Cycling - NLC

[graeme]

Mental. I'll probably just about manage to fill in a sponsorship form without collapsing from exhaustion, but cycle that route? No way. Crazy.

I'd offer to do support duties or throw drinks bottles at you or something, but 27th Sept is exactly the due date for sprog #2, so I'm out. Good on you both!

Mental. Go Team Sheds!!!

[woody]

anyone signed up for this?
http://www.etaperoyale.com
might be a good collective for those of road persuasion?

No, but Clarky and I did discuss it last night...

Yeah - Woody and I are in talks

Did anyone else get signed up for the etape? My training's coming along... just.

[cjm]

Just joined the strava group. I have haven't been doing any interesting rides since I did LEJOG last month.

[point n squirt]

Closed roads sounds great , i did the round Strathaven 50 couple of weeks ago , was a great wee ride.

[istoo]

i am for etape royale, never heard back from clarky... loads of pals doing ride the north this weekend as well.
Racing Tour De Ben Nevis in a few weeks as well.

[woody]

i am for etape royale, never heard back from clarky... loads of pals doing ride the north this weekend as well.
Racing Tour De Ben Nevis in a few weeks as well.

I've signed up, first proper road event I've done. Not looking forward to the 6am start. Think Clarky's still working out if he can make it or not.

Strava group has 19 members now, I'm finding it good to see how far, fast & high more serious cyclists are going in a week.

[jason]

Curious to know why it's such an early start time? Their sweeper wagon average speed means dusk isn't a threat to anyone while still formally participating.

[shudders at memory of starting a ride at 0430 last May]

[istoo]

Curious to know why it's such an early start time? Their sweeper wagon average speed means dusk isn't a threat to anyone while still formally participating.

[shudders at memory of starting a ride at 0430 last May]

Worried about daylight hours for the slower riders. They have set a speed limit for the 100 miler group, so in theory there is no reason for a later start. its the KOM Sportif route which never happened this year. The bummer is that you will likely need lights for the first hour or two. I always ride not the road with little LEDs anyway, for the same reasons i drive with sidelights on regardless of weather.

subs maniac is my strava name. I am not a serious road rider by any stretch, did my first 100 in April with 2 months training on a bike i swapped for a toolbox, but ridden MTBs since the late 80's. I can say that road riding has definitely made me fitter, heart rate seems to sit at that zone all the time rather than being balls flat out all the time on the MTB. Eat well and regular was the best advise i was given. If you feel hungry, its too late, thats equally as true in the mountains.

Will ping a pm and see who is who, I have a mate over from Korea who is riding it, but he beat me by 45 mins in the last one we did, so i am not playing with him! Still i will kick his arse on the MTB the week before

[istoo]

Jason... Nice selection of bikes, similar taste in bikes! fan of moustache bars as well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jason]

Curious to know why it's such an early start time? Their sweeper wagon average speed means dusk isn't a threat to anyone while still formally participating.

[shudders at memory of starting a ride at 0430 last May]

Worried about daylight hours for the slower riders. They have set a speed limit for the 100 miler group, so in theory there is no reason for a later start. its the KOM Sportif route which never happened this year. The bummer is that you will likely need lights for the first hour or two. I always ride not the road with little LEDs anyway, for the same reasons i drive with sidelights on regardless of weather.

Unless I'm miss-reading the site, the sweeper wagon travels at 13 mph average for the century. Anyone averaging less, thus taking longer than approx 8 hrs for the century is ejected from the event, thus continue riding "at their own risk" (ie. like a normal road ride in other words). That's an approx 2-3pm finish (similar finish cut off for the 65ers, approx 2pm). Many hours before dusk.

So I'm not sure dusk is something the organisers are concerned with (though I realise some riders may be). Makes me wonder if there are traffic management reasons. Maybe they're preferring the night riding to be happening during the time they have road closures with condensed field (ie. at start), which perhaps answers my own question.

But I'm just being curious, that's all

[Dark]

Curious to know why it's such an early start time?

It's so they can reopen the roads and avoid upsetting too many people who are trying to go to church in Ballater.
According to the website the roads in Ballater will be open again by 7.20am so minimum disruption to the locals.

[istoo]

Darks theory sounds much more accurate!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[squid]

Slow off the mark as usual - just signed up on Strava. I'm the idiot commuting to work in Stavanger with the occasional jaunt back home to remind myself what dry roads and sunshine feel like. Spiked tyres going back on soon - ho hum.

[woody]

Slow off the mark as usual - just signed up on Strava. I'm the idiot commuting to work in Stavanger with the occasional jaunt back home to remind myself what dry roads and sunshine feel like. Spiked tyres going back on soon - ho hum.

Sounds pretty, er, cool. What type of bike are the spikes going on?

[squid]

Spikes (actually 600+ studs) are for the GT. Great fun but counter-intuitive - lots of grip on sheet ice, zero on snow, great on the brakes, useless on acceleration. And they tramline in the tyre ruts - which is why you find yourself cycling unintentionally into people's driveways!