Tour de Pistonheads 2015

[Marcellus]

tobinen said:

Looks like they'll be a few us at similar pace for S3, (6PB and myself at least by the sounds of it), so that has cheered me up a lot. I had a horrible thought of struggling along solo into a biting headwind for 50+ miles

Your pace looks about right for me too, it would be nice to ride it as a group and not on your own so guess we'll need to see how everyone is on the day.

[richardxjr]

^ I would have been up for that pace too. Gruffy knows I had to pull out a way back.

BUT reckon I can make Stage 3. Drive up, ride to London, train back to Cambs with Pablo

[Gruffy]

That's good news Richard.

With the pace, I was expecting a few different groups to form quite naturally. It's a bit trickier for S1 and S2 now that we've got much smaller numbers. It'll be good to keep it as social as possible but people might have varied goals from the event and we'll probably have a wide spread of fitness levels. If we're adding in two organised stops and a lunch stop, that's a lot of rendezvous opportunities, even if we are split quite widely.

[richardxjr]

Weather looks perfect this whole weekend for my 1600m in 90k Ditchling add on.

(5300ft in 58 miles in English which doesn't include getting to or riding up Ditchling itself)

https://www.strava.com/routes/1561583

[SixPotBelly]

JustinF said:

Starting to think about what the support car needs to have on board too; as many racks as seats is a given, a fairly comprehensive tool kit, I've got various spare tyres (mostly oem stuff that came on bikes, about 6 or so), 5 litres of water per rider, a supply of bananas, malt loaf and coke/red bull, a fairly comprehensive first aid kit, usb batteries for garmin top-ups, track pump, GT85, cable ties, chain lube, duct tape, a small box for each rider to put personal items/kit in to make stops as smooth as possible.

The LBS will be stocking me with tubes and whatever else I need within reason (stuff from stock rather than special order) so I'm thinking; brake blocks, 10 speed chain, 11 speed chain, spare cable and outers, patch kits, shot blocks, gels and electrolyte tabs.

Quick links aren't a stock item for them and hangers are too frame specific but I'd assume you guys carry some anyway?

What have I missed?

You've obviously putting considerable thought and effort into this for everybody else's benefit. Very, very decent of you.

The parts list seems very comprehensive, though I have 9-speed (Sora 3500) myself. I'd be quite happy not having a back-up chain along but then again I'd feel a little sheepish if mine broke and I had to abandon because I hadn't mentioned it. I don't know if your LBS carries 9-speed chains but, if not, I have a spare I could bring up to Cambridge with me on the train if you could carry it in the car down to London?

The other day, I was looking for something on Google Street view and I noticed the route goes right past an LBS in Saffron Walden. That got me thinking. Might it be useful to pre-identify other bike shops en-route? Perhaps there's a POI file available somewhere, and I'll have a hunt. Even if you already have this information, or would just Google for a local shop if you needed one, I might find it useful to have myself when out solo exploring so will see what I can find.

[SixPotBelly]

tobinen said:

Looks like they'll be a few us at similar pace for S3, (6PB and myself at least by the sounds of it), so that has cheered me up a lot. I had a horrible thought of struggling along solo into a biting headwind for 50+ miles

Marcellus said:

Your pace looks about right for me too, it would be nice to ride it as a group and not on your own so guess we'll need to see how everyone is on the day.

richardxjr said:

^ I would have been up for that pace too. Gruffy knows I had to pull out a way back.

BUT reckon I can make Stage 3. Drive up, ride to London, train back to Cambs with Pablo

Excellent. I've been preparing as if I'll be riding it alone, but I was hoping a few of us will form a group on the day. It'll be easier, and much more enjoyable.

However it works out, hopefully we'll all re-group at the stop(s?) for coffee, war stories and banter.

[j00pY]

How many people are attending the L2B(2L)? Looking at the route profile I am quite glad that I ordered a 32T today

If that arrives before the Easter weekend I might head out and give some of the worst hills around Surrey another attack.

[Gruffy]

richardxjr said:

Weather looks perfect this whole weekend for my 1600m in 90k Ditchling add on.

(5300ft in 58 miles in English which doesn't include getting to or riding up Ditchling itself)

https://www.strava.com/routes/1561583

I need to ease myself back into training after I've shifted this manflu, but if you're doing that near the end of the weekend I'd be up for it, assuming trains are running to get back to London.

[richardxjr]

Sunday or Monday look okay Gruffy /others, subject to keeping an eye on the weather forecast.
I prefer Sunday at the mo but would need to set off from Ditchling Beacon by 10am.

There are some works on SETrains. Victoria looks alright, London Bridge doesn't.

