how long will Cotswolds Sportive take (105 miles) ?
Discussion
At risk of stating the obvious, I'd suggest you try to get some hill training in before the event.
In my experience, riding more hilly terrain than one's body is used to can lead to 'hitting the wall' unexpectedly and suddenly.
In my view, for any cycling challenge, the best preparation is simulation.
Congrats on taking on the challenge...now put in the hours in the saddle. Good luck.
In my experience, riding more hilly terrain than one's body is used to can lead to 'hitting the wall' unexpectedly and suddenly.
In my view, for any cycling challenge, the best preparation is simulation.
Congrats on taking on the challenge...now put in the hours in the saddle. Good luck.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Try to mimick the climbs in the Cotswolds in Surrey. Cotswolds to me sounds like fairly short steep hills? If so, go and play on Whitedown Lane, Barhatch lane, coldhardbour lane, tanhurst lane all in surrey within close reach but they're steep and hard - they will help.
A few years back I rode Circuit of the Cotswolds which was also 105 miles & very hilly although I can't remember the exact route so don't know how much of the course is the same as the one you linked to. It took me approximately 7 hours but I weigh two thirds of what you do and am a pretty reasonable climber (La Marmotte, Raid Pyrnen etc.) so I'll stick my neck out here and say 8.5 to 9 hours.
edit: That should say Pyreneen with accents on the first & last es not Pyrnen. More work for the IT nerds....
edit: That should say Pyreneen with accents on the first & last es not Pyrnen. More work for the IT nerds....
Edited by neilski on Sunday 25th May 10:30
This is my local sportive. I am probably going to enter and I've looked at the epic route just to see where it takes you. the worst of the climbs on the route is probably within the first 10 miles. Its a steep hill and maybe 2 miles long from start to finish. Its one I actually haven't ridden yet but am planning on to get to feel for it.
The good thing with the wiggle events I've found is there are loads of people doing it. Start early and if possible join a group that are doing the same distance. If you can then it will speed you along and motivate you.
This is the hill I am on about
http://www.strava.com/segments/1894331
The good thing with the wiggle events I've found is there are loads of people doing it. Start early and if possible join a group that are doing the same distance. If you can then it will speed you along and motivate you.
This is the hill I am on about
http://www.strava.com/segments/1894331
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Not that it really helps you, but I'd estimate my pace for that distance to be around 8 hours, because I'm not as quick as I feel I ought to be (or at least I wasn't before injury halted my riding for the last 4 months). In the past I liked to work on an estimate/target of at least 15 mph overall average on a longer ride, but several of my 'hill-fest' rides last year were significantly slower than that, to say the least...http://www.strava.com/activities/93725263 slowest ride at 11.8 mph av, but 5387ft climbed in 51.7 miles.
http://www.strava.com/activities/92390196 fastest of my 'hilly' rides from Oct/Nov last year at 14.7 mph av, but only 2398ft climbed in 51.9 miles.
...add in the fact that, as of the 2nd February (my last full ride before my accident) I hadn't yet broken through the 15mph average speed barrier over any distance this year, and I think I'm right to estimate a slower pace.
Extrapolating bigger distances from data for shorter ones only works if you are fit (for the given distance) and eat well. If you fail on either score, you can see your pace fall "off a cliff" toward the end of a long ride. A couple of years ago I did a couple of 'off the cuff' 75 to 100 mile rides, and ended up crawling back the last 15 or so miles on more than one occasion, in abject misery and barely able to pedal and hold a straight line together. I don't mean to put you off, as I learned from those experiences. And being an organised event means you'll have better access to food and drink than I did in the arse end of nowhere, in rural Suffolk.
Don't pay too much heed to the threats to take the signs down. They're not threats, they have a schedule to keep to strip out the signage post-event anyway. They cannot 'make you stop' as the roads are public highways, and you are free to exercise your right of way over them. What they can do is inform you that the event is officially over, and require you to hand in your event number and timing chip. BUT. There is nothing that the organiser can do to prevent you from completing the distance without their support.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
I know Pebble Hill and if you can keep going up the steep bit at the top you are doing well! Don't worry about using the granny ring that's what it is for. The only way to get better hills is to do them - I'm into hill repeats about
and obsessing with the 100 Climbs. I would also do a couple of century rides before if you can - if you can do 70 you'll be able to do a ton on the day but doing one beforehand will help the mental side as much as the physical.
You can do a nice loop near you taking in several of the big hills - Leith Hill White Down Barhatch etc
Hills are only a problem when you are forced to go up them faster than you would prefer i.e. on a fast (whatever fast is for you) group ride. If I'm forced to race up a hill, I'm in trouble. On my tod, I'm fine.
So,just ride at a comfortable pace and don't let anyone push you harder than you would otherwise be going.
So,just ride at a comfortable pace and don't let anyone push you harder than you would otherwise be going.
Daveyraveygravey said:
I know Pebble Hill and if you can keep going up the steep bit at the top you are doing well! Don't worry about using the granny ring that's what it is for.
The only way to get better hills is to do them - I'm into hill repeats about
and obsessing with the 100 Climbs. I would also do a couple of century rides before if you can - if you can do 70 you'll be able to do a ton on the day but doing one beforehand will help the mental side as much as the physical.
You can do a nice loop near you taking in several of the big hills - Leith Hill White Down Barhatch etc
Yes. Agree. I'd certainly visit the ones I mentioned. Pebble hill is not difficult. Whereas the others are quite a challenge for novice riders. The only way to get better hills is to do them - I'm into hill repeats about
and obsessing with the 100 Climbs. I would also do a couple of century rides before if you can - if you can do 70 you'll be able to do a ton on the day but doing one beforehand will help the mental side as much as the physical.
You can do a nice loop near you taking in several of the big hills - Leith Hill White Down Barhatch etc
Joey Ramone said:
Hills are only a problem when you are forced to go up them faster than you would prefer i.e. on a fast (whatever fast is for you) group ride. If I'm forced to race up a hill, I'm in trouble. On my tod, I'm fine.
So,just ride at a comfortable pace and don't let anyone push you harder than you would otherwise be going.
For some odd reason most people seem to think you need to generate more power when climbing, makes no sense to me.So,just ride at a comfortable pace and don't let anyone push you harder than you would otherwise be going.
TheInternet said:
For some odd reason most people seem to think you need to generate more power when climbing, makes no sense to me.
Well, to be honest, a lot of beginners do need to create more power than they can sustain to get up certain hills unless they have very low gearing. Even going as slow as I can on my gearing up some steep surrey climbs it's over 300w which for someone new to cycling is likely something they could sustain for a fairly short time. Granted I don't have super low gearing but the principle is the same and that many people are in their smallest gear and the demand if the hill is still greater than the power they can generate without going into the red. okgo said:
I don't have super low gearing but the principle is the same and that many people are in their smallest gear and the demand if the hill is still greater than the power they can generate without going into the red.
It's a fair point which I had considered but I still feel there often is that reluctance to slow down whilst ascending, which can be difficult from a psycholgical point of view if the gradient is shallow.TKF said:
okgo said:
6k ft over 100 miles isn't all that hilly.
We aren't all as superhuman or modest as you.60ft/mile is more than most people ride. And 6600ft is more than most people will ever ride in one day.
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