[Closed] Goodness me- 3 weeks to get ready for a 70km Sportive

70km? It'll take less time than the 3.5hr mtb ride won't it?

make progress in your subaru ?

That's less than 45 miles.
Does include 2 HC climbs?
If not might I suggest a spot of rule 5?

44 miles? It's about 2.5 hours reasonable effort on a road bike isn't it?

As above - it's less that 45 miles.

Take your time, take some food and plenty of drink and you'll be fine.

Between now and then on each weekend do a 50 mile ride on the Saturday, a 50 mile ride on the Sunday and on each Wednesday between now and then do a 35 mile ride. It will be a piece of piss.

70Km is a Sunday morning club run...

biggest challenge will be choosing your riding kit won't it - hmmmm, do I match my top with the colorway of the bar tape or the saddle 😆

The saddle will be covered with my ass unless I'm off laying down gasping

[i]The saddle will be covered with my ass[/i]

top sportive tip: leave the donkey at home.

70Km is a [b]short[/b] Sunday morning club run...

Isn't that just a commute?

I do that before breakfast

Rule 5..

😉

You'll be wishing you'd stuck with the Planet X after that mega mileage...

70km is a third less than my commute!

Rule number 5 Hora (or you could just buy a new road bike to compensate, oh wait you already did that, well nearly any way).

to answer properly,

Start slower than you think you need to, don't get caught up trying to race

Eat often

Drink even when you don't think you need to

Enjoy

Might I also suggest you get some 160mm cranks to help with spinning, and maybe go for something like a 36/44 on the front. Run your tyres softer than normal and lower the seat a smidge for all day comfort. Also do away with bottles and wear your camelbac, you'll be able to carry much more water just in case you get stuck between the feed station..

I like the 'post swear filter avoidance moderation' thread title...

The way I see it you've got 2 options:

1. Get a new time trial bike, smash it from the off
2. Hide in the pack for 69.9km in readiness for a bunch sprint. Should probably buy a new bike for this too

WHere is it? You could look for bus routes in the interim so you can have a rest on a few sections.

Just realised, they don't let you take your bike on the bus these days.

Can't help you, sorry.

edds - Member
to answer properly,
Start slower than you think you need to, don't get caught up trying to race
Eat often
Drink even when you don't think you need to
Enjoy

+1
Sit on someones wheel if you feel tired but remember to return the favour

70ks is doable at pace by most folk. Spanked you will be, certainly at pace but rather that than being spanked by us lot the day after for NOT doing it eh.. 😆

I recommend EPO, HGH, Caffine, Blood transfusion all by the end of this week, then a top up next week. I also recommend a Pie to Chips ratio of 2:1 every night until the race then post race (sorry Sportive) 5 pints of real ale, 3 Pies and a bag of crisps, get Binners to help you out here..
If you do intend to drink on the way round try Tea in your bottle and carry a pack of Digestive biscuits in your rear pocket to share around with your new found mates in the rear of the bunch.

Don't forget to hand your timing chip back into the organisers or you'll still be logged as "on course" 4 days after the race (sorry Sportive) has finished.

HTH 😆

Can you not arrange for some local nurses to give you some encouragement on your way round?

[img] [/img]

(Well there's no sign of binners and someone had to say it!)

Complaining about only having 3 weeks to get ready to ride 45 miles - first thought that came to mind was "you are pathetic..."

😆

E-bike? EPO? Hire someone?

Yeah, I'd hire someone to ride instead of you. I'll do it for 50 quid 😉

Which sportive is it btw? If it's a really fierce one, I may have to charge more.

You'll be fine. I didn't do much training before riding the short Ronde sportive last year. It may not be as easy as you'd have liked but you'll manage

Oops I had it in my head that it was circa 52mile...

Its 52km 😳

Still its more than OK now 😀

52km? It gets worse 😆

Well it should be a nice try out for the new bike, and a confidence booster to get some longer rides in - have fun 🙂

You're crapping yourself over 31 miles!! I wouldn't worry about what your frame is made of if a pootle round the lanes in 21 days makes you post on here!!