PLG to VIC takes 1:20 - 1:30 via East Croydon & Clapham Jct.
Some Easter Monday services (revised Sat timetable) change at Haywards Hth. Sunday's all look direct.

As suggested before, riding from That London will end up over 100m & 2000vm I expect and be quite scenic.

[Marcellus]

For stage 3 i was thinkingi would drive over from Daventry and then ride to London and catch a train back to cambridge to get the car.

But the ginger one has said she'll drive me over and then be an additional support vehicle for the stage.

So if I/we can help with logistics for anyone else then please let us know.

[Gruffy]

Richard, I'd be up for that on Sunday/Monday (according to weather) and can be at the top of Ditchling for 10am. That ride takes me about 2h45m. If there's a train back to Clapham Junction (or anywhere in London) I can ride the difference from there. I'm on dog duty though so won't have the luxury of hanging around for post-ride beverages etc, sadly, as my furry little man will be on his own while I'm on the bike.

Marcellus, probably best to liaise with JustinF on the support front, but I don't think there's such thing as too many support cars

[johno_78]

burriana said:

There's no way I'll be doing nearly 17mph average on Stage 1!

Is this going to be everyone riding at their own pace or are we going to ride steady and to the pace of the slowest? I will be happy with 14mph average (no idea what that is is foreign measurement, I'm English!).

The gradients on Kidstones, Buttertubs and Grinton aren't horrific but they are 15% plus. So, with the distance, and the stunning scenery, I will just be aiming to get round in a relatively pleasant state, not grovelling to hit a specific average speed, which will simply end up with me blowing at about 65 miles (Luckily, just before Buttertubs!).

I'll be in no hurry stage 1. 14mph average would be perfectly acceptable. I've lost 2-3 weeks training through manflu and this crap weather, so am starting to get concerned with my potential fitness level.

[JustinF]

Marcellus said:

For stage 3 i was thinkingi would drive over from Daventry and then ride to London and catch a train back to cambridge to get the car.

But the ginger one has said she'll drive me over and then be an additional support vehicle for the stage.

So if I/we can help with logistics for anyone else then please let us know.

That would be hugely appreciated, with lower rider numbers in Yorkshire we should cope with one car but with more riding on stage 3 the flexibility may well be required. I'm thinking ideally we need a car out ahead of/with the lead group able to act as a feed station and one behind/within range of the last riders as a bookend/broom wagon, as the day goes on there could well end up being 20 miles between front and rear. The rear vehicle needs to have capacity for multiple bikes and riders just in case.

We also need to consider a London final meeting point, even though it is Sunday central London isn't the most car friendly and we will need to reunite riders and kit etc.

[Gruffy]

JustinF said:

We also need to consider a London final meeting point, even though it is Sunday central London isn't the most car friendly and we will need to reunite riders and kit etc.

I wonder if South Carriage Drive in Hyde Park would be suitable. It's close to the finish line on The Mall and (usually) has lots of parking so it's perhaps the most obvious place to reunite riders with support crew. Not sure if there's anywhere riders could spend time waiting for others to roll in or if people will want/need to start their journeys home?

[SixPotBelly]

Gruffy said:

I wonder if South Carriage Drive in Hyde Park would be suitable. It's close to the finish line on The Mall and (usually) has lots of parking so it's perhaps the most obvious place to reunite riders with support crew. Not sure if there's anywhere riders could spend time waiting for others to roll in or if people will want/need to start their journeys home?

It's 10 years since I lived in the area, but as I remember it South Carriage Drive is closed to motor traffic on Sundays (as is The Mall and Constitution Hill). We'll be OK on cycles but the support cars will be no go (unless special permission is sought and forthcoming from Royal Parks). There is however single yellow (ie free parking on Sundays) on Kensington Road, the road bordering the south of Hyde Park, around Prince of Wales Gate and Alexandra Gate.

There's a cafe in the middle of St James Park (ie where we finish) which I presume sells over-priced paninis and the like to tourists, but could do for somewhere to sit down initially. More cycling specific, there's the Rapha Cafe nearby in Soho's Brewer Street that claims to do great recovery food. There is single yellow there too but not much of it and it may all be taken on arrival. Other places that spring to mind are the generic pavement cafes/bars on the pedestrianised top of Carnaby Street, with single yellow on the adjoining Great Marlborough Street. Or a mile away in the City, which unlike the West End is deserted on Sundays, there's the Look Mum No Hands cycle cafe on Old Street. That has plenty of single yellow outside and, they say, secure cycle parking inside.

