very much secondary to faff-reduction. My general principle is that as long as you can get to the top of $bastard_hill in one go, it doesn't really matter how slow you are. Then you just have to put the miles in.
Of course the absolute worst thing you can do is wear yourself out early on by trying to keep up with people with a higher power:weight ratio on the climbs.
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Fit fast-rolling tyres, it'll make a noticeable difference.
But not yet. Fit very knobbly ones and ride those for a month first. Then you'll fly once you get the fast-rollers on.
Lose weight from a) yourself then b) your luggage then c) your tyres
Read gonzos top tips for better climbing ~~~ from way back when (https://yacf.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=782.msg10249#msg10249) ~~~
And I might be well 'ard and think nothing of riding 100 miles or more each weekend
but I'd still chose to ride it on a bike I'm comfortable with than one I'm not, even if it's faster.
However, there's a long time between now & then. It might be worth trying to get comfortable on a faster bike, because the faster you can go, the easier you'll find the ride, and the more fun you'll have.
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Your hill-climbing time/speed will vary only a little between bikes.
Your speed on descents will be best when you are confident with the bike's handling and braking.
There may be significant differences in performance between bikes on the flat; try some out.
Smooth tyres can make a big difference but you might save little time with these if you're not confident about braking and handling.
I'd suggest you try timing yourself over 10 miles with any bikes available and train on the one that seems best wrt speed and comfort.
Personally, I was hardly any slower on the hybrid with flat bars and 700x35c tyres than the Audax machine with dropped bars and skinnier wheels.
The hybrid stopped *very* quickly and accelerated more briskly.
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- Don't faff about at the first couple of checkpoints if you can help it, if you can build up a bit of a buffer between you and the broomwagon.
This bit's key to keeping the average up. Don't stop for as long as you can.
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- Don't faff about at the first couple of checkpoints if you can help it, if you can build up a bit of a buffer between you and the broomwagon.
This bit's key to keeping the average up. Don't stop for as long as you can.
Though the corollary to that is that if you do need to eat/drink/pee/fettle a niggle/adjust your wardrobe, do it sooner rather than later.
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For comparison, a reasonably good time-trialist might get close to 4hrs for a 100. So 8hrs shouldn't be impossible.
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Personally, I was hardly any slower on the hybrid with flat bars and 700x35c tyres than the Audax machine with dropped bars and skinnier wheels.
whereas I am noticably (2-3kph adds up over 100+km) faster on a 'racing' style bike with narrow range gears and no luggage than I was on my sadly stolen audax bike, and faster on that than I am on my heavy comfy steel fixed. it's definitely worth trying a faster bike if there's a chance you could get comfortable and confident on it- after all, how long did it take you to get used to the Brompton after riding your sedate Dutch bike?
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Though the corollary to that is that if you do need to eat/drink/fettle a niggle/adjust your wardrobe, do it sooner rather than later.
Indeed. A full bladder, incipient 'bonk' or being too hot/cold can slow you enormously.
Sort swiftly!
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What wheels do you have on there at the moment? I think that light and "fast" wheels will be a greater advantage than a lighter frame. So you could keep your comfy frame and buy a new set of wheels.
Apart from that - what everyone else has already written. Start getting your in-ride nutrition correct - find out what works for you. Eating little and often will allow you to reduce the faff at the controls. The fastest Audax rides I've done have been achieved by bouncing the controls, rather than any increase in average on-the-move speed.
I'd normally say do some speed work, as well as riding lots of miles, but I think you've got this covered with the spin classes. The only way to get faster is to ride faster. Although I don't think there is anything in the "junk miles" theory, riding a lot of miles at the same speed makes you very good at riding at that speed. Have a google for "sweet spot" training. It requires a heart-rate monitor but I've used it to increase my average speed (a little) this winter.
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Thanks very much guys, these replies are most useful.
I suppose I should borrow Rob's bike and test it out, but I'm a bit scared of it to be honest. Some of you will remember I used to ride a mixte frame which was rather more compact that the LHT, and I was useless at even getting a bottle out without veering all over the road - I can't risk doing that on a packed ride. But yes, I did get used to the Brompton in a matter of days.
The LHT's got fairly substantial tyres and wheels on at the moment, made for carrying heavy loads, which also help my confidence on shite road surfaces. I'm not sure if they're planning to sort out the crappy surfaces on the Surrey Hills in advance of the ride; you'd hope so. My well-documented dislike of offroading is mainly due to being nervous. Also, I'm not the best at fettling; I can change an inner tube but not as quickly as some, particularly if I'm under pressure, so I'm wary of getting less bombproof tyres. At the moment there's a Continental Touring on the front and an M+ on the back.
Again, because of the tyres and general non-twitchy handling of the bike, I'm confident descending straightish downhills, and will keep pedalling, and dropped Rob a few times last weekend (though this is probably down to me and my bike being heavier more than anything else) but do tend to freak out at twisty downhills regardless and hang on the brakes a bit too much.
Agree that keeping faffage time down is an easy win; I was hoping to only stop twice for just long enough to refill my bottles (depending on weather), eat something, and use a loo; day rides have shown that I can generally go around 35 miles before needing a loo/food stop so that should work in theory. I've also discovered that putting cordial in my water bottles makes a big difference to how far I can go before needing a break.
Boris allegedly did it in eight hours on his hybrid...
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What this shouts to me is that you may not actually be quicker if you ride a faster, twitchy machine.
You will be faster than Rob downhill/on the flat because you are more girlie-shaped than he is; quelle surprise!
A shorter torso, narrower shoulders and a bit of bum ballast can have their advantages!
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At what speed do you ride your daily miles, and since when do you ride those?
If you don't do them at pootling pace you might already be fit enough.
My commute is 25km/day (usually done in about 55mins moving time) and a month ago I did 140km on a Wednesday afternoon, in about 6 hours. After that I found out the last time I did 100+km was in August(!). I have done some rides up to 75km since October, but less than one per month. I have done LEL, but that fitness would've disappeared quickly if I hadn't had my daily commute since October. I was happily surprised with how this long ride went and am now confident about the 200km Audax with 1800m of elevation next weekend.
Those daily miles really count for something. I'd say plan a 100km ride somewhere next month after taking it easy for 3-4 days and find out what you're capable of already, and do that on your preferred bike. Just make sure those huge tires are inflated close to maximum pressure.
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What this shouts to me is that you may not actually be quicker if you ride a faster, twitchy machine.
You will be faster than Rob downhill/on the flat because you are more girlie-shaped than he is; quelle surprise!
A shorter torso, narrower shoulders and a bit of bum ballast can have their advantages!
Rob would be the first to admit that he is incredibly skinny and I have always been heavier than him, even when I was thinner than I am now. The jammy sod goes up hills like lightning even when he was just riding my old hub-geared hybrid!
At what speed do you ride your daily miles, and since when do you ride those?
If you don't do them at pootling pace you might already be fit enough.
