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I'll be there, slowly making my way round the route.
I'm in the 9.40 wave which is probably for the best.
Black Jamis Renegade.
Probably wear my favourite Dirt Rag Jersey and [url= http://allhailtheblackmarket.com/store/black-sole-socks/ ]Black Sole [/url]socks.
Wave/say hello as you ride past me!
I'll be there, supposed to start at 10.30 but I'll join my mate in the 9.44 wave.
I will be there.
Not sure what time I am starting yet.
Will be on black Giant TCX SLR2 with 28mm tyres and road gearing.
Max
Not this year unfortunately, it was a really good route last year although the organisation seemed a bit chaotic.
Not this year, did it last year which was quite fun, except for the complete confusion about signing on, what was supposed to happen at the end and where it was starting from and what start times.
Compared to riding the Paris-Roubaix [i]touristique[/i] (which I've done for the last 4 years) its just too painful TBH.
I'll be there. Look out for a few of us in Lichfield CCC/Zipvit kit
I'll be there on a GT Grade.
Was meant to set off at 10.14, but my bro. is riding for his road club and I might go with him at an earlier slot.
I will be there, supposed to be setting off at 9:30am, but I think I will be setting off somewhere between 9:45-10am! Riding it with my brother and Angellus of this parish 😀
Possibly riding in my stormtrooper jersey, on a cheap Boardman CX bike.....don't know about the gearing 🙂
I'll be there. I'll be riding a purple Escapade with dyno lights running the whole time.
Aiming to make it round, rather than a particular time. Should be leaving in the 9:58 slot.
Me!!!!
I'm off at 9:30 something, I'll be to tall fella on the black Orbea likely wearing bright pink socks.
I'll be there, just hope i've got my quota of punctures out the way last night
0944 wearing f*** cancer socks
I'll be there, worrying about ture pressure and my hips
I'll be there, worrying about ture pressure
I did this last year, 90psi on 25's did the job and it's what I'm doing again this year. In fact, I just rode my winter roadie with zero changes bar an extra tube in my saddle bag.
1028 I think or something like, hoping to get off a bit earlier, I'm at work at 6 so could do with an earlier slot
I'm using 28s. Not sure if I should go 100psi to avoid pinch flats or 80 to give grip....
Rocket dog, where did you get the socks?
socks here [url= http://www.morvelo.com/****-cancer-socks.html ]not posting the actual link as it's sweary[/url]
I'll be there on my knackered old bianchi with skinny tires and gears that change when they fancy. I'm not sure what socks I'll be wearing though.
Bought some socks, dont think they'll arrive for saturday though!
I'll be there, along with a few others all wearing our new Bertie Maffoons bike shop kit. None of us put down the shop name as it's not a club, so start times are all over the place. My reading of the rider brief was that the final route gpx was supposed to be sent out today (thursday), but I haven't seen it. Anyone else got it?
Just trying to decide if I should run 28c Pro4 Endurance or 32c Gravel Kings... 😕
Would rather not have to worry about punctures.
I'm more worried about Shut Mill lane, I hate that climb
It does drag on a bit...
I'm more worried about Shut Mill lane, I hate that climb
Odd, I bloody love it, it is one of my favorites in the area. You can obviously deviate up Winwood Heath Road if you want a really test of the legs.
Odd, I bloody love it, it is one of my favorites in the area. You can obviously deviate up Winwood Heath Road if you want a really test of the legs.
I rode that a few weeks ago - first time in years!
Look out for the Guv'ners Assembly !
Shut Mill is the appetiser for the brick track!
I'm marshalling the Enville RR, hopefully riding if I can sort a wheel out. It shares part of the same route so keep 'em peeled...train coming through!
Have fun you lot, weather looks good for it...
Shut Mill is the appetiser for the brick track!
Shut Mill is a walk in the park compared to Waltonberg. Shut Mill is just a nice, not too steep, not too long climb that gets the legs nicely warm. Waltonberg is a battle of strength, grip and stubbornness. If it rains like it's meant to, grip will be the main challenge.
