Tour of Cambridgeshire
Discussion
I saw this ( http://www.tourofcambridgeshire.com/ ) featured in this weeks Cycling Weekly and with the start/finish being within a few miles of my house it got me thinking...
I guess I'm a young 'MAMIL' to coin a common phrase being banded about recently. I'll be 34 next year, used to cycle everywhere while at school etc. but got a driving licence, job, house, wife, kids, blah blah blah and only really got back the saddle in May when our second car became un-roadworthy.
Either way, I'm really enjoying the cycling now and would like to do more, I've been looking at various sportives etc. My commute is only about 8km each way but I've managed the occasional 50km Saturday ride and was averaging about 27-29kph in the summer down to 24-26kph since winter arrived. (According to Strava data)
So far my thinking has been along the line of my preparation and my kit preparation.
In terms of my prep, I have the opportunity to put in extra miles on the way home from work and can do long distance weekend rides as an when my wife isn't working - I could do with losing more weight and inches around the middle so this appears to be great motivation?!
My current bike is a 2014 Dawes Galaxy AL, it's a great commuting bike and has been an absolute dream since I bought it in July. I don't have money to buy a 2nd bike so I will have to use the Dawes - I have a plan though...
In early Feb I will have an opportunity to upgrade the pedals and convert to cleets. The cages have been ok for commuting but on occasions where I have been pushing on my feet have come out and caused problems so I like the idea of clipping in.
Sometime through May I intend to upgrade the wheels and don some summer/road tyres, (the Schwalbe Marathons I have at the moment are great but I know a more specific tyre will help) I've been looking at options and I'm comfortable with the concept and benifits.
For the event I figured that I could use the day before to strip the bike of all the unnecessary kit like mud guards, panniers and rack etc. leaving her lighter, faster and looking the part-ish?
I'm fairly competitive and like to push myself, I like the fact that this is closed roads and on my door step.
But...
Am I being naive? will I get laughed out of the place? What are the mid-packers averaging over these sorts of distances? Any advice and encouragement will be gratefully received. (or discouragement if I'm being stupid)
Must go to bed, I want to see if I can put in a 100k ride tomorrow morning! It's looking a bit breezy though... BBC weather app says 15mph north easterly winds?!
I guess I'm a young 'MAMIL' to coin a common phrase being banded about recently. I'll be 34 next year, used to cycle everywhere while at school etc. but got a driving licence, job, house, wife, kids, blah blah blah and only really got back the saddle in May when our second car became un-roadworthy.
Either way, I'm really enjoying the cycling now and would like to do more, I've been looking at various sportives etc. My commute is only about 8km each way but I've managed the occasional 50km Saturday ride and was averaging about 27-29kph in the summer down to 24-26kph since winter arrived. (According to Strava data)
So far my thinking has been along the line of my preparation and my kit preparation.
In terms of my prep, I have the opportunity to put in extra miles on the way home from work and can do long distance weekend rides as an when my wife isn't working - I could do with losing more weight and inches around the middle so this appears to be great motivation?!
My current bike is a 2014 Dawes Galaxy AL, it's a great commuting bike and has been an absolute dream since I bought it in July. I don't have money to buy a 2nd bike so I will have to use the Dawes - I have a plan though...
In early Feb I will have an opportunity to upgrade the pedals and convert to cleets. The cages have been ok for commuting but on occasions where I have been pushing on my feet have come out and caused problems so I like the idea of clipping in.
Sometime through May I intend to upgrade the wheels and don some summer/road tyres, (the Schwalbe Marathons I have at the moment are great but I know a more specific tyre will help) I've been looking at options and I'm comfortable with the concept and benifits.
For the event I figured that I could use the day before to strip the bike of all the unnecessary kit like mud guards, panniers and rack etc. leaving her lighter, faster and looking the part-ish?
I'm fairly competitive and like to push myself, I like the fact that this is closed roads and on my door step.
But...