My commute isn't the best indicator since I go from South London to East London via Tower Bridge, and there are too many traffic lights and junctions to count so it's rare to get up much of a speed; I also end up filtering through traffic which isn't safe to do at speed. Logging my rides on Strava has indicated that on the Brompton I usually do between 11-12mph average depending on which way the wind is blowing. Also, it is a pan-flat commute save for a little kick up where the cycle route goes over a road tunnel (mind you I end up carrying all sorts of stuff in the huge bag on the front which provides plenty of wind resistance and ballast, I can really feel the difference if I take it off). I've done this for the past year, with the odd few weeks off for illness etc.
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What this shouts to me is that you may not actually be quicker if you ride a faster, twitchy machine.
You will be faster than Rob downhill/on the flat because you are more girlie-shaped than he is; quelle surprise!
A shorter torso, narrower shoulders and a bit of bum ballast can have their advantages!
Rob would be the first to admit that he is incredibly skinny and I have always been heavier than him, even when I was thinner than I am now. The jammy sod goes up hills like lightning even when he was just riding my old hub-geared hybrid!
I can really feel the difference if I take it off). I've done this for the past year, with the odd few weeks off for illness etc.
I have categorised people as 'kites' and 'bombs' before.
Kites fly up hills and have a mighty battle with headwinds. Rob is a kite.
Bombs struggle up hills but have little issue with air resistance.
I was always a bomb...
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Rob keeps insisting I should use one of his road bikes instead (he's not much taller than me), but I'm not really a fan of twitchy road bikes, especially when descending so I'm very reluctant.
Road bike is a very general term in which there's a lot of variation, even starting with the frame material (Steel / Ti / C / Al). Some road bikes will be far more twitchy then others. I find my geared bike very stable, whereas my dad's Hewitt is far more twitchy. The bike I hired in Mallorca was different again, which was different to my dad's Kuota. Try it.
Am I absolutely mad to want to use a heavy tourer for this ride?
IMO, yes.
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Lots of good advice above, although I haven't followed any of it! I too have a Surly LHT I bought for touring, and I've added plenty of weight with a Shimano dynohub with Sputnik rim, a Tubus rear rack, a handlebar bag and 2" wide Big Apple tyres that transform cratered roads into cushioned carpets! However I love the bike for its super comfort, its high-reliability components and bomb-proof abilities to cope with any surface and conditions.
To answer your question I thought I'd just go and do it. (That's not strictly true I'm using my Surly on the Elenydd audax next month and wanted to check out whether I have any chance of getting around in time.)
I rode the Denmead 200km yesterday. 100 miles / 160km in 8 hours is the same as 200km in 10 hours. I meant to note my time at 160km for your information, but sadly forgot (I was enjoying the ride too much). However I did note the 200km mark clocked up in 10 hours and 6 minutes of real-world time (including three cafe/pub stops in Old Sarum, Pewsey and Whitchurch). The 40 km between 160 and 200 included a lot of slow uphill so I'm pretty confident I was inside 8 hours at the 100 mile mark. So yes - it can be done, and I'm not a fast rider.
I think LHTs are peculiar bikes in that they feel slower than they are, my ride statistics don't suggest I'm significantly slower on the Surly, although my fastest bike hasn't come out to play so far this year. However don't fool yourself - these bikes are slow up hills. My Surly will climb anything very comfortably at the speed it wants to go, but get out of the saddle and push yourself into the red zone and in my case it makes little difference - an extra 2 kph that isn't really sustainable and the effort will hurt you before the end of the ride. You just have to play tortoise to the hares on lighter machinery.
If like me you are cautious and carry a wardrobe of spare clothing and tools to cover most mechanical problems the weight of the bike is less of an issue. (I have a horror of being stuck in remote country in the cold and wet and dark and probably carry too much stuff as a consequence.)
I can't add much to the advice already given. Light, supple tyres are probably the easiest improvement,
where you will notice a difference (rotating weight is especially important up hills). Conversely it's probably best to avoid comedy balloon tyres.
Good luck!
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I think if you are comfy on the LHT, use it - but make some small changes to put it on a bit of a diet.
My other half will be doing the ride, she has a hybrid and a touring bike - she would have done it on the tourer (cannondale) - i say would as we got a place to ride on the tandem.
I had already thought about what we'd do to get some free speed on her tourer and the obvious things are taking off mudguards, rack etc. - so if you have these on your LHT, that is going to be 1-1.5kg and some aerodynamic improvements.
Faster rolling tyres will make the single biggest difference - depending on your exact rims, you should still be able to use something with reasonable comfort at 28mm or similar. I am sure someone on here has some tyres that can be borrowed for the event. I have conti 4 season 28mm that I'd be happy to - not the absolute fastest tyre on earth, but probably faster than what you have on the tourer currently.
Remember that this event is different to going out normally - no traffic (motorised anyway), no traffic lights, groups pulling each other along, so it would be considerably faster than going and riding this route on your own.
My own main bike is no featherweight (condor fratello), but stripping off the mudguards and so on, makes a difference when I do faster rides on it.
100 miles in 8 hours is not a walk in the park, but given the unique conditions and a little training, I am sure you will be just fine.
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At what speed do you ride your daily miles, and since when do you ride those?
If you don't do them at pootling pace you might already be fit enough.
My commute isn't the best indicator since I go from South London to East London via Tower Bridge, and there are too many traffic lights and junctions to count so it's rare to get up much of a speed; I also end up filtering through traffic which isn't safe to do at speed. Logging my rides on Strava has indicated that on the Brompton I usually do between 11-12mph average depending on which way the wind is blowing. Also, it is a pan-flat commute save for a little kick up where the cycle route goes over a road tunnel (mind you I end up carrying all sorts of stuff in the huge bag on the front which provides plenty of wind resistance and ballast, I can really feel the difference if I take it off). I've done this for the past year, with the odd few weeks off for illness etc.
Doesn't sound slow to me!
What this shouts to me is that you may not actually be quicker if you ride a faster, twitchy machine.
You will be faster than Rob downhill/on the flat because you are more girlie-shaped than he is; quelle surprise!
A shorter torso, narrower shoulders and a bit of bum ballast can have their advantages!
Rob would be the first to admit that he is incredibly skinny and I have always been heavier than him, even when I was thinner than I am now. The jammy sod goes up hills like lightning even when he was just riding my old hub-geared hybrid!
I can really feel the difference if I take it off). I've done this for the past year, with the odd few weeks off for illness etc.
I have categorised people as 'kites' and 'bombs' before.
Kites fly up hills and have a mighty battle with headwinds. Rob is a kite.
Bombs struggle up hills but have little issue with air resistance.
I was always a bomb...
Nice classification but I think I am a kite with lead weights on!
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All a bit simple I accept (and Simon has an irrational hatred of mudguards), but the Fridays' page about the bike is a good guide - http://fnrttc.blogspot.co.uk/p/its-most-definitely-about-bike.html
Actually, if you haven't tried them already, I'd recommend having a go at a couple of the Fridays rides before your 100 miler. It's a relaxing way to get used to longer distances while being well looked after and with few cars around.