52K's ??

One legged then 😆

I was worrying mysterious of on todays ride 😆

I can sneeze 31 miles 😉

Eeeeeewwww... That wasn't snot 😥

Guessing from the timescale and distance info that it's the Ronde van Chinley?

In which case hahahahaha!
It's "only" 52km but it's got nearly 1800m of climbing in it! 🙂
I rode it last weekend as a recce with the organiser. Tough little course. Good fun but hard work.

Buy some lower gears. HTH.

In the meantime, I've just worked out a couple of photo opportunity places to wait for Hora coming past.

I was recommended that by a work collegue as a nice little challenge, might have a crack at it

Take Binners as your wing man.

Crazy legs.... **** my last sportive was only 1,000m of climbing http://app.strava.com/activities/88711801

So double? Better work on my leg strength and get some night road rides in..

Protein shakes post rides?

Your name's Sarah?!

No way 1800 Metres, that's insane!!!1! I'd def be fitting an MTB cassette, 36t minimum...

*Would bang.

Protein shakes post rides?

No, post ride it'll just be your legs that are shaking.
😉

1) It's 12th April so you've got FIVE weeks to prepare, not three.
2) It's all rideable on a standard road bike although there are bits where a compact chainset would be handy and I'd go for some nice wide tyres and regular wheels rather than deep section carbon jobs.
3) You're never more than about 10km from the start/finish, the route is sort of clover leaf shaped so if you are really suffering, it's easy to bail.
4) Pace yourself and you'll be fine. We rode it in sub 3hrs at a fairly steady cruise, I reckon if I properly went for it I could do about 2hrs.

See you there!

Sarah? No! 25th: https://millshills.wordpress.com/about/2014-rider-times/ took it easy. Looking forward to the challenge though now 🙂

3 weeks? Just about enough time to sort the bike out 🙂

Whoa, Hora - according to those results, you did 70miles and 1000m climbing in 3hr 19 while taking it easy ? 😯

I can't see you dying on this one, 1800m of hills or not

If it's the Ronde van Chinley the BCF website says only 1524m of climbing.
[url= https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/124127/Ronde-Van-Chinley ]https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/events/details/124127/Ronde-Van-Chinley[/url]

Go pro mounted backwards so we can see your face as you suffer and blub around mile 20.

Scaredypants I signed up for the 70 but changed to the short course. The timings were placed on the wrong s/sheet as were a few others I think

*stops looking for Brailsford's phone number*

🙁

stops looking for Brailsford's phone number

No, don't. Hora could teach him a thing or two about *really* marginal gains.

All the joking aside, I'd have thought that someone with your regular riding background would get round just fine as long as you keep fuelled up and don't overdo things on the early hills. None of that stuff is really steep to be honest.

Also, don't fall into the classic trap of thinking that because you feel bad on a mountain bike, the same will be true on the road. Road cycling is much easier than mountain biking, which is why so few hardcore roadies will ride on the trails as well.

I went out and pottered over most of the Ronde van Chinley route yesterday on the cross bike with 28mm road tyres fitted and it's a really cool little circuit, the odd bit of which you'll probably recognise from mtb rides in the area.

It's quite hilly and you could batter yourself if you went hard, but take it steady and it'll be fine. Lots of back lanes with rough surfaces and one or two bits that are bordering on being cross bike territory. I'd go with 25s or even 28s rather than 23s and a compact chain-set unless you're quite strong.

Should be a really nice ride and linked up a few sections I knew already with tracks that I didn't. Good fun. I'd ride some hills in the build-up to it.

This is just another "look at me thread" by hora.

Attention-hora.

❓ Try contributing or posting something useful yourself?

A few years back I signed up for a 100 mile sportive and spent a lot of time agonising over whether I could ride that far or not. Looking back I can see that I fussed over nothing. As a mountain biker you already have good base cycling fitness I assume, so spend the next few weeks slowly building up the distance of your road rides. Just ride your bike, then ride it a bit further, then ride some hills, then ride a bit further. Keep increasing the mileage and the climbing over the next few weeks and you'll have no problem. I don't think there's any need for science; just ride 🙂

How many miles did you get in at the weekend Hora? Much ascent?