It would be nice to celebrate our achievement with a beer, and to toast our organiser and support crew. I suppose what people will want to do will depend on what time they arrive and how strung out we are. That's going to depend on what time we set off from Cambridge - bearing on mind the Full Monty guys have to transfer down from Sheffield first, which could take the best part of three hours - and whether we stop again and regroup just before entering London, say, or just at the lunch stop at Rayne.

[richardxjr]

Gruffy said:

Richard, I'd be up for that on Sunday/Monday (according to weather) and can be at the top of Ditchling for 10am. That ride takes me about 2h45m. If there's a train back to Clapham Junction (or anywhere in London) I can ride the difference from there. I'm on dog duty though so won't have the luxury of hanging around for post-ride beverages etc, sadly, as my furry little man will be on his own while I'm on the bike.

Cool. Lets aim for Sunday, will pm you my mobile number and have (yellow) PH top on. Do double check the train situation though. Trainline saying :06 past each hour, direct to Clapham Junction takes about an hour. It's Polegate station unless you're caught for time and have to end at Eastbourne. (-1hr, 15miles, 350vm, same train line).

Anybody else fancy a lumpy social ride to Beachy Head? Plenty hills to regroup at the top of And you can catch the train to Lewes or Brighton instead of riding to Ditchling.

Edited by richardxjr on Wednesday 1st April 09:18

[SixPotBelly]

I've remembered there are parking areas on the north of the The Mall that are barriered off from the public. If access is controlled by Royal Parks, I wonder if it might be possible to obtain permission for the support cars to use it by explaining what we're doing and why it would be helpful. I've found the following contact details if it helps:

The St James's Park Office
The Storeyard
Horse Guards Road
St James's Park
London
SW1A 2BJ
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]

edit: from Google Street View. Accessible from Marlborough Street if no access to The Mall

Edited by SixPotBelly on Wednesday 1st April 09:34

[Black can man]

SixPotBelly said:

Gruffy said:

I wonder if South Carriage Drive in Hyde Park would be suitable. It's close to the finish line on The Mall and (usually) has lots of parking so it's perhaps the most obvious place to reunite riders with support crew. Not sure if there's anywhere riders could spend time waiting for others to roll in or if people will want/need to start their journeys home?

It's 10 years since I lived in the area, but as I remember it South Carriage Drive is closed to motor traffic on Sundays (as is The Mall and Constitution Hill). We'll be OK on cycles but the support cars will be no go (unless special permission is sought and forthcoming from Royal Parks). There is however single yellow (ie free parking on Sundays) on Kensington Road, the road bordering the south of Hyde Park, around Prince of Wales Gate and Alexandra Gate.

There's a cafe in the middle of St James Park (ie where we finish) which I presume sells over-priced paninis and the like to tourists, but could do for somewhere to sit down initially. More cycling specific, there's the Rapha Cafe nearby in Soho's Brewer Street that claims to do great recovery food. There is single yellow there too but not much of it and it may all be taken on arrival. Other places that spring to mind are the generic pavement cafes/bars on the pedestrianised top of Carnaby Street, with single yellow on the adjoining Great Marlborough Street. Or a mile away in the City, which unlike the West End is deserted on Sundays, there's the Look Mum No Hands cycle cafe on Old Street. That has plenty of single yellow outside and, they say, secure cycle parking inside.

It would be nice to celebrate our achievement with a beer, and to toast our organiser and support crew. I suppose what people will want to do will depend on what time they arrive and how strung out we are. That's going to depend on what time we set off from Cambridge - bearing on mind the Full Monty guys have to transfer down from Sheffield first, which could take the best part of three hours - and whether we stop again and regroup just before entering London, say, or just at the lunch stop at Rayne.

I really cannot see that we will get a dozen cars or so parked together in any of these locations, Theres a huge 24 hour Tesco's in Kensington on the A4 with plenty of free parking, Cheaper beer too .


I'm not sure what sort of time we are planning to hit London but it's going to be nearer dusk than noon & the west end will be choco with cares parked for the evening.. I know it's not ideal but if we want to get together at the end i think this is the kind of location we will need

Edited by Black can man on Wednesday 1st April 09:49

[Gruffy]

The Rapha Cafe really does have great food. It's also tolerant of smelly, broken cyclists and has 'parking' for a dozen bikes in store. Lastly, it's the closest bike-friendly location to the finish line. Trickier for cars though. There's an NCP close by (remember to remove any bikes in the roof first!!).

[TonyHetherington]

Gruffy said:

I think we're down to just a trio of confirmed riders tackling the full monty now.

And one of them is apprehensive

But, doing my best to get the miles in and will be giving it a dam good go! The absolute worst that can happen is I end up in the support car; I'd be monumentally gutted, but it's not like I'll be half way up a mountain on my own