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+1 to fboab's suggestion of riding this month on fat bastard draggy tyres and then changing them - a nice bit of hypergravity training there. I always notice a massive difference going up hills when I take the studded tyres off my commuter...
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All a bit simple I accept (and Simon has an irrational hatred of mudguards), but the Fridays' page about the bike is a good guide - http://fnrttc.blogspot.co.uk/p/its-most-definitely-about-bike.html
Actually, if you haven't tried them already, I'd recommend having a go at a couple of the Fridays rides before your 100 miler. It's a relaxing way to get used to longer distances while being well looked after and with few cars around.
Blimey. I had heard that his views were quirky - but I hadn't realised he was so extreme.
If I ever went on one of his rides, I think I would feel obliged to come with mudguards, front and rear panniers and maybe the trailer for good luck.
Funny really - audaxers shun the mudguardless in group riding conditions when the weather turns bad.
Anyway, all OT - but just amazed at his proclamations.
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That one comes up at least once a year. My view....
- Mr Legg is an extremely witty sort of chap. Remember to read his proclamations in that light.
- Having personally participated in 4 and completed 3 FNRttCs with mudguards (if not elbows) intact since I didn't trust myself to safely remove and refit them, I think that there's little to be proved by turning up with 'em for the sake of it.
- My first ride with Mr Legg was the recce run to Cleethorpes in 2010. In order to check if/reassure me that I really could make the distance on the night, Simon rode the _entire_ route with me by day a few weeks beforehand. He rode it on some featherweight carbon bling with a rear block that looked like a corncob. I, as the only other participant, rode on my sensible sturdy disk-braked hybrid with guards and rack and rack pack. The 40ish miles to the Humber Bridge was the furthest I had ever ridden without stopping for a brew in my life. The 70-odd miles to the coast was, I think the furthest I'd ever ridden full stop. His only comment about my bike afterwards? "You should really fit some barends on that. It'll make it a lot comfier over the distance and help with climbing."
NSTN - don't be scared of the faster bike, try it out somewhere safe and non-public where nobody will point and laugh if you steer into a tree or summat and then you'll know whether it is worth experimenting with. And enjoy the ride!
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The LHT with thinner M+'s will do you well good, it will be comfy at 95km too. If you go for another bike ride it and ride it and ride it, you need to become used to it. As others have said build the distance up, you have plenty of time. You are already doing a great base distance, someone once said to me - if you can do 30miles you can do 60miles (I would just take it easier than him).
My first DunRun was on my MTB-hybrid with thin tires and the longest I had done before that was 30 miles in one go and had next to no weekly mileage under my belt and I was spend when I got the beach. The second DunRun was on my fully loaded LHT, fat tyres but many long rides and big weekly mileage under my belt and I was only tired by the lack of sleep.
Remember to eat and drink, when I climbed Tourmalet the fist time, I stopped every 2km to have a bite of Mars bar and a long drink and I managed to get up to the top without bonking.
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Yeah don't worry about the mudguard stuff - I've done many rides with him and I think only one without guards. Then of course there's TimO's pannier of everything which is heavy enough to have it's own moons ;D
The main thrust really is that he has had people turn up with badly maintained bikes and lots of unneeded equipment and they have then struggled. The 'think what you really need' mantra is a good one.
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Go for a few 50 mile day rides. See what works and what does not.
When you come home, review your kit. Make lists of
Kit I took and used
Kit I did not take but wanted
Kit I took did not use but feel unhappy to leave behind (like waterproofs or p* kit)
Kit I did not use and could leave at home
A few trips will show what really *is* essential.
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I think the underlying lesson in Simon's accessory rants is about reliability. We all know that the weight of the bike doesn't actually matter at Fridays' pace[1]. The important thing is that it isn't full of unknown mechanical gotchas, and it's certainly true that what you haven't got can't go wrong. But reliability is key. Don't muck up the brakes on a known-good bike trying to remove perfectly well-fitted mudguards. Don't fit silly lightweight tyres that are going to have fifteen punctures in the first half of the ride. That sort of thing.
Where I disagree is the advice about not carrying kit and supplies. If you're reading his advice at all, then you're inexperienced at overnight riding, which means you don't know exactly what you're body's going to do. As mentioned upthread, nothing slows you down more than being too hot, too cold, hungry or thirsty.
...but this thread isn't about a FNRttC. As the username suggests, Notsototalnewbie has a reasonable idea about what she needs to eat and carry. It's about training and to a lesser extent the bike. Bike reliability is the inverse of faff, though, and that lesson is just as relevant.
[1] When I was a newbie, Simon made disapproving noises on seeing that my bike had grown front racks since the previous ride. I pointed out they weighed 170g, of which 100g was saved by swapping the stem, and that I'd lost about 5kg of lard in the intervening period.
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When you come home, review your kit. Make lists of
Kit I took and used
Kit I did not take but wanted
Kit I took did not use but feel unhappy to leave behind (like waterproofs or p* kit)
Kit I did not use and could leave at home
My problem is that it all comes into the second and third categories. :facepalm:
Of course, when you're up against a time limit, there's no point in carrying some of the more advanced repair kit you'd take when touring, as if you have to arse about with a complex mechanical, you're going to be out of time.
And the cynic in me says that an excellent way to save weight on a bike is to have someone with a car available to rescue you if things go horribly wrong.
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I've been on several FNRttCs, in fact they were the first long rides I ever did and I think the Shoreham one was in fact the longest. I did all of them on bikes with racks and mudguards and Simon did not ban me, in fact when I last bumped into him on a commute he encouraged me to start coming again.
I'm not too worried about what kit to carry; I have done plenty of day rides and I can usually get most of what I need into a small barbag, with a saddlepack for tools. My fettling skills are such that it's not worth me carrying much more than tyre levers, a decent multitool and spare inner tubes; as Kim suggests, anything worse than what those can fix is going to take me out of the ride anyway.
I weigh 10kg more than I did two years ago and I plan to be rid of that by August.
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His only comment about my bike afterwards? "You should really fit some barends on that. It'll make it a lot comfier over the distance and help with climbing."
And did you? I'm not a big fan of bar ends - I've taken them off my hybrid - but I think they do help with steep climbs.
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has anyone mentioned the free speed you can gain by riding with your back more horizontal? you can do this by strengthening your core/lower back muscles and lowering handlebar and riding in drops.
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has anyone mentioned the free speed you can gain by riding with your back more horizontal? you can do this by strengthening your core/lower back muscles and lowering handlebar and riding in drops.
Or by lowering your seat, which also helps you to breathe more freely... :)
Seriously though, on a DF the breathing in a crouch thing can be really limiting if you're not trained for it. Certainly not a quick fix.
