Organiser: Evans
Website: http://www.evanscycles.com/ride-it
Course details: see .gpx map on website
Distance: 57 miles
Closed Roads: No
Marshalling: None; very well signed.
Facilities:
• Route markers used to identify the routes;
• Route also provided in .gpx format and also on laminated maps
• Two drinks/feed stations on the long route,
• Chip timing
• Toilets available at start/finish;
• BBQ & snacks available at finish
Freebies: cake / bananas / water at feed stations; SIS gel or bar at start
Pre Event
Having received the replacement wheel from Mike the Bike on Friday I had planned to install it on my bike and go for a quick spin on Saturday, in the end shopping with the wife meant I ran out of time.. so I decided to just use my old wheel (with slightly broken free hub) for this event..you know what they say don’t use new equipment for the first time in a race.. although not a race the thought of something going wrong and me not being able to start/finish the course worried me too much. It wasn’t too bad anyway, the hub didn’t engage for about 25% of the revolution but it was manageable.
Event Morning
In bed early, up early and after scoffing down lots of porridge Ade turned up and we off on time, arriving at the event centre about 10 ins early it was clear this was a popular event, already lots of cars were present and the queue for the registration was already growing..
Once we had met up with CCS, Ade and I went back to the car to flaff with decisions like, what type of gloves should we wear?? Andy aka Clump wandered over and we chatted a little.. everyone laughed at the amount of nutrition I was taking.. Apologies Andy as I spent most of the conversation calling you Dave..
Ade recalled the only hill we would have to do was called Hogsback.. but I wasn’t convinced, this was an Evans event and rate 2 out of 4.. which the last few Evans were also rated 2 out of 4 and Watlington include The Hill Of Death, so named because it nearly killed me!!
As we all walked over the start line I got a massive clump of cut grass wedged between my mudguard and wheel that physically stopped the wheel turning... not a good start, after 5 mins of using a screwdriver to stab the clump out Ade suggested I took the wheel off and scooped it out, Damn common sense!!!
The Event
As I was planning on cycling by myself for the whole journey so I decided to use my iPod.. I know I know.. but seriously 4.5 hours of listen myself talk to me was probably a more dangerous idea!!!
The rough plan was to finish in about 4.5 hours at roughly 60miles that was about 13 Mph, this should be possible as well as a within BiF zone 2!!
The first part of the route was north from Chobham, to Longcross, Windlesham, as I started in one of the first groups every 5-10mins a group of faster riders would whiz past.. nothing too much to report the first hour flew by, I had decided on a nutrition strategy of drink every 15mins, with the beep of the Garmin, a gel every 30mins and perhaps some food every hour, as we finished the northern section of the loop we passed within a couple of miles of the start and headed south into land I did not know too well....
I was using the Garmin’s Saved Rides function, first time I’ve used this instead of just the course, it seemed to work ok, there was a few roads it disagreed with me about but it was fairly accurate. The Fun spilt came pretty soon after we turned south and then first hill I really remember, a cheeky hill that when up by the Priory Hospital, I didn’t see anyone famous and not being able to afford to check myself in cycled past and on with the ride...
As we came to a T-Junction my Garmin and I had an argument, it said turn right and the signs said go left.. As I stopped to decide what to do next to an old guy with panniers who had sailed passed me only minutes before explained he was going to see his sister to the right and I should go left.. ok.. trust the signs not the Garmin. As the ride continued pass Pirbright and Henley business park the constant beeping and asking me to do a u-turn got on my nerves so I switch the Garmin in to normal cycle mode.. I would have to trust my ability to see and obey signs going forward...
I was really beginning to need the toilet, too much fluids perhaps??? At 23 miles the first drink station came up. I stopped for a pee, ate some flapjack, a gel and a powerbar, feeling a little ill from eating too much and trying to be social, I decided to carry on.
The drinks station was also the spilt for the short ride, not a good sign as I remembered as I started back out that Hogsback wasn’t too far away from the spilt and I was current feeling sick from eating too much.. as I rode towards the imaginary hill, I psyched myself up for the hill, being on my own I had a real fear of lacking in mental strength and giving up and walking.. I tried to tune into the music but it had turned up nina simone – Bugger, kill me now... and I thought I had deleted that track?!?!?!
A hill and to the top not too bad.. then in the distance the tree line on the horizon, yeap I was approaching it.. it looked horrendous, I couldn’t see where the road went up the hill but if it took the direct route I thought I’d be screwed, as it wound it’s way up the hill I went down through my gears, a sharp left blind turn increased the gradient, as I got around the bend the cars in front has stopped, they were being slowed my more cyclists in front. But amazingly there was only about 100metres then the road appeared to finish!! As I slowly worked my way up the remaining hill I reached the top and turned right under the road and downhill. I was amazed, I had made it to the top without too much bother, it wasn’t fast, but I hadn’t set a new max HR or wanted to chunder either!!