C'mon h, tell us exactly how much you've ridden that new bike then. And how much you rode the last one.

Can't believe yr shitting yerself over such a poxy distance tbh after riding enough to declare the PX no good.

Hilarious isn't it, most of us just get on and ride our bikes, but some people feel the need to tell the world about their pathetic non-achievements. 🙄

How many miles did you get in at the weekend Hora? Much ascent?

3hours in the Peaks on Saturday- yesterday 3 hill climbs in Calderdale/about 2hours of riding. Tonight aiming to ride BMX indoor for the whole 2hours.

Can't believe yr shitting yerself over such a poxy distance tbh after riding enough to declare the PX no good.

When you you experience other frames/bikes-you can spot one that has failings better. Doesn't need mileage.

I'm a worrier by nature. After virtually 2months of little riding off road I'm on the backfoot.

dragon- don't post then? You are not obliged to open a topic, read it or reply. I don't profess it to be rocket science but if you started a topic I wouldn't bother opening or replying to it.

I'm a worrier by nature

I don't know the course, but my local midweek loop is same distance, maybe 100m less vertical. We use it to do guided tours for a LBS as it has a couple of bail-out points (don't always know the level of the customers). Everyone gets round, even at 16kmh average - never had to bail out. SO no point worrying. Worry instead about how you're gonna crack 30kmh round there next year 8)

Good work.

Id aim to put some miles in on your road bike, aim for at least two hours without stopping and try to rack up 800m-plus vertical.

Then go for three hours and 1,500m-ish - then it's only a small step to the event you're booked on.

Most of the problem is usually time in the saddle, but a 30 miler ride on the road shouldn't be an issue, I'd look at it as nothing more than a training ride 🙂

Is there a GPX for it BTW? Sounds like a good route but I'm working that weekend.

[quote=chakaping dijo]Is there a GPX for it BTW? Sounds like a good route but I'm working that weekend.

it's on strava so you can grab it from there

Got it ta.

Road cycling is much easier than mountain biking, which is why so few hardcore roadies will ride on the trails as well

You're doing it wrong mate.

Hora that looks like a good weekend. Carry on doing that and you'll be fine. I know sitting here from the keyboard is easy but if you can up the pace gradually on the Up's it will help no end, as said easy to say hard to do but hey. Don't for get the rest periods.

Tuck in behind our tandem, you'll be fine.

You're doing it wrong mate.

I may - possibly - have been joking and in the process, trying to encourage Hora. Because I'm a (sort of) nice person. - ish...

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/mar/09/doping-cycling-uci-commission-epo-worldtour

I did mention earlier in the thread you needed EPO..

Just saying like.

😆

Well yesterday was the third(ish) day in a row of riding at the BMX, my mind was very eager but my body sadly shagged.

Question- after one days riding my left quad always goes numb/weak. Why?

Well having accidentally signed up for the 140km audience participation day in the Tour de Yorkshire, I did a 43 mile, 1545m "training" ride in the Peaks on Saturday.

At times I thought I was going to die, and I was still in pain starting the (flat) 2x20 mile commute yesterday. Felt better for toddling in to work and back.

It was a bit windy on Saturday though.

I'm fitting an 11-36 and making the rear mech work (9 spd XT mech if I have to).

Question- after one days riding my left quad always goes numb/weak. Why?

Maybe do more bigger rides?

I did the route again today - plus a massive extra hit of climbing on top. Took it to just over 10,000ft / 3100m.

My legs hurt now.
The wind direction today was a lot better than last time though, had a tailwind or cross/tail up most of the hills.

You ready then Hora?
I rode a bit of the gravel road section yesterday on the MTB with richpips, it was bone dry but not sure what last night's rain will have done to it. It's quite windy here too and the direction isn't going to be the most friendly either, I think a couple of the climbs will be right into it!