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has anyone mentioned the free speed you can gain by riding with your back more horizontal? you can do this by strengthening your core/lower back muscles and lowering handlebar and riding in drops.
Or by lowering your seat, which also helps you to breathe more freely... :)
Seriously though, on a DF the breathing in a crouch thing can be really limiting if you're not trained for it. Certainly not a quick fix.
Lowering your seat might reduce the power output of the lower limbs...
Girlies don't gain as much as boys by crouching forward, due to differences in body shape...
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has anyone mentioned the free speed you can gain by riding with your back more horizontal? you can do this by strengthening your core/lower back muscles and lowering handlebar and riding in drops.
Or by lowering your seat, which also helps you to breathe more freely... :)
Seriously though, on a DF the breathing in a crouch thing can be really limiting if you're not trained for it. Certainly not a quick fix.
if you position yourself closer to the ground you have to push through the denser air. swings and roundabouts ::-)
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has anyone mentioned the free speed you can gain by riding with your back more horizontal? you can do this by strengthening your core/lower back muscles and lowering handlebar and riding in drops.
Or by lowering your seat, which also helps you to breathe more freely... :)
Seriously though, on a DF the breathing in a crouch thing can be really limiting if you're not trained for it. Certainly not a quick fix.
if you position yourself closer to the ground you have to push through the denser air. swings and roundabouts ::-)
You are also subject to a greater gravitational field. :-\
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Lowering your seat might reduce the power output of the lower limbs...
I did mean seat (in the darkside sense) not saddle. Lowering it means a more laid-back aerodynamic position and less compression of the diaphragm - it makes you faster both up and down hills. If the seat pivots about an axis forward of the pelvis then boom extension would need adjusting to compensate, for exactly the reason you state. The tradeoff is head height, neck angle and requiring a bit more skill to control the bike.
if you position yourself closer to the ground you have to push through the denser air. swings and roundabouts ::-)
Yeahbut there's much less headwind: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boundary_layer
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You are also subject to a greater gravitational field. :-\
;D ;D ;D
That contains as much sense as other recent posts.
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Just to reiterate what has already been said upthread, spend as little time as possible faffing and you won't have to worry how long it takes you to get up hills.
Faffing is my worst habit on audaxes. I was on the road for about 10.5 hours on last Sunday's 200, of which nearly two hours was spent not moving. That's waaaaaay too much time spent sitting chatting at controls, organising the contents of my saddlebag, updating social media with my progress... My fastest ever 200 was around 9hrs but my average riding speed was no quicker, I just didn't stop for long at controls.
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Faffing is my worst habit on audaxes...
Let me give you some advice...
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Faffing is my worst habit on audaxes...
Let me give you some advice...
I don't think so!
If I recall correctly, the one time I encountered you on an audax, you were sitting in a cafe at the last control, deliberately taking ages over your cuppa in order to get back to the finish as close to the cutoff time as possible.
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Hi,
Lots of good advice here. If you’re comfortable with your LHT long distances then I would stick with it, unless you’ve got the time to learn what your comfortable position might be on a lighter bike. Based on what you have already said about your plans, with some modest weight loss (but only if you want to do that) and riding more miles I reckon you will be fine!
I rode it last year and would say that, in comparative terms, it really isn’t that difficult for 100 miles – it’s quite a flat course for much of the route (e.g. barring Sawyer’s Hill in Richmond Park the first 40 miles are all virtually flat). In the Surrey Hills, the route misses out all of the properly steep climbs on the Downs (like Whitedown, Coldharbour & Ranmore Common) and the crowds are very encouraging!
The hardest bit on the route is Leith Hill and while it’s noticeably a climb it isn’t very long or really very steep (it’s less than 10%, compared to Whitedown which is 18%). Box Hill is easier than Leith Hill and after that there isn’t too much uphill left to do (the biggest remaining climbs if you can call them that, is the drag up Coombe Hill from Norbiton and I think one of the bits around Wimbledon Park). Put it this way - I had a gearing problem last year which meant I couldn't use my granny ring at all and Leith Hill was the only place I would have used it had I had the option.
With missing out many of the hills and the narrower roads, most of the route takes place on main roads in good repair so I wouldn’t worry too much about the road surface (it’s not great on parts of the A25 but that’s as bad as I recall it being). Also you can sit in a big bunch for much of the time and get dragged along – sure you’ll probably drop off the back when the gradient climbs but you won’t be the only one and there will be another group along in a bit every time!
The closed roads help too in that there is a lot of road to use which makes descending a lot of fun, even for nervous descenders like me.
Lastly, unless you desperately need to stop there, try and avoid the first feed station at Hampton Court as you’ll queue for ages for the loos - there are plenty of other places to stop later on. From memory, you’re offered a stopping opportunity roughly every 20 miles or so.
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just to give a contrary viewpoint: I've got a LHT and a road bike and have been riding the LHT all winter and just switched to the road bike. On a 'standard' 18 mile loop with no major hills, with similar heart rates my average speeds:
LHT with full winter kit (dynamo, marathon+ tyres, guards) - 14 mph
LHT with spring kit (no dynamo, wide pasela tyres, guards) - 15mph
road bike (no dynamo, 25mm tyres, no guards) - 17.5mph
assuming similar drops in speed over 100 miles, the road bike would be about an hour quicker. I say to switch to a road bike now, spend months fiddling with the position to get comfy on it, then enjoy not having to work so hard all the way round 100 miles.
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As long as you are worried about doing 100 miles you'll be fine. That means you'll prepare for it properly.
For a regular cyclist, who can do 50 miles without much problem, 100 miles is only a problem if you underestimate it, taking it for granted and not preparing.
My choice would always be for comfort and a familiar bike if I was "going into the unknown". A LHT is made for comfort over distance.
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What wheel size is your bike, Laura? If it's 26" I would heartily recommend Panaracer Paselas 26 * 1.5. They are very light but extremely hardwearing. If you get some and don't want to keep them I'll buy them off you.
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And have you just bought Charlotte's bike for this ride ?
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She certainly has. And I fully expect her to whiz round it at R17 :D
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Coolio !!!
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My stepson (then 18) did this ride last year on his Dawes Horizon, complete with 'guards, rack and assorted accoutrements. He commuted around 100-120 miles a week, and hadn't found time to do anything over 60-odd mikes before the Big Day. He was fine. He only remembered Box Hill because 'it had writing on the road'; the other hills made little impact. He's not a budding pro, nor is he used to hills (we live in NE Essex), and IIRC, he averaged about 14mph. He loved it. I get my turn this year...
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Yes, I now own An Actual Road Bike built by Charlotte herself. Embarrassingly I had to ask her, several times, to show me how the gears worked, because I've only ever had DT or bar-end shifters (or hub gears) on my various trusty machines.
I don't think I'd have gone out and bought a bike new, and there is still a bloodyminded part of me that would like to attempt to do it on the LHT, but having seen this one in the classifieds section, and knowing it was of excellent provenance (and likely to fit me) I thought it was well worth it. Plus my commute is going to get longer later in the year as we move further south, so this might be a good bike to use in nice weather in order to stop me bailing for the train.