The downhill was excellent as the speed increased I flew by a little pink arrow pointing right.. crap... I slow as quickly as possible while holding out and arm indicating a right turn, luckily no cars behind or in front allowed me make the turn in a very wobbly, ungracious style.
The next downhill was fun, and long, it got to the stage when I couldn’t see anyone in front and I began to questions whether I had taken a wrong turn and was off the course, with my Garmin sent to Coventry I would just have to keep going and hope I was on the right route.. I certainly didn’t want to have to cycle up this hill I was going down!!!
Then in the distance a pink sign, result.. all is good with the world again.. At this point I picked up a guy drafting me, I don’t mind too much as I was out on my own and I cut a fairly large whole through the air so a lorry could probably draft off me to be honest...
The guy decided to overtake me, I let him get ahead, but then amazingly he waited for me then started up, he now expected me to draft him!! I hadn’t really encounter this sort of cycling comrade before but fair play to him.. I was a little unsure, I didn’t want to get in the situation when I was working outside of my comfort zone, but in the end I needed not worried as he was a little slower than me so I spent a little longer leading but we did this for about 8-10miles until we got to the next drinks station.
I decided not to stop as I still had a enough drinks left and I expected a another drinks station before the end, the guy with me also decided not to stop because of my decision, we meet a friend of his and we turned from a 2 into a 3 up!! the 3rd member didn’t do any leading and was even slower than me up hills.. although his back muscles/mass was so large he probably weighted the same as me... just more muscle!!!
Hogbacks Killed My Bike!!!
It was during one of these hills that my trouble started, as I we started back up Hogsback and about 38 miles into the ride I was pottering up the hill, sitting in the saddle grinding out the gears as I refuse to get out of the saddle while climbing, my gears appeared to slip, like they weren’t indexed properly. I didn’t think about it until I hit the top and descended slight and free wheeled, as I went to pedal again the pedals just kept spinning without engaging the rear wheel, 1 turn, 2 turns the it engaged and off I was again..
A couple of quick practices and I realised I could be in trouble, when I stopped pedalling it could take up to 3 or 4 revolutions before it engaged again... I stopped and told the guys I was with I’d be backing out of our 3 up chain gang as I would have to be a little cuter how I rode back to the finish, I limped on for about 9 miles with things getting worse.. at one point I slowed down to turn right, I had to stop pedalling and tried to start up again and then realised how dangerous things were getting, I had no traction, just spinning, turning across the road wasn’t very intelligent!! I made it before the car ran me over (just).
I guess this is what riding a single fixed is like, you just have to keep pedalling and keep the hub engaged through all terrain and turns.
I as I approached the 10miles to go mark a small hump back bridge over the railroad finally killed off my hub, a couple of more grinding sounds and constant spinning ensued..
It was dead, long live my first custom built wheel that was “bomb proof” designed to withstand “The Scott Treatment”!!!!!!
My event was over.. 47 miles in 10miles to go.. a quick call to race HQ, they advised I returned to the 1st drinks station approx 1.5miles away, luckily mostly downhill so I free wheeled there.
I sat around for 90ins until the last rider had passed through and got a lift back to the start..
Ade and Clare hadn’t arrived back so I decide to go for a quick run, 10mins out and 10mins back was enough.. first brick of the year although with the 2 hours since I had finished riding whether it was actually a brick is arguable.
Glorious cake when I returned from the run, swapped stories with Ade and CCS and then home via the in laws and Tesco in my fancy trishorts and hoody – A look I really must try again!!!
Conclusions
• Scott you are a fuckwit sometimes!!!
• Does sitting while climbing put extra pressure on the bike & Hubs?? I thought it was good training for me legs??
• Drink stations – read the literature properly, there was no 3rd drinks station it could of gone wrong if hotter or I’d stuck to my nutrition plan
• Don’t eat so much at the first drinks station!!!
• Put the spare replacement wheel on next time, don’t cycle with a known fault!!!
• The data from Evans was wrong and the Garmin was just responding to bad data, it’s not it’s fault really
• The cake was fantastic!!!
Overall the route was very well signed and road were ok.. it seemed the roads were either really smooth and fast or bumpy, the hills were manageable or I’m getting fitter:
Stats for my shorter ride
Distance:46.79M
Total Time: 3hours 20mins, including stops and mechanicals until total failure of hub.
Avergae Speed: 14Mph (see above for conditions)
Max Speed: 37.9Mph
Cals: 3885
Av HR: 146bpm (76% Max)
Max: 176bpm (92% Max)
Total Ascent: 2393ft
Total Descent 2179ft
ok.