Shut mill is OK. Makes the approach to Waltonberg easier too. You could fork left on shut mill up....cant remember opposite the Pyms house thats really step and you hit Waltonberg blowing out your arse.
anagallis_arvensis, Rumblow Lane/Spring Lane. Dirty route that is, Shut Mill is 100% the prefered option there.
Waltonberg is a battle of strength, grip and stubbornness. If it rains like it's meant to, grip will be the main challenge.
It's tough, but grip is ok if you're geared low enough to sit down for most of it. (And someone doesn't stop in front of you...)
We used to call Rumblow Lane "Fly Hill," because a mate of ours caught one in his eye while bombing down it one time and had a bit of a spill. 😈
Shut Mill is 100% the prefered option there.
i'd prefer to do shut mill, then up past cuckoo corner and then down to the waltonberg start at speed...but then i suspect there'll be a few riders standing around gathering strength for the WB that'd hinder me trying to blast up to the bend
I'm just planning on following the signs and hoping for the best. I'm sure 22% won't be [i]that[/i] bad.....
I'm in..... Pashley Guv'nor in the GA kit.
3 gears, balloon tyres
Start time dependant on hangover.
then i suspect there'll be a few riders standing around gathering strength for the WB that'd hinder me trying to blast up to the bend
I suspect the bottom will be blocked by a load of numpties stuck grinding gears as they cant drop off the big ring.
willrab - Member
I'm just planning on following the signs and hoping for the best. I'm sure 22% won't be that bad....
It isn't, but the Waltonberg is 28% 😉
I'm there - B&W Cdf 20 - packing sunscreen ! 8)
Me too,
Lynskey cooper cx probably wheel sucking a black and white cdf....
Think we are off about tenish.
Plenty of dogshite and halfenders on the "sectors" for you all if today's ride is anything to go by.
Enjoy and keep your mouth closed. 😉
Your all OK it's just started pissing it down so that'll wash the dogshite of all the halfenders. 🙂
Its looking a bit black over bills mothers
Traditional pre-ride preparation currently in progress, 6 pints and an Italian. Good job I'm not on of the early ones off either...oh dear...
What a cracking ride. Some awesome scenery and the Waltenberg climb was a corker
Really enjoyed that, lovely day out, only 1 puncture and great company along the way.
Yeah great day out, no punctures and managed to get up Waltonberg, thank god it was dry
Brilliant event. Really enjoyed the mix of road and off-road and my cheap Planet X 28mm tyres did a sterling job. Plenty of others not so lucky. Managed to clean the major climb despite a very over optimistic set of cogs on the block. Black Country is a bit of a misnomer as apart for a couple of busy roads it really was a proper country ride. Some lovely houses down some of those tracks and lanes (house envy)
Was marshalling the LVRC on part of the route, you had some great weather for it.
Cheers for all the 'thank yous' even though the flags were for the RR!
Could have made life a bit tricky but all seemed a well behaved bunch...
What a great ride on a great day no punctures on Victoria Pave 27mm on my white tcx and I gave it the beans on the offroad sections. The champagne and jerk chicken wrap whilst relaxing on the infield at the finish just wrapped the whole event up.
Had a great time. PB on Waltonberg too! Two mates were on mtb's so I had to give it the beans on the sectors to stay with them. Did anyone elsecthe the scary looking old blokes with shot guns on the first sector?
Well 4 punctures between me and my mate so no chance of a good time, but a great day out non the less 😀 loved the instructions for no racing on the final lap of the Velodrome............ yeah right lol.
The guys I out sprinted in the velodrome tried to say that they werent racing. Well I was STRAVAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
No punctures either!
Great ride and fantastic weather.
Managed the famous climb ok but the Schwalbe Pro Ones were a bit squirrely in that deeper gravel!
Max
Awesome ride out with a great bunch of riders. Big kudos to the guys riding on the Pashley Guvnors 😯
Fantastic day out, great weather made the sections a blast!
No punctures on an old school 1990 Concorde in PDM colours with 28mm Gatorskins.
Aren't road bikes so much more fun when ridden off road! 🙂
Black Country is a bit of a misnomer
That'd be because it's not in the Black Country.
Great ride, no punctures for me and my mate, tough but very scenic route, jerk chicken wrap was demolished in seconds!