Plus it's a damn good-looking bike! And who knows, being on a bike with decent brakes might actually help my confidence descending (the cantis on the LHT are not its best feature considering how it tries to hurtle down hills, and I usually get to the bottom of big hills with very sore hands.) But Aunty Charlotte has also warned me of the dangers of *very* good brakes and I shall take heed...
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It's a lovely bike - have fun :thumbsup:
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A wee update for anyone who cares:
I had a break of almost a month while we went on a big holiday, during which my 'training' was scaled back to lots of walking and the odd pootle on Boris-style hire bikes. But I'm back on the bike now, commuting around 80 miles a week and aiming to do one long ride each weekend. Last weekend I managed around 65 miles, yesterday 75. Hoping to do more next weekend. The aim is now to do a long ride every weekend until August 10.
I'm getting on quite well with the new bike; I've put my comfy Selle Anatomica on it and the only problem is a bit of backache after about 25 miles without a break, which I think is probably my body getting used to having bars slightly lower than the saddle, and my appalling core strength. I'm also resuming my Yoga For Cyclists classes, which do a lot of core-strengthening exercises, as I stopped those to go on holiday too. I might start using the road bike for commuting on the days when I'm not going on site (as on site there is usually nowhere safe for regular bikes, hence the Brompton is useful - I work not a million miles from Brick Lane)
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Good to have a rest. I'm sure you will do the 100 miles you are on the right track, jolly good show :)
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So I'm going out pretty much every single weekend now, with progressively longer distances. I went out with Jane on Sunday. We cycled out to the Surrey hills, went up and down a good few, and cycled back. 85 miles (furthest ever in one go for me) and 5400 feet ascended.
Descending is actually not as bad as I feared on a racier bike, because the brakes work very well indeed and so don't make my hands sore from squeezing them (the Surly's brakes are not its best feature and require quite a bit of force once it's built up a head of steam downhill) and I'm less likely to panic.
I need to get better at getting my water bottle in and out on that bike though. It was easy on the Surly LHT with its ponderous handling. I've been practising on quiet/slower bits where I can afford to wobble around a bit, but I'm worried I'll take someone out on the ride itself due to being surrounded by other cyclists.
As I'd suspected, the gears on my new bike are a wee bit high for a weakling such as me. 38/24 is the lowest.
I got up most of the buggers, including Leith, but Coldharbour necessitated a rest halfway, and White Down beat me about halfway up and as I was seeing stars and feeling a bit like I might pass out, I reluctantly walked the rest of the way. Box Hill presented no problem and we did it twice; ok I'll never sprint up it like some of the roadies were doing but the fact that I can get up it at a steady pace is good enough for me.
Not sure what to do about the gears. While I think I can manage the hills on the actual ride on my current gearing - there's nothing like White Down on the RideLondon - I'm a bit worried about how I might manage surrounded by swarms of other cyclists, some of whom might be going slower than me because they have lower, spinnier gears. The bike currently has a lovely Campag groupset and I'm not all that keen on messing with it just yet considering it's barely been used...it'd be one thing if it actually needed replacing due to wear, but at this point in time I don't think I can justify the cost considering we are currently giving large sums of money to estate agents, surveyors and solicitors....
Perhaps I should concentrate on getting rid of that final 5kg of fat instead...
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Perhaps I should concentrate on getting rid of that final 5kg of fat instead...
bugger that - 30 quid should find you a cassette with a 26 or 27 on it.. (you can get 29s but they're a bit grumbly with a short cage mech, which I expect you've got)
good job on the distance!
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38?!? My *middle* ring's a 36! :o
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My middle ring's a 32 on two of my bikes :)
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Racing gears, innit. Shame the bike has me as a rider instead of someone capable of actually racing!
The LHT has ridiculously low gears, but then it weighs considerably more.
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A Campag 10 speed short cage rear mech will shift up to a 29T on the cassette but you'll have to be careful to get the chain length right and possibly adjust the B-stop screw.
It'd certainly be the cheapest way to get lower gears - replacing the cassette with a 13-29T one. You could also try to source a Veloce compact crankset for a square taper BB but you might only be able to get a 2nd hand one.
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Brilliant stuff. If you can do 85 miles including some tough hills (Whitedown is a real stinker), then you're going to be just fine on the RideLondon 100.
Bit concerned about my stoker - we need to get out on the tandem more and get it dialled in better for this ride.
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^ ^ ^ Wot he said.
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Still debating whether to get a bigger cassette...I might do, I think, as several kind forummers have offered to fit it for me (my fettling skills are limited to changing inner tubes and pedals and anything more ambitious usually ends with me throwing offending part across teh room and scaring the dog).
Did longest ever ride, 111 miles altogether, yesterday via a longer route to Cambridge with said kind forummers who were nice enough to let me tag along and slow them down. The biggest problem is my shoulders at the moment, after around 80 miles the pain in them gets quite sharp and starts to refer up the back of my head, giving me a headache. I am fairly sure this goes back to my core strength which I know is poor and so puts my shoulders under strain; I remember when I first started cycling even on my hybrid, the shoulder pain would start after about 30 miles. It does at least start later and later which supports my theory that it's a strength issue. At the moment I do a cyclist-focused yoga class once a week which includes exercises such as the Plank to help core strength; I think I need to be more disciplined about practising these exercises in between classes.
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Shoulder/neck pain: change position frequently (tops to hoods to drops, or whatever), move your head around, scrunch your shoulders at intervals. Basically, any exercise that doesn't lead to falling off the bike - just don't get stuck in one position for miles.
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Also, pedalling harder tends to put less weight on your hands and shoulders (and bum). This is a major reason why racers generally find fairly extreme positions more comfortable than Audaxers do (along with often somewhat shorter distances).
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I also find rotating the bars back towards me a bit makes it less likely. All my bikes have bars tilted back more than normal.
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Did longest ever ride, 111 miles altogether, yesterday via a longer route to Cambridge with said kind forummers who were nice enough to let me tag along and slow them down. The biggest problem is my shoulders at the moment, after around 80 miles the pain in them gets quite sharp and starts to refer up the back of my head, giving me a headache. I am fairly sure this goes back to my core strength which I know is poor and so puts my shoulders under strain;
I've heard this from a couple of people who have moved onto drops and went straight into trying long distances (> 50 miles).
I never had this problem, but then before I tried anything more than about 15 miles in one go I had had two years of commuting 2 x 10 miles each way on drops, and I am convinced my neck muscles were simply ready for the longer distance when I finally did one.
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Missed cycle training last weekend to watch TdF in Yorkshire. We did hike to the top of a hill or two though...
My yoga-for-cyclists teacher has given me exercises to do on and off the bike which she reckons will help with shoulder pain. Swinging your arm while riding along is one, although it's a bit confusing for other road users who don't know what this strange signal means. I think the key is moving around/positions (as suggested above) *before* the pain starts...
