England : Lancashire Great Manchester Cycle 2013

[chernij]

26 miles in 1:32:01. Pretty chuffed with my time; when I started training a few months ago I was hoping to get sub 2 hours, seemed like I went a little faster than that. Raise £422 for Diabetes UK at the same time (more money's coming in now that I've finished it). I hope no one was injured in the accident...

 

[on the road]

I did the 52 miles in 2:36:40 and I came 937th, well at least I was in the top 1000

I saw a few injuries and I saw someone with their arm in a sling being attended to by the St Johns. Some seemed to be taking chances on the hairpin bends, I always went wide round the hairpin bends, as I did others just went past be at speed, some coming a bit close, I'd rather go wide and let them pass, I'm more likely to get round in one piece.

 

[Schneil]

Hmm glad I didn't bother entering. Too many nobbers who can't group ride. Sportives are bad enough, but a circuit where you get big groups as its flat...

Was it your work mates Potsy. Hope the bikes are fixable.

I did the 26 mile route today. There were quite a few "wobblers" meandering across the circuit without shoulder checking. There were also "crazy fools" who got impatient and would try squeeze their bikes through a tiny gap. You mix the crazy fools and the wobblers and it's going to be carnage. I had the helmet cam running on the first lap. Might have some candidates for silly cyclists in the footage?

 

[Powely]

The only problem I found was certain cycle clubs going for the racing line and leaning into other riders to force them over. I know it's a timed event but I was under the impression it wasn't a race as such?

 

[DCLane]

52 miles in 2:21:09. All went well until the 3rd lap, when the rider in front of me hit a road cone at the 1-2 mile point as the road narrowed. His bike went sideways and I was left with nowhere to go. Bike's OK, but I lost 5+ minutes sorting him, my bike and myself out.

Time lost is evident in lap times:

Lap 1: 33:11 Lap 2: 33:21 Lap 3: 39:44 Lap 4: 34:53 Ave:

Too many people taking chances and the slower riders were all over the road.

 

[The Brewer]

2:49hrs for the 52, was aiming under 3hrs so was really pleased with that for me.

If you thought the 52 was bad the 13 was horrible and I winced every time little one was passed by a nobber narrowly swaying past

 

[Mickthemove]

I did the 26 in an average of 16 mph that included vast amounts of waiting for my mates to catch up, I promised them I wouldn't leave them and I didn't, it's was their first ride over 20 miles and they did well!

The crashes I saw we're dafties trying to emulate cavendish on some of the tighter bits on Oldham road! They were flying through the tightest of gaps without any warnings, one came a proper cropper and was taken away in an ambulance . Not sure if it was him that went flying past me on the tightest bit but if it wasn't that knob caused it!

On a brighter note, today was my first 100km!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After only 6 weeks in the saddle

19 miles to the start! 26 miles on the. Course and then 19 miles home BOOM

 

[chernij]

There were indeed quite a few wobbles... four times I went to pass someone and they swerved in front of me, had to slam on the brakes. No good for the people behind me, either.

 

[danielstucke]

2hrs 19mins and 211th overall. Pleased with that, just lost the big group I was in on the last lap. Headwind on my own cost me about 5 mins on the final lap.

 

[smokeysmoo]

It was freakin' windy wasn't it, especially coming over the Mancunian Way towards Salford, and then along Chester Road/Bridgwater Way towards MUFC

 

[sand]

Did the 52, turned out to be more like 50. I was British cycling so managed to get in the second front group and a strong guy in a German Garmin jersey helped bridge to the front at the start, cheers. I thought the quality of riding was surprisingly good with very safe cornering. Although the sharp left that I think was the last corner of the lap had someone in front of me crash into an unfortunate woman and before on the same corner on the first lap I heard what sounded like a horrible crash behind. Dropped from the front at the end of lap 3 but the group had split already so joined the second group to the end.

A few taking it to be a race rather than a sportive (even the organizers it seems!), shouts to keep a good through-and-off are fine but angry shouts to do more work aren't necessary. Great fun overall, even got to try a watt bike.

 

[Powely]

Anyone know when the photo's are likely to be online?

 

[sand]

Should add being in a group the whole time I didn't realize how windy it was until I went home on my own, felt for those still on the course alone but there were some amazing supporters by the side of the road shouting encouragement to the all the riders.

 

[Nick Stone]

Missed you all, did the fifty ish, took me 2:56, not bad for a fatty, avg speed 17.7 so fastest average pace to date, my little bro paced me round.

I was worrying about making the 11:30 cut off, boom we were done for 11am.

Saw some fools as we were cut up a few times, but we joined on and off with people to make some groups where needed, the wind was hell on last lap, but well pleased with time and well up for next year, try and get sub 2:45 next, will shift some more weight be a flyer.

Last bit did love driving with only bikes on road though

 

[potsy]

Hmm glad I didn't bother entering. Too many nobbers who can't group ride. Sportives are bad enough, but a circuit where you get big groups as its flat...

Was it your work mates Potsy. Hope the bikes are fixable.

It was mate, one with a wrecked bike and the other a broken wrist