Paris - Roubaix 2016

[Paul139]

Mixed feelings about not going now. Part of me is sad because I`m not doing what could be the ride of a lifetime, but the other part of me is quite glad because I was going to arrive on the Friday afternoon/evening, but didn`t realise it would be a 3am start at the coach on the Saturday morning. Meaning only getting a few hours sleep before the big day.
Good luck to all of you that are going though and look forward to reading about how you get on.

 

[Mickthemove]

I would still go Paul and do the sensible 120K from Roubaix at a sensible 8 am start ish, you hit all the important cobbles/timed sections/the velodrome etc and it is much more enjoyable, I only do the long version when i do the audax version in june, which is different gravy altogether.

 

[HarryTheDog]

@Paul139 we are in the same boat but will just go to bed as early as possible and try to nap on the coach.
Preperations for the sportive are going awry in my household, my daughters old knee troubles are back ( a result of hyper mobility) she is seeing a specialist bike fitter on monday to see if he can help with cleat positioning etc. She is still determined to do the full distance but reckons she wont be able to give it full gas and will come in with the giggling group.
I have not been able to get on the bike for over a week due to work and family stuff. Also my tennis elbow is back. Today Í decided to prep the bike, got the 28mm Conti 4 seasons out of the shed, as far as I remembered they were fine when I put them in there. One has a largish hole right through it, the other has very strange damage to the centre line of it with little lumps gouged out of it. Decided to buy another set so had to run to cycle surgery as they had them in stock and pay over the odds for them. Going to commute on them to bed them in, trouble is its going to rain tommorrow and my bloody mudguards wont fit over 28mm tyres very well so wet butt tomorrow.
Also read the tour companies instructions and found í have to box/bag both bikes, rang around and borrowed 2 boxes from mates.

 

[HarryTheDog]

My daughter so the bike fitter today, even before she got on the bike he said he could see where the problem was. The problem lies in her back he suggested she must have had a bad crash at some time, she told him how she had been badly kicked in the back by a horse when 14 yrs old and he thought that's what probably started it. She had been told before one leg was shorter than the other but he explained it was a optical allusion caused by the way she holds herself due to her back. He measured them anyway just to be sure and checked her bike and cleat position etc. The short of it is that it is going to take a lot of physio excercises she has to do everyday to put it right but at least we hope we have a better idea. However this is the 4th explanation for her knee problems. She got the impression he knew what he was on about so hopeful she may finally get a solution.
She forgot to ask how long this is going to take but she is cleared to do the sportive.

 

[Paul139]

No, I've cancelled my hotel,not booked Eurostar,so definitely not going now @Mickthemove
Good news about your daughter @HarryTheDog even though it sounds she's in a fair bit of discomfort,it sounds as though the bike fitter may know what he's talking about.
I've not been on the bike since February and that was on the turbo doing about 20miles a day for a few weeks and one ride out of 30ish miles so I'm nowhere near fit enough for a big ride. My London to Paris ride in May is looking unlikely to and I stand to lose quite a bit of money there because I've paid up all the fees to take part. But sadly my heart's not in it and I really can't be bothered at the moment. I'm not prepared to put myself through a lot of pain just for the sake of it.
I wish you all well though and will be watching it on tv on Sunday. Keep yourselves safe.

 

[HarryTheDog]

@Paul139 pity you may not make the London to Paris either but cycling isn't compulsoury and its supposed to be fun, sometimes its good to take a break, I binned racing for 3 years and am back to it this year but only doing the races I want to do ( XC) . So you may get your mojo back.
I have not done anything over my 23 miles each way commute for a year but according to a team coach, as I am an old experienced cyclist who has done this sort of thing before, endurance is just about in-built so you might manage London to Paris on old muscle memory and a few last minute rides
However the good news for the rest of us @Labradorofperception ,@aguppy , @Labradorofperception @TomNeilson is that it looks like a nice tailwind on saturday ( approx 15kmh) and rain only in the afternoon and looking at the course there is more downhill then up, ( Elevation: + 655 / - 980 ft) looks like feed stops every 30 miles .

 

[HarryTheDog]

By the way if you are going to look out for me and my daughter, I am still going ot be wearing blue and red glendene top but my daughter will be in a orange Velosport Montegrappa top.