I have my rider number now, and start time...it's all really happening! Argh!
I'm lucky in that one of my colleagues is letting me stay with her in Stratford the night before, otherwise that would have been 10 miles in my legs before I'd even started.
Oh, and if anyone takes pity on my struggle, and is feeling kind, you can sponsor me here:
uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Laura_E_Barton (http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/Laura_E_Barton)
(either charity, depending on whether you like big well-known ones or small lesser well known ones - they both do good work)
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Re. Shoulder/Neck pain. I may have mentioned this already but I started wearing a BUFF (Cheaper alternatives are available) in almost all weathers to combat this.
It isn't a 100% fix, but keeping the air-flow off the back of my neck helps enormously.
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Last Sunday I did a Surrey sportive as a practice run. It was 80 miles, with three climbs. I was doing the Long version.
I had to get a 7.10am train to get there. The stupid train took over an hour and had no toilet, which was unfortunate considering I'd necked a latte while waiting for the platform to come up. There were lots of cyclists on the train but none of them seemed as desperate for the toilet as I was, so by the time I'd finished they'd all left and I had no one to follow to the start of the sportive. I had a map and eventually I found my way to the start, where I found that there were no energy gels left because the early birds had taken them all, probably because they'd driven and got there much earlier. Which was a shame because I was looking forward to offsetting the entry fee by eating as much as I could. Nevertheless I registered, put the timing chip on my wrist and the number on my bike and set off.
I soon realised I was going to be mostly on my own. I overtook a couple of groups who were pootling along *very* slowly; they were probably on the short version. And then I was pretty much alone. I got overtaken by people much faster than me and soon realised there was no point trying to hang on to their wheels, which was also a shame because there was a bloody headwind. On the other hand, I found it more relaxing not having to worry about riding with people that I didn't know and had no idea whether they were sensible riders or not. Plus I'm a nervous descender so I didn't have to worry about getting in people's way.
The first 45 miles, while they weren't flat, were not too bad at all, and I did them in under 3 hours. After 40 miles I spotted my mum and partner by the side of the road; the sportive went within a few miles of my mum's partner's house, so they'd come out to say hello. I stopped very briefly to say hello and then carried on until the first feed stop. The gel-stealing vultures had already been, however, but there were bananas and cake left so I had some of those, plus some rice cakes I'd made the day before which are apparently what Team Sky use. I knew I couldn't hang around so having stuffed down some food, refilled my water bottles and used the loo, I set off again.
My body wasn't terribly happy with the 15 minute break, however. It's the first time I've not had a ride break that involved at least half an hour's sit down at a tea room or pub, and I missed that kind of proper break badly. Also, some bastard had saved up all the climbs for the last 35 miles of the ride.
The first one was Leith Hill. I've done Leith Hill before, with Jane, and though I was slow, I just about winched my way up it. I hadn't done it via Tanhurst Lane, however. I gritted my teeth and inched my way up, but then my front wheel started lifting (it was 23% in places) and although I managed to get it down again, about halfway up I had to admit I didn't have the strength, and walked it. Ahead of me were two other women walking it. Where it flattened out two of us stopped, ate some more, and complained bitterly about the incline. I thought I might have found some riding partners, except they were only doing the medium route. When one of them spotted that I had a standard double, she expressed surprise that I had got as far up the hill as I had.
I set off again, a bit cross at having to walk a small amount of the very first proper climb, but not too disheartened. My average speed had dropped quite a bit, however, and energy levels were low. It struck me that I'd not eaten anything like what I'd usually eat on a ride where we usually had a decent-sized lunch at a pub, so I ate a bit more on the move. Soon the second hill presented itself. This hill was long, but nothing like as steep as the first, and I cheered a bit as I made it all the way up steadily without stopping. Perhaps the first hill had been the worst?
The first hill was NOT the worst.
The first indication I had of the final climb was a sign warning that caravans & trailers shouldn't attempt this road because it was 27% in places. My heart sank. I knew I had sod-all chance of making it up something of that incline. I seemed to be cycling for some time before the 27% made itself known, and I started to wonder if it really existed.
Of course it bloody existed. It is called Barhatch Lane. If you're a masochist you should go check it out some time.
It rose up before me like a wall. I adopted my usual policy of getting into my lowest gear, pedalling slowly and seeing how far I got.
Predictably, I didn't get very far. By now my legs were saying 'So we've got 60 miles in us, you've not rested since you sat on the train, you've not really eaten enough, and you want us to get up this? You're having a laugh! We're going on strike!'
So I walked it. And it was steep, and it was long, and my shoes kept slipping where the incline was so steep. The fact that I was on my own did not deter me from swearing heartily and muttering to myself about what a ridiculous hill it was. At the top was the second and final feed stop. This time there was one solitary gel left!
I asked if I was the last one as I filled up my bottles and gobbled down banana and cake. They assured me I was not. The organiser was there and I complimented him on the signposting (which was faultless, I did not need to look at my map once). He said he'd had to put some up again because locals pulled them down. Just as I'd finished eating the people behind me turned up. Determined not to finish absolutely last, I thanked him, said goodbye and pedalled off down the hill. It was the kind of hill that Jane would like; steep, bendy, potholes, gravel. Lots of 'fun'.
I was feeling pretty shattered for the final 15 miles; the climbs were like nothing I'd seen (except perhaps in Wales) and they seemed to have taken every last vestige of energy. But I pushed on, finishing up the last of the food I'd brought with me. I rolled over the finish line 6 hours and 48 minutes after I'd left, which I'm not particularly happy with. I'm taking some comfort in the fact that for one thing I know I didn't eat enough early on, and for another I don't think the RideLondon 100 has anything as bad as the hills on that sportive.
'Did you enjoy yourself?!' asked one of the staff at the end brightly. 'Oh yes!' I lied, because this is the English thing to do. I had not enjoyed myself particularly - I've had much better rides - but it was very good training, so I got what I wanted out of it. But I don't see myself becoming a regular at these things. The organisers had promised lots of homemade cake at the finish, but the faster bastards had eaten all that as well. So after a little lie down on the grass, my addled brain somehow found me the way back to Guildford, where I fortified myself with a milkshake, and managed to find my bike a space on the train after a brief discussion with the owners of the Luggage in the space.
They have paparazzi at these things, and so this is me on my first sportive:
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/46480570@N05/14859466731" title="055A-CWSS2 by bartonlaura1, on Flickr"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3903/14859466731_d9357626c6_s.jpg" width="75" height="75" alt="055A-CWSS2"></a>
Look at how my face says I'm having a LOVELY time...
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Tanhurst Lane! :o I rode down there on an audax two months or so ago, having ridden up the other side of Leith Hill (which is much easier) and that was nerve wracking. Hairpins, narrow, running water, and steep steep steep. As for getting up it - no way!