Black Country is a bit of a misnomerThat'd be because it's not in the Black Country.
Err hence why it's a misnomer
Some moaner on face book that the organisers didnt lay on extra water stops! ****ing hell two bottle for 50k is fine and you can always stop in a shop!
Did anyone else lose the route around Stourbridge/Hagley? Seemed to be a sign missing and a few groups didn't know where to go.
And does anyone else have a touch of sunburn due to being an idiot and not putting any cream on?
I put suncream on. Still got burnt. That left after Hagley was missing a sign, we got to the light after it turned round and saw people going left. Told the next marshal i saw. Also saw someone being treated by st johns ambulance with a proper ambulance on its way, hope he was ok.
Great route in the sunshine, the only negative was having to que up for over 25 minutes to fill bottles which resulted in just over 4hrs for 100k. I vowed this year not to do any more sportives but had a great day in the company of lots of happy friendly cyclists!! Well recommended.
Had a great day out, but I should have put two bottles on my bike not just one, as it was a bit warm!!!
Had to drive back down south afterwards and I may have looked a bit of a state in the Warwick Services, where I inhaled a large amount of KFC 😀
I am already thinking of putting it into the diary again for next year as it was great!
I topped up the sunscreen at the food stop thanks to a friendly patron.I don't want to moan but I really don't do well in the heat so was suffering before I'd even got to the feed. Some great off road bits though, saw a lot of riders covered in dirt from "offs" & some interesting line choices from people I suspect don't do much off road riding. Very enjoyable event though & everyone was friendly even the car full of "yoofs" shouting "you're too slow, pedal faster you ****"
I saw a bearded bloke with **** cancer socks at the sign on. I didnt talk to him though because I only talk to random men on the interwebs!!
I'd have given you a hug
Just remembered I got passed in one off road climb by a Lad & lass on fixies, that must have been hard going
Best thing about the day was having a go on a pashley guvnor
I'd have given you a hug
Xxx
Had a great day in the saddle!
I used my Gravel Kings in the end and I think it was the right choice as the fun I had on the descents more than made up for a little bit of extra rolling resistance. No flats either. Two large water bottles lasted me whole way without a re-fill.
The only negative was the missing sign at Hagley.(It had been thrown in the field to the right of the bridleway.)
My Garmin said to turn, but I thought they may have removed the sector, until we hit the next road junction and there were no signs there either. We did a U turn & headed up the track and back on course, so probably just added a couple of km to the ride. No biggie. 🙂
It was a grand day out!
I, like Rocketdog, struggle in the heat and started to feel cramp in my quads from about the 70km mark, so backed off.
I managed to get through 4 bottles of electrolyte solution.
I think a sign did go missing as by the time I got there there was one of the chaps from the Feed Station waving people down the secteur.
A grand day out on the Guv'nors.
Our rather dishevelled bunch sprint on the track must have been a sight to behold.
And I'm really glad I didn't wear tweed.
The track finish was great fun, definitely not a race, and I definitely didn't empty the tank to hold off the guy who'd been sat on my wheel for a lap and a half.
This guy has taken some awesome pics of the Waltonberg climb https://flic.kr/s/aHskzvb9mY
Starting to think a summer beard is not the best idea 😆
[url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7424/26865363386_8b5b479af7_z.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7424/26865363386_8b5b479af7_z.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/GW11ys ]P5085294[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/31173840@N04/ ]Tim Gardner pics[/url], on Flickr
Ok so I'm pushing, but it was hot and I'm old and a bit fat 🙁
[URL= http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx187/taxi25/26805524192_263e23c5e7_c_zpsq73n5ncm.jp g" target="_blank">
http://i754.photobucket.com/albums/xx187/taxi25/26805524192_263e23c5e7_c_zpsq73n5ncm.jp g"/> [/IMG][/URL]
We had a clear pact from the beinging, "There's no shame in pushing" 😉
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Not a pretty look but I reckon I've got the best coloured gloves.
[img][url= https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/26901428375_509b6e2441_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7258/26901428375_509b6e2441_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/GZbRqB ]P5085171[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/31173840@N04/ ]Tim Gardner pics[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Doesn't look like early May in the West Midlands! 😀
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