 

[HarryTheDog]

Well its all finished and I am in one bit which is good. No punctures, no mechanicals and no drama's same with my daughter so quite chuffed.
No huge peletons appeared but managed to get myself into some 2-8 man groups and for a few miles was on my todd. Over the Pave I started of well then got slower as the day went on.
If anyone wants some bidons I saw several hundred left on the Pave today also saw several hundred people having punctures.
Only things of amusement was when some knob on a 29er thought he should have my bit of pave and was a bit upset when I would not let him have it, a few rude words and body contact was involved, he was French so we did not know what each other said but we got the gist.
Towards the end I got into a little peleton of 4 french singlespeed riders and me and another brit, the french behaved just like london couriers in traffic when we got to Roubaix which was amusing. They were ruddy quick. I said to the other brit that I felt guilty but he assured me we were doing them a favour as they could boast how they dragged some brits in today.
Daughter took it easy and wont tell me her result but she did not injure her knee anymore so thats good.
The quick stats are 107 miles average 17.3mph, 6hrs 12min moving time according to strava.
https://www.strava.com/activities/540292605
Probably get some stories from the others on the coach tonight at dinner, but one worth mentioning is a guy going over the Trouee de Arenburg crashed completely broke his hanger off. Binned his gears, shortened his chain and came home single speed .
May have pictures later.

 

[Paul139]

Look forward to some pics @HarryTheDog

 

[StuAff]

Well its all finished and I am in one bit which is good. No punctures, no mechanicals and no drama's same with my daughter so quite chuffed.
No huge peletons appeared but managed to get myself into some 2-8 man groups and for a few miles was on my todd. Over the Pave I started of well then got slower as the day went on.
If anyone wants some bidons I saw several hundred left on the Pave today also saw several hundred people having punctures.
Only things of amusement was when some knob on a 29er thought he should have my bit of pave and was a bit upset when I would not let him have it, a few rude words and body contact was involved, he was French so we did not know what each other said but we got the gist.
Towards the end I got into a little peleton of 4 french singlespeed riders and me and another brit, the french behaved just like london couriers in traffic when we got to Roubaix which was amusing. They were ruddy quick. I said to the other brit that I felt guilty but he assured me we were doing them a favour as they could boast how they dragged some brits in today.
Daughter took it easy and wont tell me her result but she did not injure her knee anymore so thats good.
The quick stats are 107 miles average 17.3mph, 6hrs 12min moving time according to strava.
https://www.strava.com/activities/540292605
Probably get some stories from the others on the coach tonight at dinner, but one worth mentioning is a guy going over the Trouee de Arenburg crashed completely broke his hanger off. Binned his gears, shortened his chain and came home single speed .
May have pictures later.

Chapeau!

 

[HarryTheDog]

Only photo where I dont look like a complete plonker

 

[HarryTheDog]

couple of vids
http://chronorace.blob.core.windows.net/video/mp4/1186463240691040/3r/47930-47960.mp4
http://chronorace.blob.core.windows.net/video/mp4/1186463240691040/1r/29674-29704.mp4
http://chronorace.blob.core.windows.net/video/mp4/1186463240691040/2r/36425-36480.mp4

http://chronorace.blob.core.windows.net/video/mp4/1186463240691040/fl/50133-50163.mp4
http://chronorace.blob.core.windows.net/video/mp4/1186463240691040/fr/50133-50163.mp4


In the first I am getting overtaken, in the second gives you a idea of some of the gaps,3rd is the end of the arenburg trench which was hard work. In the last 2 I am behind the guy who sits up at the finish. Note people are still gunning it at the finish.
The next day I got to see the start , 2 mid sections and the finish of the pro race. I was sat on the velodrome hedging bank just above "Sparticus" when he crashed poor bloke. It was so sweet when his kids ran to him.
Note
I was yelling on Ian Stannard at the finish, when Mathew Hayman won the people around me ( and me) didn't know who he was. Thrilling finish though.

 

[HarryTheDog]

They had better not be grinning at my daughter's butt

 

[Paul139]

Fantastic vids @HarryTheDog lovely and clear who took them? I have to say it all looks very sedate, I was expecting hoard of cyclists or had you just found a nice gap in the crowds of them? How was the early start what was the run up to the start like? How did your daughters knee hold out?

 

[Labradorofperception]

@harry the Dog - sounds like you guys had a good day. I'm glad the weather held out although the first few sections were a bit greasy and the Arenberg was "sporting".

I had the same problem with the lycra 29ers. Teams of them batting past and forcing the roades off the crown of the road. I don't get why you would do the short course on a 29er - like doing the London Marathon on a Segway. I was pleased to note that so much of our sweary words are derived from the Dutch and Flemish - so they understood what i was inviting them to do every time some numpty cut in or didn't hold his line.....