But the photo - I think you blend right in with all the mamils (wamils?), whose stronghold Surrey seems to be! Perhaps you need some club logos...
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That's a fantastic report, Laura. In the picture you look determined to hunt down the bastards who ate all the cake. :D
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It was a good report. I think you need some therapy of the sort that is to be found at Paper Mill Lock or Blackmore Tea Rooms, followed by a decent pub lunch... :demon:
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Thanks guys :) I'm going to report on the RideLondon 100 when I've got some time, to nicely round off this thread. There is plenty to say on that one too...
Wow, I'm sure some sportive aversion therapy can be arranged, particularly once the blasted flat selling/house buying thing has been progressed a little (we thought we were getting somewhere but the house we wanted fell through).
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From your report, I'd guess that your main problem was not eating enough early on. Been there, & learned from it.
I hope the 100 went better.
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Ok, this is long. You might want to sit down with a cup of tea.
Registration and the day before
You have to register in the days before the ride. This was no trouble for me, as I don’t work a million miles away from the Excel. Registration was easy, we picked up my drop bag, numbers & timing chip, and there were lots of stalls with offers on various bits and pieces. I ended up with some very weird and wonderful stuff (beetroot flapjack anyone?) as well as several energy/caffeine gels, which I’ve never really tried before (a risky strategy, I know) and energy bars. By this point we knew the weather was likely to be filthy, and my lovely future spouse treated me to a very smart women’s Rapha raincoat that was in the sale on the Rapha stall. I was already feeling very excited by this point.
On Saturday evening, we headed over to my colleague’s house, as she lives only a couple of miles from the Olympic Park, the start of the race, and had kindly offered to put us up for the night so I could wake up as late as possible. I ate a three course meal, had a strong gin & tonic, and went to bed by 10pm, mindful that my alarm would go off at 5pm.
The start
When the alarm did go off, I had a shower before forcing down the strange beetroot flapjack (apparently you’re supposed to eat it 2 hours before exercise, why I don’t know, I was willing to believe any old crap at this stage) and having a strong coffee made by my colleague. I filled my bottles with water and Nuun tables and stuffed my jersey and little tri-bag with gels and energy bars, including some rice cakes I’d made, which apparently Team Sky use. I also put together a bag of gels/energy bars for Rob, who, after I left, was going to Waterloo to get a train to Woking and hike across fields with the dog in order to get to Ripley, where his grandparents live, and where I would have my own personal pitstop waiting.
We got to my start area (which was defined by a colour and then a letter) and dropped off the drop bag. I then rode into my pen which was already full of cyclists, and sized them up. I’d put myself down as a 7-hour rider, and theoretically I should be starting at the same time as people of a similar ability. I thought everyone looked about right. I’d been worried about getting cold at the start, as once I’m chilled I find it hard to warm up again, so I had arm warmers on with my short-sleeved Guide Dogs jersey, a buff around my neck, and the Rapha raincoat on top, with ¾ lycra on my legs and neoprene shoe covers. I was fine and didn’t get cold despite standing there nearly an hour. The announcer confirmed that the ride had been cut to 86 miles and Leith and Box hills taken out, and I felt disappointed, and wondered if it was justified.
They were playing music at the start and it was all very jolly. They were letting the waves go one by one; some got counted in, we didn’t, so before I knew it the ride had started and off we went! We were soon on the Highway, a road you wouldn’t normally want to cycle. A huge grin spread over my face as the enormity of having these roads entirely given over to bikes hit me. Already there were a few hardy spectators out clapping and cheering and I waved back enthusiastically.
The ride and the rain
The rain had started spitting just as we left, and it continued spitting very lightly. I felt a touch too warm with my armwarmers and waterproof, but I knew the forecast was for it to get much heavier, so just unzipped the jacket and pressed on. I kept turning to my fellow cyclists and saying ‘isn’t this fantastic?!’ as we flew down roads that were usually urban motorways.
And then the rain came. And it was biblical. It lashed down in sheets, and the wind whipped across the road. I laughed, it was so ridiculous, and others were laughing too, slightly hysterically. But despite the rain people were still out watching and cheering, probably because they knew someone in the race, but I waved and cheered back , not caring if they weren’t there specially for me. The atmosphere was absolutely amazing.
Before I knew it we were in Richmond Park. I realised a few miles had gone by seemingly effortlessly, and had a gel. On training rides I’d been fairly conservative about what I ate, because I’d been trying to get my body to burn its own fat reserves, and therefore only eating when I was hungry. Unfortunately, while this had worked to an extent and I'd dropped a few kg, this often also led to me being ‘hangry’ and struggling a bit. So on this ride I’d decided to neck as much as I could manage, little and often, without getting a stomach ache, regardless of how hungry I was.
There was a brief delay in RP as the crowd backed up behind a nasty looking accident, and we all moved over to let the ambulance through. I think it was perhaps then I decided not to draft anyone any more, despite the wind, and go it alone. I didn’t want to be too close to anyone no matter how competent a cyclist they were. There was talk of the person having a broken leg.
We moved through RP, and I remembered how hard I’d found the hills there when I first tackled them on my heavy hybrid. Today, they barely registered. We carried on, the rain continuing to lash down. The roads were often flooded. Mostly the really big deep puddles were coned off, and we warned each other of this, but one wasn’t, and I didn’t realise how deep the bloody thing was til I was in it. I have seen shallower fords. I panicked briefly when I realised I was in the middle of a lake, but a great cheer went up from the other riders who had managed to avoid it, and I realised I had better just keep going. Somehow, I made it out to the other side. Those who have ridden with me will know I’m scared of fords, especially on skinny slick tyres, so the fact that I made it through that and several other flooded roads it something of a miracle.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/bartonlaura/20x30-RLCE2587.jpeg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bartonlaura/media/20x30-RLCE2587.jpeg.html)
As we went through Kingston, I was briefly confused by some rather fast, professional looking cyclists coming the other way on the other side of the road. Afterwards, I realised that it was the very first (6am) starters on their way back. They looked very serious indeed.
I knew my dad and his partner were planning to try and watch me near Ripley, so I’d started watching the crowd very carefully. Having watched a fair few cycle races, I knew how difficult it was to pick out particular riders, even if I wasn’t going quite as fast as the TDF guys. So I’d have to pick them out first. The rain made visibility even harder, but I scrutinised every couple who even vaguely fitted their physical descriptions. Again, everyone was bundled up against the rain, and I worried I’d miss them. I knew my Dad had been looking forward to seeing me and would be hugely disappointed if he missed me. But then, as I approached Ripley, I saw a likely looking couple and started waving madly at them. My dad saw me and shouted excitedly ‘There she is! It’s Laura!’ and they both cheered and waved madly. It was fantastic to see him and be cheered by someone I actually knew!
