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Woo hoo..... The event dates are up for the White Roads Classic Sportive.
This is a bit of a nemesis for me after a complete and abject failure on it in 2017. Me and Crust simply went off too hard... then when he bailed, i went 20% harder again, too much too early, too stupid ! So next year i will be setting myself the goal of completing this one instead 🙂
[url] http://cycleclassics.co.uk/white-roads-classic-sportive/ [/url]
It's quite a 'Ridgeway' type course, but some tough little hills in there, along with fantastic views 🙂 This year had plenty of food/water/etc and was really well signposted.
It's going very much to the top of my events for 2018.
I did it 2016 (I think, maybe 2015). Great event, I actually took it fairly easy for once and enjoyed the Italian themed food stops.
Used a Scott CR1, so pretty much a normal road bike, with 28mm tubeless.
We might do this - we're going out to Siena in March to ride, then watch, Strada Bianche, then off to Tro Bro Leon for the same thing in April.
I'm assuming that it'll be better organised than the Tour of the Black Country event in 2015?
Looks interesting and different.
Ah, it's "dahn sarf" so I'll have to take elocution lessons and learn to drink warm shandy 😆
I'm still yet to ride this, crazy, when the start is a few mins down the road...I'll add it to my 2018 list.
10 mins from mine Bri... but close enough that i rode to the start last time.
Finally remembered to get my entry in ! All done now and got a nice target to work for this year. Still irritates me that i failed this one last time !
Getting close now... I've just stuck the MTB rubber onto the Parkwood, it's entirely possible I'll use the 29er for this one, so wanted to give it a test first. Stuck a 34T front ring on there, so should be OK for all speeds i need really on the day.
Just need to remember to pace myself this time... Not going crazy is order of the day.
Is this on Zwift or an actual dusty road 😉
We're just going to go and enjoy it. Need to decide between Bruce Gordon Rock'n'Road or Compass Switchback Hill tyres 😉
Will probably have some sandwiches in a front bag.
LOL i do play outside sometimes Haggis. Today was another, tomorrow will be another other... 🙂
Enjoying it is top of my list 🙂
Just wondering, is this 80 miles or 100 ? Last year was 100 and the map/route still shows 100.
Looks perfect for a fatbike with super-wide gravel drop bars. 😉
I'd be worried about stones pinging into my road bike frame/wheels from other riders on the chalk paths! 😆
You're assuming there will be others around at my speed 🙂
Failed once again 🙁
Massively disappointed in myself. At the end of the day i didn't have 'it' whatever IT really is... But it wasn't within me.
Looking at the Strava data, i guess it could be argued i went off to hard... maybe... but it was only a couple of % quicker generally than this time last year with Crust. One of the early segments for exmaple was 5:02 today and 5:20 with Crust, i was deliberately holding myself back and just taking things easy.
In the end it was cramp that got the better of me. https://www.strava.com/segments/1186388?filter=club&club_id=244094 This segement was the finish of me.. Gramps Hill. 1.2km long and an average of 9% incline... That just finished me off. When i got to the top i had cramp in my calf, thigh, back of knee on the outside and hamstring. I tried to stretch it out but when i tried one stretch it made me squeal in another area. The top of the climb is just on the Ridgeway and knowing that the locally infamous Chain Hill coming out of Wantage was on the cards and Apple Pie Hill in my village was also coming up... I bailed and Ridgeway'd it home. The event was about 130km after being shortened by them, i did 102km. Could i have completed it if i'd just dug in... The answer is NO.
I was a gibbering wreck when i got home and just fell on the floor and tried not to cry LOL.
So the question for me is, where did it go wrong.. I think the answer to that lies in Electrolytes and hydration being the clear answers. I forgot my SIS electrolyte tablets in the morning, the plan was to use them on fill-ups. Water/hydration, i only had 2 bottles... but i didn't feel i wasn't drinking enough. Over the course of 5 hours riding time i did 3.5L of water.. Which looking back may not have been enough, but the options are limited as you only have fluids at feed stations as no shops on the Ridgeway and in the little villages.
I noticed some of the CX riders, jeez on the flat they can get some power down and pace... But i then wonder, would i just fail again at a faster pace lol. Or would the lighter bike and faster rolling tyres be a good solution here. The Whyte worked well on the rough stuff, i even got a 10th overall on one downhill segment where i wasn't really trying as such. Should i have ridden the 29er Ht... I don't know.
Average speed was 19.8kmh which was pretty much where i set myself... This segment of 6.2km climb by Lambourn has a lot to answer for too... That's not made for the fat fellas for sure.!
https://www.strava.com/segments/1655994?filter=club&club_id=244094
Al in all i'm sitting here feeling both knackered and mentally 'flat'. I hate failing on events, but sadly, that's what happened.
Chin up, if you don't fail, you haven't tried pushing your limits.
Bloody hot i'd have thought, i went through 7 litres of electrolyte water on a 6.5hr / 65 mile / 6600' CX beasting in this recent heat.
I'm hoping to attempt a long road ride on Friday but fear the heat may be my demise.
Its a road ride, get a road bike.
Its a road ride, get a road bike
This year had more dirt than last, but yes a lot is road based. However I really really hate drop bars and skinny tyres.
Of course I'm aware of the new fangled Gravelcross genre but don't know if I'd like them. Stability, comfort etc. Along with questions on Tubeless etc. Lots of punctures today it seemed out there.
Thanks QWERTY, I did my best and left nothing at the table, so to speak. That's all I can do.
Personal experience is that cramp is caused by lack of fitness, sorry, as I know no-one wants to hear that but it’s true, I used get cramp around 2.5 hours into every ride, assumed it was electrolytes or position or lack compression short or anything but no, more I rode, the less I cramped.
A road bike would have helped too I’d guess, less effort to do the same distance and speed so the cramp arrives later, if at all.
However I really really hate drop bars and skinny tyres.
Maybe you need to try again. I would hate a mtb on that route.