Am I being naive? will I get laughed out of the place? What are the mid-packers averaging over these sorts of distances? Any advice and encouragement will be gratefully received. (or discouragement if I'm being stupid)
Must go to bed, I want to see if I can put in a 100k ride tomorrow morning! It's looking a bit breezy though... BBC weather app says 15mph north easterly winds?!
You won't get laughed at. Despite many people at sportives having all the kit. Many are not all that quick. So don't let the look of your kit stop you riding. I would recommend maybe doing a similar sportive event with your bike in run up and see how you go.
I've seen this event too, though I was more interested in the time trial, but I'm not sure I would actually want to go over to Denmark to compete further anyway as I see that is the goal. It's proving quite popular on other forums though so be sure to enter soon if you do decide to go for it.
I've seen this event too, though I was more interested in the time trial, but I'm not sure I would actually want to go over to Denmark to compete further anyway as I see that is the goal. It's proving quite popular on other forums though so be sure to enter soon if you do decide to go for it.
I think absolutely you should enter. I don't know anymore than you what the field will be like but I imagine there'll be quite a mix of abilities. My guess is there'll be serious amateur racers at the front, some club riders, some MAMILs towards the back (self included), and some occasional tow-path type riders at the rear. I also envisage a mix of equipment but the most important component of a bike is the engine, IMO, and whilst you may not win on the Dawes I'm sure with your preparation you'll be faster than many on lighter bikes with more race-focussed geometries.
For what it's worth, I've entered both days. I'm sure I'll look ridiculously out of place on the Time Trial but so what. I'll give it my best and enjoy the experience even if (when) I come in last. There are so few closed road events in England and the fact that I don't have to get lucky in a ballot or buy a £600 charity place to ride made this irresistible.
For what it's worth, I've entered both days. I'm sure I'll look ridiculously out of place on the Time Trial but so what. I'll give it my best and enjoy the experience even if (when) I come in last. There are so few closed road events in England and the fact that I don't have to get lucky in a ballot or buy a £600 charity place to ride made this irresistible.
Sounds like I'm sold on the idea!
Time to get some serious planning on the go! I'm not going to fool myself into thinking that I can be competitive but I have to do the best I can!
I was given a time limit of 2 hours by SWMBO for this morning (apparently we had stuff to do/people to see, something about a non-religious gift-giving day approaching?!) so only got in 51 and a bit kms at 26.4kph avg (16.4mph) but the wind was killer today so I'm fairly happy with that and have some areas of improvement to think about.
First things first, I need to get the cash together and get registered!
Time to get some serious planning on the go! I'm not going to fool myself into thinking that I can be competitive but I have to do the best I can!
I was given a time limit of 2 hours by SWMBO for this morning (apparently we had stuff to do/people to see, something about a non-religious gift-giving day approaching?!) so only got in 51 and a bit kms at 26.4kph avg (16.4mph) but the wind was killer today so I'm fairly happy with that and have some areas of improvement to think about.
First things first, I need to get the cash together and get registered!
Reading the details, they have a broom wagon for those not averaging 12mph, that would suggest looking at the course profile it's a doable ride for all abilities, add to the fact that it's a closed road you should get the advantage of riding with a proper peleton, which will add to your average speed. As an ex Peterborough boy I'm in by the way.
Edited by straight dad on Monday 22 December 18:42
I wasn't going to do it as I live quite far away from the motherland now, but sod it. I've just booked a place. Just as per a comment above, I probably won't get in to Ride London so this could be the only opportunity I get to ride on closed roads through some lovely parts of Cambridgeshire and some out and out deliverance style villages 
The Time Trial has sold out. That was quick, but then there were only 700 places.
The Gran Fondo is for 10,000 riders but, going on comments here at least, it seems 10x as popular and I wouldn't be surprised if that sells out too. If that's the case, anyone thinking about entering may want to do so sooner rather than later...
The Gran Fondo is for 10,000 riders but, going on comments here at least, it seems 10x as popular and I wouldn't be surprised if that sells out too. If that's the case, anyone thinking about entering may want to do so sooner rather than later...