I knew Ripley would be flooded; it always floods, as we know from previous trips to Rob’s grandparents. We rode down the middle of the road to stay in the shallowest water, which slowed things down a bit, but few people wanted to take the risk of losing a wheel in a hidden pothole (though a hardy few did). When I got onto the street where the grandparents lived, I saw Rob’s granddad waiting and watching for me in his porch. I dashed into their house, leaving a watery trail, and used their lovely warm clean toilet that was Not A Portaloo (I bloody hate portaloos) while Rob refilled my bottles and stuck them back on my bike. I scoffed a banana and an energy bar, gave everyone a rainy kiss goodbye, and jumped back on my bike. I was determined not to waste any time faffing, and Rob had briefed his lovely grandparents to expect me to basically run in and run out again.
As I rode along, an older gentleman rode alongside me and told me I had a ‘lovely riding style’. I wasn’t quite sure what he meant, so he explained ‘you’re riding in a dead straight line, no wobbling around at all’. I wasn’t sure whether to feel pleased or patronised, but went for pleased given that if he’d seen me a few weeks ago when I was practising taking a drink on the new bike without veering all over the road, he might not have said that. I do a lot of riding on the blue London ‘superhighways’, where there are constantly other cyclists bearing down on you giving very little room, so I suppose you do learn to ride in a dead straight line that way.
Eventually we hit the only proper hill left on the course, Newlands. While I was hardly the fastest up it, I’d necked a gel as we approached it, and got up it easily, overtaking several very fancy carbon road bikes with gearing similar to mine whose owners were walking them. Just as I was feeling most pleased with myself on the descent, the rain got heavy again, and I realised my brakes didn’t appear to be having an effect as rivers of rain flowed down the hill. The amount of rain on the roads and coming from the sky meant the brakes (which are normally Dangerously Good) were struggling to clear the water from the rims quickly enough to have an effect. I nearly had a brown trousers moment as I realised a bend was approaching and I needed to shave some speed off. In reality it was probably only a few seconds, but it felt like forever as my brakes finally managed to bite and I slowed slightly. And it was then I realised that, as disappointing as it was, taking the hills, particularly Leith, out of the equation, was probably a Very Good Idea.
We carried on, and the crowds of people grew as it got later and the rain eased. Some of them shouted at us to cheer up, and several people pointed at me and said ‘Look , she’s smiling!’ They shouted loads of encouragement, and I thanked them, waved at the kids, and high fived those who wanted high fives. Given my clumsiness, it is a wonder I didn’t cycle into a barrier doing this, but somehow I didn’t. A lot of the other cyclists were taking it Very Seriously and didn’t interact with the crowd at all, but I milked it for all it was worth. You hear pro riders talking about the crowd’s energy and how it boosts them, and having experienced even a tiny bit of that, I think I know what they’re talking about. (Either that or it was the energy gels). I particularly liked the people with cow bells and yelled out thanking them for making it ‘just like the Tour De France!’ which got a cheer.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/bartonlaura/20x30-RLAZ3973.jpeg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bartonlaura/media/20x30-RLAZ3973.jpeg.html)
Soon I realised I had only around 20 miles left and still didn’t feel like stopping at any of the hubs. I’d got plenty of energy left; I’d deliberately paced myself, plus the rain meant I’d been cautious about speed. But the sun came out, and the roads started to dry…plus the cyclists started to thin out a bit once out of the narrower Surrey lanes and I found I had more room around me. I had another gel before the hill in Wimbledon (which is not massive, but took people by surprise last year) and pootled up it, overtaking the lunatic who was doing the ride on a Boris Bike. Then I decided that conditions and timing were just right to give it all I had. I got down on the drops (was still a bit windy) and hammered it. It was massively exhilarating. At one point a bloke started to overtake me and a spectator yelled ‘Ooh, he’s attacking! Don’t let him!’ and I pretended to sprint in an exaggerated fashion, which got a laugh. Soon I was flying alongside the river, getting closer and closer to central London, unable to work out where the time and miles had gone. As we got closer to the Mall the noise of crowds cheering got louder and I felt quite overcome; I’d bloody done it, after months of worrying that I wouldn’t. Yes, they’d lopped 14 miles off, but in their place had been flooded roads, biblical rain, hugely increased stopping distances and crappy visibility. And I’d loved every minute of it.
5 hours, 54 minutes. Which suggests that I just might have made my original 7 hour target for the 100 miles, and almost definitely wouldn’t have been so slow that I was taken out by the broom wagon.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/bartonlaura/20x30-RLAV2137.jpeg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bartonlaura/media/20x30-RLAV2137.jpeg.html)
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/bartonlaura/20x30-RLDL1910.jpeg) (http://smg.photobucket.com/user/bartonlaura/media/20x30-RLDL1910.jpeg.html)
(Huge thanks go to the forummers who so kindly took me on training rides and even put up with 'evil low blood sugar NSTN' from time to time. You know who you are. And the people who sponsored me and therefore made missing out on training rides not an option.)
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Two great reads there Laura, thanks. And well done!
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Lovely write-up, Laura. It was just like doing the ride again! Thank you!
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Brilliant, and very inspiring! I quite want to do something like this now :-)
LOL @evil low-blood-sugar moments, oh yes I know what those are like! So do my friends and family.....
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Great write up, I feel soggy all over again! Some of those floods were very deep but I had got to the point of soaking where I couldn’t get any wetter, so other than pothole fears, they weren’t really a problem. I’ve probably got similar issues with fords having previously come off on one pretty spectacularly, somewhere near King’s Maeburn.
I think it was a great mercy that the temperature was kind to us – I didn’t really care about the rain (once soaked) but it would probably have been a different story had it been colder as well.
I’m still a bit sad that I had to move house recently, my old place in Norbiton was perfectly placed for an unofficial loo stop on both legs through Kingston.
I try not to comment on the riding style of other people unless they are endangering me, similarly encouraging comments to female riders could easily be construed as condescending, even if not intended that way.
Very occasionally I get those myself – no idea if it’s gender confusion due to having long hair or maybe I just look like I’m in need of encouragement. I’ve had such comments on the Marmotte from riders while overtaking them, telling me that I need to take it easier – I do find those patronising as I’ve always been riding at a planned pace, that pace very much on the edge of the elimination time for the event, so if I’m overtaking them, there’s a very good chance they will have failed to finish.
I did see the tail end still coming through Kingston on the way out of London when I was going the other way – I had maybe 12 miles to go, they still had 74 miles to go and my sympathy.
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The warmth was was saved the ride and allowed it to be fun - I was out last night, just a few degrees cooler and not as biblically wet, but the difference was shocking. Within minutes I was shivering and it really was Not Fun. I wasn't dressed for cold, certainly, but it's mid-August FFS! So I think we were lucky.
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Brilliant write-up Laura! Well done indeed!
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The only time we have ridden together, Laura, was on a forum ride in 2008. I am inspired by your training and the write-up of the actual ride. I love the look of delighted accomplishment in this photo. Well done indeed!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/bartonlaura/20x30-RLDL1910.jpeg)
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Lovely thread. Great reading. Congratulations, Laura
Joe