Birmingham to Oxford Bike Ride in July 69 miles

[l4dva]

Hi guys,

Just woundering how long would a ride of this lenth 69 miles would take for someone of moderate fitness, and if any of you guys are planning on doing this one too? I am fairly new to cycling apart from when I was younger when I used to pretty much live on my bike (going back about 7/8 years though).

Thanks

L4dva

 

[upandover]

I'm doing it though it'll be my first one. I'm planning to get faster between now and then, but at the moment I would aim for a 12mph average. Take a while, but I'm sure I'll manage it.

Cheers
Steve

 

[Fab Foodie]

Say 12 mph as a reasonable average. The terrain's not too bad and between now and then there is plenty of time for practice! Also cycling with others does tend to help you keep rattling along! Good preparation and learning to fuel for the distance is really important. If you cycled a lot in the past you'll re-learn this stuff quickly.

 

[Dave5N]

5 hours tops for someone only 8 years from regular bike riding.

 

[aqaleigh]

5 hours tops for someone only 8 years from regular bike riding.

i agree - when i returned to cycling, my first longish ride was the london-windsor 45miler and it took around 3 1/2 hours

 

[GrahamG]

Is this a charity ride or just for fun?

 

[l4dva]

Yes it is for charity
http://www.jtsma.org.uk/box_ride_2009.html
This will be my first event of this kind on a bike. I have done a few charity runs, the longest being the birmingham half marathon last year.

5/6 hours sounds like a decent time to aim for. Just to clarify the riding that I used to do was purely as a teenager who had nothing better to do, it was never any serious riding apart from the 2 mile commute to school, all of which on a mountian bike. Since learning to drive I've pretty much never used the bike.

Once I get my new bike in a few weeks, im hopeing to start with my commute to work which is about 8 miles (one way), and then working up the distance as much as I can. I also plan to swim or weight lift on my lunch breaks on days when I've drove in to work to keep fitness levels up.

Dose any one have any training tips or advise for me? With all the running I used to do training for the half marathon I lost a lot of weight and size, so I want to be able to keep the weight training up as well, don't want to turn into a weedy long distance runner type. I have a gym next door to my office that ill be signing up to soon. So they need to be short work outs that can fit into a lunch hour.

Thanks!
L4dva

 

[ontheroadtofrance]

what part of brum you thinking of starting from

 

[l4dva]

Well its actually solihull will be starting from, click on the link its got all the information on it
http://www.jtsma.org.uk/box_ride_2009.html
You thinking of doing it as well?

 

[ontheroadtofrance]

i was thinking about it it looks good and organised. Where in birmingham do you live?

 

[jimboalee]

This ride was mentioned in another piece by myself.

I rode it when it started at the NEC.
Then the start moved to Solihull from the Civic Hall car park, which is now Touchwood shopping mall.

I led a works team from Lucas. The others struggled. They hardly trained - mostly in the pub.
The other chap and I finished but he was knackered. The two girls gave up when they saw the hill up to The Brailes.

Slow riders took 6 - 7 hours. My colleague and I took just over 6 hours. I rode back to Solihull and my colleague took the bus.

The Brailes is about half way. Its fairly flat all the way there and this encourages the inexperienced to ride like raceboys. Then they see the hills. Its up and down from Upper Brailes to Oxford.

The return trip is north through Woodstock and Stratford u Avon.

I might do it.

 

[jimboalee]

Training tip.

Home - Top of the Lickeys - Top of the Clent - Dudley Castle - Barr Beacon - Home.

 

[Dave5N]

Training tip.

Home - Top of the Lickeys - Top of the Clent - Dudley Castle - Barr Beacon - Home.

Nah. You miss out the nice bit in the middle of all that.

 

[jimboalee]

You don't expect him to go round the Wrekin,,, Do you ?

 

[Dave5N]

No, but your route missed out the delights of Birmingham.