SixPotBelly said:
The Time Trial has sold out. That was quick, but then there were only 700 places.
The Gran Fondo is for 10,000 riders but, going on comments here at least, it seems 10x as popular and I wouldn't be surprised if that sells out too. If that's the case, anyone thinking about entering may want to do so sooner rather than later...
bThe Gran Fondo is for 10,000 riders but, going on comments here at least, it seems 10x as popular and I wouldn't be surprised if that sells out too. If that's the case, anyone thinking about entering may want to do so sooner rather than later...
ks! 
Couldn't get the £80 together in time! Did some juggling to enter the Sunday Gran Fondo before that sells out too but really wanted to do both?!
Ho hum, time to focus I guess! Looking forward to June already!
What better way to kick off my ToC training than with an impromptu, poorly planned and executed ride to Cambridge and back! Thought I'd have a bit of a look at some of the propose route to the west of Peterborough this morning and kind of ended up Forest Gump'ing my way to Cambridge along the guided bus route from St Ives!
Tbh today ended up being more about proving that I was capable of doing the distance rather than setting any records but considering my preparation (or lack of) for the ride, I'm fairly happy... Last nights dinner was a pork roast so not exactly carb'd up, hit a bowl of porridge with a sprinkling of raisins for breakfast and took a banana, an orange, two clubs and a jam doughnut with me along with a bottle of water - basically, what I happened to have in!
Got there pretty easily, 'cadence' was the key word for today. I'd read that 90-95 is 'the range' to be in? Recently I've been pottering around at 80-85 which does feel a little slow. Today I found 90-95 uncomfortably fast and tried to settle around 85-90?
I was also fairly happy on the way back, it was into a slight wind but fairly manageable until around Wood Walton when I felt like I was running out of steam. Cramps started to twang in the thighs and calves as I got onto the old A1 at Sawtry but I gently spun my way through them to find a second pair of legs approaching Yaxley! (God knows where from!) I cruised through Hampton and back home for some beans on toast with a couple of poached eggs and a tin of tuna! (Probably not the best nutrition regime but it's my favourite lunch and after 140k in less than 6hrs, I wanted a treat!)
My three self-motivational phrases today were:
Chin up, attack the climb!
Feel the burn, feed the burn!
and, Just keep spinning!
So now I'm happy, I know I can complete the distance and with some training, nutritional investigation/advice I reckon I stand a chance of improving my time/avg speed to somewhere fairly respectable?!
http://www.strava.com/activities/233810355
Tbh today ended up being more about proving that I was capable of doing the distance rather than setting any records but considering my preparation (or lack of) for the ride, I'm fairly happy... Last nights dinner was a pork roast so not exactly carb'd up, hit a bowl of porridge with a sprinkling of raisins for breakfast and took a banana, an orange, two clubs and a jam doughnut with me along with a bottle of water - basically, what I happened to have in!
Got there pretty easily, 'cadence' was the key word for today. I'd read that 90-95 is 'the range' to be in? Recently I've been pottering around at 80-85 which does feel a little slow. Today I found 90-95 uncomfortably fast and tried to settle around 85-90?
I was also fairly happy on the way back, it was into a slight wind but fairly manageable until around Wood Walton when I felt like I was running out of steam. Cramps started to twang in the thighs and calves as I got onto the old A1 at Sawtry but I gently spun my way through them to find a second pair of legs approaching Yaxley! (God knows where from!) I cruised through Hampton and back home for some beans on toast with a couple of poached eggs and a tin of tuna! (Probably not the best nutrition regime but it's my favourite lunch and after 140k in less than 6hrs, I wanted a treat!)
My three self-motivational phrases today were:
Chin up, attack the climb!
Feel the burn, feed the burn!
and, Just keep spinning!
So now I'm happy, I know I can complete the distance and with some training, nutritional investigation/advice I reckon I stand a chance of improving my time/avg speed to somewhere fairly respectable?!
http://www.strava.com/activities/233810355
Edited by Banana Boy on Sunday 28th December 22:54
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