Mad March Hare 2013

[jdtate101]

Any other CC'ers ride it today???

Was an ok route and lovely weather for the most part. Once hell of bastard hill at 40miles in (frequent ramps of 15-18% on a slippery surface). I managed the 74 mile course in 4hrs16 at an avg speed of 17.3mph. I did my usual foolishness of going off too hard at the start and really suffered for the last 10miles.
Add in a nice ride to and from the event and I got a nice century today, I certainly can feel it in my legs now!!!

Ride data here:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/279748741

 

[robgul]

I didn't ride but did see some of the riders while I was on our club run .. which hill were you referring to?

Rob

 

[jdtate101]

Larkstoke...Going southbound...

http://goo.gl/maps/buhc1

 

[robgul]

Larkstoke...Going southbound...

http://goo.gl/maps/buhc1

Ah yes - but you get spectacular views when you get to the top! ... other than one steep bit Larkstoke is a long, long drag - low gear and twiddle up ... the REAL hill around that area is Saintbury that's pretty steep all the way to the short flat bit before it kicks up again.

Rob

 

[jdtate101]

Ah yes - but you get spectacular views when you get to the top! ... other than one steep bit Larkstoke is a long, long drag - low gear and twiddle up ... the REAL hill around that area is Saintbury that's pretty steep all the way to the short flat bit before it kicks up again.

Rob

Yeah it was a long but not hard until we got to that steep bit. It was covered with a film of muck from the fields and the back wheel kept slipping which made it doubly hard going.

 

[Upstream]

Any other CC'ers ride it today???

Was an ok route and lovely weather for the most part. Once hell of b****** hill at 40miles in (frequent ramps of 15-18% on a slippery surface). I managed the 74 mile course in 4hrs16 at an avg speed of 17.3mph. I did my usual foolishness of going off too hard at the start and really suffered for the last 10miles.
Add in a nice ride to and from the event and I got a nice century today, I certainly can feel it in my legs now!!!

Ride data here:

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/279748741

You finished over an hour quicker than I did - Nice work!
I found it pretty cold at the start, a little warmer in the middle and then cold again towards the end. The two steep hills hurt quite a bit - I was in bottom gear (39 / 28) - perhaps it's time I went for a compact instead ;-)

 

[jdtate101]

You finished over an hour quicker than I did - Nice work!
I found it pretty cold at the start, a little warmer in the middle and then cold again towards the end. The two steep hills hurt quite a bit - I was in bottom gear (39 / 28) - perhaps it's time I went for a compact instead ;-)

I was also in 39/28 on those...and yes ..IT DID HURT.

 

[Upstream]

This was my first sportive and I must say that I've taken away some useful lessons which are listed below (Don't laugh)...

• Take lots of food and drink but as it is only 75 miles and there's a feed station just beyond the half way mark, don't carry enough to sustain yourself for three to four DAYS. It's a cycling event not a camping trip!
• If tea and coffee aren't part of your usual diet, don't go filling your bottle with a drink containing lots of caffeine - it does funny things to your stomach which doesn't help you to keep motivated and can cause the ire of other cyclists in the queue when you emerge from the only gents toilet at the feed station looking a few kilos lighter than you went in and having left your "essence" behind to greet them as they walk in
• Energy gels are great but they aren't a substitute for adequate training beforehand. They don't magically give you extra muscle strength and endurance and if you have too many... (see caffeine above)
• On a cold day, dress appropriately - preferrably some thermal lined tights but under no circumstances just the tights without an under - layer. Otherwise a particular part of your anatomy may become quite painful as it gets very cold - but don't worry, the pain soon subsides as it gets completely numb (Hey... I said don't laugh)
• If your average weekend ride pace over 35 miles is around 15 - 17 miles per hour, don't fool yourself into thinking that you can start off averaging between 18 - 20 and expect to get to the end without being in a world of pain
• If your not one of those fortunate riders who can easily drink (and eat) with one (or no) hands on the handlebars, schedule regular 30 second stops to take on food and water. Faffing about trying to get the odd gulp of drink here and there just doesn't cut it and you'll look silly
• If possible, ride with a group at all times. Finding yourself way behind the group ahead and way ahead of the group behind isn't fun, especially if you're a sociable type and it can help to avoid the sinking feeling that you have got lost!
• You are not going to finish fastest (well I'm not anyway) and people will go past you - don't let your competitive nature cause you to do things that will make you hit the wall with 20 miles still go go
• If it's all hurting so much that when you get home you realise that you didn't take the time to notice ANY of the beautiful scenery, you've probably over reached
• Did I mention frozen bits earlier..?
• Above all though... Remember to enjoy it - it is meant to be FUN!

That's it folks ;-)

 

[BrumJim]

Sounds a lot better than last year, when apparently it snowed, lots didn't even start, and even fewer finished.
Congratulations, upstream. Also saw a very similar report on the Birmingham Cyclist forum. I presume that this is you! (photo looks similar too...)

 

[Upstream]

Sounds a lot better than last year, when apparently it snowed, lots didn't even start, and even fewer finished.
Congratulations, upstream. Also saw a very similar report on the Birmingham Cyclist forum. I presume that this is you! (photo looks similar too...)

Yes - that's me on the Birmingham Cyclist forum too. Some guys I spoke to who had done it last years said that it had been sleeting at the start - that would have been awful and I'd probably have just gone home again had it been like that yesterday ;-)

 

[BrumJim]

Jelly Babies rather than energy gels. Easier to nibble on, tastier, and you won't notice much difference in energy delivery. Oh, and considerably cheaper!!

 

[robgul]

.... if you liked the scenery enter the Shakespeare AUTUMN 100 on Sunday 8 September 2013 ... entries pouring in, especially as we've already sold out on our SPRING 100 in April ... www.shakespeare100.org.uk (Oh, and we don't use Larkstoke on the course!)

Rob

 

[jdtate101]

I spoke to one guy on the ride who said one of his party got carted off last yr in an ambulance with hypothermia. Kinda glad I didn't enter .....

 

[machew]

Did the mad march last year on my recumbent, think I was the slowest as when I got back to the start everyone had gone home

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Sorry, for dragging this one kicking & screaming into the daylight
But

In a recent edition of 'Cycling Weekly', next years 'Hare' was previewed, & I thought they'd added the wrong picture, as the one of a village could quite easily have been photographed in a South Yorkshire village (& in the midst of the Coalfields area)
Hooton Pagnell

http://www.geograph.org.uk/gridref/SE4808